My 3 Favorite Secondary Characters in Common (Laurie)

Happy Blog Tour to me!!! My debut YA fantasy novel, Common, releases in four days. FOUR DAYS!!!!! And we're in the midst of a blog tour to celebrate! See below for more information about my book and the other stops on the blog tour.

Since it was my scheduled day to post here at Lands Uncharted anyway, I thought I'd share something specific to my book! But as you've probably noticed by now, I really have trouble choosing my favorites for Top 3s posts. So I went a little easier on myself and decided to go with my top 3 secondary characters in Common, which at least narrows the options a bit :)  (If you want to learn about more of my characters, make sure to stop by my visual guest posts on www.theantrimcycle.com and www.jmhackman.com from earlier this week!)

So, here are my top 3!


3) Sister Val

I wish I could tell you all about Sister Val, but I'll have to be cautious to avoid spoilers! She was definitely one of the characters I had the most fun with because she's a constant source of surprises. Beneath her exterior as a devout nun living in seclusion, she's funny, adventurous, and even knows her way around a dagger :) She's a prime example that a person doesn't have to fit a certain stereotype to have a deep faith in God.








2) Mabel

Once again, I can't reveal too much about how Leah knows Mabel because she doesn't show up until the second half of the book, but you'll know her when you see her! She was a fun character to write because she just jumped off the page for me - her dialogue practically wrote itself :) A motherly housekeeper with a feisty side, Mabel is loyal and compassionate to a fault. Her accent and sometimes unusual phrases give her a little extra spunk, and despite holding what some would consider to be the lowest position in her household, she's stubborn and not afraid to speak her mind.







1) Gretchen

Gretchen is Leah's closest friend, and she's my favorite secondary character in Common because she makes me smile every time she's in a scene :) Her vibrant personality and sense of fun make her the perfect counterpart for sensible, hard-working Leah. Outspoken, dramatic, and a bit of a flirt, Gretchen lives life to the fullest and makes friends wherever she goes. Leah doesn't always appreciate her friend's antics, but having Gretchen around keeps things interesting and she couldn't ask for a more loyal companion.



There you have it! To find out more, you'll just have to read the book :)


Speaking of which, here's the back-cover blurb for Common:

Only one person knows of the plot against the royal family and cares enough to try to stop it—the servant girl they banished.

Leah spends her days scrubbing floors, polishing silver, and meekly curtsying to nobility. Nothing distinguishes her from the other commoners serving at the palace, except her red hair.

And her secret friendship with Rafe, the Crown Prince of Imperia.

But Leah’s safe, ordinary world begins to splinter. Rafe’s parents announce his betrothal to a foreign princess, and she unearths a plot to overthrow the royal family. When she reports it without proof, her life shatters completely when the queen banishes her for treason.

Harbored by an unusual group of nuns, Leah must secure Rafe’s safety before it’s too late. But her quest reveals a villain far more sinister than an ambitious nobleman with his eye on the throne.

Can a common maidservant summon the courage to fight for her dearest friend?

In case I've managed to intrigue you, you can find the purchase links for Common here :) And make sure to come hang out with us this Thursday, February 15th from 8:00 to 10:00 pm CST if you're available! The Facebook party celebrating the release of Common is going to be a blast - my co-hosts are super fun and the list of giveaway prizes includes so many of my favorite books!! RSVP and check out some sneak peeks here.

And here's a full list of all the stops on the blog tour! It's been so much fun so far, and there are some awesome posts still coming next week! Please stop by every post if you have a chance, I took these opportunities to share so much about myself and my inspirations for Common, and I'm so grateful to all the bloggers who offered to host me!!

Monday, February 5th, Review of Common, Pam Halter, www.pamhalter.com

Monday, February 5th, Interview with Laurie Lucking, Taylor Bennett, www.taylor–bennett.com

Tuesday, February 6th, Visual Post, Nancy Moors, www.antrimcycle.com

Tuesday, February 6th, Behind-the-Scenes Feature, Rae E, www.anewlookonbooks.com

Wednesday, February 7th, Visual Post, J.M. Hackman, www.jmhackman.com

Wednesday, February 7th, Guest Post: Author’s Journey, Kristen Stieffel, www.newauthors.wordpress.com

Thursday, February 8th, Guest Post, Laura A. Grace, www.unicornquester.com

Friday, February 9th, Interview with Laurie Lucking, Jebraun Clifford, www.quillsandinkblotts.wordpress.com/

Friday, February 9th, Review of Common, Erica Hogan, www.booksaholic.wordpress.com/
Saturday, February 10th, Top 3 Post, Laurie Lucking, www.landsuncharted.com
Sunday, February 11th, Behind-the-Scenes Feature: Laurie’s Writing Process, Liv Fisher, www.livkfisher.blogspot.com/
Sunday, February 11th, Review of Common, Jebraun Clifford, www.jebraunclifford.com/
Monday, February 12th, Character Interview, Brenda Anderson, www.inspyromance.com/
Monday, February 12th, Visual Post, Jannette Fuller, www.jannettefuller.com/blog
Tuesday, February 13th, Interview with Laurie Lucking, KaLyn Cummins, www.authorkacummins.com
Wednesday, February 14th, Release-Day Feature, Laurie Lucking, www.laurielucking.com (Release Day)
Thursday, February 15th, Facebook Party Feature, Michele Israel Harper, www.micheleisraelharper.com (Facebook Launch Party)
Friday, February 16th, Review of Common, Cathrine Bonham, www.dolphin18cb.wordpress.com

Thank you so much for celebrating with me!!!