Allyso Tormblood

Sally's People are characters I invented for books, short stories and poems. Their creation spans the last three decades of the 20th Century and (so far) the first of the 21st.

Allyso Tormblood is fourteen, but she looks more like eleven. Her childish appearance is a source of annoyance to her; as niece of easy-going Lord Merritt and the heir of Castle Torm, she feels entitled to a little respect. Allyso has plenty of friends at the castle. Her uncle's democratic ways ensure she mixes comfortably with housemaids, stewards and visiting lords. She is a reasonable person who expects the best of people, and mostly she is right. That's why it feels so odd when she takes a strong dislike to the latest visitor to Castle Torm.

Then disaster strikes, as her premonitions prove correct. Suddenly, everyone at Torm is dead, or dying, and Allyso is the only one who can help them... and only then by daring the well-way, a tight underwater passage developed by some of her small ancestors.

Having escaped the castle, Allyso faces a long and dangerous journey across country and into time.

Allyso's first name is a partial anagram of my own first name and surname initial. This reflects my own childhood as a small, young-looking person who expected the best of others. Castle Torm is named for "tor", a rocky outcrop.

Allyso appears in "Candle Iron", published by HarperCollins in 2000. It is one of my favourites, a semi-sequel to "Amy Amaryllis" and "Shadowdancers". Though I always wanted to write two direct sequels (to be called "Candle Stone" and "Candle Way"), life got in the way!

Rosanna Hopestill

Sally's People are characters I invented for books, short stories and poems. Their creation spans the last three decades of the 20th Century and (so far) the first of the 21st.

Rosanna Hopestill, protagonist of "Translations in Celadon", is a shy teenager who attends St Boniface's College. She is plain and ordinary, and the only thing that makes her stand out from her peers is her habit of s'imagining, a kind of creative visualisation. Rosanna drifts on the edge of college society, drawn to Asher Phillips, the golden boy of her year, but repelled by his dark-eyed foster-brother, Rafe. She admires Sari Roberts, who is everything she is not. Rosanna is one of my most powerful characters, but for much of her story she is unaware of her power. Manipulated by Sari, Rosanna builds a perilous world named Celadon.

Translated into a dun mare named Hrosannah (or Horse Still Hoping), Rosanna can no longer see the world through human eyes. Sari, Asher, Rafe and Sari's lumpish friend, Suzanne, are also translated, into princess, groom, werewolf and wisewoman. In these guises they play out their destinies.

Five went travelling Celadon, but only two came home.

"Translations in Celadon" was published by HarperCollins Australia in 1998. It has always been one of my favourites.

Others of my characters who are unaware of their power include Tell Clancy of "Trinity Street".

Amber Dale

Sally's People are characters I invented for books, short stories and poems. Their creation spans the last three decades of the 20th Century and (so far) the first of the 21st.

We first meet Amber Dale in "Down River", which I wrote in the late 1970s. She is twelve then, a pretty and self-assured red-head who is a contrast ot Kerry, her stocky shaggy-haired sister. Amber has charm and magnetism, and effortlessly attracts Kerry's friends. She can be snappy and autocratic. She has a very brief appearance in "Time Off". and is the protagonist of "Winter-Spring Garden". Her self-assurance takes a beating when a lingering illness takes her out of the loop of many activities, and faces her with a challenge she can't win. Amber was the first of my characters to change through experience in this way.

In "Another Good Friend", she faces another challenge. Now fifteen, she joins a script-writing team for a school play and has to deal with an unrequited crush on quiet Dominic while fending off the exuberant Herrick. Another challenge hits in "All the Sea Between", in which she competes for the lead role in the school play.

Amber's latest appearance to date is a little odd, as she appears under the name of "Linnet Valerian" in a book named "Peri". I wrote the story and then an editor asked me to edit it so it would fit an existing "Surfside High" series. Since this series is set in Queensland and Amber is Tasmanian, I simply renamed the characters. Thus Dominic became Duncan, Helen became Debbie, and Amber, Linnet. I often wondered if anyone would comment on the similarities of the characters... but no one ever has.

Welcome to Sally's People.

Welcome to Sally's People! This odd blog has one function; to share characters I have created for my books. I've always been fascinated by names and naming, and by how names interact with personality. Each entry will give a brief description of a character, how s/he was named, and the role s/he plays in my book(s). Where possible, I'll include the cover of a book that features this character.

Thanks in advance for spending time with Sally's People.