Beautiful People is a monthly blog meme hosted by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. Every month they pose 10 questions for writers to answer about their writing and give readers the opportunity to learn more about the writer’s characters.
When I saw the theme for this month’s Beautiful People, I knew this would be a tricky post. Anyone who’s been following Beautiful People (or this blog in general) for some time already know that Eva, the protagonist of my YA fantasy The Keeper’s Curse, has been an orphan since she was 5 years old. And as I read this month’s questions, I realized some related better to Eva’s deceased parents, and others to her guardians since then.
So, that’s how I’ll handle this month’s post. You’ll learn a little about Eva’s mother and father, and I’ll also introduce you to Aunt Maji and Uncle Lusan, both of whom appear in TKC. Hopefully that won’t be too confusing. I’ll do my best to indicate who each question pertains to. Let me know in the Comments section if anything needs clarifying!
1. Does Eva know both her biological parents? Why/why not? (Parents)
Yes. Eva’s biological parents raised her until she was 5 years old, when they were murdered during the Mountain Folk’s raid of Eldenmonn. I talked about the sacking in this previous Beautiful People post. After Eva’s parents died, the mother’s older sister Nekamaji (Maji, for short) and her husband Lusanabro (Lusan) took in Eva and raised her.
NOTE: TKC takes place 12 years after the raid, when Eva is 17 years old.
2. Has she inherited any physical resemblances from her parents? (Parents)
Oh yes! Eva inherited her father’s amber eyes and her mother’s nose. Also, her hair is straight like her father’s was, and a blend of medium brown, red, and blonde that comes from her mother. The Faeries in TKC’s world have naturally two-toned hair, and Eva has the rare tri-toned tresses. (In case you’re curious, Eva’s mother was red-and-blonde, and her father was brown-and-blonde.)
3. How did her parental figures dress? Add pictures if you like! (All)
Pictures never seem to do the images in my head justice, so let me describe their clothes for you…
Both Eva’s father (when he was alive) and Uncle Lusan wear traditional attire for male Faerie commoners, which consists of solid, light-colored shirts, dark trousers, and leather boots. Uncle Lusan also ties back his long hair to keep it out of his face when he works in his arrow fletchery.
As for Eva’s mother (when she was alive) and Aunt Maji, they wore dresses or a skirt with a blouse or tunic, as other female Faerie commoners would. Knowing their personalities, both ladies prefer bright colors or a mix of light colors (whites and pastels) with darker, bolder shades. They’d also go barefoot at home and wear boots when away.
4. Does she share any personality traits with her parental figures? And which does she take after most? (Parents)
It’s hard to say… I think Eva carries bits of both of her parents with her. The women in Eva’s mother’s family were known for their gentle, carefree natures; and while Eva’s not exactly gentle (*lol*), she has that desire to create her own identity and feels “different” from most other Faerie girls. That’s also how her mother and Aunt Maji felt growing up, and their professions (mother: singer in the royal choir; Aunt Maji: a “name-giver,” who names Faerie babies after they’re born using magical foresight) reflect that sense of individuality.
As for her father, Eva definitely got her tomboy hobbies and personality from him. I can also see her being a “daddy’s little girl,” although she loved spending time with her mother and listening to her sing, too.
5. Does she get on with her parental figure(s) or do they clash? (Aunt & Uncle)
Eva gets along with Aunt Maji really well. While they both have different temperaments, Aunt Maji has always encouraged Eva to be her true self. This is probably why Eva respects and listens to her aunt’s wisdom and enjoys spending time with her. Both characters also have a tradition where they stay up late chatting the night before Eva travels for Council duties. There’s a scene like that in TKC, and I like how it shows the dynamics between aunt and nice while offering important (story-related) information.
Uncle Lusan is a different story. He loves Eva and his biological son Gidion, but his strict traditionalism often clashes with her independent streak and occasional tactlessness. A great example? Uncle Lusan threatened to throw Eva out of their home when she was named to the Council. Thank goodness for Aunt Maji’s peace-making (one of her strengths).
6. If she had to describe her parental figure(s) in one word, what would it be? (Aunt & Uncle)
That’s easy! Eva would say “nurturing” for Aunt Maji and “dictator” for Uncle Lusan. Makes sense, given the answers to #5 above, right? 🙂
7. How has her parental figure(s) helped her most in her life? (Aunt & Uncle)
Well, Aunt Maji and Uncle Lusan raised Eva after her parents were killed. I think that speaks volumes. They volunteered to be her new family, and gave her a safe and loving home during the most difficult and vulnerable time in her life. And being a name-giver, Aunt Maji has a different point of view on Faerie magic than most Faeries do, and she’s one of two mentor figures in Eva’s life (the other being Eva’s trainer Nomaro) who have encouraged Eva to be open-minded with her powers and create new spells that (from a world-building standpoint) obey the “rules” and limits of Faerie magic.
