MEET THE BOOK CHARACTERS

Veil Haven began in 2015. With 9 rewrites over the years, Veil Haven has undergone many changes. Secondary and tertiary characters have been cut or combined, emotional stakes have shifted, subplots have been created and destroyed, but the one element that never changed were these 10 central characters. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about them.

Ash (no surname), sees the present (omniscient)

Josie Ogle, sees the past by touching objects (psychometrist)

Lydia Boswell, receives messages from higher beings (mouthpiece)

Markus Jackson, the new kid

Logan Hurst, sees the future (oracle)

Shakira Roberts, travels to various points in time (time traveler)

Hayden Adair, finds the dead (death spotter)

Ford Rook, sees and talks to ghosts (ghost whisperer)

Dante Williams, a ghost

Kane Reagan, moves objects with mind (telekinesis)

Ash

Ash is the Girl with Eyes Everywhere. Known by everyone in town as the person always watching, even in their private moments, she doesn't have the best reputation. She can thank Kane for that. But her real friends love her despite the rumors and the implications of her power.

Ash never knew her parents and assumed they were killed by cryptids after she was born, since that's the most common cause of death in Veil Haven. She was taken in by The Watchers and was raised and trained by the Director and the Chief of Police.

She also had a relationship with the Forest Eye, but... well, she doesn't like to talk about that.

Ash is the only "omniscient" person in Veil Haven's history, so, in attempt to make her has daunting as possible, the Director labeled her omniscient. She can't see the future, she can hardly remember what she had for dinner two nights ago, and she definitely isn't all-knowing. Instead, Ash is a witness to everything happening in the present.

Consider Ash to be the narrator, because, well, she is.

Ash considers her friends to be her family since she never had a traditional one. Josie and Lydia are like the sisters she never had. Logan has been her friend the longest and even stood by her side when the town turned their back on her. Kane is Ash's neighbor, and they used to be best friends, but now they can't stand each other.

The thing about seeing everything is that you can't ignore the people who hate you. And despite Ash being the helpful undercurrent keeping Veil Haven safe, she has more enemies than friends. But, despite all the politics and drama, she's still just a teenager trying to make it through life.

If only it could stay that simple.

Josie Ogle

Josie is best friends with Ash, Lydia, and Shakira. She is the definition of a sweet country girl and has a close-knit bond with her family. She is sweet, considerate, and cautious. She loves partying, swimming, hunting, and mudding.

Josie works for the Paranormal Relations Department where she uses her ability to learn how ghosts died. When she touches an object that has enough stored energy/memory, she is able to see the past history of that object and the person it is associated with.

She has a crush on Ford, who works with her on the P.R. team. She's been friends with him since middle school but has never worked up the courage to share how she feels about him. Still, she enjoys his company all the same.

Lydia Boswell

At first glance, Lydia appears to be a stereotype. She's popular, she's a cheerleader, she's rich, she isn't book smart, and her favorite color is pink.

But in actuality, Lydia prefers to keep only Ash and Josie close. She can't stand the other cheerleaders, she's a cashier at the Foodie Mart, and she opens her home to host the most epic football afterparties.

She used to have a fling with Hayden, but when he refused to take their relationship seriously Lydia ended it with him. And now, he won't stop playfully bothering her. Lydia only rolls her eyes and turns away from him.

Lydia's ability is sort of like a ham radio. She is a vessel through which messages from vague unknown deities, and spiritual beings. Lydia receives advice, warnings, and is naturally born to read omens. She's still an amateur, and will often go against spiritual advice, but she'll get the hang of it one day.

Markus Jackson

Markus is the new kid in town. He's a bit of a mystery that Ash can't quite wrap her head around. He doesn't have an ability, it isn't safe to talk about where he came from, and he just wants to keep to himself. Though Ash does convinces him to come out of his shell.

Markus is consistently confused about Veil Haven. This is the weirdest town he's never heard of. And what the hell is a cryptid?

Logan Hurst

Logan is often considered Veil Haven's "Golden Boy," because he's the star quarterback of the Veil Haven Mothmen (the high school football team). And in Veil Haven, football is everything. But he's also genuinely a nice person. He helps who he can, seems to know everybody, and stands up for the people who need it most.

Logan can see the future. But the problem that future seers face is that no one is allowed to talk about the future-- or they'll face dire consequences. The future changes often, so even when he does have a vision, it won't always come true. But you can never be sure.

