Top Ten Tuesday: Behind Every Main Character

Posted March 8, 2016 by meezcarrie in Becky Wade, Cathleen Armstrong, Christian, Irene Hannon, J.K. Rowling, Jennifer Beckstrand, Laura Frantz, Margaret Brownley, Mary Connealy, Shelley Shepard Gray, Susan Mallery, Top Ten Tuesday / 61 Comments

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Top Ten Tuesday Favorite

This week on Top Ten Tuesday, we are talking about characters.  Technically the topic is about those characters that a) you alone dislike or b) you alone love.  But I kinda did that already (last year), so I decided to talk instead about those secondary or minor characters that I love almost as much, if not more in some cases, as I do the main character.  That’s sorta similar to the theme for this week… Right?

 title graphic

I think, based on my title graphic for this week, that it should be fairly obvious who my first pick will be. 😉

But, just in case …

neville

neville longbottom anime

(Image Credit: Hogwarts Alumni)

Why I Love This Character: Neville is one of those characters in the Harry Potter series that is just purely good; he is incorruptible. And along with that – he isn’t afraid to do what’s right because it’s right. Even if he has to make his friends mad at him in the process. He is true of heart and is the classic example of how – sometimes – nice guys save the day. You see it even more in the books than the movies, though the movies are great for THE FEELS during the Battle for Hogwarts. Lest you think that Neville is a wimp… may I remind you that Neville DOES have a fuse, a temper.  He just directs it at the right people and the right causes.  Next to Hermione, Neville is my favorite character in the Harry Potter series. By far.

anna and felty

matchmakers of huckleberry hill

Why I Love These Characters: Anna and Felty are … to sum up … a hoot. I realize that technically they aren’t secondary characters as this series by Jennifer Beckstrand is sorta named for them.  They ARE The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill, after all. But, there are other main characters who are the focus of each book, so I decided that meant I could safely inclue Anna and Felty in my list today 🙂 These “young at heart octogenarians” are adorable and sweet and HILARIOUS! And I’m pretty sure that, if only the couple below were Amish, they would look something like this:

Anna and Felty maybe

frankie

frankie and book

Why I Love This Character: Frankie first steals the show in Shelley Shepard Gray’s A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn. He definitely gave Serena a run for her money – quite literally at one point! Given my penchant for adorable pups with big personalities (I’m looking at you, Zuzu-mine), I of course loved Frankie as soon as we “met”. His love for food – even when it didn’t love him – brought much opportunity for laughter, and I still smile when something reminds me of one of his scenes. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Which @shelleysgray character made this week’s #TopTenTuesday list?”]

lily cate

lily cate and book

Why I Love This Character: Lily Cate is the adorable and precocious little girl in Laura Frantz’s The Mistress of Tall Acre. She (and her father) totally won my heart! Oh, I just adore her! A little bit sweet, a little bit sassy, a whole lot of cute. The way she champions Sophie won me immediately, and her slow warm to her father melted me in every possible way. Near the end when she and Sophie share a secret, oh my goodness – the adorableness!

eddie & gladys

marry me at christmas

Why I Love These Characters: Well, first, I have to clarify that the couple on the cover is NOT in fact Eddie and Gladys.  Eddie and Gladys are actually two elderly ladies from Susan Mallery’s FOOLS GOLD series, and boy are they a handful! Which basically means that I shake my head and laugh at their antics pretty much any time they’re in a scene.  And when they’re not causing havoc on public access television or among the town’s single men, they do have some pretty wise things to say on occasion. The picture below is also not of Eddie & Gladys… but it just needed to be shared.

baby old ladies

(Image credit: Pinterest)

elizabeth

last chance series

Why I Love This Character: Elizabeth is basically the town’s grandmother, and she is consistently my favorite character of any book in the series. She just always has the best lines, the greatest retorts, and the sweetest hugs. Plus, she reminds me so very much of my own beloved grandmother – spunky, feisty, independent… but someone who had an incredibly tender heart toward Jesus and others.

charley

hope harbor

Why I Love This Character:  Charley is an enigmatic but philanthropic character in Irene Hannon’s Hope Harbor.  He has a fish taco food truck and dispenses uncanny insight with his wares. I think Charley is more than he seems, even more than Irene Hannon let on, and I would so love to follow him around for a day or so and see if I’m right.

big john

trouble in texas series

Why I Love This Character: Big John is one of the Regulators, a band of friends who met at the notorious Andersonville prison during the Civil War and helped each other survive.  He’s always in and out of everybody else’s story (pictured above) but the series ended with no love story for Big John.  Which really was a shame because I think of him as a teddy bear (he would probably cringe at that description) with a gun.  A great guy with a heart of gold and a sense of justice. Plus, he’s a Texas Ranger so he’s got the whole law enforcement thing going on. You can imagine how delighted I was (read: I totally fangirl squealed) when I discovered that HE FINALLY GETS HIS OWN STORY in Mary Connealy’s novella Runaway Bride (written as part of the With This Ring collection). The fact that he falls in love with a Carrie was really just icing on the cake 🙂

runaway bride

addie porter

addie and book

Why I Love This Character: Simply put, she steals every scene she’s in! And with Ty Porter in the book, that’s a tough accomplishment. This pint-sized teal-glasses-and-pink-cowboy-boots-wearing adorableness has some of the best lines, too.  And her scenes with Ty are hysterical! From teaching him about princesses to encouraging him after he told her a bedtime story for the first time (“It was good for your first try.”), she is all kinds of cute and all kinds of irresistible. Becky Wade’s Meant to Be Mine is not to be missed for many reasons, not the least of which is Addie.

undercover bride

Undercover Bride

Why I Love These Characters: Yes, yes. I’m aware that I just named a book instead of characters.  But that’s because there are several secondary/minor characters that I love in Margaret Brownley’s Undercover Bride. Maggie’s partner Rikker gave me most of my laughs – each new getup/disguise (and Maggie’s reaction to them) amused me more than the ones he’d previously used. Sharp-tongued hypochondriac Aunt Hetty and inventor-in-the-making Toby (who confidently had an answer for everything) also proved to be delightfully humorous.

