Characters Interviews: Ask Mara Harrod

So the first thing you'll notice is that the blog looks quite a bit different . . . and that is because a wonderful girl named Niki Agoston redesigned my blog for me! Big round of applause! Thanks so much, Niki!

But now, it is time for another character interview! This one is going to be a little different . . . Mara is a unique character because really, there are two versions of her. Her character arc is so drastic that, depending on the time period we're talking about, she's pretty much two different people. For that reason, although I'm only taking questions once . . . I'm going to post two interviews. The first one will be Mara at the beginning of her arc -

- and the second will be Mara at the end of her arc.

Drawn by Annika Smith.

You can address questions to either version of Mara or to both, but since I know her storyline I reserve the right to choose which questions get applied where to make the interviews good. Got it? Okay, here is Mara's bio.

Mara Ebony Harrod was my original protagonist in Shadows and Light, despite her character type actually being more along the lines of "villain" as opposed to "hero." She is about 5'2", has naturally silver hair, and at the start of the book she is a little younger than eighteen years old and trying to finish up her high school education. Her dream is to be a neurosurgeon and she is hopefully applying to colleges, but isn't having any luck in getting accepted because of her Destiny.

Speaking of which, Destiny is the major influence on Mara's life, just as it is in her twin brother Ace's. Mara's birthmark makes it look like she is crying blood, and the Destiny it symbolizes is (simply put) that she will kill someone. For this reason she is rejected everywhere she goes - she can't make friends, can't get a job, can't get a volunteer position at the hospital, can't can't can't. Her Destiny throws up roadblocks at every turn but Mara has been doing her best to fight it since she was old enough to comprehend her situation. She fiercely defends the idea that she can live her life without fulfilling her Destiny, despite the fact that no one has ever been known to do something like that. Her only friend Gabriel Young encouraged her in that dream.

Mara even styled her appearance to contradict the impression made by her Destiny. Her favorite outfits (at least as first) were frilly skirts and tanktops and flip flops. She never wore eyeliner for fear she'd look too gothic. Her favorite color is pale yellow. At this point in life Mara is an optimistic but emotionally unstable INFP.

After Mara met Tempe is when things began to change. Mara began to let the bitterness created by repeated rejections take over her determined positivity when Gabriel had to leave for a multi-week time period and Mara was left with Tempe as the only person who seemed to be befriending her. Mara even agreed to start learning illegal magic in this time period to empower herself to stand up to Ace, should she need it.

Arguments with family, bullying at school, Gabriel's absence, and college rejections snowballed along with Tempe's subversive influence to make Mara snap, creating the bitter and dark sorceress she is at the end of the book. She starts dressing in dark reds and blacks to highlight her birthmark instead of trying to hide it. She becomes obsessed with getting revenge on the world which rejected her. She mentally replaces her real family with Tempe. And she becomes Tempe's apprentice in waging a two-woman war on the Mage League (still working on renaming that by the way). 

At the end her Myers-Briggs type isn't even the same - she becomes ISFP when she loses her idealism.

Remember, there will be two interviews, one for INFP Mara and another for ISFP Mara. As I said above, address questions to either one individually or two both. You don't have as much time to ask questions this time around, since I'll be at college in two weeks. Therefore, you've got a week to get questions in. Then I'll use the next week to get the interviews finalized and they'll be  scheduled to post the week after questions close. 

Beautiful People #10: Parental Edition

It is Beautiful People time again! This linkup is hosted by Cait @ Paperfury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. Go check them out.
This month I'm answering questions for both Ace and Mara. It doesn't seem right to leave one of the twins out . . . aaaaaand all the main characters in Taken are orphans. Whoops. Not cliche at all, there.

I'll mix it up a little and have Mara and Ace answer directly. Any comments I have will be in italics.

1. Do they know their biological parents? Why/why not?

     Mara: Um, yeah, we know our parents.

Ace: We were sort of born to them and all that.

2. Have they inherited any physical resemblances from their parents?

Ace: Mara looks like dad.

     Mara: No I don't! My hair is silver and my eyes are some weird honey brown, like Mom's.

Ace: You have his eye shape and his mouth. Very frowny all the time.

     Mara: Well you have his big nose.

Ace: It isn't big, it's chiseled. Mom also says I have his jawline and eyes, but apparently my hairline is like hers. . . whatever that means.

     Mara: You've got his black hair, too.

Ace: Wrong again. It is dark brown.

     Mara: Whatever. Looks black.

Children, please.