The thing about seeing the future is that Logan knows exactly when he and Shakira are going to become official. But until then, he has to be patient. There's no need to rush, reshape, or ruin his future with his crush. Everything will come in time.

Here's hoping his new, dangerous visions are a little more fluid in their interpretations...

Shakira Roberts

Shakira has her own group of friends but often overlaps with Ash's circle because of her connections with Josie and Logan. She's the kind of person who is friends with everyone.

She enjoys practicing her ability in secret, going to parties, being near Logan, and having a good time.

Shakira is a time traveler, which is a gifted and dangerous ability. She'll be fine so long as she stops bending the rules. Time travelers aren't allowed to go to the future, nor can they jump too far into the past. After all, knowledge is the most dangerous weapon in Veil Haven. But luckily, Shakira knows better, and her "go with the flow mentality" has kept her out of trouble so far.

Hayden Adair

Hayden is a notorious party boy and a flirt. He lives to keep himself distracted, whether he's hanging out with lots of people, raging at the latest party, or doing whatever it takes to keep himself awake. Hayden considers his ability to be a curse, and it's something he has to manage daily.

Hayden is the boy who finds dead bodies. Death calls to him to witness what Life has left behind, and when the trance takes over, there's little he can do to stop himself from "sleepwalking" to the site of the latest massacre. Whether it's animals, people, or cryptids, if something has died, Hayden will bear witness.

So, he does everything in his power to avoid that mess. He's pretty tired of waking up in fields half-naked surrounded by mauled animals.

Hayden is one of the star football players and his circle of friends include Logan and Kane. He used to have a thing with Lydia but she got too clingy when they promised they wouldn't be anything more. But now that Lydia is out of reach, he can't help himself but try to make amends.

Ford Rook

Ford is a ghost whisperer. People with this ability are the only ones who can see ghosts and thus help the lost spirits move on. In Ford's experience, most ghosts are needy, intense, and demanding. It's exhausting work, but someone has to do it. And unfortunately for the introvert who would rather be playing video games, the responsibility falls to him.

Ford is the eldest son of one of the most important families in Veil Haven. Where Lydia and her family are rich, the Rooks are wealthy. The Rook Ranch has a monopoly on Veil Haven's entire food production. But Ford would rather not be associated with that, and he definitely doesn't want to work on the farm.

This is why Ford has taken up working for the P.R. Department and the town's Media Services, setting up all the tech needed for large gatherings sanctioned by the town.

Usually, Ford's life is pretty mundane save for the occasional ghost-hunt-gone-wrong with Josie. But lately, a new ghost has been haunting him, and Dante might just win the prize for most annoying ghost ever.

Dante Williams

Dante is a ghost and he doesn't remember much about his life. He didn't even know his last name until Ford helps him find it.

Dante is a teenager just like the rest of them. He seems to have died during his Senior year, and since he died in his Letterman jacket, they can assume he was football player, too.

Dante can't help being his loud, energetic, out-going self! It isn't his fault that Ford can't handle his "awesomeness."

Unlike other ghosts, Dante doesn't really want to move on. He's content not knowing much about himself. He likes being dead! He likes prodding Ford and urging him to confess his feelings for Josie. And he likes being able to teleport and float and phase through everything. But despite his bubbly attitude, something dark is gnawing at Dante from his forgotten life...

Probably best to just ignore that, though.

Kane Reagan

Kane is the star of the football team second only to Logan, and he loves the attention. Not unlike Hayden, Kane loves to party and hang out at the Stoplight Motel avoiding responsibilities and living in the moment. He's popular, though a bit sinister about it. Though, most people don't blame him after... well, an event that shook the town when he was younger.

He blames Ash. As most people do. He can't understand why anyone could even remotely like her, let alone be okay with her acting normal-- going to school, being invited to parties, being "one of us." Despite everything going Kane's way, he just can't let go of what Ash did to him.

Kane is telekinetic, which definitely helps him make all of Logan's throws. Despite no one being able to openly use their abilities in public, everyone knows they get a pass during games. And so long as you aren't hurting anyone or anything, using your ability is generally fine.

Kane has been studying the way their town works. Observing how all the unspoken laws play out, how people disappear, and how the town could care less about them or the cryptids that stalk their homes.

Sometimes it feels like he's the only one truly aware of Veil Haven's undertow. And there seems to be one person at the center of it.

Despite his best wishes, he can't help but gravitate back to Ash.