We all have characters we fall in love with in television, movies and, of course, books. People who jump off the page and grab us by the arm and take us on their journey. When they laugh, we laugh. When they cry, we cry. As an author, I’m often asked if I have a favorite character I’ve written.
For writers, it’s different. I live in the heads of my characters as I write their books. I often know things about them that may never reach the page and in the case of a secondary character who will one day become a main character, I may know a little glimpse into his or her heart that the reader hasn’t even guessed yet.
I do this with just about every character I write and I get pretty invested. So the characters I’m writing at the time end up getting a lot of my mind space and care. In the end, whoever I’m writing at the time are the characters I love the most.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t have characters who jump out and grab me. Sometimes it’s just that they’re so strong, but sometimes it’s because their books are watermarks to me, something that changes my life. Some of my favorite characters from my books are:
Serafina from The Other Duke – Not only was this the first book I jumped into as a completely indie author, but I also just loved Sera. She is so strong and yet so wounded. She doesn’t want to let Rafe in or believe that he could be as wonderful as he seems. But slowly, slowly, she opens up like a flower and takes the risk to be happy.
Crispin from The Widow Wager – I’d built to Crispin through the Notorious Flynns series so I was really ready to write him. But also, this is the first book of mine to hit the USA Today, so Crispin (and Gemma) will always hold a very special place in my heart.
Warrick and Claire from Ruined – I felt like War and Claire had been whispering to me for so long that I couldn’t WAIT to write them. Both of them were pretty much burned into my brain and I still smile when I think of Claire sneaking onto her brother’s property just to see if War is there and ends up in his bed, demanding both pleasure and help. They end up being great partners, as well as lovers.
Gray from An Affair in Winter – And my most recent character obsession is Gray from An Affair in Winter. He’s another character who was in my head for years and after doing the cover shoot in L.A. this year, I had such a strong picture of him thanks to the intensity the model brought to the shots. Plus, he’s utterly sexy, utterly protective and utterly driven. I loved writing him and matching with someone just as intelligent and protective. Rosalinde unwinds him, makes him question himself and what he’s doing. They’re a good balance.
So if you read a character you’re utterly in love with, one that sticks with you long after the book is closed? Chances are the author has felt the same way. And that’s pretty much the best thing ever!
