Do other writers know their characters’ actual dates of
birth? As a reader, do you know the birthdates of your favorite characters? Today
is the birth date of the protagonist of my Tracy Eaton mystery series. Tracy’s
birthday is April 1. April Fools’ Day.
I first met Tracy Eaton when she and her daffy mother, movie
star Martha Collins, walked onto the page of one of my early short stories,
“L.A. Justice.” Tracy presented herself to me as a mystery writer who desperately wanted to
become an amateur sleuth. Martha tossed a mystery into Tracy’s lap, but what
she gave her daughter wasn’t the usual sort of mystery. After discovering that
she’d been framed for the murder of her boy-toy, Martha didn’t want Tracy to
merely solve the murder as other amateur sleuths do, but to obliterate any
connection to her before the police, the mob, the media, and her husband could
learn of it.
That story went on to be published (MURDER BY THIRTEEN
anthology; Intrigue Press) and to win the Derringer Award for Best Short Story.
From writing it, I learned that since Tracy’s background was more than a little
reality challenged, as an amateur sleuth, her approach to crime solving would
be unconventional as well. There are now four novels in the series, including
the just-released, REVENGE ON ROUTE 66. I wouldn’t have thought Tracy could top
the offbeat approach to sleuthing that she brought to that first story, but she
has in every book.
I knew someone born wearing a zany filter could only have
April 1st as her birthday. It wasn’t until the second book in the
series, DEM BONES’ REVENGE, that Tracy shared with me, and our readership, the
actual story of her birth. Her mother had picked a fight with her father and
sent him away, only to start into labor as soon as he left. Rather than call an
ambulance, Martha decided to drive herself to the hospital. Here’s how Tracy
explained it from there:
I arrived on the steps of the church she crashed into.
Contrary to rumors, it wasn’t St. Tracy’s. There is no St. Tracy’s in Beverly
Hill, and wouldn’t that be silly basis for naming a child? The real story is
more subtle. You might remember that Veronica Howard and Mother were great
rivals at the time. But you might not know Miss Howard’s much younger third
husband was having a torrid affair with a mere child named Tracy West. Clearly,
a better way to choose a baby’s name; I’m glad I was able to provide my mother
with that opportunity.
See what I mean? Gotta be April 1. I wasn’t sure how many
fictional characters’ birthdays have been revealed by their writers, but it
turns out that many are well known.
Take, for instance, Servius Snape of the Harry Potter
series: January 9. Superman’s birthday is February 29 — is that here on earth
or on Krypton? Does it make a difference? Eddie Crane, the dog on the TV show “Frazier,”
came into the world on May 15. Bridget Jones, of BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY fame,
has her big day on November 9, while only two days later, on November 11, the
one and only 007 — James Bond — enjoys his birthday.
And Jean-Luke Picard, Captain of TV’s Starship Enterprise,
will be born on July 13, 2305.
I even discovered that Tracy isn’t unique in her April 1
birthday. She shares that date with the Weasley twins, Fred & George, of
the Harry Potter series, and the cartoon superstar, Bart Simpson. I guess that
fits.
You can look up some of the birthdays of your favorite TV,
movie, and novel characters here: http://flavorwire.com/272951/exclusive-infographics-fictional-character-birthday-calendars
So, happy April’s Fools’ Day, everyone. Tracy and I have started celebrating
her birthday early, and we intend to keep the party going for days to come.
You’re welcome to celebrate with us. Incidentally, Tracy tells me that even
though she was born on April 1st, and to a pair of
reality-challenged loonies, she’s actually nobody’s fool. And don’t you be,
either.
