So I’m super excited to be a part of the Beyond the Veil. My name is A.C. Ruttan or Amy Ruttan. I go by both. A.C. writes dark and not really overly romantic and Amy writes a bit more…spicy. Both write paranormal.
I thought I would talk a bit about one of my favourite characters from history, Boudicca and how she came to be my most memorable character.
The first time I became ‘aware’ of Boudicca was after reading Pauline Gedge’s The Eagle and the Raven. I was totally entranced and I went on a binge about trying to learn as much as I could about Boudicca of the Iceni.
It’s not mystery to anyone who knows me, I am a history nut.
So when I was writing my first urban fantasy, my heroine Cia had a dual personality in the form of two souls and one of those souls was Boudicca, queen of the ancient Britons. I wasn’t expecting her to be Boudicca of the Iceni.
I kind of had to a double take when she walked fully formed into my mind carrying a big broadsword.
I had this picture of the heroine and sort of what she wanted to do which was kill demons. Lots of demons, I just hadn’t counted on the two souls thing and one of those souls being Boudicca.
Cia’s older soul was crass, opinionated, strong willed and so very angry about what happened to her on the battle field. My heroine’s calm persona, or newer soul, was the great foil of tempestuous Boudicca.
Not that I personally know that Boudicca was tempestuous, but given the legends surrounding her and the fact she took on the Roman Legion to avenge her people and her loved ones and faced certain death you have to think she has a lot of ANGER issues.
Here’s what I mean:
“You should let your souls combine and merge. Let her loose—you fight her too much. It was always part of your problem.”
“Arthur,” I said, very calmly, “my two souls are very different from each other. My newer soul is very level-headed and peaceful. It is the way I prefer to be. My older soul is a vengeful warrior woman. If I let her out she would take over and seek retribution.”
“You are correct in your assumption.”
She is my most memorable character and my most frustrating. She still is one of my most frustrating characters (because I’m writing the sequel).
In writing Incarnate I was able to combine my love of history and the paranormal and as it was my debut urban fantasy I had to show off my favourite historical character. Of course, it’s not like I had much of a choice in the matter. She was quite insistent.
It was also my first attempt at writing first person. I may have published a first person POV before Incarnate came out, but
Incarnate was the first I wrote in first person.
It was like Boudicca needed a voice. She also had the urge to kill demons with swords. She quite likes that bit.
“Michael thought you might be needing it so I flew myself to Yellowknife and retrieved it.”
“Thank the goddess.”
A smile curled my lips as I grasped the hilt of my sword. My blood heated as I held the iron in my fist—the intricate designs glinting in the dim light of Damien’s hall. I always missed it when I left it behind.
“I slew many a Roman pig with this sword, as well as a few demons.”
So, do you have a character you’ve read or written, one that just sticks with you and won’t leave you alone? Do you have a character who has entrenched themselves so deep in your soul that you’ll never want to be rid of them?
A.C. Ruttan
http://www.acruttan.com/
