Beautiful People: Heaven Cassidy

Today I have a special treat for all of you! I am doing the March Beautiful People linkup (see here), with a very  special character of mine who I have dying for you all to meet: Heaven Cassidy.

For those of you who may need a mite more of an introduction, she is my protagonist in my main WIP, Crowning Heaven, she is twenty years old, and she lives in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

• What first inspired this character? Is there a person/actor you based them off?
• She sprang into existence at almost the exact same moment as the story idea itself. She looks like Carey Mulligan in my head, as I saw Carey in a hair magazine the day Crowning Heaven came into existence, with a charming pixie cut. And she has represented Heaven so well.

via pinterest

• Describe their daily routine.
• She wakes around 6:00 am and makes her coffee. She might check her texts to make sure nothing has changed with the quartet practice later that day, and then she will practice cello directly after breakfast. Then she’s off to work, and will do that until evening. If she has a practice or an event to play for, she might grab fast food on the way. If she doesn’t, she cooks herself a quiet meal at her apartment and reads a book until bedtime.

• If they joined your local high school, what clique would they fit into?
• To be honest, I don’t really know. I had the privilege of being homeschooled, so I never experienced cliques first-hand. I have a feeling she would be somewhere in the middle…she always had good grades, but she was kind of shy as a teenager, and didn’t care about being super trendy.

• Write a list of things they merely tolerate. Ex: certain people, foods, circumstances in their lives…
• Lukewarm coffee, filing taxes, strong perfume, over-artsy musicians, high heels, and fake cheese.

• How do they react in awkward silences?
• They make her feel very awkward. Depending on who it is with, she may feel brave enough to try and make conversation. Otherwise she will suffer in silence.

• Can they swim? If so, how did they learn?
• No. She lived with a foster family who wouldn’t allow it, and she never had another chance.

• What is one major event that helped shape who they are?
• Learning to play the cello. It gave her something to pour her heart into at a crucial time in her life, and now it is a source of income.

• What things do they value most in life?
• Love, acceptance, doing the right thing, having humility, and showing mercy.

• Do they believe in giving other people second chances? Do they have any trust issues?
• She most definitely believes in giving second chances. That is one of her major characteristics. She can be a bit wary of other people at first, but in general she is a trusting person, and once her trust is gained, she will stick by you.

• Your character is having a rough day…what things do they do to make them happy again? Is there anyone they talk/interact with to get in a better mood?
• Playing her cello, drinking a French vanilla latté, wearing bright colors, reading a book while curled up in blankets, or taking a long hot shower. She doesn’t really have anyone she’s close with, but that’s going to change soon.