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 A lot of authors talk about how our characters yammer at them when they’re trying to write. Some of my characters don’t like to sleep.  You readers are likely looking through the P’s in the Yellow Pages for psychiatrist. Well, it’s true. The characters do talk to us and my personal experience is when I really tune into what they are saying, the writing becomes extremely intense. Sometimes I even break out in a sweat (not too attractive, I know) but I’m working so hard to catch what they are saying and doing-it is work!

Avenging Allaire was released on Halloween, and it is a bestseller at OmniLit in the suspense category. I have my first tin star. Awakening Allaire is the bestseller at Class Act Books and I’m equally psyched about that. Anyway, my leading man in the Allaire arc, Devon Mercer, wanted to stop by and say hello to celebrate.

MC: Hey Devon. I bet you and Allaire are pretty excited to see yourselves on the bestseller lists.

DM: We are, thank you. Of course we couldn’t have done it without you. <Gives me his best drop-dead, hunky grin.>

MC: Don’t distract me, Devon, please it doesn’t take much. Tell us about yourself so those who haven’t met you can fantasize about you just like the rest of us.

DM: What a flirt you are, Ms. Church, but then again, you did create me so it’s allowed.  I’m a born and raised Brit. Schooled at Oxford as a barrister as we say. I have a younger brother, Garman. My father is the powerful, famous, Wyatt Mercer. My mother is the lovely, Connie. She lives in England and my parents are divorced. My father is a bit of a playboy you understand, and my mother understandably wouldn’t tolerate it.

MC: So I’ve read. Is that where you get your wandering ways?

DM: Touché. Actually, it’s my brother Garman who is the dyed in the wool playboy. I admit to dating around, but once I met Allaire, I lost my heart and the few women I dated after her-before we really got together didn’t mean much.

MC: Don’t you think you could have tried harder?

DM: Well that’s the thing about me, I know how to commit and Allaire stole my heart away. She was impossible to forget and beside, in a romance novel, there’s supposed to be longing and angst, not whoring around and self-destruction. I had my fun but it wasn’t very satisfying with partners other than Allaire.

MC: When Allaire was kidnapped, didn’t you want to go out and rattle a few cages yourself? A lot of heroes go out and kick butt physically, but you didn’t. Why not?

DM: Just like whoring around, physical violence is not part of my nature. Allaire is worth fighting for. I did that with every fiber of my being and nearly every nickel I had. However, punching somebody in the mouth wasn’t going to solve any immediate problem. The people who took her and terrorized her so brutally were never in my universe and those who helped Cade and Axe were a mystery to me until the end of the second book. They got their just desserts. I’m not saying if I needed to physically protect Allaire, or our children, or myself that I wouldn’t wind up and flatten somebody. I’m in great shape, if you hadn’t noticed.

MC: <coughs behind her hand and gets a drink of water> I have, several times.

DM: It was more effective to use my brains and try to outsmart the bad guys. There was one fellow I really wanted to deck, however.

MC: Who was that?

DM: Tom Deerling, the lead FBI agent. That guy knew so much and kept me in the dark and on his suspect list through both books. I don’t think we’ll be sending him Christmas cards.

MC: Please tell the readers that I’m not a crazy woman; that you and Allaire actually did talk to me when I was writing. Devon, the readers cannot see your smirk.

DM: Okay, yes, it’s true. But in all fairness it was ladies first. Allaire pretty much owns the first book.

MC: And you own the second?

DM: Yes. I recall some spectacular arguments about a plot-driven book vs. a character driven book. You, as I recall, were all about the plot.

MC: I like page-turners but I think I gave you and Allaire plenty of opportunity to discuss and show your emotions. You, Mr. Mercer, do not like to sleep and kept me up plenty of nights or got me up way before I needed.

DM: If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten a word in edgewise between you and Allaire.

MC: Foul! Actually, I’ve been accused by my beta readers of not putting enough of Allie’s emotions in the second book. I spent some serious time on the rewrites correcting that.

DM: No doubt with her help.

MC: No doubt. How are the kids?

DM: The twins are great. Raising cane every chance they get.

MC: You are a great dad and there are some very funny scenes in the books, especially Christmas Eve and when Kai finger-paints on the wall and Katy suggests you and she hide out from Allaire.

DM: Christmas this year is definitely going to be quieter at the Mercer household. I’ve never seen children misbehave the way mine did, especially with all that sugar and their cousins to help.

MC: Seems like you had some help from your buddy scotch to help cope.

DM: True enough, I doubt I’d have survived without scotch.

MC: You look no worse for the wear, in fact you look stunningly handsome as always. Black is such a great color for you.

DM: If you weren’t such a married woman.

MC: Don’t even say it, Devon, or I’ll rewrite you.

Obviously this was just a bit of fun, but one of the things I hope you realised is despite both books being plot-driven, I still introduced plenty of opportunities to evolve my characters into people you could relate to and care about. I kept careful tabs on how they acted/reacted and spoke to keep them in character. Even in some of their most intense scenes, Allie and Devon speak to each other in very specific ways and within boundaries. Even between the sheets, they only go so far - you'll have to read it to get the sizzling details.

When Devon is with his family, especially in the second book, his language changes. These family members use British slang and are more agressive with each other. The tender ties are there but Devon keeps them more hidden. He definitely doesn't like Trent Eaton and doesn't hide that very often. He becomes a total snark with Trent, but only Trent. That's Devon's character. Around his kids, he's loving, funny, and a bit in the dark. In other words, a lot like most dads.

Look for these character traits when you read Awakening Allaire and Avenging Allaire. See how you develop your own characters and whether you are true to them, too.

Until the next time.
The Churchlady