Meet the Runaways Side Characters

If you’ve been subscribed to my mailing list for any amount of time, you will already be familiar with this colorful cast from my upcoming middle grade portal fantasy, Runaways! Since I’ve launched the newsletter, I’ve been sharing exclusive short stories that give each of these characters their own format in a new, slightly strange format. Eventually, I plan to compile these free, early releases into a companion collection and release them alongside the book itself. But until then, I wanted to share these brief introductions, so you can all get to know them as well!

Jack

Wait, do not walk away!
Do not wander off to play!
You think you’ve heard this tale before?
You think this rhyme will be a bore?
Please give me but a fighting chance.
I bet two cents you’ll be entranced.

Jack of Fables, received upon sign-up

A narrative poem telling the tale of the ubiquitous “Jack.” This larger-than-life folkloric figure is a scourge of petty troublemaking to both the Seelie and Unseelie courts, but if given enough incentive (or entertainment), he can serve as a powerful ally indeed. This narrative poem explains how this one unlikely bloke became the protagonist of every fairy tale with a hero named Jack.

Lady Brigid

Brigid realized her life left much to be desired when she started receiving visions
every Christmas Eve. It was remarkably easy to tell visions from dreams. The certainty
of reality. Blinding pain from a brilliant presence. An understanding that they called her
for a purpose beyond her mortal understanding…
Angels had their reasons for greeting with, “BE NOT AFRAID.”

-Brigid’s Visits, released January 2022, received after sign-up

A wizened human woman that the girls meet in faerieland, Lady Brigid is a friend of the Seelie Court and inspired by the historical figure of St. Brigid, who is a significant figure in early Irish Christian history, and shares the name with a goddess from the early Celtic religions of the area. She provides the sisters with guidance when they need it most. This story, told in the past, present, and future tense, shares her dreams as she’s visited by some familiar ghosts.

Matteo and Marco Semivera

We’re snooping around the second floor of the haunted house when I hear the
footsteps.

Half Switched Siblings, released March 2022, received after sign-up

When a vigilant mother interrupted the spell meant to exchange faerie and changeling child, she took both of the crying boys for her own. These twins grew up into identical young men with a strange secret. They can switch bodies at will, a result of the faulty magic which obscures them from the hunting watch of the unseelie master who wants to reclaim both to its power. This story, told from two first person perspectives simultaneously, chronicles their first adventure into finding answers, and another furry friend.

Kit Kat

She finds a stoat locked in mortal combat with a swarm of rats. They surround the poor creature, trading bites and scratches with terrifyingly human sounding screams.

Runaways, Chapter 2: Journey

Though this weasel doesn’t have a solo story to go with his introduction (yet), he’s a familiar sight in the Seelie Court. Though he’s an ordinary animal, he’s made the faerie realm and the surrounding forest his own domain. For his valor in defending the borders against the unseelie interlopers, such as the Piper’s rats, the monarchs granted him cunning far beyond that of any ordinary stoat. He’s currently charged with leading runaways to the border safely, and becomes Hannah’s trusted companion throughout the story.

If you missed a story and want to get caught up, you can still sign up for the newsletter here! Upon submission, you’ll receive “Jack of Fables” in your inbox, and a week later, you’ll get the rest of the stories in a follow up archival email. After that, new emails only come every 3 months, so I promise I won’t be spamming out your inbox. This month will actually be a departure from the runaways universe and visit a friend of the Keeper. Who’s that? I guess you’ll just have to sign up to find out? 😉

Thanks for reading! Next week I’ll be back with a resource rec, but I want this blog to be more than me shouting into the void. If I can use this platform to help boost other creators, I’d love to see your work too. If you want to have your recommendations and/or your own writing featured in a Resource Rec post, or if you want to collaborate with me, you can leave a comment below for both, or contact me on either tumblr or IG! If you feel so generously inclined, you can support my writing by leaving me a tip on my Kofi or donating using the secure box below. Until next time, thanks for reading and happy writing! 🙂