In two weeks, Undercover Babymoon, the fourth installment of the Unde(a)feated Detective Series, will embark into the book world! Today, I’m continuing a series of character spotlights—in this case, passenger spotlights—to acquaint readers with special characters and highlight the inspiration behind them.
This next pair of characters was among the most fun I’ve had the pleasure of composing because they are inspired by a couple of the funniest people I’ve ever known, my Uncle Gary and Aunt Nancy. When I began Undercover Babymoon, I didn’t go into it with a true inkling of who from my life I might pay homage to in the plot. On one weekend morning a few months in, however, inspiration struck. Uncle Gary called my dad and discussed some plans for the day while Dad was cooking his breakfast. To free up his hands, Dad was using the speakerphone feature, which allowed my always hungry uncle to hear the beep of the microwave.
“What do I smell?” Uncle Gary implored over the phone.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if he could smell bacon and eggs Dad was making from the five miles between our houses! After all, our family has had the running joke that he can sniff out any restaurant in every town we pass through! Thus, as he and Dad compared notes on their breakfasts, my mom turned to me and laughingly suggested that I make him a food detective in a book one day. Given that cruises are known for their vast selection of goodies, I couldn’t think of a better setting for this character.
My Aunt Nancy does her fair share of contributing humor to their dynamic. For one thing, she has the most memorable and contagious laugh of anyone I’ve been around…and it’s very dangerous when she and I get started together! As my dad’s younger sister, she had to have a jovial and resilient spirit, considering how often she played the part of her brother’s favorite target. In fact, my using her as a character in a story carries on a family tradition of sorts, as Dad spent many hours during his teenage years fashioning ridiculous tales about her and recording them on cassette tapes. Needless to say, her niece has sculpted a much more appropriate depiction of her!
Through Griffin and Janine Garrets, I enjoyed incorporating all of their delightfully one-of-a-kind qualities. I have no doubt their fictitious counterparts will entertain readers the way the real couple has entertained me throughout the years! Griffin and Janine board the cruise ship to celebrate Griffin’s retirement from the Newport News police department. Ironically, they’re seated at the Avery family’s table, so between him, Minka, and Cael, the group is surrounded by law enforcers. While Minka and Cael don’t divulge their undercover investigation, Minka finds solace in having Griffin around as backup if needed. Griffin may be done with crime- fighting, but is crime-fighting done with him?
For a closer look into their personalities, below is a postcard they wrote, which is not part of the book. The recipient is none other than their niece! 😉
KarinaBartow.com 
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