My main literary setting is the village of Blessham where a certain Joe Wilkie is the main character. It’s a farcical and incredibly funny setting is Blessham and I’d like to share some of the characters with you; at least, how they appear in my own mind.

Now, before anyone jumps down my throat (and for one thing you wouldn’t fit down there) I have used A.I to generate these images but not being particularly artistic myself the only way I could be sure of what I wanted was to use Google Gemini. But please do be aware that I would never, I repeat NEVER, use A.I to write my books or create the book covers. This page is a just a bit of fun so you can get a picture of who you’re reading about.

Anyway, enough of that, lets begin.

Let’s start with the main man himself…

Joe Wilkie

Joe is the central character of all the Blessham Books. The first one – Ah Boy! actually being his life story up to the point where we first meet him. Joe is a slow learner (perhaps the slowest) but he has a heart of pure gold and the best attitude to life you could ever come across. He’s become something of a local legend in the area.

Lady Stark-Raven

Her Ladyship is Joe’s employer. He’s her gardener and whilst he excels at the job he so often comes in for a verbal lambasting from this fearsome woman. She’s the terror of the whole village but the kind of lady you’d want on your side in a bind and every now and then you will see just the very tiniest little chink in her armour. You cross Lady Stark-Raven at your peril.

Meg Morrison

Meg was, for a long time, the love of Joe’s life after a childhood kiss in Farmer Bull’s haystack. The trouble was he had no idea she was such a good time girl for the rest of the chaps in the village. She does have feelings for our Joe, just not the same kind as his for her. A tart with a heart perhaps. She’s featured in Ah Boy! and Hot Eire.

Paige Turner

Paige entered Joe’s life in BEASTIE and she’s left him in a bit of a quandry. He still loves Meg but hasn’t seen her for almost three years since she left the village at the end of Hot Eire. And then along comes this pretty young lady, also now in the employ of Lady Stark-Raven, and Joe has become rather “fond” of her shall we say. Very fond indeed. Paige, a clean living girl, is the antithesis of Meg so who knows…

Bob McKenzie

Bob has been the landlord of the village pub – The Pig and Whistle – for as long as anyone can remember. He’s a good friend to Joe and a cordial host in his pub, but he doesn’t suffer fools gladly and won’t hesitate to ban troublemakers from the Pig. Bob is one of the good guys though and a damn good publican.

Marguerite McKenzie

Marguerite, as well as being Bob’s much younger wife, is also Joe’s best friend in the village. She hails from Ukraine where she honed her body to muscular perfection before moving to Blessham. She’s a handy person to have on your side and always sticks up for Joe whenever he lands in any bother – which is quite often – sometimes with her fists!

Mr Franks

Mr Franks is Her Ladyship’s long suffering butler. He’s an ex-military man with a somewhat shady past. But he’s damn good at his job and can frequently be found calming his employer down when she flies into a fit of rage, which is a regular occurence. He’s something of a father figure to Joe with a ready supply of wise words.

Gloria

Gloria Leigh Lewier is the local vicar from The Pheasants Revolt through to BEASTIE. She may look diminuitive but she’s a firebrand behind the pulpit and has put many an errant villager firmly in their place. A good friend and confidante to Joe and, in his words, the best vicar Blessham ever had.

Let’s take a look at some of the villains now, shall we?

Jim Booth

Now here’s a really nasty piece of work. The antagonist from Ah Boy! who has spent his whole life being a local rogue and bully, especially towards Joe. But there’s a secret between the two of them, which you’ll discover if you read the book. He’s a bad one is Jim Booth with no redeeming qualities.

Pip McLintock

Another absolute sod. He’s gunning for Joe in The Pheasants Revolt and is a bit of a thug if truth be known. Despite being the Blessham gamekeeper he makes a nuisance of himself in the village at every opportunity with his penchant for strong drink and is always trying to ingratiate himself with Lady Stark-Raven in the most sychophantic ways. A reprehensible character all in all.

Faye Twersdendeth

The term “Old Bag” could have been coined just for her. She claims to have a strict moral code but has less compassion than a hungry hyena. Dominating her timid husband – Cecil – and anyone else she comes across, she and her crabby old cronies have it in for Meg in Hot Eire. What a bitch!

Delius Myth

A psychic charlatan who appears as the antagonist in Medicine Show. As sly as a snake and with about as much conscience as one too. He has half the village under his nefarious spell and does his level best to turn them against Joe. Its down to our hero to sort the blighter out.

Scott Jegg

One of two antagonists in BEASTIE. A spoilt brat of a teenage tearaway. He and his odious little gang are out for more than just hi-jinks and Joe has to contend with young Jegg and his equally nasty mates whilst at the same time having to deal with The Beast of Blessham. The little sod!

The Beast!!!

The main antagonist in BEASTIE. Is it a bear? Is it a big cat? Is it just baloney? Who knows what it is. You’ll have to read the book to find out…

There’ll be more of Blessham’s characters appearing here just as soon as I can produce them.

WATCH THIS SPACE!

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