Feature: Ilauria is the Mermaid of the Month! (Part One)

There’s no way I can talk about my character, Ilauria, without first addressing her gorgeous red hair so let’s just get that out of the way first.  Nothing makes me happier than looking at red hair!  I’m a complete and utter red-head fanatic!  We’re talking like Titian, the renaissance artist, obsessed!  Growing up with reddish/brown hair and freckles, I had to come to grips with my coloring quickly and I decided to embrace it.  This wasn’t an easy thing considering that in Arizona, most people tan to some degree and I only burned.  I naturally gravitated toward others with red hair and the inevitable freckles that are connected with it which is one reason I became enthralled with fantasy at a young age:  the heroines were typically red heads and I could relate.  When Disney’s The Little Mermaid came out in theaters I was thrilled that she had long red hair and equally ecstatic when Merida in Disney’s Brave boasted not only flame-colored hair but unruly curls as well.  Oh curls—don’t get me started!  Oops, too late!  Love, love, love curly hair!  When I was growing up there was a TV show on called Head of the Class and the actress, Khrystyne Haje, was the first person I’d ever seen with super long red curly hair and she still has the best curls in my opinion, hands down!  She’s the reason Ilauria has the hair she does and let’s face it, mermaids just aren’t mermaids without that beautiful long hair.  For many writers, their hero or heroine is an extension of who their ideal person is.  Other times, their hero or heroine is who they wish they could be.  For me, Ilauria is the ideal mermaid and I’d like to be her if I was ever given the chance to be a mermaid (you know, in some alternate reality).  So, why all this concentration on how she looks physically?  Because in the world I’ve created she’s a super hero and super heroes in comics are visually stunning and have a specific look.  Red hair and green eyes are rare traits and those attributes add to her character because she is a rare individual in her society and that’s where the crux of the story is derived from.  For more on red heads, search for red hair on Pinterest and prepare to be stunned!  Look for more about Ilauria later this month…