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Which characters did you talk about this week? Do we share any faves from my list? Let me know in the comments!

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61 responses to “Top Ten Tuesday: Behind Every Main Character”

  2. Aditi Nichani

    AAAAAH! Neville Longbotton gets nowhere NEAR the credit he deserves for being such an awesome character! I haven’t heard of the others, but they sound quite good

    Have a lovely day.

    Reply
  4. Laura Frantz

    Oh, am I smiling! Love your take on Lily Cate! And it’s a joy to get a look at other books here that won you over. This peek into your reading head & heart is a gift, Carrie! You inspire me to write that Miss Lily Cate comes of age story:)

    Reply
  5. carylkane

    Hey Carrie! I loved meeting Charley in Hope Harbor! We ALL need a Charley in our lives. Thanks for the fun post! 🙂

    Reply
  9. Allyson Gilmore

    I’ve only read Harry Potter from this list, but I totally agree with Neville’s inclusion on this list! He is just an amazing character, one that I wish had gotten a little more love and attention!

    I love the new blog design! It’s super pretty 🙂

    My TTT.

    Reply
  10. Courtney Clark

    Lily Cate and Big John!!!! 🙂 I was glad when John got his own story, too…. and I loved the sweet (if a little short) romance he was a part of.

    Congratulations on the new site!!! It looks fabulous.

    Reply
  12. Kristi

    I love Neville! He is such a great character, and I love the way he grew throughout the series. Fun list this week. I skipped TTT, just because I couldn’t think of anything for the topic. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Alicia Avila

    I absolutely agree with you on Neville, he was so good! Much like Luna, even though a lot of bad things happened to him, he remained a good and kind person. Nice list!

    Reply
  17. Gabby

    Neville is just the best. As the kid always picked last for teams in gym class, I had a soft spot for him the entire time

    Reply
  18. Book Club Babe

    Meh, Neville drove me bonkers. Such a goody-two-shoes, and I couldn’t stand how he was positioned as Harry’s “messiah” foil. As if he could take on the Dark Lord!

    I’ll take bad boys with some actual personality and edge any day. Draco Malfoy FTW! 🙂

    Reply
  23. Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight

    I almost did something about side characters as my topic! So I approve lol. I feel like side characters often steal the show for me and end up being my favorites. It’s kind of strange when you think about it lol. By the way, Neville is great, but my favorite is Lupin 😛

    Reply
  24. Kate @ Mom's Radius

    I love your take on this week’s topic. It totally counts! And it works perfectly. I have only read Harry Potter, but I agree. Neville is awesome! I was a little sad about how much was cut out of the movies for him, but they did add some of Dobby’s stuff in which helps. He is so pure and wonderful and a great back up for Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Great post!

    Reply
  27. Jayvee @ Writer For Misfits

    I think your taste in books are totally not mine but lovely post! <3 Great point about Neville. I think he had plenty of character development in the series but kinda wanted if there was more of it actually. <3 Thank you for leaving a comment in mine and making me see yours. <3

    Reply
  28. Jolien @ The Fictional Reader

    I already love your topic! I find secondary characters really important when reading. And I love Neville. I think it’s safe to say that he adds so much to the story, from the beginning on. He goes from a clumsy boy to a brave hero, which is a journey we can all appreciate. Great list!

    Reply
  30. CJ

    I think one of the things I loved so much about Harry Potter is how well developed all the secondary characters were! There are quite a few that I loved just as much as Ron, Harry and Hermione.

    Reply
    • Carrie

      you are right! So many great secondary – even some tertiary – characters in the HP series!

      Reply
  32. Jennifer Beckstrand

    Carrie, I can’t believe I just saw this. You are so kind! Anna and Felty are so much fun to write. I love creating new adventures in cooking and knitting for Anna. In my new Huckleberry Hill book, Return to Huckleberry Hill, out in 2017, Anna’s finally finds a grandson who genuinely likes her cooking. He’s obviously not a very picky eater. Thanks for always making me smile.

    Reply
    • Carrie

      Jennifer, this is the best news I’ve heard all week!! 😀 Cannot wait to return to Anna & Felty and their clan 🙂

      Reply
  33. Cori Dahmen

    I ❤️ (Red puffy heart) love Anna and Felty. Their unique perspective on life and happiness brings a smile to my heart every time I read their stories. Fortunately for me, I’ve not read all the books you listed so now I can look forward to some new reading material! I highly encourage you to read Marta Perry, Dee Hammond and Teri Blackstock. Based on the characters and story lines you mentioned, I think you’ll find new delight in those authors.

    Reply

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