FreakShow Character Introduction: Lily

Every Monday from now until December 3rd, I'm introducing a character from my debut novel, Jack Jetstark's Intergalactic FreakShow! Today's character is...

　

Lily!

　

Lily is Jack's pilot. She's bold and sexy and not afraid to show off, but this confidence doesn't always extend to the rest of her life.

　

Lily is a freak, a descendant of people who were genetically engineered to have superhuman abilities when they hear a certain song. She grows wings and performs as an angel, though she refers to herself as an owl.

　

Most of my characters were inspired by lyrics from American Pie. Lily is the "angel born in Hell." Researching this phrase led me to Lilith, the Biblical mother of demons who was sometimes associated with screech owls (the Latin name of which, "Megascops, is referenced in her full name, Lilimeg Ascops). Before American Pie fixed my plot, though, there was a character that sort of became Lily, who was a lionfish-inspired mermaid. A minor character named Holly was given that description instead.

　

At first glance, there's nothing "wrong" with Lily. She's just a sexy bird who sometimes sleeps with men she hardly knows so they'll fall in love and buy her things. But the jewelry they give her is just a bonus: she enjoys toying with them, making them fall in love so she can break their hearts. She knows it's messed up, but it's just the way she is, and she would never do it to someone she cares about.

　

In my mind, Lily would be played by Elizabeth Banks.

　

(There was, briefly, a version of Lily that ACTUALLY ate men and spit them out, which I think was a reference to how owls eat things whole and spit out pellets full of mouse bones? But I gave the violent tendencies to Merulo instead. Thank. God.)

　

(I also want to stress that, despite everything I just said about Lily, the sexual content in the book is very minimal. Nothing more than a kiss happens on the page, her using men is only alluded to, and while its clear that Jack finds her very attractive, I don't think I describe it in any more graphic detail than saying her curves make his cheeks feel warm.)

　

Preorder here and add it on Goodreads!

　

Come back next Monday to meet the final character, Diantha!