Library of Characters: Madisyn Carlin

Madisyn Carlin is a Christian and a slightly-weird, definitely sleep-deprived word nerd and author. She wishes dragons were real and avocados and coffee were not. She may be part dragon herself since she has a fabulous hoard of notebooks, pens, pencils, stationery, and books—a hoard she is constantly adding to. When not spending time with family, exploring the majestic mountains, and listening to music, she plots characters’ demises (in other words, she writes).

 She also may or may not be found trying to contemplate how to eradicate avocados from the world.

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Introduce your character to me—who is he? What story is he from?

Breac Finson is a son, cousin to a crazy little rascal named Tandri, and a soldier. He prefers solitude over interacting with other humans and may or may not have a wicked sarcastic streak. Breac resides in the Snow Mountains and has honed being on alert to perfection due to constantly being the brunt of Tandri’s pranks.

Give a synopsis of his past.

Breac is an only child who grew up in a God-fearing home. He used to embrace his faith before the All Lands War and the Snowlands’ civil war, where he was conscripted and forced to fight. The horrors he witnessed broke his faith and spirit and he returned with a shell of the faith he once had.

What gave/gives you inspiration for him?

Breac just…happened. Out of the five POVs in Shattered Reflection, he was the unexpected one. I didn’t even know what to do with him at first, but at that point, it was impossible to remove him. Then he became a staple in the story and it wouldn’t be the same without him.

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Though it called to him, Breac ignored the Bible resting on his nightstand. His soul ached to absorb it, but he had neither the emotional nor mental capacity to deal with the questions which would arise.

Maybe someday he could ask for answers, but right then, wounds were too raw. Too deep.

Reading the Bible would only worsen them.

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How has his past shaped what he is now? What is that personality?

Breac is naturally protective and defensive, but after the wars, those character traits intensified. Now he usually speaks before thinking, acts before thinking, and wields snappy comments with as much ease as he does his sword. He has a gruffer and grumpier personality, but that hides a heart of gold.

What are his strengths and weaknesses?

Breac is an excellent swordsman and tactician. He is also fiercely protective of those he cares for and would readily lay down his life for those he loves. His weaknesses primarily reside in his mind. He acts on impulse when around those he dislikes and he’s struggling to heal from the internal wounds he sustained during the war. He is also stubborn and refuses to speak to anyone about his questions regarding faith.

Give a few examples of how he needs to/will grow throughout the story. (Without spoilers😜)

Obviously, Breac has a lot of developing to do. He needs to learn to give his fears to the Lord, to stop thinking pain is weakness, and that experiencing PTSD does not make him less of a man.

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God? The prayer hurt, like it didn’t fit in his mind. How long had it been since he voluntarily prayed? Please guide Silci to the information. Please provide us the means to stop this slaughter.

His parents and aunt and uncle fervently believed in God and the power of prayer. Breac didn’t share the depth of their faith, but he’d be willing to try if God proved Himself actually involved in the lives of those who believed in Him.

Breac blew out the candle and settled into bed, pulling the quilt to his chin as he finally warmed after days of riding in the cold.

One part of him refused the idea God would again turn His back. The greater part scoffed. The past already proved God didn’t care.

We need You to care. The innocents being slaughtered need You to care.

Breac silenced the urge to cry out, to beg for answers. For now, he just needed to know if God was worth praying to.

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What is his greatest struggle or fear?

Breac’s greatest fears are losing his family and witnessing their deaths.

What his he most afraid of losing?

He is most afraid of losing those he cares about.

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But the thing with surviving war is the repercussions never leave. He tossed and turned—even tried sleeping on the floor—but rest would not come. Instead of decluttering his mind from the past few weeks, memories returned, morphing from battlefields, to corpses, to burning buildings which terrifyingly resembled Glaslow and its occupants.

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Character Appearance: 

 Hair? Medium Brown

Eyes? Blue

Height? About 6’2”

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Ma always said patience was a virtue.

It wasn’t a virtue Breac possessed.