3. What's their parental figure(s) dress style? Add pictures if you like!

     Mara: Mom likes wearing those really flow-y blouses and jeans, but if she doesn't feel like making an effort to look nice she'll wear sweatshirts and yoga pants. Dad is always wearing collared shirts with a tie and jacket and pressed pants.
Ace: He never seems to wear anything but what he wears to work, even on weekends.
     Mara: At least Mom knows how to relax.

4. Do they share any personality traits with their parental figures? And which do they take after most?

Ace: I know I'm like Mom because I like to have a lot of people around. Mara is more like Dad with that - she prefers to be alone.
     Mara: It isn't my choice, you jerk!
Ace: *shrugs*
     Mara: Well Ace is like Dad in that he can be really insensitive.
Ace: And you're like Mom because you get distracted a lot and are procrastination queen.
     Mara: Yeah, and I still get better grades than you! So ha! Dad's genes there!
Ace: There's another trait of Mom's: you're so defensive. And hey, my grades aren't bad either.
Alright, alright, quiet. Since they're busy bickering, Mara is more like her mother, while Ace . . . I'm not really sure where he came from. He isn't much like his bubbly somewhat absent-minded mother, but he certainly doesn't share many similarities with his stone-silent father. I'd guess he's more like his mother as well, if only on account of how friendly he is to people he takes an interest in.

5. Do they get on with their parental figure(s) or do they clash?

Ace: Well I get along just fine with both Mom and Dad. We all do our thing and I chat with Mom over breakfast and don't give Dad any reason to lecture me. But Mara . . .
     Mara: Be quiet Ace!
Ace;  . . . Mara is always arguing with Mom and Dad.
     Mara: Only because they think I'm going to end up killing someone if I set foot in the backyard!
Ace: I think you're just looking for a reason to argue with them.
     Mara: Just shut up, Julian.
Obviously, they clash with each other quite a lot too.

6. If they had to describe their parental figures in one word, what would it be? 
     Mara: Dad - cold. Mom - flighty.
Ace: That's not very positive. I'd say Dad is "quiet" and Mom is "bubbly."
     Mara: *snorts* understatements, both.

7. How has their parental figure(s) helped them most in their life?
Ace: Dad points out if you're being stupid, which isn't really nice, but at least it stops me from making big mistakes. Mom is great to go to for advice . . . *ehem* . . . especially for the topic of girls.
     Mara: *sigh* Mom did help me when I cried because of bullies. She just let me cry into her shoulder and didn't try to give me any false reassurance. She was just there for me. But Dad . . . I don't think he really has helped me much. In fact, since he's the one who recorded my Destiny when I was born, he is sort of the biggest hindrance on my life.
Ace: He didn't have much choice. He couldn't change your Destiny.
     Mara: He could have changed the records. You'd think he'd do something like that for his own daughter, but no.

8. What was their biggest fight with their parental figure(s)?
Ace: Dad and I haven't really argued at all. Mom and I --
*blocks Mara's ears*
-- once got into an argument over Mara.
*unblocks Mara's ears*
     Mara: I've argued with both of them lots of times. The most recent one sort of stands out though. I got home late and walked into the house to find both Mom and Dad - and Ace *glare* - waiting for me in the kitchen. I'd only been hanging out with Gabriel but they started getting on my case for being out so late because "you never know what could happen." They thought I had killed someone! Like, they don't trust me with anything!
They actually didn't, but that's Mara for you - she reads way too much into things.

9. Tracing back the family tree, what nationalities are in their ancestry?
I'll take this, since I doubt either of them ever bothered to wonder. A few generations ago, the Harrods (Flint's family, or the father) immigrated from England, and the primary ethnic group in his bloodline is Celt, which is rare compared to all the Germans and French in England. Emma's family (mother) is Swedish. 

10. What's their favorite memory with their parental figure(s)?
     Mara: A few years ago I remember Ace and Dad went camping and me and Mom stayed at home and watched romance movies until three in the morning. We ate so much ice cream and popcorn that I swear I'm still digesting it! Not that things are still like that.
Ace: When we went deep-sea fishing a couple years ago. Mom had a really big fish on the end of her line and nearly got yanked over the railing. Dad had to grab her around her waist and pulled her back, then helped her haul the fish in. Then Mara's sandwich got stolen by a seagull. That was funny.
     Mara: No it wasn't. *glares*

That's the end of the questions! Mara didn't seem to be in a very good mood. I guess I chose the Mara  further into her character arc than from the end of Shadows and Light instead of the beginning. Ace wasn't quite as arrogant as his beginning self either. It seems you got them both at the end of their character arcs.

