Character Reading: Clay Halsey

This character reading is for Paty Jager’s hero, Clay Halsey. He’s a Taurus and takes a leading role in Jager’s latest historical western. I really enjoyed Clay. I think you’ll find him to be a very different kind of hero.

Paty Jager is published by The Wild Rose Press. Doctor In Petticoats is book four in the Halsey Brothers series. She lives on a 350 acre ranch. Between wrangling three dogs, two horses, and fifty mother cows, she claims to lead a busier life than when she was parenting her kids. But she does find time to write. So come meet Clay, one of five Halsey boys. His choices in life have harmed him in more than one way.

Arwen 1.How do you see the people around you?

Explorer of Earth is the card here. This is the Knight of Coins in most decks. What you see is a woman in the forest. She is at home there. The animals trust her. She is tending her herbs.

Your view is of the observer. You seem to know your way around the woods and animals. You move with them rather than against them. There is something in you that sees people as your charges—those you must watch over. I feel like something holds you apart from really being a part of the community.

Or you worry about this woman who seems to be able to care for herself and others when you may want to be her knight.

Clay’s Response: Before my accident I realize, my choice in a friend was less than admirable. He caused my blindness. I also realized I chose him as a friend because he was the complete opposite of my brothers. Something I wanted to stand out from. Five brothers, all within inches and pounds of being the same build and size as well as the same coloring. I wanted to be different so I took a path of being less caring and considerate.

After my blindness, I realized with the help of a gentle, caring doctor that deep down, I wasn’t cutout to be nasty and rude. And I set a goal to make sure the good doctor attained all she wanted.

Arwen 2. How are you seen by the people around you?

The 10 of Water is a card that shows cycles. People see you as someone whose emotions cycle. They acknowledge that you are as fast in anger as you are in love. There may be some fear that you can bring death as well as life.

You are seen as a traveler as well. Someone who goes away but always comes back. You have a place that is home to you that you return to even when it is really difficult.

Clay’s Response: I have to duck my head. Before my blindness, my brothers tolerated my prejudiced, unconnected view of life. But having suffered the other side of prejudice, I hope that they all see I am a changed man and accept everyone.

The occupants of the blind school see me as benevolent and caring. Something a certain doctor helped to bring out in me, I do believe.

Arwen 3. What is your most important goal?

You want to be in charge of your own life. You know how to create things—to make things happen. You have all the tools because you have worked to learn the ways of both sides.

You want to bring them together. You understand the importance of the ancestors and their knowledge. I see you as the leader and drummer who can forge bonds.

The Magician as a goal is a card of self-realization. Your goal is to have people accept all of you. You seem to have more than one side and that feels important. Like you need to be acknowledged for all that you are and not just parts.

Clay’s Response:
My goal at one time was to prove to my brothers my worth to the family business.

After my blindness and meeting Rachel… My goal is to make her life as happy and comfortable as I can. And prove to the world I may be blind but I am not an invalid.

Arwen 4. Where do you get your strength from?

The 4 of Water says you know how to stop when you need to. You are smart about filling yourself up from the well. This feels like a female who gives you this strength. Maybe a woman who raised you—not sure it’s your birth mother though.

Her quiet, calmness reminds you of how to forge your way through the world. You know how to feel as well and that’s important. Others may have thought you soft, but you know how much strength it takes to love. You’ve seen someone else do that.

Clay’s Response:
Hmm.. Our parents were killed when most of my four brothers and myself were teenagers. A woman in town who had a restaurant fed us when times were lean and has been like a doting aunt to us. But I think I garner my most strength from my close family and Rachel. She proves to me every day the strength it takes to be a woman in a man’s occupation and to brush off the comments about her scar. A scar I believe is a medal of valor.

Arwen 5. Why do you want to be remembered?

Whoa. The 5 of Fire is a pretty big goal, Clay. This is the man who took in all that he could and then flamed out. You want to be remembered as the one who cleared the way even if you had to do it with fire.

This is a showman card as well. You want to be remembered as the man who showed others how to do it. A leader who blazed trails and made things safe for others to follow.

Clay’s Response:
My main goal in life until my blindness was to help my family perfect the process of extracting gold from rock. After the accident I felt my life was worthless. But once I manufactured a tablet to allow blind people to write, my love of making things to help people was reborn. And I started a shop to manufacture these tablets for all blind schools and students.

I would like to be remembered as the man who overcame blindness and helped others.

Paty is having a blog tour contest. She says:

I am having a blog tour contest. I’m appearing on blogs for ten days. Follow my tour and leave a comment. The person who visits the most blogs will win an autographed copy of Doctor in Petticoats, a $25 B&N gift card, and a summer tote full of goodies. In the case of a tie, I’ll draw a name and the other people will receive a smaller gift. To find out where all I’m appearing go to my blog.

Here’s a bit about Clay’s story.

Clay Halsey not only loses his sight in an accident but his self-confidence as well. His brothers enroll him in a blind school. Feeling worthless and unwanted, it takes the courage of a young man and the trust of a woman to help him see he has future.

Doctor Rachel Tarkiel has settled for a life healing others and ignored her emotional wounds. When Clay shows her friendship and affection, she wonders if there is a chance she can have a life like others, or are her scars too deep to heal?

You can read an excerpt here. Don’t forget to leave a comment to tell Paty you were here. Then make sure you stalk…ahem…follow her on her ten day blog book tour.

Remember, that I do these readings for published works as a thank you to the writing community for continually giving to me. These readings are available to unpubbed as well if you want to explore your character this way. I am running a special on those for the month of July for $20 (regularly $35). Let me know if you are interested.