Old Friends and Archtypes

Once characters, fully formed and alive, populate an authors head, they and their friends and relatives keep coming back. You may remember the complicated family connections in The Ashmead Heirs, in which the old earl’s bastards were named in his will and given all the unentailed property. The Bensons and the Caulfields and their friends have also appeared in some of my previous short works

My holiday novella, currently in process, features another Caulfield bastard. Owen Caulfield grew up in his grandfather’s sundry store, living above it with his grandparents, and liked but somewhat looked down upon for his illegitimate birth. He has returned to his home in Astburn in Suffolk after several years in the navy during which he became a skilled surgeon. The property in which he grew up, as it turned out, actually belonged to his natural father, the earl and was left to him when the old earl died. He has converted it into his office and surgery. I haven’t decided whether or not David, new Earl of Clarion or Rob Benson, both his half-brothers, will make an appearance. If I can fit them in, I will.

As to Archtypes, I’m still doing character work on the heroine, and I’ve been very into archtypes lately. She is the daughter of the late viscount who lives in the downer house while her distant cousin the new viscount has rented out her former home to a merchant family. She is the one who looks over everyone in Astburn and her father’s former estate. The renters and the local squire down the road are fairly worthless. The locals all rely on and respect her. I’m thinking she is the archtype they call Priestess or perhaps Queen. One of those preserves the past and the other creates the future. Both are strong leaders. I’m mulling that over. Conveniently, she never married <grin> so this is a Second Chance story. And a murder mystery.

I need help with titles. Someone suggested Mayhem and Mistletoe. I love it, but it turns out to be a much used title. There are many out there. I’m leaning toward The Angel’s Announcement, because a little girl in an angel costume witnessed the villain disposing of the shepherd. Others that occurred to me are The Shepherd’s Secret, Holiday Havoc, and Nativity Nightmare. Any other suggestions?

I’m off this week for a family wedding shower in Illinois so I will probably not post next week. I need to get as much done before I leave as I can, but first coffee.