Of course flawed characters are endlessly fascinating to me. In fact, I'm getting known for writing believably flawed characters. My Jeff Resnick character seems to carry the most baggage, with Tricia Miles coming in a close second, and Katie Bonner the sanest of the lot. (Good old Katie.)
(By the way, the first Jeff Resnick book, Murder On The Mind is STILL FREE for Kindle, iTunes and Smashwords (and if you've got a Sony E Reader, Kobo, or Nook, get it from Smashwords--and of course if you don't have an e reader, you can still download it to your computer or tablet via Smashwords. Hey, free is free, after all--and this offer won't last forever).
While watching an episode of Doc Martin, it suddenly occurred to me that I needed to wrap up a subplot that's been building in the Booktown Books. I gave it a lot of thought over the next couple of days and yesterday I wrote the scene where Tricia learns a devastating truth about her past. (Boy, that was fun!)
More than one person as told me that Tricia is a doormat and they are annoyed by the way she puts up with Angelica. I posed these questions to the latest person who said that: Have you got an older sibling? Have they changed that much since childhood? If they annoyed you then, do they annoy you now? Have you ever had the upper hand? Do you just abandon your sibling and walk away?
Do you hear the sound of crickets in the background?
Is the situation between Doc Martin and Tricia the same? Not in the least, but his situation got me thinking about her situation (and the fact that it needs resolution). Will this big revelation change the relationship between Tricia and Angelica? Probably not. As their grandmother was famous for saying, "a leopard doesn't change its spots." You are what you are. Angelica is always going to be the bossy older sister, and Tricia will put up with her for one reason and one reason only: she loves her. And when you love someone, you love them--warts and all.
We're only halfway through the episodes. I can't wait to see what other adventures await crabby old Doc Martin and the people in Port Ween. And, as I write the 8th Booktown Mystery, I can't wait to see what else befalls Tricia and Angelica. It's gonna be a bumpy, but fun ride.
