In writing The Shroud, I found it helpful to know what my characters actually looked like before I put pen to paper. What color was their hair? Their eyes? Were they clean-shaven or maybe had a bit of a beard? Were they handsome, attractive or maybe neither? Were they sinister, like Eli? Saintly like Father Stephen? Or maybe just a little lost, like Henri? What kinds of clothes did they wear? The list goes on. 

With that thought in mind, I created images for all my characters as I imagined they would look, complete with tattoos, and the physical environment in which you might find them. On the following page you'll find those images. 

In addition to their appearance, it helped me to know their backstory? They had a life before The Shroud, so what was that life like? Did they come from wealth like Shannon or poverty like Dietrich? What drove a man like Kaiser to kill for a living? How did Lisette seduce Henri so she could steal the diary?

Also, did you know that Claudia got tired of waiting for her father to die, so she had him murdered? Or that Lambert turned down a job paying $500K so that he could remain a detective? How about Nava being married for five years prior to our story?

That's why I created backstories for all my characters. It helped me understand who they were before I first began to write. I also hope it helps you understand the characters a little better also.