K is for Kaitlin Manning

I have been anxiously waiting for the letter K to come up so I could introduce you to my main character Kaitlin Manning. She was born outside Denver, Colorado, and grew up in Agate; population….just over 500. School was not her favorite pastime. The kids stayed in town for elementary school, but the upper grades involved a 30 minute commute, one way. She was traveling with her father more than she was in school so she never quite fit in.

When she was five years old, Kaitlin’s mother left without a trace. The few memory snippets Kaitlin has of her mother are all smiles and laughter. She constantly asked her father, why? Why, if her mother was so happy, did she leave? His sad smile was never answer enough for her, but that was all she came to expect.

We meet up with Kaitlin while she is on summer break from the University of Colorado. At 20 years old she is ready to get on with her life, and isn’t sure she wants to return to school. This trip is her chance to get away from Colorado and try to find a direction for her future.

Kaitlin and her father are on the Isle of Man to photograph the TT (Tourist Trophy) Motorcycle Races; specifically the sidecar events. They have traveled extensively for his work as an international sports photographer, and she thinks she has seen just about everything the world has to offer until she gets to the island. Kaitlin soon finds out that this trip will not be like any she has experienced before.

She is down to earth and very curious. She is known to stand at the edge of a cliff just to see what clings to life just over the edge. Her favorite pastimes are reading, photographing sunsets, and riding motorcycles – fast. It’s a good thing she likes the speed, she’ll need when she tries to outrun her future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This post inspired by – K