I’m thinking of posting some background material on some of the families I’ve written about while I do the harder work involved taking shots for my current story. I’m struggling with a case of screaming anxiety and nerves (not connected to writing but it’s affecting it) and wondered if putting together something old and calming might help and might be of any interest. If not, well, thank you for indulging me.
My first generation for the major family of everything I’ve ever written: Don, Tony and Camilla.
The Lombardo Family
The Lombardo family has money, connections and power, and enjoys rumors of plots and assassinations some of which are true. They’ve had homes in South Beach, the small Ocean View resort community, in the mountains by the lake, and in the metropolitan island in the archipelago's center called The Crossing.Â
Don, seated on the right in the portrait above, was a renowned surgeon, a good if distant father, and something of a minor playboy. He was intensely interested in quantum mechanics and took a couple of classes, something he was shy about sharing. Briefly married then widowed, he had one child - a son he named Gabriel.  The boy pretty much raised himself with the mixed results that baking that sort of cake usually does. Don lived a quiet life despite his son’s turmoil, fondly avoided his younger sister, attended upscale dinners at upscale restaurants in the company of lovely and literate women and enjoyed himself until he died a simple and natural death.
Tony, on the left in the portrait, wrote historical fiction which sold reasonably well (enough to support him with some help from his brother), was twice married and fathered one child he named Rafe.  (A name he chose before his wife remarried and had his child without his knowledge - mean joke on her part but that’s another long story.)  As far as the angelic names go, the brothers were delusional about parenthood.
Tony's first marriage was a disaster. The final trail of ashes smoked for miles, and Camilla was satisfied to be feared as the one who lit the fuse for the fatal explosion. (She shared that honor with someone else in the family though). Tony’s second marriage to someone Camilla mockingly called Ginny Pizza ended in an unfortunate accident.  (Camilla was not directly involved with that one although she thought she knew who was.)  Out of both of her brothers, Tony in particular had to live with Camilla as his sentry until he ran off with someone the third generation of the family simply called ‘the red-headed woman’ and then never returned.
Camilla has her own chapter. She needs her own palace, much less her own room.
