Mampalo: One of my characters is a tortoise? – Graeme Ing, Author

Mampalo: One of my characters is a tortoise?

Two of my readers named their pet after a character from my “Ocean of Dust” novel. This is a first for me, and flattering. Mampalo is my character's name, and he obviously made a huge impact on my readers. Take a look at the photo to the left. What a handsome tortoise (turtle?), but not quite what I had in mind for Mampalo. Here's a description from the book:

His eyes were a dazzling yellow, like nothing she had ever seen, and they seemed to laugh at her. He was clean-shaven, with rich, even brown skin. Four golden hoops pierced each ear, partially obscured by thick, tightly curled black hair that draped his shoulders. Strings of brightly colored beads ran from his earrings up to clips in his hair.

I'm not sure how that inspired them to name the tortoise, but perhaps they just liked the name. Fair enough. A big shout out to Jilliane and Jared. Thanks for reading, and thanks for bringing a huge grin to my face.

Do you have any examples of bizarre characters?

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