Some were born here, some came to visit and ended up staying, others left and returned. Whatever their stories may be, one thing is clear: once in Dareville, it’s difficult to leave. Come meet our town’s more illustrious citizens.
Regulars
Brady Garriston - Brady certainly needs no introduction, but unless you’ve been stranded on a desert island or listening only to polka for the past thirty years, here’s one for you! A rock and roll legend, Brady is perhaps one of the best known singer/songwriters in the world. With countless gold and platinum records to his name, Brady continues to burn up the album charts with his unique style of smoky vocals and bluesy piano.
A transplant from New York City, Brady came to Dareville to find inspiration. He still finds it today with his lovely wife and closest friends, and he calls Dareville home when he’s not touring the world and performing to sell-out crowds.
Appears in: Truth or Dare, Dare Me, Daring Young Man, Dare to Dream, Don’t Dare the Reaper, Daring Hearts; briefly seen in The Dares That Bind and Where Angels Dare to Tread; mentioned in Dulce.
Ellie Shaw - Ellie is hometown girl at heart, born and bred in Dareville yet not afraid to venture out for a bit of excitement on occasion. Luckily for her, she didn’t have to go far to meet and fall in love with one of the most famous musicians in the world. She loves her town, too, and is always happy to support it. Formerly a teacher at Dareville’s prestigious primary academy, Ellie now works as her husband’s business partner and number one fan.
Appears in: Truth or Dare, Dare Me, Daring Young Man, Dare to Dream, Don’t Dare the Reaper, Daring Hearts; briefly alluded to in The Dares That Bind and Where Angels Dare to Tread.
Cal Briscoe - A sought-after studio musician, Cal has performed with some of the top names in the music industry. You might not recognize his name or face, but assuredly you’ve heard his heart-pounding bassline on a number of Top 40 hits over the last few decades. These days, Cal prefers the not-so-quiet life in Dareville and spends time with his own band, the Cal Briscoe Four, playing to delighted crowds around town and throughout Virginia Beach. That is, of course, when he’s not playing around his with lady love.
Appears in: Truth or Dare, Dare Me, Daring Young Man, Dare to Dream, Don’t Dare the Reaper, A Daring Kiss, Daring Hearts; briefly alluded to in The Dares That Bind, Where Angels Dare to Tread and Dulce.
Sue Carmichael - All her life, Sue Carmichael held a fascination for beauty and a desire to preserve it. From her first photography class in high school she was hooked, and now Sue runs her own studio in historic Dareville. Stop by her gallery and see Dareville through her eyes in the beautiful photos she’s taken over the years. If you need somebody to photograph formal events, weddings, or family portraits, Sue’s your gal.
Appears in: Truth or Dare, Dare Me, Daring Young Man, Dare to Dream, Don’t Dare the Reaper, A Daring Kiss, Daring Hearts. Briefly alluded to in Where Angels Dare to Tread.
Lauren McKenna - Lauren is a born teacher and planner. If you need something done, Lauren is the one who can arrange everything. It’s no wonder her peers at Dareville Primary Academy consistently praise her zest for learning and community pride, though these days Lauren teaches the finer points of a healthy diet to customers at Jake’s Organic.
Appears in: Truth or Dare, Dare Me, Daring Young Man, Dare to Dream, Daringly Delicious; briefly alluded to in Daring Hearts.
Jake Marbury, Sr. - One of Dareville’s favorite sons, Jake is one of our town’s most respected and loved businessmen. The proprietor of Jake’s Organic, Jake is an active volunteer around town and always ready to lend his services and products for charity drives and benefits. You’ll find him driving to work every day in his trusty pick-up with a friendly smile, and he has absolutely no plans to retire.
Appears in: Truth or Dare, Dare Me, Daring Young Man, Dare to Dream, Daringly Delicious; briefly alluded to in Daring Hearts and InDarePendence Day.
Claire Walker - “Local girl makes good.” That’s what everybody said when Claire Walker left Dareville for New York City and a career as a high-powered attorney. These days, though, we find she’s more attracted to the quiet life she couldn’t wait to escape. Will her next visit become a permanent stay?
Appears in: Truth or Dare, Daring Young Man, Dare to Dream; mentioned in Dare Me.
J.J. Marbury - J.J. has a big heart and big ideas, but both are the perfect size for small-town living. J.J. likes to claim he knows Dareville like the back of his hand, and it must be true since he’s the top real estate agent in town. Tell him what you want in a home, and he’ll go the extra mile to get it for you.
Appears in Daring Young Man, Dare to Dream.
Kate Robeson - Lively and lovely, Kate just might challenge J.J. for the “Knowing Dareville” title. Kate is the foremost expert on Dareville’s history and curator of Dare House. There isn’t anything Kate doesn’t know about Dareville’s founding, the fascinating Dare family or their bloodthirsty feud with the Wynns. Go ahead, try to stump her.
Appears in A Winter’s Dare, Dare to Dream, The Dares That Bind, Handle With Dare.
Redding Marbury - Publisher of the Dareville Shopper, Red loves words and is finally starting to love life again. Surrounded by friends and family, he’s there with a helping hand and is learning a few things about accepting help as well.
Appears in Daring Young Man, Dare to Dream, A Daring Twist, InDarePendence Day
Jared Wilton - Jared Wilton – Jared is new to Dareville, having come from New York City to freelance in Web design and PR. He enjoys the scenery, and in particular one special person in the foreground…
Appears in Truth or Dare, Dare to Dream, InDarePendence Day
Marlene Robeson - A talent with numbers and fiercely protective of family, Marlene sometimes allows her passions and beliefs to restrain her judgment. Nursing the wounds left following her longtime husband’s desertion, Marlene seeks comfort in her work, always hopeful for the day her reserves will melt and she can find love again.
