Meet My Main Character- Aran Bruce - from a work in progress time travel.

Happy Monday to you!

This post is in response to an invitation to join a blog hop tag game. A colleague asked who would be interested in joining a 'Meet the Main Character' hop and this is the way some Crooked Cat authors have responded to the challenge.

I've been tagged by historical author Cathie Dunn - who has written Dark Deceit, Silent Deception and Highland Arms - all excellent novels I can particularly recommend if you've not yet read them. Her Main character is spotlighted at: http://cathiedunn.blogspot.co.uk/?zx=246419c54e8d86d3

My task is to write about one of my current main characters. This wasn't an easy task since I'm presently rewriting two of my romantic mysteries with a view to publishing new versions of the stories - both of those male characters lovely men to talk about. I'm also writing book 4 of my Celtic Fervour Series, but those main characters have not yet shown their full strength. Instead, I've chosen to focus on a young hero, the main character in the novel for early teens that has been languishing for way too long.

I therefore present Aran Bruce.     

1) What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?

The name of the main character in my novel for early teens is Aran Bruce, a fourteen year old boy who lives in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He’s a totally fictitious person and isn’t based on any particular child I’ve ever encountered. However, the novel was first started around 2004 when I was teaching classes of children who were slightly younger than Aran and his twin friends, Brian and Fianna, the other main characters in the time-travel adventure novel. In retrospect, some of my former pupils could be said to fit some of the character traits which Aran, and also the twins, exhibit.   

2) When and where is the story set?

The story begins in contemporary times in Aran’s home village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, but the bulk of the novel is set in AD 210 after my main characters make a time-travelling journey.  In AD 210, the north-east of Scotland was being invaded by the Roman Emperor Severus’ troops. The era of the Severan Campaigns is significant in that it was the last known major push into north-east Scotland by considerable numbers of Roman troops, some thirty thousand soldiers having been recorded as infiltrating the area during Severus’ campaigns.  

3) What should we know about him/her?

Aran’s a favoured lad who is possessed of an excellent recall of facts. This trait is used in his favour to work out the location he and his friends have travelled to and the historical era they find themselves in. He’s a horrible histories guru and using the knowledge he’s gained through school, and his own reading, he works out the best solutions which will alleviate the disastrous repercussions that the Roman presence presents to the local Celts. 

 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Septimius_Severus_%28M.A.N._Madrid%29_01.jpg?uselang=en-gb

4) What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

Aran’s task is to find a way to help the people he encounters on his time travels. Initially he has no idea of who he must help or what caused the problem. Finding himself under huge suspicion by the local Celtic tribe is a predicament that must first be overcome before his credibility as a helper is established. Later, being at the wrong end of a Roman gladius causes Aran almost insurmountable havoc. His job as protector of the twins isn’t an easy one either. He cannot mess with the progress of history: rather he must give help in a sensitive, yet successful, way.  

5) What is the personal goal of the character?

As the eldest of the trio, Aran’s personal aim is to ensure his two friends are safe and secure during the adventure while he aids the local Celtic chief, Balbath, in his fight against the Roman occupation. Even though this becomes hazardous to his own life, and that of his friends, he battles through to the end since he will not give in easily.

6) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

The working title is ‘Dabbling With Time’ but this will be altered in due course- when I think of a better one! Even though the story has been evolving since around 2004, having been lifted and laid down on many occasions, it has only recently been through an initial edit for content. I have a number of valid suggestions I want to work on in the coming weeks. 

7) When can we expect the book to be published?

‘I’m not sure’ has to be a well used saying, though accurate in this case.  I’m hoping to have the novel published by the end of the summer- most likely as a self-published book.  However, this novel for early teens may not have the priority since I have a number of projects which need more of my attention – my time for writing being pretty limited just now. That has sadly been the story of the progress of this novel for many years so...time will tell!

In this blog hop, in turn, I'm tagging Pamela Kelt at http://pamkelt.blogspot.co.uk/

Pam is the author of different genres spanning writing for adults and early teens - her writing highly recommended. Tomorrow's Anecdote, The Lost Orchid, Ice Trekker... and more. Make sure to pop in to Pam's blog next Monday and Meet her Main Character...

Thank you for hopping with us.

Slainthe!