Carole Brown – Falling in Love with Characters – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Carole Brown shares insight into her secondary characters. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for a Kindle Copy of Catch Me if You Can. Deadline: August 7th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Carole:

Behind the Scene with Secondary Characters:

Creating characters for our books is extremely important, immeasurably valuable. Without the right character creations, a book will be boring and unnoticed by many. That’s why authors must work diligently to create characters with vivid and correct personalities to suit their various duties in our books.

Let’s talk about a few secondary characters—those creatures who support the protaganist(s) and antagonist(s). In my newest book: Catch Me If You Can, Book one of the Nursery Rhyme series, I have two I want to use as examples.

I love creating secondary characters in books.They seem to add a touch of spice to the whole story. For instance:

• Take Jimbo: He’s a Native American of the tribe of Blackfoot, intuitive, kind, knowledgeable of the area and of reading trail signs plus a good nature endears him to readers. I didn’t make him weird or unworldly, but with an innate personality that knows his own mind and isn’t threatened by anyone.

How does that affect the readers? They love him: his deep understanding of people, their troubled hearts, their spirituality, their hurt—all of that resonates with them. It makes him a very empathetic individual, one that readers can connect with.

• And then there’s Boet(pronounced Boot): A little background here: when I first wrote Catch Me If You Can, Tara Layne (the protagonist) had a pet mouse given to her by her two brothers as a joke. BUT…when an editor suggested I use a different kind of pet, I went on the hunt for the perfect pet. Once I’d decided on a cat as Tara’s pet, I did a lot of research and came across an article about Savannah cats. I was impressed, not only by their behavior and attitudes but that this cat was the perfect pet for her.

And what is the response to Boet from readers?Well, he’s one of their favorites. His antics, intelligence, and overall personality win them over.

Secondary characters are vastly important in books. I’ve found myself caring more about them, sometimes, than I do the main ones. And why’s that, you ask?

Because they’re not restricted in behaving in a way that leads to results. They can be as quirky or hateful as you portray them, and people will still love them because of that distinct difference.

Think about it. Who doesn’t love a cat who leaves perfectly good clues for their detective and then nonchalantly walks away? He’s done his job, now it’s up to this person to do his. And all the time, he’s gaining the attention of readers who wish he belonged to them. As is his right.

Smart cat! Fascinating characters!  

About Carole: Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An award-winning author of thirteen best selling books, she loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? Learn more & connect: 

Carole’s Blog               Carole’s Facebook               Carole’s Facebook Fan Page

Carole’s Bookbub               Carole’s Instagram               Carole’s Pinterest

Carole’s Goodreads                Carole’s Twitter                Carole’s Linkedin

About the book – Catch Me if You Can:

The big cat sat on the oversized rock, ears pointed toward the sky, every muscle taut, every sense at the ready. “S-s-shut up and f-f-forget it! You’ve s-s-seen nothing and know nothing! I won’t warn you again. G-g-got it?”His head swiveled, his ears twitching as if catching the hint of threat in the whisper. A soft hiss slid from his open mouth and reinforced the overtone of evil pressing in upon the scene…

Coaxed into finding the animal killer at Jamieson’s Outfitters, Tara Layne, with her sidekick, Boet, is welcomed by a threatening whisper and the unfriendly eyes of a gruff manager. Within hours, lies and dark secrets are slithering all over the campground. Intermingled with her search, Tara deals with her own buried secrets when a strange old Native American probes into the recesses of her heart forcing her to face her bitter feelings.

And Wesley Clarke, manager/guide, both interesting and frustrating, holds an attraction for Tara that is primitive and exasperating. When Tara gets too close, she finds herself—and Boet—the target of someone who’s determined to keep from getting caught. His theme: Run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me. The question: Can Tara run fast enough to catch this real-life gingerbread boy before he decides to get rid of her and Boet?

Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Carole’s other titles?

Catch Me if You Can – Preorder                      Carole’s Books – Amazon

Question for Readers? In Catch Me If You Can, the antagonist eats gingerbread cookies. What is your favorite cookie?