I’ve been blowing my trumpet about my novel, The Pink Cage, so hard for the last few weeks that I’ve been forgetting to tell people what the novel’s about. And it’s about time I did. For me, novels are all about the characters, so allow me to introduce the cast of The Pink Cage
Astrid
The woman of the hour, the teller of the story. The girl with hair the colour of day-old snow. A 26-year-old freelance proofreader and DJ who has eyes that do their own thing. She’s spiky and vulnerable, a mass of contradictions.
Jazz
The man with three names, Jazz to Astrid, Geoffrey to Matthew and Geoff to the rest of the world. He’s a man who likes to please. He’s a sound engineer and DJ with a cool veneer, but he still feels like a fatboy on the inside.
Matthew
Astrid’s father. A socially awkward zoologist who finds himself plunged unexpectedly into single fatherhood after the death of Astrid’s mother. Fiercely devoted to Astrid. A tall, imposing man with firmly held views and a sharp tongue that hides a kind heart.
Ora
Jazz’s mother, a former caterer turned photographer. A soft, gentle woman who tends to be slightly over-eager. She is tactful, perceptive and knows how to get under Astrid’s prickly skin.
Martin
Astrid’s ski guide. A cheerful, uncomplicated sort who doesn’t put up with any nonsense and gets to the heart of the matter quickly. He gets the measure of Astrid very quickly.
The skiing crowd
A motley bunch. There’s Crusading Cliona and her nitrogen boyfriend Kim, Mia, who clings like a limpet to every available elbow and a pair of white bearded bowsies called Eamonn and Kevin. Astrid dubs them The Greek Chorus because they comment on everything. And there’s Johno, the blind guitar god.
People who know me will have great fun working out who these people are based on. At the very least, I hope that these characters will feel real to you.
World of Writing 