Library of Characters: Mellie

Howdy, all y’all! My name is Amelia Cabot, and I’m a sinner saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, amateur musician, homeschooler, and fellow writer. I write Christian fiction and poetry, but I mess with other genres in sparse amounts as well.

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

Takes my character by the hand and leads her along Come on, mon charrie! The crowd delights to meet thee!!! Oh, come on, now. Tugs her to the platform You can’t hide.

Come onnnnnnnnnnn. 

Has to literally tug on Annemarie’s hand just to get her to the platform I don’t weigh that much! At least cooperate for your creator!!

Huffs and sputters as I nearly stumble with Annemarie’s hand in mine Okay, there we go! Beams

This is Annemarie Elisabeth Müller, my dear MC from my short story “His Freedom over Mine.” Throws arms around her As you can tell, we get along very well, and she loves me times infinity because she wouldn’t be here without my imagination. Grins Riiiiight, Annemarie?

Oh, don’t roll your eyes at me.

Give a synopsis of her past

My girl was born in West Berlin, Germany, during World War II. She lived there during her childhood and much of her teenage years until both of her parents died overseas, and she had to move to East Berlin because she had no relatives in West Berlin. There in East Berlin, she discovered that Rudolph and his older sister had moved to East Berlin as well due to their absence of parental figures/guardians.

Then at last, when Annemarie was eighteen and he was nineteen, they got married … but there wasn’t necessarily that picturesque happily-ever-after.

Glances around Hey, Annemarie, where is Rudolph anyway? Sees him sitting on the couch eating chocolate

Shakes head Really, dude? Really?

What gave/gives you inspiration for her?

Well—surprise, surprise—inspiration sparked from a history lesson and my dear video teacher Mr. Smith. One of my world history lessons covered the Berlin Airlift and the Berlin Wall, and Mr. Smith (yes, that is his name … generic, but his actual name) was giving additional information about the time frame. The more he talked, the more I became engrossed. The more I became engrossed, the more the writer in me started bolting around and hopping off walls.

And thus, the possibilities of having a story set during this time frame was born.

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Something was wrong.

Something was terribly  wrong. Somehow, I could feel it in the air—or was it in my heart? I could never tell the difference. Yet despair draped over me, and I couldn’t help but anxiously peek out the window every five minutes.

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How has her past shaped what she is now? What is that personality?

Well, Annemarie’s having to grow up in a war-torn area clung to her since the time she was old enough to understand what was going on. She didn’t necessarily see the violence firsthand, and she didn’t understand everything that had happened, but she saw the aftermath of World War II and later realized the brutality of it.

I’d say the war taught her to become a forgiving person with a heart for those who had technically wronged her and everyone she loved. The Soviets were most certainly not a group of people anyone humane wanted to forgive (let alone Hitler and his men!). But her daughter plays a key role into helping her see this.

Her personality… Eyes Annemarie curiously If you were allowed to talk right now, I’d let you fill in. Only I’m not sure how much you would care to delve into yourself either. Oh, don’t give me that look. Just because I came up with you doesn’t mean I’ve figured out the enigma of a person I’m talking to right now.

Harrumphs Apologies, dear Lucy. Back to the topic at hand.

Annemarie definitely has a nurturing spirit. You can tell that she loves her children and her man, no matter how much trouble the three of them get themselves into. Glances over at Rudolph, who’s digging through the bowl of chocolate and contemplating which one to choose next

See what I mean?

On a more serious note, Annemarie leans toward the quiet side because she taught herself to be quiet as she observed happenings from a distance and thought about them whenever she was alone. (There were many things to think about, as you could imagine.)

Yet one gets a peek of all of the sunshine and laughter that bubbles over from inside of her when she’s with Rudolph and her children and they’re having the time of their lives together. 🙂

What are her strengths and weaknesses?

Glances at Rudolph for the third time If I were doing him, my man’s weakness right now would be chocolate … I’m pretty sure that’s his seventh piece of chocolate. Or ninth.

Send me a bill later so I can reimburse you, Lucy.

Anyhoo … One of Annemarie’s strengths is her love for her children. Gabriele is adopted, but Annemarie loves that sweet little girl just as much as if she had been her birth mother. And of course, she loves Ralph ever so much, because he’s her firstborn.

Her weakness … How quickly she oscillates from trusting God to losing sight of Him when life is suddenly filled with overwhelming amounts of chaos. Annemarie is quite painfully relatable. 🙂

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

What, without spoilers???? Whining noises How do you expect me to do this without spoilers???

Sighs In order to comply so that Lucy doesn’t come after me with her flaming sword of wrath … Annemarie must learn to trust God and His plans. Not hers.

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I looked down and shook my head slowly. Lord, please…no.

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What is her greatest struggle or fear?

Wrestling with the tormenting thoughts of how in the world and when in the world freedom would come.

What is she most afraid of losing?

This goes along with the answer to the previous question, but she’s afraid of permanently losing all chances at having freedom. Anyone would be if he were being confined to a life he’d never asked for.

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“Oh, if they build that wall, we’re going to be stuck here.”

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Character Appearance:

Has to give Annamarie a long once-over as my poor character stands there, appalled by what I’m about to say Well, she’s fair-skinned; so she can’t be underneath the sun for too long unless she wants to turn into a ripened tomato. She’s slender, although that should not deter you from whatever strength she manages to whip out at the right time. (Because some ladies are cool like that. She’s one of them.)

Hair? Eyes? Height? Annemarie has brown hair (we’re talkin’ a chocolate brown color … maybe that’s why Rudolph loved her at first sight). Her hair goes down her back and near her waist; so she definitely never thought about cutting her hair since she was a child. (And you can imagine how many opportunities Gabriele snags to play with and attempt to do her momma’s hair!)

She’s got brown eyes with gorgeous, short brown eyelashes. And she agrees with me that if you have short eyelashes, appreciate them. Short eyelashes are less common to inherit than long eyelashes. 🙂

As for height, Barely glances up at her she’s at five one. Without heels, of course. Not like she’d wear heels anyway. She doesn’t see the need for them other than a grand and glorious method to torture people who hate walking. (Plus, with Ralph to run after at times, she really can’t be stylin’ in heels.)

Other? She does not look like an octopus, and she has all ten fingers and toes.

*nods wisely

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“It’s okay,” I whispered. “We’ll be okay. God’s going to take care of us.”

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Thank you for having me by the way, Lucy!