Guest Author & Contest with Joanne Kennedy

The characters in my books are a lot like the Velveteen Rabbit.

Remember that book? It was subtitled “How Toys Become Real,” and it told the story of a toy bunny who, through his devotion to a child, became a living, breathing, hopping rabbit—but it wasn’t until he cried an actual tear that the Nursery Magic Fairy appeared and gave him life.

My fictional characters become real through a similar process. Once I’ve thoroughly tortured them by tossing obstacles in their path like an evil flower girl strewing exploding rose petals, their personalities take shape and they start having reactions and responses that aren’t necessarily dictated by me, their so-called creator.

This makes writing as interesting for me as reading, because I never really know what’s going to happen next. I steer them through the plot as best I can, but eventually they set off bravely to determine their own destinies. I’m so proud of them when that happens! It’s like sending your firstborn off to kindergarten.

Of course, you don’t necessarily want your characters to take control of your story. Some of my heroes, for example, want to jump into bed with the heroine way too soon. And way too often. If Luke in Cowboy Trouble had his way, I’d be writing pure erotica!

You can’t let them tell you what to do—but you can’t dictate their every move, either. Once a character is established, they won’t necessarily be willing or able to steer their way through every plot point you’ve mapped out. They’ll find more interesting and creative ways to navigate the story. And if you open yourself to your character’s true personality, you’ll end up with a better, more believable book. In a way, the plot becomes a collaboration between you and your character.

I know, I know. That sounds crazy. The character is in my head, right? So how can he or she act independently?

I don’t know, but it gets even weirder than that. Sometimes characters you never planned on show up and demand a part in the story. For example, in Cowboy Trouble, I thought I knew what the waitress at the local diner, would be like. She’d be a world-weary single mom with a prematurely lined face and permanently sore feet from waiting tables.

But when I sat my heroine down at the table, that’s not who showed up. Instead, it was Josie, a teenager with the hair of a rock star, the fashion sense of a 1920s flapper, and the personality of Betty Boop. She went on to become a major part of the story, and let me tell you, she livened things up a lot.

I didn’t “make up” Josie—not on purpose, anyway. I don’t know anyone remotely like her. And while I’m not a “woo-woo” kind of person, she convinced me that somewhere out there is a fictional character Purgatory, where characters wait like unborn babies for their turn at existence.

That’s one reason I’m thrilled to see Cowboy Trouble hit the bookstores. It’s like I’ve released these characters into the world, where they’ll become part of readers’ lives – and then they’ll really, truly become real. What about you? What are your favorite kinds of characters to read about?

COWBOY TROUBLE by JOANNE KENNEDY—IN STORES MARCH 2010

Fleeing her latest love life disaster, big city journalist Libby Brown's transition to rural living isn't going exactly as planned. Her childhood dream has always been to own a chicken farm—but without the constant help of her charming, sexy, cowboy neighbor; she'd never have made it through her first Wyoming season.

Handsome rancher Luke Rawlins is impressed by this sassy, independent city girl. But he yearns to do more than help Libby out with her ranch…he's ready for love, and he wants to go the distance. When the two get embroiled in their tiny town's one and only crime story, Libby discovers that their sizzling hot attraction is going to complicate her life in every way possible…

Product ISBN: 9781402236686

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanne Kennedy has worked in bookstores all her life in positions ranging from bookseller to buyer. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and won first place in the Colorado Gold Writing Contest and second place in the Heart of the Rockies contest in 2007. Joanne lives and writes in Cheyenne, Wyoming. For more information please visit http://joannekennedybooks.com/

***GIVEAWAY***

With many thanks to Danielle @ Sourcebooks, I have 2 copies of Cowboy Trouble, 2 winners

To enter all you have to do is answer Joanne's question above.

*must leave e-mail!!!!*

US & Canada Only please (sorry, publisher's rules)