Have you done Beautiful People this month? Leave me a link in the comments! Also, don't forget that a week ago I made Tempe available for questions! If you want to know something, now is the time to ask! Head over here and leave a comment to ask whatever you want.

Beautiful People #7 Linkup

I've never done one of these before, but Cait @ Paperfury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In host a linkup called Beautiful People which is a monthly list of questions designed to let you get to know your character and book better. I thought I'd give it a shot since other bloggers seem to be having fun doing it.

I've chosen to use Mara and Ace Harrod for this since I need to work on Ace's character, and, well, Mara is his twin so it would be unfair to leave her out. :)
They'll be answering the majority of the questions themselves. If I have a comment to add it will be in italics.

The Questions!

1. What is their secret desire?
Mara: Sometimes I wish I could just forget all about Destinies and what people will think of me and just yell. Yell at everyone who bullies me and stares at me and calls me a murderer even though I've done nothing. Of course, that is a no-can-do because heaven forbid I show any sign of losing control of myself.
Ace: I wish that I didn't have to be perfect all the time. Good grades, act respectful, be popular, do well in sports, be the model guy. It can get tiring, you know? But everyone expects all that from me - hey, I expect that from me at this point.

2. What is the best and brightest moment they experience during the story?
Mara: *smiles sheepishly* When me and Gabriel hung out after school at the park, and had dinner at the diner, then hung out more until it was dark. It was an escape from everything. (The fact that this was at the very beginning of the book doesn't mean anything. At all.)
Ace: When Victoire told me that she loved me. *goofy grin*

3. What are the emotional places your characters are afraid to go?
Mara: I don't want to get angry. Oh gosh, I so don't want to. Because I'm just so scared I'll lose it, and nothing will ever be the same, and everything will be ruined and I'll prove myself wrong. (Oh dear . . . what have I done to you.)
Ace: . . . I don't want to admit that in some weird way I love Mara (sister love, okay?! Anything else would just be wrong). Because we're opposites in our Destinies and I need to be a hero and heroes don't love their evil sister villains. But sometimes . . . yeah, I do love her somehow. Don't tell anyone. Especially her. (Aw, I knew you weren't so bad after all.)

4. Is there a place/city/room where they will never go? Why?
Mara; *blows air slowly* I don't think I'd ever have the nerve to set foot in the Mage League Outpost in town. *shivers* They'd probably lock me up just for setting my toe over the threshold.
Ace: Nah. I'm not scared of anywhere! Why should I be?

5. If they were permanently leaving town, what would they easily throw out? What would they refuse to part with? Why?
Mara: I know I would never get rid of the photo album Gabriel gave me. And I'd probably take my art supplies with me, because that helps me calm down sometimes. But I don't think I'd care if I left the majority of my fashion-y clothes behind. Never cared much for looking popular anyway. (A girl after my own heart. T-shirts and sweatpants all the way.)
Ace: I'd take my keyboard, iPod, sheet music, and headphones, because, ya' know, music. And my leather jacket, because it's cool. And the watch Dad gave me, because that's meaningful, and my folio of drawings from when I'm bored because some of them are actually good, and the picture frames with me and Victoire, and me and the family, and I'd also bring the super-man blanket I've had since I was twelve . . . I think I'd just need a moving truck, because I want to keep it all. No, wait, I would throw out that awful cardigan Grandma knit for me last birthday. That thing is hideous.

6. What do they want (consciously and tangibly)?
Mara: I want people to stop judging. And I want to make a good life for myself - lots of money from a good job, be looked up to. *snort* Like everyone is going to let me actually do that well.
Ace: I want to fulfill my Destiny and save someone's life! I want to be a hero, and I want to marry Victoire one day and have a family.
(Didn't realize that their dreams were so similar . . .)

7. On the other hand: What do they need (on the emotional, subconscious level)?
Aaaaand I'll take this one, thank you, since they're self-ignorant and have no real idea. Mara really needs acceptance, but even more than that she needs to take the acceptance she already has. She's blind to it and focuses on who doesn't care for her instead of those who do.
Ace needs assuring that he'd still be unique and special without his Destiny. His entire self-esteem is based on it, which is shaky ground. He's not as confident as he seems.

8. If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be?
Mara: My Destiny, obviously. Gosh, all my problems would be solved.
Ace: I'd make myself not care about everyone else's opinions so much. (Told ya'.)

9. What is the most humiliating event of their life?
Mara: The morning after my mother explained to me what my Destiny was and what it meant, and I still had to show up at school even though all their parents had already told them about me months or years ago. I finally realized why they all hated me. I broke down crying after just two periods.
Ace: Errr . . . when I fell flat on my face in gym class a couple years ago and everyone laughed at me. Then I started blushing and they laughed harder. Then fifteen minutes later I jarred my foot against the ground trying kick the ball and started hopping on one foot. And fell over again. Cue more laughter. It was awful.
(Ah, the differences in their life outlooks . . .)

