Readers are always curious to find out where their favorite characters come from.  Every successful author has his/her own process for discovering the characters who are going to carry the story.  Today, I am pleased to host a visit from author Terry Odell who shares with us the process she used to discover two of the central figures in her recent release, When Danger Calls.  Terry writes romantic suspense, or, as she puts it, "romance with a twist -- of mystery."

I know you all join me in welcoming Terry -

Characters Wanted

Thanks to Jeff for inviting me to be his guest today.

 

As a reader, a book is all about the characters. If I don't care about them, I don't care about whatever problems they face in the book. So, when I started writing, developing the characters was critical. How do authors find characters? I don't know about other writers, but for me, it's simple. I advertise.  See the results of the job interview for the heroine of my Five Star release, WHEN DANGER CALLS.

 

Meet Frankie Castor … and Molly.

 

"Yes?" I say when my secretary calls. I have a break between appointments, and I'm trying to refine some of my yet-to-be-discovered heroine's goals, motivations and conflicts.

 

"We might have a problem with the next applicant," she says.

 

I consult my list. Frances Marie Castor. Four o'clock. So far, all I've seen are women who look like they're applying for a job at a strip club, not an action-adventure romance heroine. True, there are a few scenes where the heroine will have to play a cocktail waitress, but that's not what I'm looking for. "What kind of problem?"

 

"Her sitter can't make it, and she can't find anyone to take care of her daughter."

 

"How old is the daughter?" I ask.

 

After a moment, my secretary returns to the line. "She's almost five."

 

I wonder. Would it asking too much that I might be able to cast both roles at once? "Tell her to bring her daughter along."

 

Promptly at four, my secretary informs me Ms. Castor and her daughter have arrived. "Show them in," I say. Giving a silent prayer that this will be my final interview, I flip to a clean sheet of my notepad and turn my attention to the door.

 

When it opens, my secretary leads the candidate in. She gives me a look that says, "Am I supposed to entertain the kid?"

 

I give her a quick headshake. "Please come in, Ms. Castor." Outwardly, she's got promise. Honey-blonde, with clear, blue eyes. Minimal makeup, and a few strands of hair escape her ponytail. She's wearing khakis and a beige-and blue striped polo. Definitely not the stripper type. Girl next door all the way. My hopes lift a little higher. My gaze lowers to the child who's hanging back, clutching a backpack to her chest like a shield. Strawberry blonde, slight. Not exactly the image I had. For tension and conflict, I was looking for someone who resembled the Hispanic youngster Ryan Harper had failed to rescue before the book started.

 

Frances hesitates. "I'm sorry for the … inconvenience, and I really appreciate you seeing me today. This is Molly." I detect a quick nudge to the child, who lifts her head and gives me a polite smile, still keeping her eyes downcast. "Hello."

 

"Molly knows this is grownup time. She'll sit and read, or color. And will be very quiet." Another nudge.

 

I get up, circle my desk, and crouch to Molly's level. "Hi, Molly. Do you like to read?"

 

She nods.

 

"Well, I love to read, and I love to write stories, too. What's your favorite book?"

 

She meets my gaze with a smile, and her cobalt-blue eyes are irresistible. I'm already revising Molly's character description from a brown-eyed, dark-haired child to a blue-eyed strawberry blonde. Writing is all about the rewrites, after all.

 

"Green Eggs and Ham," she says. "I have it in my pack. I can read it to Mr. Snuggles all by myself."

 

"Very good," I say. I settle her on the loveseat against the wall. "You can read here while I talk to your mommy."

 

Molly unzips her pack and takes out a well-worn copy of the Seuss classic. Next comes a well-worn, once-white stuffed dog, which she places on her lap. Mr. Snuggles, I presume. I make another mental note. As soon as she opens the book, she's reciting the familiar rhymes in soft tones.

 

I haven't mentioned the role of a child, and I don't say anything yet. Casting children is a headache. I prefer to see them in their natural state, not performing, but it's almost impossible. Today is a rare exception.

 

"Please sit down, Ms. Castor." I direct her to one of my client chairs. "Or should I call you Frances."

 

"Call me Frankie," she says. "Only my mom calls me Frances, and then it's usually Frances Marie Castor, which means I'm in trouble." She sits. "Excuse my appearance. I had to come straight from work—I teach elementary school art—and I didn't have time to change. We've been working on collages."

 

As she sits, I get a brief whiff of Elmer's glue. Much nicer than the cloying scents I've been exposed to all day. "Tell me why you applied for this job."

