Want to know what this is about? Check out this blog entry!
O.M.G.
(and yeah, that felt completely appropriate for an entry about Tiffany Feathers)
But seriously. OMG. The time span between my last TNBT entry and this one has just been ridiculous. For those who want the in-depth explanation as to why this took so long, go read my last entry right before this one titled, “A Difficult Year.” I’m not even going to give you the abridged version. This is Lee Stephen, movin’ on.
So yes, the wait has been long, but oh so worth it, as I’ve got three awesome entries in TNBT series lined up for everyone. And that lineup begins with Tiffany.
Tiffany, like all awesome characters, was an unexpected arrival. I’m just gonna be honest: she completely ripped the spotlight away from Catalina Shivers. Both characters made their arrival in Epic 4: The Glorious Becoming. Catalina was intended to be the star of this little dynamic duo, with Tiffany serving the role of fun-loving sidekick. Then one thing led to another, plot lines twisted and turned like they always do, and all of a sudden…well…a new blond fan favorite was born.
Tiffany entered Epic as a Vulture transport pilot fresh out of EDEN Academy. As a character, she defies the pilot stereotype. She’s not ice cold. She could actually come off as a little bit dingy. But that’s where the beauty of Tiffany comes into play. She’s a gifted, borderline genius trapped in the body of a girl from San Fernando Valley. She’s a character who begs to be underestimated.
[stextbox id=”black”]Travis rolled his eyes.
Tiffany inhaled sharply. “Did you just roll your eyes at me?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“No, I didn’t.”
She sneered back. “You totally did. You did like this,” she said, rolling her eyes in demonstration.
“What? I so did not!”
Her eyes narrowed scathingly. “You’re a sucky eye-roller and a liar.”[/stextbox]
It’s difficult to get into too much detail when it comes to Tiffany simply because her role in The Glorious Becoming is both huge and spoiler-laden. One could almost make the argument that of all the characters who move the plot of book four along, none do so to the magnitude that Tiffany does. Those who know the story, just think about that. If not for Tiffany, what happens to the Fourteenth? To Novosibirsk? In a book with a million dominoes, she’s among the first ones to fall.
Without knowing the ins and outs of the character, it might be easy to classify Tiffany as a humorous, quirky plot device who happens to be good at what she does. But that would be such, such a major disservice to the character. There is a lot about Tiffany that readers don’t know yet, some of which will be revealed in Epic 5: Enemy One. But if you paid attention to her through TGB, you might have caught those little moments (they are few) where those layers hint at themselves.
[stextbox id=”black”]
Leaning her head back, Catalina blew out a breath. Running her hand through her hair, she fell solemn. “You think Remington had days like this?”
Tiffany smiled. “Like, yah. Who doesn’t?”
“You never have days like this, Tiff.”
The pilot laughed. “Whatever. I’ve totally had days like this. Remember the onion stain?”
Caught off guard, Catalina cackled. “Right, the ‘onion’ stain. That was definitely an emergency.”
The mirthful grin remained on Tiffany’s face before the corners of her lips slowly leveled, her bemused expression becoming heavier. “Some days can be worse than today,” she quietly said.
Catalina’s brow arched curiously at the Valley Girl’s change in tone, before she too was struck by a new emotion. Sitting upright, she moaned remorsefully. “Oh, Tiff. I’m so sorry, I didn’t even…”
“It’s okay.” Tiffany smiled through shimmering lids. “I know.”[/stextbox]
If you enjoyed Tiffany, if you found yourself caught up in her story in TGB, just wait. Of all the characters in Epic, I would count her personal story among the most emotional. One of the challenges of Enemy One will be giving that personal story justice in what’s already to be a jam-packed novel. It needs to be in there to its fullest capacity.
For those who’ve been keeping up with these entries, you know that behind every character cast there’s an incredible person who was generous enough to grant me permission to reference them. Danielle Larche is anything but an exception. If you live in the US of A, you’re probably not familiar with Danielle. That wouldn’t be the case if you hailed from Down Under. That’s because in 2008, Danielle was crowned Miss Australia Globe. But believe it or not, that’s not the most impressive thing she’s done.
I love to see people use their success as a platform for making a difference. Few things get me as excited. That’s why I love to hear stories like Danielle’s. Shortly after winning Miss Australia Globe, Danielle founded Project Dovetail, an organization dedicated to bettering the lives of underprivileged children. So what does Project Dovetail do, exactly? Something that I feel is vastly overlooked. They give children joy. It’s very easy to look at a child, see their immediate needs, then assume that once those needs are met, the child will be fine. But that’s not the case, and that’s where Project Dovetail steps in. Beyond just having food, clothing, and shelter, Project Dovetail recognizes that underprivileged children need something to look forward to – a reason to believe they’re special beyond just having their basic needs met. This can range from taking children on camping trips, to having volunteers bring them cake on their birthday, to making sure they have access to toys and good school supplies. These are the emotional needs, the “I matter to someone” needs. These are the needs most often taken for granted.
If you want to make a donation to Project Dovetail, get in touch with them at info@projectdovetail.org to find out how. I would love to implore you to consider donating. It’s become somewhat cliche for organizations to say, “every little bit counts,” but in a case like this, it’s absolutely true. Five dollars won’t get you much here in America (or whatever first-world country you’re from), but it could completely fund a child’s school supplies in another country. Those dollars can go farther than you could possibly imagine.
Danielle, thank you so much for allowing us to reference you for this casting series, but thank you even more for stepping up and using your success for something truly special. You’re making such a difference.
Anyone who wants to keep up with what Project Dovetail is doing can follow their Facebook page here!
All right, I’m getting that back-in-the-groove feeling. I sense another entry over the horizon. Stand by for character no. 6! He’s not happy. Not one little bit. Kick back, make yourself a Vegemite sandwich, and wait for the show.
“Har, har.” Untying her ponytail, Tiffany shook her head back. Her hair fell down in shiny locks.