10. What things do they turn to when they need a bit of hope?
Mara: Sometimes I draw while trying to drown out the world with music. That never really works though so I usually just go to Gabriel and hope a couple hours talking to him will cheer me up. Or I grab the picture album he gave me and hug my yellow fleecy blanket.
Ace: My keyboard. Lock my door, put my headphones in, and play my favorite songs. I get lost in playing, and when I'm done I always feel better.

Have you done any of the Beautiful People linkups? Leave me a link in the comments. 

Character Interview: Ace Harrod

Nearly two weeks ago I opened up Ace Harrod for questions, which he promised to answer in an interview. And now, I deliver to you the results of your relentless questioning. (Thanks for all the questions, by the way - there are a lot of good ones and this thing is way longer than I expected it to be.)
So now, here he is! *whispers* I apologize for his arrogance. He's knocked down a few pegs later on in the book, but don't tell him that.

Quotes belong to A. Smith, from Shadows & Light. Images found on Pinterest. 

Hey Ace, let's get started. Do you ignore your twin because of a personality clash? Or is there something deeper?
I don't think it's so much a personality clash as it is a Destiny clash. My life is going to go in one direction, in which I will be awesome, and hers is going in another direction . . . in which she will not be awesome. Heroes and villains can't really get along, can they? It's like a law of nature.

Do you hold the fact that you're the elder twin over Mara?
I haven't really thought about it before. I mean, I'm only older by a few minutes. But I feel older because I'm obviously a lot more mature than she is, and I'm dealing with more responsibility than she could probably handle. So yeah, I take pride in that. I don't really talk to her much, though, so I don't think I hold it over her. Why are we talking about Mara anyway? I thought this interview was about me?

Alright, alright. Different kind of question. Do you enjoy your popularity?
Well who wouldn't? Of course I do! I can hang out with whoever I want, date whoever I want . . . ehem, not that I'm not happy with Victoire of course. If you're reading this, baby, I love you!

Ugh. Do you think you'd have the same friends if your Destiny was different?
*shrugs* Probably. I know that a lot of my friends hang out with me because I'm awesome, and I'm awesome because of my Destiny of being a life-saver. Who wouldn't want to be friends with me? That said, my really good friends aren't just cronies. I don't know if they would have started hanging out with me if it wasn't for my Destiny, though. I would have just been another face in the crowd to them.

How did you meet your French girlfriend? What is she like?
Oh, Victoire . . .she and I were accepted as Mage League cadets at the same time and went to training together. We first started talking when we were partnered up for a unarmed combat class. I'm pretty sure I still have a bruise from where she kicked me . . . but yeah, Victoire is great. She knows what's what, you know what I mean? She's got convictions. And she's smart and witty and kind and beautiful and. . .and perfect.

You're such a romantic. How important is your family to you?
It depends which family member you're talking about. *laughs* Yeah, I'm close to Mom and to a few of my cousins, but I hardly ever see dad and Mara . . . well, she's Mara. But I make breakfast in bed for Mom sometimes, and I hang out with my cousins whenever they're around. And I like Dad. He's sort of quiet but he gives good advice, even if I don't ask for it. So yeah. Pretty important, I guess.

What kind of piano music do you play?
How did they know about that?! *looks at author accusingly* You told them? Why?
Just answer the question. We can argue later.
I'm not happy about this. But since you must know, I play classical. Beethoven is my favorite.

What's your favorite thing to do? 
Hang out with my friends, use magic, play piano (*glare*), draw, take Victoire out to dinner . . . that's a big one. Do I have to choose one?

Nope, I get it. You're a indecisive kind of person. Morally, are you a black and white guy or a shades of gray guy?
Pretty black and white, I guess. I mean, you either follow the law or you don't. If you don't, you're a criminal, and if you do, you're fine. It's pretty simple, isn't it?

And what's your view on mercy versus justice?
Mercy is good I guess, as long as by being merciful you aren't being stupid. Like, don't let a murderer go just to be merciful! He'll hurt other people. Most of the time I think justice is better. It exists for a reason, you know?

