Character Spotlight ~ Ariel Allison’s Abby Mitchell & Alex Weld

Today the spotlight shines on Abby Mitchell & Alex Weld

Ariel Allison has made a sparkling (pardon the pun!) fiction debut with her novel of action and suspense, eye of the god. Based on the actual mystery surrounding the Hope diamond, it is full of intrigue, historical detail and is a heart pounding, contemporary tale of an overachieving woman, a ruthless thief and a mysterious figure who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.

Enjoy this look at Abby & Alex, through Ariel’s eyes!

Over to you, Ariel:~

Abby Mitchell

Brief physical description

Abby has the classic smart girl syndrome. She cleans up well but doesn’t realize how pretty she really is. And in her profession (Director of the Smithsonian Institute’s Natural Programs) her beauty can work against her. So she downplays her appearance in order to be taken seriously in the academic field. She has big brown eyes, shoulder-length brown hair and very fair skin with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. And she’s quite tall, nearly six foot when wearing heels.

When I began crafting Abby in my mind, I discovered this picture of Hillary Swank that perfectly illustrates how she appears in my mind:

Strengths and weaknesses

Abby is brilliant and courageous, but just like many women, she has a propensity to manipulate her circumstance to reach her desired outcome. She wants to be the puppet master, the one who controls the actions of others, but despite her maneuvering, she can not force people to love her: neither her father, nor Alex Weld.

Quirk (if any)

Abby struggles deeply with the idea of God the Father since her relationship with her earthly father is broken. And yet she is drawn to Him through the different churches, chapels, and cathedrals she sees on her travels. So she takes pictures of them and hangs them in her living room, all the while keeping God at arms length.

Alex Weld

Brief physical description

Alex is trouble in a suit. He’s the guy your mother warned you about: the honey-tongued viper who will charm your socks off and then break your heart. And it doesn’t help that he is handsome in that not-too-cute-but-really-manly way. Dark brown hair. Blue eyes. And he’s got a strong jaw with a five o’clock shadow.

Gerard Butler is the personification of Alex Weld.

Rel:~ Oh my, yes! Gerard is exactly how I imagined Alex

Strengths and weaknesses

Alex is fearless and confident. But the truth is, he’s a jerk. And he only cares about himself. He uses women and then he tosses them away like day old bread. Un

til he meets Abby, that is. And then his entire world falls apart.

Quirk (if any)

Alex is a thief, not just of jewels and paintings, but hearts and lives. But his well-armed defenses crumble when he finds himself on the receiving end of loss.

Your inspiration for the characters

With Abby, I was intrigued by the idea of a woman who would do anything to gain her father’s love – even if it meant betraying her own values.

And Alex was formed around the history of the Hope Diamond. What kind of man becomes a

professional thief? Why isn’t he afraid of the legendary curse surrounding the jewel?

Background to the story

In the Spring of 1995, I stumbled across an article in Life Magazine on the Hope Diamond. The two-page spread gave a brief history of the legendary curse, and I knew instantly that it should be a novel. Being the curious gal that I am, I dug around and was surprised to find that although most people were familiar with the curse, no one had done anything with the concept. So I began researching and writing. That was fourteen years ago this spring.

Thanks Ariel ~ I’m hooked and can’t wait for more of Abby and Alex’s adventures!

On Thursday, I will be spotlighting Myra Johnson’s Natalie & Daniel Pearce from One Imperfect Christmas.