Blog Tour: Guest Post: Most Stubborn Character – Zack from Butterfly

Over the years I've had my fair share of stubborn characters. I've had characters that were irritatingly stubborn with their peers but also characters who were purely stubborn with me. Occasionally, most frustratingly, I have one that refuses to cooperate with anyone, me especially. Mary from Secrets Clad in Light was particularly stubborn with me, refusing to cooperate whatsoever, and although she had stubborn streaks within the novel she seemed almost agreeable there when compared to the run-around that she gave me.

It seems there's always a competition between my characters for the one that is most difficult and stubborn to work with and in my latest novel, Butterfly, young Zack became triumphant.

I almost don't even know where to begin with him. It was required for him to be a little stubborn and, knowing what I did about his background when I first started writing him, it was perfectly understandable also. For a while it was tolerable because it served the story in the way I had imagined but no matter how long I wrote him, or what point in the story we were in, some way or another he was always fighting something.

In his defence, I would say that if anyone had any reason to fight it would be him. Zack endured a lot in his childhood and from the beginning it is easy to tell that, as much as he acted like things were fine and he was in control, he was someone with turmoil in his head,  someone with shattered trust that left shards around a heart that had endured irreparable damage. Zack was the most resilient when it came to the changes that were forced upon him at the start of the book because he had somewhat gotten used to the misery he was living and he had created all the necessary defences inside himself to cope with them as much as possible. He wasn't ready to let those defences down and he certainly knew what letting them down meant; it would give people the chance to get close to him, hurt him, and leave.

Zack was not only stubborn when confronted but also when he was the one doing the confronting. When he sensed that something was wrong with Alex and that the person he was closest to was suffering silently he was very strong and adamant in his approach and he would not give up. While previously his attempts were to protect himself from further pain, this time his stubbornness was used to protect the only person that he ever felt was worth caring for. He wasn't going to give up on someone he loved do deeply, though never would he have accepted the same type of response from the other either. There are a few things that Zack finds worth protecting; those things take all his determination and strength, especially if it means persisting the way he does with Alex.

With me, I suppose Zack's stubbornness was also well-founded; he refused to do things he wasn't ready to do and at times that halted what I had planned for him. However, it made way for more interesting, sometimes heart-breaking, moments as everyone struggled to get through to him and as Zack broke slowly but surely...

A small taste of Zack's resilience...

Ellis turned him around harshly, looking him deep in his eyes. He wasn’t fine now and he wasn’t going to be fine later. “You know that this is more than you can handle by yourself.”

“That’s not true.”

"You're worried about yourself and you're worried about how you're going to take care of Alex with this. Why are you fighting us when you know we can help with both?” Zack held firmly onto the windowsill, his body beginning to shake from repressed sobs. Ellis reached out and touched his back gently, "It's alright to be scared and worried, Zack; you're human."

He turned the boy around slowly and pulled him closer, taking small subtle steps to close the last of the distance. "No," Zack began pushing him away, his strength wavering, "stop."

"Zack, it's alright to be scared."

“I’m not scared!!” He shouted out and with that went his remaining strength; he collapsed into Ellis’ waiting arms.

Interview: Kyra Gregory + Giveaway

Despite the conventions of London in the 19th Century Henry has confidently vowed to take the one he loves, Seth, out of his cruelly abusive household and, no matter how many times he has replayed the moment in his head, has always known it would not be easy. He had never thought that he would be would be too late.

By something Henry has likened to a miracle Seth is breathing shallowly, leaving him with decisions to make. Should he try to save him at the risk of making him suffer and get his own hopes up? Or let him go as comfortably as possible? As though time does not put him under enough pressure a young stranger forces him to make decisions that will change the way he has imagined his entire life and of those around him.

Henry must learn to fight his self-doubt long enough to make these choices, using this stranger as a light to shine on what he hopes is the right path... All the while aware that there is still so much he doesn't know yet...

English Version:

1) How and why have you started to write? Were there something or someone that gave you an impulse?

I began writing from a really young age mostly because I enjoyed story telling. As I got a bit older the stories became more complex and I mostly used writing as a form of expressing and coming to terms with things that I couldn't in any other way. Through writing I was also able to make other people aware of certain issues and feelings; not just my own but those of others close to me. Writing itself came about rather naturally but I was very timid about it. I was caught writing lyrics to a song my friend had composed and he loved them so much that he encourages me to this day.

2) Tell me something about you and your book Secrets Clad in Light.

I had wanted to effectively write a story set in the 19^th century for a long time but had struggled so for even accomplishing this I'm very proud of how it turned out. Before writing it, after thinking of two characters I had previously written, I wondered what it would be like if someone had to make decisions for someone else's life and if what they took into consideration was the other persons feelings or their own desires. From then on it grew into something bigger. It became full of contrasts of dark and light with blurred lines separating good and bad.

3) While you're writing, have you discovered a character that you where developing feelings of love for? And was there a character that gave you headaches?

I've written quite a variety of characters over the years and often they have qualities that I really love or hate about them. I also think it's two sides of the same coin. There's a very paper thin difference between a character I love and a character that gives me trouble. Mary, from Secrets Clad in Light, was one of those characters that became entirely different from my original vision so, while she caused me some trouble at times and gave me a few headaches, she was also the most fun to write and I credit her as one of the reasons why I loved writing Secrets Clad in Light so much.

4) How have you done your research for this novel?

I've had a passion for Britain in the 19^th Century for a long time so it could be said that there wasn't as much research for this story in particular. The difficulty of writing a novel set in such a period is getting the tone and language correct while still being understandable to readers. For this I researched phrases that were particular to Britain in the late 19^th Century in order to bridge the gap between the clearer and modern dialogue and the period in which the story is set.