 

She takes a breath. "Bottom line? The money."

 

Honest, straightforward. I jot a note. "You mentioned you have a job. Teaching."

 

"I'm only a sub while the regular teacher's on maternity leave. I had to move from Boston because my mother fell and broke her wrist, and my sister's husband got a great job, but it was in London, and they moved, and there was nobody to stay with Mom, so Molly and I moved out here and things are tight." She glanced at Molly, then gave me a quick grin. "Sorry. I … um … tend to babble when I'm nervous."

 

"There's no need to be nervous. Tell me about yourself. Your backstory, as we say in the business."

 

She jumps right in. "I was born in Broken Bow, Montana. I wanted to experience the city life, couldn't wait to get out. I wanted to be a photojournalist. Went to school in New York. Things got … complicated." She looks at Molly again, her gaze lingering this time. She turns back to me. "I ended up working for an interior design firm in Boston, until I got the call about Mom. And I'm worried about her. She forgets things, and the budget—well, it's in trouble, and the furnace needs to be fixed—replaced would be better—and there's Bob, her new boyfriend, and—" She gives me another wide grin. "I'm babbling again, aren't I?"

 

I smile and add some notes to my page. "Not a problem." After making sure Molly is still engrossed in her book, I lean across my desk and lower my voice. "You do know that you'll have to have a consummated relationship for the job. Will that be a problem?"

 

She, too, checks on Molly. "Do I have to be … you know … real experienced? Because I'm not looking for a man now. Not unless he's going to put Molly first, and I've pretty much given up on those. I haven't … you know … done it. Not since—" Another glance at Molly.

 

"I've found that one experienced partner is usually enough," I say. "But it does happen on the page."

 

She blushes a delightful shade of pink. "The guy isn't going to be a brute or anything, is he? Or too ... kinky?"

 

"No, definitely not a brute. And I don't write erotica, so there's a very low kink quotient."

 

After a brief moment of lip-chewing thought, she says, "I think I'll be fine with it. No, I know I'll be fine with it. There's always a bright side to anything, and a little romance, even pretend, seems like a definite bright side to me right about now."

 

I run through the last few questions quickly, making sure she's willing to deal with a German Shepherd, and isn't afraid of horses or heights, before I drop the final question. "How would you feel about Molly being in the book with you?"

 

Her eyes pop open. "I don't know. She's so young. It's an adult book, after all."

 

"If she can differentiate between real and pretend, she can probably handle the job. And I'll run any of her scenes by you first, for approval."

 

"That sounds fair. But those … romance scenes?"

 

"Trust me, she won't be on the page during any … romance." With a smile, I add, "And she'll get paid for her time. Same rate as you."

 

Frankie chews her lip again. She gets up and sits beside Molly. She whispers in her ear. Molly's eyes widen. She looks at me. "Can Mr. Snuggles be in the story too?"

 

"Of course," I say. He'll be very important."

 

Molly grins. She stuffs her book in her pack and dangles Mr. Snuggles in front of her face. "We can be in a storybook. Just like Sam I Am."

 

Frankie crosses back to my desk, her hand outstretched. "We'll do it."

 

I shake her hand and escort the pair to the door. "My secretary has the paperwork. We'll start Monday, if that's all right."

 

"It'll be fine," Frankie says. They leave, and I tell my secretary to cancel tomorrow's appointments and to hold all my calls. I have some writing to do.

 

 

 

Terry Odell writes mystery and action-adventure themed novels with elements of romance. You can find out more about her writing, including her interview with Ryan Harper, Frankie's hero, at her website, http://www.terryodell.com    

    

It's not too late to make your travel plans to join me this Saturday at the New Orleans Book Fair.  According to the bookfair website -

"The New Orleans Bookfair takes place on Frenchmen Street, the thinking man's Bourbon Street!  Jazz clubs, cafes, and delicious local and ethnic restaurants populate this lively and vital stretch of real estate in the Faubourg Marigny, one of New Orleans coolest neighborhoods.  Tables will be located in the Blue Nile and Cafe Negril, with live music performances scheduled throughout the day, in addition to readings at Snug Harbor and the Apple Barrel.  And in keeping with tradition, a top-secret after-party is also planned, to be announced on the day of the bookfair." 

Like I said, it's not too late to make your travel plans.

I started working on this months ago, when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts were first announced.  Hell, I even accepted a credit card I didn't want or need, because American Express cardholders were offered advance ticket purchases.  I worked the internet like a crazy person, grabbing three really good seats without having to take out a second mortgage on the house. 

