Meet Tyrone aka Grampus Duke

But then acting is all about faking. We’re all very good at faking things that we have no competence with. ~John Cleese

In my books, I love it when unique secondary characters come on stage. In my book, In the Shadow of the River, I had fun getting to know some of those people. One was the grandfather of my main character, Jacci. Tyrone Chesser is not your usual grandfather figure. In fact he has never been much of a father to Jacci’s mother which Irena naturally resents. The river called to Tyrone when he was a boy and then he was bitten by the acting bug. By the time on my story, 1875, he is well ensconced as a showboat actor. But when circumstances became dire for Jacci, Tyrone stepped up and played the role of her loving grandfather with sincerity and love.

Here are some excerpts from the book to give you a glimpse of Tyrone, aka Duke, aka Grampus Duke.

First some conversations between Irena and Tyrone.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t know what else to do. I had to think of Jacci.” 

“It’s about her, isn’t it?” Tyrone said.

She ignored his question and asked one of her own. “Did the doctor think I’d live?”

Tyrone hesitated too long before he answered. “Yes.”

~~

“You were never much for praying. That was Mother.”

“I’ve been doing some practicing. All night.” He leaned over and took one of her hands in his. “I’ve never been much of a father to you, but I sincerely do not like seeing you lurk around death’s door.”

~~

(Irena and Jacci)

Mama shut her eyes for a long moment, but when she opened them again, she smiled and looked more like Mama. “So, Tyrone told you to call him Duke. Sounds like him.”

“Better than grampus, he said.”

“What did Miss Marelda say to that?”

“She called him Duke first. He sometimes pretends to be a duke in their shows, she said.”

~~

(Irena and Tyrone)

The smile stayed on Irena’s lips as she reached to touch him. “I don’t know, but maybe I’m the one who has changed. And maybe I hope you are changed too. That you can be a grandfather to Jacci even if she never calls you grampus.”

“Grampus.” He made a face. “A perfectly awful word. I’m not sure I’d agree to play the part of grampus even in a play.”

“I’m not asking you to play a part.”

~~

(Jacci and Tyrone aka Duke aka Grampus Duke)

He pulled her over against him and held her close. She laid her ear against his chest and felt his heart beating deep and steady. “If Mama dies, can I stay with you forever?”

“Don’t you worry about that. I will always be your Grampus Duke.”

She pulled away to look at him then. “Grampus Duke?”

“Why not?” He smiled. “If I’m going to play the part, I have to have the name.”

~~

Did you enjoy doing some eavesdropping on Tyrone, Irena and Jacci?

I hope you will enjoy reading more about Grampus Duke and Jacci as they ride the showboats on through the years.  The book releases in 11 days, but you still have time to get the pre-order deal from Baker Book House and perhaps get a signed bookplate too.  There’s time too to enter the Goodreads giveaway to win a print copy of the book.