Exploring Back Stories and Character Secrets pt. 2

If you're wondering why it's taken me so long to do a part 2 of this post, it's because I [ahem] forget... well technically, I'd started part 2, then lost the draft (probably because I forgot to save it, hihi) and then I forgot. Silly me.

*Add in from 26.10.2023 : I have uncovered my saved (I knew I hadn't lost it!) draft of my previous version! I shall add in any tidbits from it into this blog post😁

So, let's start with the second part of this deep-dive into my character's lives, and today I'll be writing about the main male characters in my books.

Chris (which means Christ-bearer):

Let's start with his name. The meaning of it is misleading but I had already named the character before I checked what 'Chris' meant, so just to clear it up, Chris will not be bearing Christ... hmmm, that sounds strange, but ignore all that!

Chris, like the other Beasts, was born on Earth into a family of Shifters who tend to make their homes in the quieter corners of the world, lest they attract the attention of 'mere mortals'. You will not find Shifters anywhere else in the Solar System.

So Chris is kind of an open book, although we know he can keep one hell of a secret. And I'll let YOU in on a little secret. He has more secrets. Sorry about using the word secrets too much! Oops, I did it again.

Anyway, his next big reveal is that his sister, Fay, is [drumroll, please] adopted... Yep, who saw that one coming? I did ;-) Its basic genetics but only if you know what Chris' parents look like, or the rest of his family. And let me tell you, not one of them is a red-head (although technically/genetically speaking this isn't accurate, but for readers its a hint at least). Fay has a bigger story than even I could possibly imagine (or can I?) and I'm considering writing a novella on her compelling backstory and future. But that's enough about Fay, let's get back to Chris. He has loving parents, a sometimes-loving adopted sister, and he received a sort-of brother when Ben moved in with his family. He grew up in a small town in Sweden (hence the stereotypical good looks!) and learnt to be a hard-worker and honest person early on. He is eternally loyal.

Ben (which means Blessed/Good-speaker):

Side note: Ben isn't exactly blessed considering his dark past, yet he can smooth-talk his way out of any sticky situation, or talk his way right into a sticky situation... he's talented that way!

Aaah, and we've reached one of my favourite characters, the legendary Ben Citra! Honestly, if I were more sassy, I could write him even better but for now, he's perfect the way he is.

Ben's mother, despite loving her son very much, had given up the will to live. She left behind a son who thought he could never be loved, and an abusive narcistic husband who couldn't care less about his son. Ben was in a dark place when he decided to run away from home, and found work at a seedy establishment in the not-so-great part of London. Chris, on a family trip to London, rescued him from there. Chis was the first person who saw past Ben's bravado and cock-sure attitude, and found the hurt, neglected boy inside who was crying for help. Chris is the only person in the world that Ben trusts.

Well, that is until Ben meets a certain ghost lady who is slowly, unwillingly, stealing his heart. Her attraction lies in the fact that she reminds him of his neglected mother (lovely, right?) but now he has a chance to fix that neglect, even if she isn't his mother and rather a gorgeous ghost.

Will (which means Resolute Protector):

This chap is a bit of a jokester, taking life as it comes yet seeing everything with a sharp eye and understanding perfectly what is going on around him. A lot of people don't take him seriously, so he's training to be a medic at the Academy, wanting to make a difference so people won't just see him as the 'jokester'. He's originally from Thailand, and comes from a boisterously large family. His playful nature and stealing off people's plates comes from having to play and compete with his younger and older siblings. In total he has seven siblings. Will has a knack for finding trouble. Which is why he's decided to be a medic at the Academy so he can be helpful when trouble hits. After he graduates he wishes to become a Black Elite (a healer). He's hopelessly in love with Sophie but never knew how to approach her because to him, she's a flame and he's a puny moth. Funny, because Sophie considers him her flame ;-) And Sophie seemed to solve the 'unapproachable' issue when she attacks him with a kiss upon her return to their time era. Will can see spending a lifetime with her, but is Sophie ready for all of that commitment?

Ash (which means Happy):

Ash, the quiet, introverted member of the Beasts. It's in his nature, being half-snow-leopard, but he wishes to move past his shyness and become more like Will or Chris. His best mates are Will and Darren, although Darren understands him more. The story of Ash's past has not been mentioned in any of the books yet, but I'll let you in on a secret. Ash is an orphan. His parents died in a freak mountaineering accident when he was just 3 years old, and so he was sent off to the orphanage in his hometown in Canada. A rough place, let me tell you. Ash mainly coped by sticking to the shadows and not engaging with anyone or anything, which seems to have hindered him in the socialisation department. But he's done well with his friends to help him, and he's moving forward to a brighter future. Which hopefully includes a certain someone that he's been crushing on since the start of the Academy year.

Darren (which means Great):

Darren is also a quiet type, although the reason behind this is entirely different to Ash's. You see, Darren hasn't had his coming out yet, and he's been shy and quiet to hide his true nature. But not for much longer, because the great Darren is about to meet the love of his life, and who it is is as unexpected as you would expect. (Geez, that's a tongue-twister, sorry!)

Darren is also down-to-earth and rational, to the point that his friends call him boring. He likes to think of himself as grown-up. He asks the right questions, doesn't tolerate too much bullshit, yet is still able to have a good time. His parents back in Africa are proud of the man he is becoming, although the whole homosexual thing might throw them off the track for a while, but they'll return like parents always do because they love their children. Hopefully.

Julian (which means Youthful):

Could I just quickly point out that I had no idea what Julian's name meant when I picked it? But its so perfect because he's an elf and never appears to age!!

So, Julian grew up in Thalor (the elven capital city) with only his mother who was training to be a Wizened, which meant he basically had to raise himself because she had no time. But the elven community looked after him well, all things considered, especially because he's the elven king's nephew... spoiler if you haven't read the second book!

Julian also fell in love with a human which is a big no-no in elven law, although she's no ordinary human, but nobody knows that yet. One secret you may not know about Julian yet is that he's always thought he'd be king someday, even after his banishment. He never made his ambitions a reality, but the thought has always been on his mind.

Arlox (which means Nature of a Lynx):

Sooo, how do I go about describing Arlox without giving the most important details away? Because let me tell you, he's one to watch in terms of back story! Book 3, Ascent to Ash, delves deeper into his, but for now, I might just leave you with this very small tidbit. The experience Alexa had with meeting Arlox's 'good part of his conscious' was not taking place in his mind. It was a real setting with the real Arlox, disguised with magic. It was all a ploy to get the girls to deliver the Eighth to him... which is Irene. And that is all I will say!

Anyway, that's about all of the main male characters, excluding Wraith and Jude who pop up later, but not for very long. Also, keep an eye on Gecko in Book 3, as well as the hilarious dynamic duo Gordon and Perry (inspired by a funny situation I may or may not write a blog post about when the time is right!)

Hope you enjoyed!

- Andra K.