Thursday afternoon, he who I do not blog about took a train up from Washington DC.  Mrs. Doah and I boarded the same train in Jersey, the three of us arriving in Penn Station in plenty of time for the 7:30 concert.  (If you're not familiar with NYC, Madison Square Garden sits directly atop Penn Station.  More about that later). 

The concert was divided into four sets, each set featuring a superstar act -
          Crosby, Stills and Nash
          Simon & Garfunkel
          Stevie Wonder
          Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Each of the headline acts invited a variety of guests, some announced, and some unannounced, to join them in performance.  It was an extraordinary evening of music, a time machine that took me back thirty-five years, to the first time I saw C,S &N in concert, but also carrying me forward in time, watching my son singing along to everything, knowing that in thirty-five years, he'll be telling his middle-aged friends about that night back in 2009 when he heard musical history being made.

It is impossible to pick a favorite.  Simon & Garfunkel singing Bridge Over Troubled Waters.  David Crosby singing Almost Cut My Hair.  Steven Stills on guitar, doing Love the One Your With.  Jeff Beck performing Superstition with Stevie Wonder.  Tom Morello playing with Springsteen on The Ghost of Tom Joad.  There were amazing moments, extraordinary people, powerful performances.  Sam Moore (of Sam And Dave).  BB King.  James Taylor.  Sting performing with Stevie Wonder.  John Fogerty performing with Bruce Springsteen.  An unannounced Billy Joel closing the show with Springsteen.

The concert was scheduled to end at 11:30.  I figured that probably meant more like midnite, maybe later.  Time enough to catch the 12:42 am train back to New Jersey.  Hell, if it ran really late, still, plenty of time to catch the 1:41, the last train of the night. 

At 1:30 in the morning, Springsteen calling performers out on stage, breaking into (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher, we made our way to the exits, sprinting down into Penn station, seeking the elusive track 12 and the final train to NJ.

The Set List -     

Jerry Lee Lewis :
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On”

Crosby, Stills and Nash:
“Woodstock”
“Marrakech Express”
“Almost Cut My Hair”

Bonnie Raitt with David Crosby and Graham Nash:
“Love Has No Pride”

Bonnie Raitt and Crosby, Stills and Nash:
“Midnight Rider”

Jackson Browne with Crosby, Stills and Nash:
“The Pretender”

James Taylor with David Crosby and Graham Nash:
“Mexico”

Crosby, Stills and Nash with James Taylor:
“Love the One You’re With”

Crosby, Stills and Nash:
“Rock and Roll Woman”

Crosby, Stills and Nash with Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and James Taylor:
“Teach Your Children”

Paul Simon:
“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”
“Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”
“You Can Call Me Al”

Dion DiMucci with Paul Simon:
“The Wanderer”

Paul Simon with David Crosby and Graham Nash:
“Here Comes the Sun”

Paul Simon:
“Late in the Evening”

Little Anthony and the Imperials:
“Two People in the World”

Simon and Garfunkel:
“The Sounds of Silence”
“Mrs. Robinson”/”Not Fade Away”
“The Boxer”
“Bridge Over Troubled Water”
“Cecilia”

Stevie Wonder:
“Blowin’ in the Wind”
“Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”
“I Was Made To Love You”
“For Once in My Life”
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”
“Boogie On Reggae Woman”

Smokey Robinson with Stevie Wonder:
“The Tracks of My Tears”

John Legend with Stevie Wonder:
“Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology)”

Stevie Wonder with John Legend:
“The Way You Make Me Feel”

B.B. King with Stevie Wonder:
“The Thrill Is Gone”

Stevie Wonder:
“Living for the City”

Stevie Wonder and Sting:
“Higher Ground”/”Roxanne”

Stevie Wonder with Jeff Beck:
“Superstition”

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:
“10th Avenue Freeze-Out”

Sam Moore with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:
“Hold On I’m Comin’”
“Soul Man”

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Tom Morello:
“The Ghost of Tom Joad”

John Fogerty and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:
“Fortunate Son”
“Proud Mary”
“Oh. Pretty Woman”

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:
“Jungleland”

Darlene Love with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:
“A Fine, Fine Boy”
“Da Doo Ron Ron”

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Tom Morello:
“London Calling”
“Badlands”

Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:
“You May Be Right”
“Only the Good Die Young”
“New York State of Mind”
“Born To Run”

Darlene Love, John Fogerty, Tom Morello, Billy Joel, Jackson Browne, Peter Wolf and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:
“(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher”