Today the spotlight shines………………………..on Indigo Burns and Rueben Burns

Stacy Hawkins Adams is a busy lady ~ wife, mum, author, speaker and freelance writer! I was delighted that she could find the time to share about her latest characters, siblings Indigo and Rueben Burns, from her Jubilant Soul series and its final book, Dreams That Won’t Let Go.

Over to you, Stacy:~

Brief physical description

Indigo Burns is pretty, about five feet six inches tall and thin. Her complexion is the color of honey and she has ebony eyes.

Her brother, Reuben Burns is tall, a shade browner than Indigo, muscular and has a great smile. He wears his hair close cropped and has a clean shaven face.

Actor/famous person

Actress Kerry Washington might resemble Indigo.

Actor Hill Harper might resemble Reuben.

Strengths and weaknesses

Indigo’s strengths are compassion and talent. She gives until it hurts to her family and friends, and uses her skill as a photographer both to elevate her career and help her community.

Her weakness is a central theme in the book. She is upset by her brother’s return home to the fictional Jubilant, Texas. On the surface, she simply seems jealous, but her weakness is her inability to articulate that her frustration is about more than just sibling rivalry.

Reuben’s weakness is his inability to communicate his truths to others. His wife, Peyton, knows him well and understand what makes him react the way he does in particular situations. But Reuben’s family welcomes him home without really knowing why he stayed away for ten years, or what has brought him back. Reuben eventually realizes that those facts will be important to helping his family heal.

Quirk (if any)

Indigo doesn’t really have a quirk; she simply comes across as spoiled in the first half of the book. As readers come to know her better, they’ll understand her better.

Reuben’s quirk would be the nightmares and panic attacks he is experiencing and keeping secret from everyone except his wife.

Your inspiration for the character

My inspiration for Indigo was the “good brother” in the Prodigal Son story, who always did what was right, stayed home to help his father, and found himself feeling cast aside when his “long lost” brother returned. I’m certain many families grapple with some modern-day form of this issue, and I wanted to explore it through this female character.

My inspiration for Reuben was the proverbial “stoic man” who seems to have it all together and thinks he can handle his issues in his own way – without help from God or anyone else. I wanted to encourage readers who know people like Reuben to look beyond the surface and keep speaking truth and love into their lives; and I wanted to encourage the “Reubens” of the world to open up and give God a try.

Background to the story

Indigo Burns is excited. Her wedding preparations to the man of her dreams are underway, her photography career is a success, and her family seems to be doing better than ever–all except her brother Reuben who nobody has seen in years. But that’s about to change.

When Reuben decides to move back home to Jubilant, Texas, he hopes to find healing with his sisters. But Indigo isn’t so sure their relationship can be mended. And when younger sister Yasmin makes a life-altering choice, it seems like it would take a miracle to put the Burns family back together.

Can family ties bind up deep-seated wounds? Will these three young people ever be able to live out their dreams?

Thanks Stacy 🙂 It has been great to learn a bit more about Rueben who has been quite the intriguing character!

On Monday, the spotlight shines on Jayne Tate from Hillary Manton Lodge’s excellent debut novel, Plain Jayne.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Worth A Thousand Words

Visit Stacy’s website and blog

Buy Stacy’s books at Amazon and Koorong