5) Is there a book that inspired your writings?

I wouldn't say there was ever a particular book. When I was younger I read plenty from different authors and from that I tried to form my own style based on my preferences and what I felt suited what I was trying to express most accurately.

6) In the end, would you like say some words to your fans from Romania?

I can never thank you enough for your support. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you; you've been amazing! 

Romanian Version:

În ciuda convenţiilor de la Londra în secolul nouăsprezece, Henry a jurat să îl scoată pe cel pe care îl iubeşte – Seth – afară din casa abuzivă în care trăieşte, dar nu contează de câte ori a vizualizat scena asta în capul lui, mereu a ştiut că nu va fi uşor. Nu s-a gândit niciodată că va fi prea târziu.

Din coincidenţă, Henry a legat totul de un miracol când Seth de abia mai respiră, lăsându-l pe Henry cu o decizie de luat. Ar trebui el să încerce să îl salveze cu riscul de al face să sufere şi să îşi lase propriile speranţe să se înfiripe? Sau ar trebui să îl lase să plece din această lume cât mai confortabil posibil? Ca şi când timpul nu l-ar pune sub suficientă presiune, un tânăr străin schimbă felul în care Henry şi-a imaginat întreaga viaţă lui viaţă şi a celor din jurul său.

Henry trebuie să înveţe să lupte cu propriul său simţ de îndoire şi să facă aceste alegeri, folosindu-se de acest străin ca de o piatră strălucitoare care a străluceşte spre direcţia corectă.. fiind în acelaşi timp conştient că există multe lucruri pe care el nu le ştie încă..

1) Cum şi când ai început să scrii? A existat cineva sau ceva, care te-a impulsionat?

Am început să scriu de la o vârstă foarte fragedă, în mare parte pentru că îmi plăceau poveştiile. Când m-am mai maturizat, poveştiile au devenit mai complexe şi în cea mai mare parte a timpului am folosit scrisul ca formă de a mă exprima şi de a veni cu termeni, pe care altfel nu puteam să-i evidenţiez. Prin scris, am reuşit să fac şi alte persoane conştiente de anumite probleme şi sentimente; nu doar sentimentele mele, dar şi ale celor apropiaţi mie. Scrisul în sine a devenit ceva natural, dar eram timidă în legătură cu el. Am fost prinsă scriind versuri pentru un cântec, care aparţinea prietenei mele, iar ea a adorat ceea ce am compus şi m-a încurajat.

2) Spune-mi ceva despre tine şi cartea ta Secrets Clad in Light

Am vrut efectiv, să scriu o poveste stabilită în secolul 19 de foarte mult timp, dar am luptat atât de mult pentru această realizarea, încât am devenit foarte mândră de modul, în care a ieşit. Înainte de a scrie această carte, după ce m-am gândit la două personaje, pe care le-am scris anterior, m-am întrebat ce ar fi dacă cineva ar trebuii să i-a decizii pentru viața altcuiva și dacă au luat în considerare şi sentimentele altor persoane sau dorințele lor proprii. De atunci ea a crescut în ceva mai mare. A devenit plin de contraste între lumină şi întuneric, de linii, care separă binele şi răul.

3) În cursul scrierii romanului, ţi-ai dat seama că te ataşezi mai mult de un anume personaj? Şi invers, ai descoperit că vreunul vă irită?

Am scris despre o varietate de personaje de-a lungul anilor și acestea au adesea, calităţi, pe care eu chiar le iubesc sau le urăsc. De asemenea, cred că sunt două fețe ale aceleiași monede. Există o diferență foarte subţire de hârtie între un personaj pe care îl iubesc și unul care îmi dă dureri de cap.  Mary din Secrets Clad in Light, a fost unul dintre acele personaje care au devenit complet diferite de viziunea mea originală, astfel ea mi-a dat câteva dureri de cap câteodată, ea a fost, de asemenea, cel mai distractiv personaj pe care l-am scris și îi acord tot creditul ca fiind unul dintre motivele pentru care am iubit să scriu Secrets Clad in Light atât de mult.

4) Cum aţi făcut cercetarea pentru această carte?

Am avut o pasiune pentru Marea Britanie în secolul 19 pentru o lungă perioadă de timp, astfel se poate spune că nu a fost o cercetare specială pentru această poveste. Dificultatea de a scrie un roman stabilit într-o astfel de perioadă, este obţinerea unui limbaj corect, atfel încât să poată fi înţeles şi de către cititori. Pentru asta am cercetat fraze, care au fost specifice în Marea Britanie în secolul al 19-lea, în scopul de a readuce decalajul dintre dialogul trecut și cel modern, în perioada, în care povestea este încadrată.

5) Este o carte, care ţi-a inspirat scrierile?

N-aș spune că a fost vreodată o anumită carte. Când am fost tânără am citit o mulţime de autori diferiți și de aici am încercat să-mi formez stilul meu propriu, bazat pe preferințele mele și ceea ce am simțit potrivit, ceea ce am încercat să exprim cu mare acurateţe.

6) În final, ai dori să le spui câteva cuvinte fanilor dumneavoastră din România?

Nu pot să vă mulțumesc îndeajuns pentru sprijinul vostru. Deci, din toată inima mea, vă mulțumesc, ați fost uimitori!

Kyra was so nice and offered me the oportunity to host a giveaway. The price?!

4 books Secrets Clad in Light in Kindle Edition.

Thank you very much Kyra for this Kyra was so nice and offered me the oportunity to host a giveaway. The price?!

4 books Secrets Clad in Light in Kindle Edition.

Thank you very much Kyra for this interview and for the giveaway!

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