Hi everyone!
I’m a pantster by nature, but I do use an outline. For the Indigo trilogy, I had to know precisely where it would end before I could put a word down on the computer. But no matter how much I tried to stick to an outline, the story kept tugging me in a few unexpected directions.
The first thing I had to do was to choose an origin story. In college, I wrote a paper on the Fourth Crusade and knew without a doubt this dramatic historical event would be the cornerstone of the trilogy.
The inspiration for the character of Justin Hamilton was based on the actor Jamie Dornan. I’m a huge fangirl, so basing a sexy rock star on Jamie was a no-brainer.
Lucy Bianchi’s character inspiration was based on Hayley Atwell. I’m not as familiar with her work as an actress but when I stumbled upon her photo on Twitter one day and knew she was my Lucy.
Be sure to check out my Pinterest page for photos Jamie, Hayley, and other inspirations of the Indigo Trilogy.
Besides the hero and heroine, I needed an object; something that would anchor the trilogy and also functions as a third character. After researching art objects from the Byzantine era, I stumbled upon a medieval cross while doing a search on the internet.
As soon as I saw the cross, the entire trilogy unfolded for me. The cross is small in size, engraved, and blue. The color blue became one of the primary themes of the trilogy. It’s the thread that connects the main characters throughout all the books.
The trilogy includes two of my favorite things: art and music.
Lucy’s world is filled with art, and the trilogy mentions many styles of art that I hope readers will enjoy learning about. Colleen, Lucy’s best friend, is frustrated by how many of her students love Thomas Kinkade. He’s famous for the many romantic renditions of cottages, landscapes, and cityscapes. As a former art history teacher, I share Colleen’s frustration with trying to encourage her students to look beyond Kinkade and discover other artists.
Justin expresses his feelings and yearning through music. I’ve been a fan of The Moody Blues for years. Many of their songs suggest searching or longing for a distant time and place that would be a perfect foundation for the trilogy. It was fun to delve into some of my favorite Moody Blues songs to find ways to incorporate them into Justin’s musical world.
Music and art have had a big influence on my life, and I’ve enjoyed incorporating them into the trilogy. I hope you enjoy it as well!
Happy autumn.
Best,
~~Kate~~
Follow me on social media
