Brief Physical Description:

Isabel is slender and of medium build. She has auburn hair, which she wears up in a loose bun. Her most powerful feature, however, are her jade green eyes. She carries herself with the pompous air of the nobility in which she was raised (her father being an Earl) and you’ll often see her tossing her chin or nose into the air at something which she finds beneath her. Though she appears confident on the outside, inside she is a bundle of nerves, unsure of herself, terrified at the situation she finds herself in, and confused by the contradiction she sees in the values with which she’s been raised.

Strengths:

Courage, determination, and sensitivity toward others.

Weaknesses:

Pride, Unforgiving, Low self-esteem, and spoiled.

Quirks:

Isabel’s inward nervous disposition often takes the form of an upset stomach, coupled with a rash that arises on her arms and neck. You’ll often see her holding her stomach or scratching her arms during a particularly anxious moment.

Inspiration for the character:

I don’t model my characters after specific people I know. Rather I use qualities from many different people and combine them with the culture of the time in which I am writing. Isabel is a quintessential female of her day who was born and bred to nobility. They truly believed they were in a higher class than others. But, being the meanie I am, I tossed her into horrifying situations. She’s been kidnapped and ravished by a pirate, birthed the villain’s child, and been ostracized from her family and the privileges of high society. Inside, she’s a very kind and sensitive woman who’s desperate to save her son and find her place in God’s Kingdom.

Kent Frederick Carlton

Brief Physical Description:

Kent has shoulder-length, dark brown hair which he either wears down or pulled back cavalier style. Standing over 6 foot and nearly 200 lbs, he displays a formidable presence. Intelligent, educated, and well-skilled with both cutlass and pistol, Kent has more than succeeded as the pirate captain of his ship, The Restitution. He has dark piercing eyes and often has a day’s stubble on his chin.

From the time of Kent’s birth in my mind, I always pictured him looking and acting much like the character, Sawyer, on LOST. Cocky, self-assured, arrogant, witty, charming, and yet possessing a very vulnerable side.

Strengths:

Fearless, Brash, Intelligent, Perseverance, Loyal

Weaknesses:

Insecure, Proud, Competitive, Bad temper

Quirks:

Kent could never play poker. Whenever he is angry, his eyes narrow and his upper lip twitches, and a vein bulges on his forehead. A tell-tale sign that you better get out of his way!

Inspiration for the character:

Kent is one of my favorite characters. He’s a bad boy. He’s been a pirate most of his life and done vile deeds. As a child, he suffered abuse from his father who told Kent over and over that he was worthless. And though his father has since died, Kent has spent his life trying to prove him wrong. Yet after acquiring much wealth, Kent still finds his life empty. But something happens to him when he meets Lady Isabel. He begins to care for another human being besides himself for the first time. And he makes it his life goal to seek for the woman who opened a tiny window in his heart and allowed a glimmer of light to enter.

Background for the story

Shunned by both her parents and society, Lady Isabel Ashton lives a secluded life in Port Royal, assisting Reverend Thomas at his church while she raises her seven month old baby, Frederick—the son of the fierce pirate, Captain Kent Carlton. Without warning, the child is kidnapped by pirates, leaving Isabel devastated. Kent, who loves Isabel and was unaware he had a son, hears of the kidnapping and seeks Isabel’s help to find their child. Though Isabel is terrified of the man who once ravished her, she has no other choice but to accept his help. As they sail off together in search of the little boy, they are unaware of the adventures, trials, and betrayals they will encounter along the way. Will Isabel ever be able to forgive the man who ruined her life? And can a notorious pirate truly change his ways?

This is so much fun, MaryLu!

Check back in 2009 and for a spotlight on MaryLu’s characters from her January release, The Red Siren and you will “meet” one of my all time favourite actors 😉

This is my last character spotlight for 2008 but they will be back with a vengeance in January, 2009 ~ don’t miss them!

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of The Restitution

Character spotlights on The Redemption and The Falcon and the Sparrow

Interview with MaryLu

Visit MaryLu’s website and blog

Buy MaryLu’s books at Christianbook or Amazon