Have you ever fallen in love with one of your own characters? I have. His name is Matt Walker and he’s the hero of my latest novel, It Happened One Summer. When I wrote the book, I pictured Matt to look like Andy Garcia but with blue eyes.
He’s tall, dark haired with piercing eyes that appear to see into your very soul. He fills his suit very well because he has an athletic physique. What I love about him though [apart from his looks] is that he’s not perfect. His fringe is a little floppy, so he pushes it back out of his face. When he gets excited he stutters slightly over his words. When he’s concerned about something his eyes turn from blue to almost grey with concern.
Matt is a man of principle. He cares about his elderly mother—that’s why he returned from Brazil to be at his widowed mother’s hospital bedside and to be there when she was allowed back home. Although he has to dress smartly for his new job as area manager for the charity Cancer Concern, he’s not particularly comfortable in smart clothing at all. He’d much prefer to wear a T-shirt and jeans like he wore when he worked with the street children in Brazil.
Matt’s life is thrown into array when he meets the feisty manageress of the Cancer Concern charity shop. She thinks he's an awkward customer not her new area manager! He thinks she is putting up her feet at the back of the shop when she leaves the shop floor, little realising she is crying over the fiance she lost a few months back. Although the pair doesn’t hit it off initially, Matt eventually realises he cares more than he intended to for sensuous Sandy Perkins.
His life is further complicated by fiery vixen, Stephanie Baynham. Steph is sex on legs for any man and when she worms her way into the apartment he has borrowed from their mutual friend, Lawrence Black, he’s left with the dilemma of whether he should or shouldn’t do what many a red-blooded man would when an irresistable offer is handed to him on a plate.
It happened one summer to Matt Walker, but you’ll have to read the book to see what that was...
Lynette Rees has two books out with The Wild Rose Press: It Happened One Summer and the follow up, Return to Winter. To purchase books, click on link below:
It Happened One Summer
http://tinyurl.com/2o48lv
Return to Winter
http://tinyurl.com/2o9o6p
Hi Lynette: I read with interest your comments on It Happened One Summer, especially falling for your own character. I have had that same experience with the four novels I've written, none of which are published. I've had some near misses with a couple of agents on one but close only counts in horseshoes I guess. It has also happened to me with the short stories. My short story Lab Partners is due out soon. Jody is the name of the cutie in this story. I wish you the best on your releases. Larry
ReplyDeleteThanks, Larry. Personally, I think as writers we should fall in love with our leading men/ladies, so that our readers will love them too.
ReplyDeleteI hope you do well with your stories. Lab Partners sounds interesting.
Lynette
Great premise, and nice call with Matt looking like Andy. Yum!
ReplyDeleteHi Brown. I love Andy Garcia. It was a pleasure keeping him in mind as I wrote this book!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a book yourself due for release at TWRP?
Lynette