8. What was her biggest fight with her parental figure(s)? (Aunt & Uncle)
I don’t think Eva and Aunt Maji have ever gotten into a fight. They may have disagreed on things before, but Aunt Maji’s too even-tempered to let it escalate into a full-blown argument.
But Eva and Uncle Lusan? OH YAH. The fight I hinted at in #5 would be the answer here. He lost his temper completely when Eva was named to the Council. She tried to make him understand that she couldn’t let go of her tomboy behaviors and take up sewing, cooking, and other housekeeping tasks that would be expected of her as a potential bride. But he refused to see things from her perspective; and even though Aunt Maji made it clear that Eva would still live in their home during her Council tenure, Uncle Lusan’s last words in that discussion were, “You disgrace me, niece. No Faerie man wants a girl who won’t accept her rightful place.”
9. Tracing back the family tree, what nationalities are in her ancestry? (All)
Faerie, through and through. Eva’s culture frowns upon interracial marriages, so she doesn’t have bloodlines from the Great Isle’s other peoples (Mountain Folk, Humans, Saaresgard, Krunicians).
10. What’s their favorite memory with her parental figure(s)? (Parents)
Even though her parents have been gone for almost 13 years, Eva still remembers them vividly. Her happiest memory of them is from shortly before they traveled to Eldenmonn. The three of them were sitting by the hearth at home, and her father was playing a lute as her mother was teaching Eva a Faerie folk song. Simple yet full of joy and love – that defined Eva’s family perfectly back then.
That’s it for this month’s edition of Beautiful People. What do you think of Eva based on the answers above? If you’ve been following Beautiful People or Chronicling The Craft, did you learn anything new about Eva and her family (biological and adopted) today? Feel free to share your thoughts and any questions you may have by commenting below.
Sara Letourneau 
This is amazing! High five for tragic backstories and people taking in other people’s kids. XD I also really love the sound of your storyworld; it sounds like you’ve done a great job worldbuilding! I’m kind of inspired to go back and work on my own story’s world (again! I’ve redone this story so many times. XD) I’m gonna go look at your other BP posts, I wanna know more about this character and her story. ^.^ Oh, this is Rachel from Secret Scribblings, by the way. XD
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Thanks, Rachel! 😀 I’m a sucker for tragic backstories, too, so it was natural for me to develop a character who had one.
It’s funny, I just thought of the Durseleys from Harry Potter and how utterly AWFUL they were to Harry. I wanted to avoid that with TKC, and give Eva an opportunity to grow up in a loving home – with some conflict every now and then. 😉
Feel free to comment on the other BP posts, too. I’d love to know what other thoughts you have about Eva! I also have a (sort of) blurb for TKC in the Novels section of the site.
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Your answers show a lot of worldbuilding. *high five*! I love that. I also appreciate that Eva had a chance to grow up in a loving home. Yet, a loving home isn’t always easy, as you portrayed through your answers. I think most characters seem to have HORRIBLE childhoods, or nearly perfect. So few of them seem to have the normal tug and give relationships that are founded on actual love/care.
And you were smart to avoid pictures. I think it took my about two hours to find good pictures, once the idea got into my head, and then I had to do it because it was in my head . . . lol 😉
Nice post, and it’s so fun to follow these characters/hear more!
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Thanks, Rebekah! *returns the high five*
World-building has been such a huge part of this book, to the point that certain crucial parts of TKC probably wouldn’t exist today if I hadn’t put enough thought into it. I’m glad with what I’ve come up with so far, but there’s so much left to explore. For another book. 😉
About horrible or nearly perfect childhoods: I agree. It seems to be one way or the other. With Eva, I figured that her childhood was already so traumatic that I needed to bring in a little normalcy. I may love tragic backstories, but I don’t want to turn my characters into basket cases! :S
*lol* Yeah, I wanted to avoid the image hunt – and for that very reason! Because what if you can’t find what you’re looking for after an hour, or two, or…? 😉 I like the photos you picked for your post, btw.
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I agree with everyone (and I believe I mentioned it in your last BP post) that your worldbuilding is just phenomenal. It inspires me to dig deeper into my own worlds.
