Real people = fictional characters

Lilac Mills
Feb 15
2 min read

Okay, so the disclaimer on all my books says something along the lines of... 'This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblence to an actual person, living or dead... is entirely coincidental.'

It's kind of true in that I don't wholly base a character on one person. Not really.

Okay, maybe just a bit...

My characters tend to be romancensteins (I made that word up, in case you hadn't realised), stitched together from a number of different sources. I'll take the habit of tucking a strand of hair behind the ears from one person, and the feelings of inferiority from another, and sew them onto the body of an outwardly confident baker, for instance.

But some of my characters have a bit more real life in them than others. The two elderly mums in A Typical Family Christmas reflect aspects of – actually, come to think of it, I'd better not say!

Hastily moving on to a safer character, Flossie, the octogenarian in Summer on the Turquoise Coast, has elements of my own grandmother in her, and Nina, the heroine, sports some of my daughter's traits. But don't tell her that!

Elderly woman in a floral shirt, making a playful face with hands raised, indoors with greenery above. Bright, humorous mood.

Millie, the dog in Sunshine at Cherry Tree Farm, is unapologetically my own gorgeous little Westie, who I lost many years ago. I warn you, if you read this book you'll need lots of tissues. I also put my adorable Poppy (the cutest pup ever!) into a book - The Summer of Falling in Love. This story is told from a male POV, when he's given a puppy he doesn't want and hasn't asked for, and falls in love with the little scrap. He also falls in love with a woman, in case you're wondering!

Westie dog with tongue out, lying on a sunlit patio. The dog looks happy and relaxed, with soft fur and bright sunlight.

Sometimes my heroines are who I would like to be – or aspects of them, at least. For instance, I've always wanted to be as artistic and as creative as all three of the main characters in my Scottish Duncoorie Castle series. I have actually written a blog post of how much I'm not like these fictional women.

And here's where it gets a bit sickly sweet, so you can look away now, if you want...

No?

Don't say I didn't warn you!

Okay, then, here goes – all my heroes have a bit of my husband in them.

Close-up of a person's mouth and gray-speckled beard. Lips are closed and facial hair is prominent. Skin tone is warm and natural.

Personally, I think that's rather sweet, but I would, wouldn't I?

However, I do a romancenstein on him too, because only little bits of him creep into my main male characters and I do ring the changes frequently. Except for one thing - the love he shows me, which is woven into each and every hero I've ever written.

Bet you wished you'd looked away now!

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