Character Spotlight ~ Annalisa Daughety's Vickie Harris & Thatcher Torrey

Vickie Harris & Thatcher Torrey

Drawing on her own career as a Park Ranger, Annalisa Daughety has crafted a series about femal park rangers in various US state parks. Her second book, Love is Monumental, has just released. I love the actors she has picked for her characters - makes me want to read the story more!

Over to you, Annalisa:~

Brief physical description

Vickie Harris:

Thirty year old Vickie is petite and has shoulder-length dark hair. Her lips are full and her eyes are green. When she’s at work, she wears the required park ranger uniform, but when not on the job, she loves to wear dresses and heels. She’s very fashion-conscious and is often the one her friends turn to for fashion advice. She was born and raised in Tennessee and her voice still carries a hint of a southern accent.

Thatcher Torrey:

Thatcher is tall with thick brown hair and brown eyes. At thirty-eight, his hair is just beginning to get some silvery strands. He tans well—spends a lot of time fishing in the spring and summer. When he isn’t teaching, he might have a little bit of stubble—but not a full beard. He’s the type of guy (typical bachelor) who gets so caught up in work and home improvement projects, he often forgets to get his hair cut or go shopping. By day, he wears typical college professor attire—button down shirts, tweed jackets and wire-rimmed glasses. Outside of work, he dresses casually—too casually if you ask Vickie.

Actor/famous person

Ginnifer Goodwin would be a good candidate for Vickie. And after seeing the Librarian movies, I definitely think Noah Wyle would make a great Thatcher.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: Vickie has a way of making people feel at ease. She always knows how to handle social situations with grace and a smile—something she attributes to her Southern belle upbringing. She’s the kind of person who does things by the book—and has a carefully planned out life.

Weaknesses: Vickie’s quest for perfection is one of her biggest downfalls, especially where her personal life is concerned—because no one can ever live up to her high expectations.

Strengths: Thatcher is hard working and very intelligent. He has a reputation for being a fair teacher and always strives to earn the respect of his colleagues.

Weaknesses: Thatcher has spent so many years throwing himself into his work that he’s a little socially awkward. (But in a bumbling, adorable kind of way.) He often says the wrong thing, not realizing how it might come across. Thatcher hides behind his work so he doesn’t have time to be lonely.

Quirk (if any)

When Vickie tells her friends about a date she’s gone on, she always uses a nickname instead of the guy’s real name. Throughout the book we meet Chewbacca, Gold Medal Man, Mr. Potty Mouth, and the Professor. She also has an affinity for 80’s movies, so much so that she named her cats Jake and Lloyd after characters in Sixteen Candles and Say Anything.

One of Thatcher’s quirks is his aversion to technology. He doesn’t own a cell phone or even a digital camera. He grumbles that while his students could win contests for quick text messages, they have trouble carrying on face-to-face conversations.

Your inspiration for the character

As with any character I write, I suppose there are pieces of myself—both good and bad—in Vickie. She’s also a combination of many friends I’ve known through the years.

I wanted Thatcher’s character to challenge Vickie. Where she’s polished and always knows exactly what to say, he’s rougher around the edges and often sticks his foot in his mouth.

Background to the story

The entire Walk in the Park series was inspired by my experiences as a national park ranger. I was a ranger at Shiloh National Military Park, a Civil War battlefield, which served as the setting for the first book in the series, Love is a Battlefield. For book two, I wanted a setting that was a contrast to the secluded small town of Shiloh. In my search through various parks, I came across the Washington Monument--and Love is Monumental was born. In each of the books in the series, it’s almost as if the park is an additional character.

Thanks Annalisa. We will enjoy having you back in October for a spotlight in the Grand Canyon with Ainsley, Jake and Dustin from Love is Grand!

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