Appears in Daring Young Man, The Dares That Bind, and Handle With Dare; briefly alluded to in Dare to Dream
Dominic Petrocelli - Need a lift? Now you can arrive anywhere in the greater Dareville area in style with Big Apple Limousine. Proprietor Dom Petrocelli lends his own sense of big city elegance to his fleet of towncars and stretch limos. If he likes you, and chances are he will, he’ll strike you a deal.
Appears in Dare to Dream, Daringly Delicious.
Rob Petrocelli - Dom’s son Robbie is eager to help the family business succeed, but it seems lately he’s more interested in a family of his own. He’s smitten with a particular lady and determined to make her his, even if it means breaking a few rules for that to happen.
Appears in Dare to Dream, Daringly Delicious.
Lupe Santiago - Indispensible and dependable. That’s how people would describe this South American beauty who types with the speed of a cheetah and speaks several languages. Once an international secretary for a New York firm, Lupe is now content with a quieter, small town life as receptionist for Big Apple Limo. Smaller towns are great places to hide secrets.
Appears in Dare to Dream, Daringly Delicious.
Lola Santiago - Where Lupe is reserved and professional, younger sister Lola is a colorful tornado. Wild and uninhibited, Lola can’t understand why Lupe doesn’t want to live life to the fullest as she does. Her definition, of course, involves lots of sex. It will take quite a man to tame this beauty.
Appears in Dare to Dream, Daringly Delicious.
Semi-Regulars
Devon Williams - While not a resident of Dareville, Devon is a frequent visitor. A history student at Hampton University, Devon can be seen mostly at Dare House researching the family’s involvement in the Civil War. However, we think he might be there to spend as much time studying the pretty curator…
Appears in A Winter’s Dare.
Tish Richmond - Tish is your go-to gal for a chocolate fix! Founder of Tish’s Riches, Tish uses her gourmet skills to tempt chocolate lovers all over the country with succulent truffles that are simply to die for! You can order these fine artisan candies online or get them at Jake’s, or at Tish’s first shop opening soon in the historic downtown district.
Appears in Daringly Delicious and Daringly Decadent; alluded to in Daring Hearts.
Vinnie Petrocelli - Head mechanic at Big Apple Limo, Vinnie is skilled with his hands in more ways than one. When he’s not rotating tires or polishing fenders, he’s polishing off a few truffles to satisfy his sweet tooth. He doesn’t worry about getting fat, though. It’s fun to burn calories.
Appears in Daringly Delicious and Daringly Decadent.
Destiny Lynn MacNeille – Known as Desi Lynn or just plain Desi to friends, this lovely lady is proprietor of Dare’s Destiny Vineyard. A descendant of the branch of the original Dare family who founded the town, Desi takes pride in growing many varietals on ancestral land. Stop by the winery for a glass of some of the best Viognier and Merlot on the East Coast!
Appears in Daringly Decadent.
Victoria Robeson - An aspiring writer, Kate Robeson’s younger sister doesn’t have much of a life beyond her job and what free time she has for her words. One night with a mysterious, handsome man, however, changes her life completely. The young woman who once wallowed in self-doubt now lives in eternal Spring.
Appears in The Dares That Bind.
Alton Weiss - It’s the successful man who knows immediately what he wants, and wastes no time getting it. Alton is a frequent visitor to Dareville for business and pleasure, and enjoys both with equal zest.
Appears in The Dares That Bind.
Charlene Marbury - A native of Dareville, Charlene is a loving wife and mother to two beautiful daughters. Looks, however, can be deceiving, and by all accounts she should have a happy life. It takes an awkward revelation at the wrong moment to release months, perhaps years, of heartache. With the healing love of friends and family, Charlene hopes for her happy ending.
Appears in Dare to Dream; mentioned in Daring Young Man, A Daring Twist, InDarePendence Day.
Carole Douglas - A native of Dareville, Carole works for The Dareville Shopper. Much as she loves the small town life, there are occasions when she yearns to get wild and have some adult fun.
Appears in Where Angels Dare to Tread.
Bella Reeve - New to town, Bella comes to Dareville for the Black Rose Festival and a Brady Garriston show, but decides to stay on for more appealing scenery.
Appears in Where Angels Dare to Tread; mentioned in Daringly Decadent.
Other Characters of Note
Cindy Marbury – Late wife of Jake Marbury, Sr. Seen in flashbacks in Daring Young Man and alluded to in Truth or Dare, Dare Me and Dare to Dream.
Polly Dare – Spinster heiress of the Dare family property in the Reconstruction Era. Seen in ghostly form in A Winter’s Dare.
Athena – House servant of the Dare family in the 19th century. Seen in ghostly form in A Winter’s Dare.
Chet Robeson – Father of Kate and Victoria, former husband of Marlene. Mentioned in Daring Young Man and The Dares That Bind.
Kerry Franklin – Toll collector, friend of Victoria’s. Appears in The Dares That Bind.
Mavis – Part-time limo driver for Big Apple. Appears in Daringly Decadent.
Jeff – Bartender at Mick’s. Appears in Handle With Dare.
Neil Randall – Musician, friend of Cal Briscoe. Appears in Dulce.
Candy – Waitress in a Venezuelan restaurant. Appears in Dulce.
Chelsea – Internationally renowned jazz singer. Appears in Dulce, mentioned in Truth or Dare.
Gil – The Grim Reaper. Appears in Don’t Dare the Reaper.
The Jaded Ladies – Social group for over-50 women in Dareville, a la the Red Hats. Mentioned in A Winter’s Dare and Handle With Dare.