What is it you're being trained for?
Mage League, you mean? Well right now I'm an Apprentice, which means I've been approved to study to become a Mage. Mages are magicians that lead teams of non-magicals on missions to arrest Sorcerers. Or Sorceresses, I suppose.
Maybe you can explain the difference between Mages and Sorcerers?
Mages are government trained and approved magicians. We use magic legally to deal with illegal magicians, sorcerers or sorceresses, depending on the gender. Sorcerers are not cleared to learn and use magic by the government, and they're often criminals for other reasons too - magical assault and murder are often on their crime list. Essentially the Mage League is like an elite police force that deals exclusively with magical criminals.

Do you kill people, and are you trained to kill?
I have never had to kill anyone, no. Because I'm in the Mage League though I do know how to kill . . . but I really don't ever want to have that on my conscience. On missions, killing is always a last resort and it will only ever be ordered in order to save the lives of the good guys. I hope I never get into that kind of situation.

Yeah, let's hope. Does your girlfriend know what you do?
Of course, she's right behind me in training! I even help her with her homework, since I went through cadet training a little faster and got ahead.

What's your favorite weapon?
Magic. I'm training with a handgun too, but it doesn't have nearly the same range of effects that magic does. And it isn't nearly as cool.

Who is your role model? And it can't be yourself.
Aw, you're serious? No, I'm kidding. It's my Mage mentor, Paul. He's awesome. Never failed a mission and has the lowest casualty rate of any Mage team in the county. Plus he runs his team well. I also look up to the director of my local Mage League Outpost, Director Delaney. He knows how to get things done, and done right. (He also happens to be Victoire's dad, so I kinda have to like him. But that has nothing to do with it. At all.)

You'd better hope you stay in his good graces. What's your view on life? 
What does that even mean?
I don't know. Your motto, or life's purpose, or what is most important or something.
Who asked this question? I'd like clarification.
*shrugs* A philosopher? Question-askers' identities are classified, I'm afraid.
*sigh* Alright, well I guess my view on life's purpose is to do something meaningful with it. Save lives or make a scientific breakthrough or something. Don't waste the time you've got because there's that saying thingy . . .life is short. That answer the question?

I think so, but here's another philosophical question: What's your view on power?
Good in the hands of the good guys, bad in the hands of the bad guys.
That's sort of a no-brainer, isn't it? Maybe want to expand a bit? 
Well it should be given to people who will use it right.
May I say that you should be president? You're so profound.
Yeah. Very funny. I would try to come up with a comeback, but that's Victoire's thing and I don't want to be embarrassed any further. Can we move on?

Well I guess you're not going to come up with anything better, so sure. Here's one you'll like. What are your special abilities and talents?
I nearly broke the record for completing Cadet training to get into Apprentice training, so I'm a sort of prodigy when it comes to magic. My mentor says I'm going through my Apprenticeship at double-time, too! So yeah. There's that small thing. I get good grades, too, though that isn't as impressive.

And now on the opposite side of the spectrum, what are your strengths and weaknesses?
As I said I'm a talented magician. And I'm pretty good with people. Weaknesses? Ummm . . .
You've got to be able to think of something.
I stink at strategy games?
I think this means a serious weaknesses. Because I know what they are . . .whether you do is another question.
Well I only barely passed science and strategy. All those lost games of Risk didn't really fulfill the expectation of "practice makes perfect."

I guess that will have to do. I can't very well tell you (sorry people). Next one. Do you have a secret?
Well my piano playing was a secret. Now, obviously, it isn't, thanks to my author. *glares*
Any others?
No. I have this tendency of blurting things out that I've been thinking about too much. I reach my internal thought limit, you know? So anything I try to keep secret usually doesn't stay a secret for very long. My piano playing was the one thing I'd managed. Thanks for ruining that.

I'm not sorry. Anyway, that's the last of the submitted questions. However, I have a bonus question for you. *rubs hands together gleefully*
*nervous* Yeah?
Yeah. Here it is: what would you do with yourself if your Destiny changed?
But Destinies don't change. That's sort of the point.
Just say it did. What would you do?
I . . .I don't know. And it doesn't matter anyway, because Destinies don't change. No danger of that. *smirks* So is that it?

Yes, that's the end. I think your answer was sufficient for my purposes.
*gulps* I'll see you all later. I'm going to leave now before she thinks of something cruel.
I can do that whether you're around or not. But go ahead. I'm sure everyone got to know you pretty well.
Good. I'm sure it was the highlight of everyone's week! *grins* Bye!

He really meant that seriously, didn't he? I'm glad he's gone, I was reaching my Ace limit. His arrogance is so irritating. I like him so much better at the end of the book. *sigh* He's a good person, under the over-confidence and the bigotry. He's got a long way to go . . .
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed that. I know Ace did. *rolls eyes* Anyone else have irritating characters?