Character Spotlight: Evelyn Sanders

This week, I wrap up my series of character spotlights ahead of the release of Wrong Line, Right Connection with Evelyn Sanders. Evelyn is Mabel’s roommate, and though you’d probably term her a secondary character, she still plays a big part in the plot. In fact, an early review makes special note of how “she always knew what to say to Mabel to either pick her up when she was down or in an attempt to make her see the error of her way,” adding, “everyone needs a friend like Evelyn.” ~Sammi Cox, Sammi Loves Books

Unlike Mabel and Roy, Evelyn didn’t have her roots in anybody I personally knew, but she was based on an actual person. In real life, Mabel lived with an elderly friend before she married Roy, and she took care of her to a degree. Of course, this was decades before I was born, but I decided to include a character like that to deepen the storyline and add another voice to the mix. Mabel’s true roommate was named Rebecca, but I deviated from that a bit, preferring Evelyn for my version.

A balance that was a little tough to strike was trying not to make Evelyn the same character as Mabel of Forgetting My Way Back to You. Because of having Mabel and a few other spunky older women in my life, I have a soft spot for ladies with fiery personalities. As I sculpted Evelyn, I wanted to bring some of that without making her a carbon copy of elderly, man-loving Mabel. Thus, I endeavored to channel her vinegary spirit in a different direction. Still, with the two women coupled together, you can definitely see how Mabel was influenced by her friend later in life.

Now that I’ve shared my two cents’ worth, I’ll yield to the character herself. Below is a journal entry, which isn’t a part of the novel but gives you a sneak peek into her feisty but caring demeanor.