March Novel Essential Information

Novel Title: Unforeseen Events

Time Setting: 2018

Genre: Life

Minimum Word Goal: 90,000

Timespan: July–August

Locations: Toronto, Ontario; Major, Saskatchewan

Main Characters: Sheldon Gallagher, Emil Owens

Background Information:

Born the only son and youngest child of three, Sheldon has lived something of a lonesome existence, at home, at least; once he succeeded in making some friends at school — which took awhile — he had some companionship, but only when he wasn't home.

Being both the youngest child and only son has led to Sheldon developing a willful personality which his mother, for one, has struggled to control. His father has been more effective at talking him out of his stubborn holdouts, but, due to his busy work schedule as a high-level executive in a major international company's Canadian headquarters, he's not around often.

Unfortunately, his father has also been recently arrested and charged with fraud that led to him pocketing well over $1,000,000 illegally. Appalled at her husband's actions, his mother has decided to get a divorce, which would leave him wholly in her custody — which, admittedly, neither Sheldon or his mother are looking forward to.

Having liked his father, Sheldon is also distraught that his father would commit fraud, much less that his mother would try and take his father from him entirely, and so has rebelled against her viciously, leaving her completely at her wits' end as to what to do to get him under control.

Born the seventh child and youngest son of nine children, Emil spent his childhood unworried by the Second World War that raged in Europe and Asia, even though his father served among the soldiers in Europe.

His father returned home uninjured, but wasn't really home all that long before war broke out in Korea and he was called up to serve. Emil's oldest brother joined him in the military, but didn't get to Korea before the war was over.

A year away from the war's end, word reached Emil's family that his father had been killed, which left his oldest brother as the father-figure for Emil and his younger sisters — who were more than ten years younger than their older siblings.

Additionally, Emil's second brother took over running the farm, which their grandfather had settled, being as he was more interested in staying home and working the land.

His oldest brother was more personable, and for a young boy of ten, the life of a soldier was more glamorous than that of a farmer, thus Emil took to idolising his oldest brother and hoping that, one day, he could join the military too.

Even when he reached the age of eighteen this dream persisted and so he announced his intent to enlist. His second brother was unimpressed and the two had a set-to that ended in an acrimonious parting with Emil enlisting in the army.

He'd wanted to be a part of the air force, where his brother served, but he ended up being placed as a mechanic for ground vehicles in an infantry unit. This was initially disappointing for him, but being as there was no end to work that needed to be done, eventually he found himself content.

Having been stationed far from the small town in Saskatchewan he'd been born and raised in, Emil took advantage of the opportunity to meet local girls and found a highly attractive young woman who stole his heart. The two were married and started a family as soon as her family would allow.

In 1974 Emil and his wife welcomed their sixth and final child. In spite of the new little one, tragedy rocked Emil when his brother was one of nine killed when their helicopter was shot down in the Middle East, where his brother was stationed on a peacekeeping mission.

If not for his loving wife, Emil would surely have taken his life, but her loving care pulled him through the dark times, and, all too soon, into some more dark times.

When their youngest child, who was a daughter, got into her teens, she chafed against the somewhat militaristic discipline Emil enforced at home, leading the two to get into frequent arguments until she moved out of the house and in with a boyfriend as soon as she turned eighteen.

Devastated at his daughter's actions, Emil tried to reconcile with her, but to no avail, so he turned his efforts to his second brother, but they were no more fruitful.

Emil served in the army until the age of 60, when he retired and moved his wife back to his hometown, where he used his mechanical skills to restore old cars, which he'd always had an interest in.

Unfortunately, his wife was only able to share retirement with him for four years before illness claimed her life, which left Emil alone. His children comforted him through the loss, which wasn't as hard-hitting due to the fact that he'd been able to see it coming.

He still lives in his hometown restoring cars — which has given him a reputation that has prompted people to commission him to restore their cars — and doing his best to try and reconcile with his brother and his daughter, but as yet, no success has come to him in those endeavours.