All right, time for another character profile. This time, Hope Murdoch.
Before I started Foreshadowed, I knew the main character’s first name would be Hope. However, I had trouble deciding on a last name, so I used Murdoch as a placeholder, assuming I’d change it later. You see, Murdoch is my maiden name. And since my first name is Holly, it was a little weird at first to write a character with a name so similar to my own. I decided to keep Murdoch though. I think it’s an awesome last name (I’m biased), and I don’t get to use it very often.
On occasion, Lance Hampton calls Hope “Ms. Murdoch.” I threw that in because before we were married, my husband would occasionally call me that, and for some reason I really liked it.
Anyway, enough of that … on to the character profile.
From the book description: Hope “is an almost-normal sixteen year old girl. Normal: a hopeless crush on the boy next door, a negative body image, and a (mis)diagnosis of ADHD. Not-so-normal: an exhausting and distracting ability to read minds. High school is hard enough without hearing what everyone really thinks of you.”
Hope grew up hearing the thoughts of others. She knew when her parents were annoyed with her. She knew when kids at school didn’t like her. She witnessed the best and the worst of people on a daily basis. Because of this, she is a little more accepting of people, even when they’re not accepting of her.
In the previous post, I wrote about Lance Hampton and his ability to see how people die. Here is a small excerpt from Foreshadowed when Hope and Lance meet for the first time. Just a little background information: Lance is new in school, and she just heard something in his thoughts that worries her, so she closes her eyes and focuses on his thoughts, but then he starts to notice.
“My eyes fly open to catch him watching me. Before I can reflect on how odd I must have looked with my eyes closed and my head tilted toward him, before it fully registers how sharply defined his cheekbones are, his green eyes meet mine, and everything goes dark.
I’m in his head, seeing his thoughts. I can still see with my own eyes—I see his face, the worried, tortured expression in his eyes, but it’s all in the background. The scene unfolding in his head takes center stage. It’s not like the random flashes I usually get, and there are no words at all. It feels stronger than a daydream and plays like a scene from a movie.
It’s pitch-black, but I can hear heavy, labored breathing. Someone is either in pain or very scared. Maybe both. There’s a clicking rhythm of high heels on a hard surface. Someone running away.
Fear scurries across my skin as I realize it’s me. The person running away—the person in the dark—it’s me. I don’t know how I know. I just do.”
Here is a little bit more about Hope:
Full name: Hope Mackenzie Murdoch
Birthday: April 19
Physical description: Hope has brown hair and brown eyes, and could be pretty if she put effort into her looks. She’s kind of tall and very skinny—like a runway model or a ballerina, but without the poise or grace.
Hope’s complexion is mostly clear, but pale. When she spends a lot of time out in the sun, she freckles and burns rather than tans.
Hobbies/Interests: Hope likes playing video games because it’s a perfect way to zone out at the end of the day. She also likes reading. She likes quick reads, nothing too complicated, with a happy ending and a hero/heroine she can look up to.
Favorite Food: Nachos.
Favorite movie/TV show: She loves Star Wars, Harry Potter, Sherlock, and a few sit-coms.
Fears: She’s afraid of the dark for obvious reasons. She’s afraid to die before her time. She’s afraid of losing the people she loves.
Weaknesses: Physically, she is very weak. She has no stamina and barely any strength. She doesn’t have a high pain tolerance either. She gets dizzy easily and has trouble building up muscle. Mentally, she’s often distracted because of her mind reading ability. She doesn’t always think things through, often acting on impulse with no plan.
Strengths: When someone else is in trouble, she has a unique ability to stop worrying about herself. She’s a natural protector. She’s smart, quick on her feet, and she has a lot of love in her heart.
Secrets: Her ability to read minds and her crush on Bryce Nelson.