Eva also is such an intriguing character. I can tell she stands up for what she believes in, and I always admire that in characters. I also like how she did have a tragic childhood but still was raised in a rather happy, normal environment. It’s very balanced.
Keep it up, girl. Everything sounds amazing!
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Oh wow. Thank you, Christine. 🙂
The funny thing is, I always wonder whether I’ve actually done enough world-building. So it’s rewarding to hear that people like the depth they’re finding.
As for the balance of tragedy and love: Like I mentioned to Rebekah, that was the approach with Eva’s childhood from the beginning. That way, it wouldn’t be all sadness, horror, and loss. And her knowing what it’s like to be loved and to belong somewhere will be huge as the story goes along. 😉
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Yes… I’d agree with the above comments. Your worldbuilding is really thorough and has depth and breadth, which is great. Eva sounds an intriguing protagonist – and the fact she has had a tricky start bodes well. I think it’s no accident that a lot of great people through history have have horrible childhoods.
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Wow. Thank you, Sarah. Like I said in response to some of the other comments, I constantly feel like I haven’t done enough of it. But a friend of mine recently told me that in most cases, there’s always room for more exploration. You just have to figure out when to stop temporarily so you can write the actual story. *lol*
“I think it’s no accident that a lot of great people through history have have horrible childhoods.” Very true. And the same goes for literary characters, too. It makes them more memorable, for sure… and maybe it’s what inspires them to overcome the odds and prove themselves?
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I feel like I learned a lot more about her adoptive parents this time. I didn’t realize how much she argued with her uncle, haha! It’s nice hearing more about them. 🙂
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Oh yes. Eva and Uncle Lusan butt heads often. (Eva’s cousin Gidion butts heads with him too, though, so it’s not just her. *winks*) But they still love each other. A quick scene in a chapter I’ll revise soon will show that.
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Haha, that uncle! Sounds like he enjoys a good argument. 😀 I’m glad they still love each other though anyway, that’s sweet. ^_^
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*lol* Uncle Lusan’s not exactly the type who enjoys arguing. He’s just very practical, and he expects his children (either biological or adoptive) to do as he expects. And, well, they don’t always do that, especially now that they’re not little anymore. 😉
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Uh-oh, the dreaded teenage years. 😉 Can’t make a teen listen. 😀
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I’m not at all familiar with the stories, but after reading this, I sure am. When a story has this richness to it, this detail, it shows. Love that I found this today.
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Thank you, Eli! 😀
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I didn’t know much about Eva or your world before reading this and based on it. I really like it. I think Eva sounds like an intriguing character, and the world seems detailed and like you’ve put a lot of work into it. I enjoyed reading the post, and I’m looking forward to getting to read your book as well. 🙂
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Thank you, Phoenix! 🙂 This series really has been a neat way to continuing exploring the story’s characters as well as the world itself. Even though I did quite a bit of work on all that before, some of the questions get you to look at angles you may have missed. And for that, I’m really glad for following Beautiful People.
Didn’t you do a Beautiful People post a month or so ago? Are you planning to do one for this month as well?
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I see you’ve already seen it. So I’ll head over there and reply to you. 🙂 I’m really glad you introduced me to Beautiful People, it really is useful.
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I love how much detail and thought you’ve put into this, it made for a really interesting read!! I love how much these BP posts let us explore so many different facets of our stories. 🙂
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Awww, thank you, Christina! And yes, that last bit is exactly why I love Beautiful People as well. 😀
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Enjoyed reading this! 🙂 I love that they’re Faeries and this whole thing sounds super detailed and well figured out! This is totally random but I love the name Eva. 😀 Very interesting hearing about her parents and aunt and uncle and how they relate to her and all. ^_^
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Thanks Deborah! 🙂
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This is a really fun BP! 😀 Mine is scheduled to go up on the 26th. It was my only slot open for the month lol. The multiple hair colors is so cool! I love that! And also about the special naming. That’s really cool and makes total sense to name a baby after who they will be in the future. That’s awesome! ^ ^
storitorigrace.blogspot.com
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Thanks, Tori! 😀 The two-toned hair colors and naming scheme came up when I was initially world-building for the book. Actually, the scene I’m currently revising for TKC is where Eva finally asks her aunt how she came up with Eva’s full name (Isonyeva, which means “unknown fate” in Fae).
I’ll be sure to check out your BP post when it’s live. 😉 Any hints re: who you’ll focus on this time?
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Oh cool!
Heh heh. A Red Hood character. 😉
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