I’d
like you to meet author Jannine Gallant. I met Jannine through a group called
Authors Helping Authors. Like so many in this group, Jannine is wonderfully
supportive. Here’s more about Jannine.
Write
about what you know. Jannine Gallant has taken this advice to heart, creating
characters from small towns and plots that unfold in the great outdoors. She
grew up in a tiny Northern California town and currently lives in beautiful
Lake Tahoe with her husband and two daughters. When she isn’t busy writing or
being a full time mom, Jannine hikes and snowshoes in the woods around her
home. Whether she’s writing contemporary, historical, or romantic suspense,
Jannine brings the beauty of nature to her stories. To find out more about this
author and her books, visit her website at www.janninegallant.com.
Today, Jannine is sharing her insights into the other characters in our books.
The
Importance of Supporting Characters
We agonize over our heroes and heroines, getting
each little detail right, creating character sketches that describe their likes
and dislikes, the important events in their lives, the exact color of their
hair… Okay, maybe I’m obsessive about these things. LOL The point is, we as
writers put a lot of effort into creating main characters we can really care
about. But the h & h aren’t the only characters in our stories. In my
opinion, the supporting cast can make or break a book.
I admire writers who delve deeply into their hero
and heroine’s psyche and focus on the internal battle waging there. But I’m not
that sort of writer. Yes, my h & h have problems, but much of what they
have to overcome is external. When your book is plot driven, the importance of
the setting and supporting characters comes to the front. These are the people
who give your protagonists a headache, make them laugh, make them cry. In
short, they support your h & h and let their personalities sparkle and glow.
I love writing funky, interesting, crazy supporting
characters. And to add more impact, I often make them family. In A Deadly Love, the older generation
shines. Brooke, my heroine, has a grandmother who wears fuchsia T-shirts and
drives an ancient VW bus with peace sign decals plastered all over it. My hero,
Dillon, has a grandfather who lives in a cabin in the woods with no
electricity. He greets trespassers with a loaded shotgun. Dillon also has a
six-year-old son. Writing kids can be tricky but rewarding. I have daughters.
Creating a little boy was a stretch for me, but I hope I captured the unbridled
energy and enthusiasm I see in my friends’ sons. I hope readers will see how
Brooke interacts with Dillon’s son and like her more than they did before. I
hope the way Dillon tries to be patient with his grandfather resonates with
those who have older, difficult relatives. Most of all, I hope these secondary
but oh so important characters leave a lasting impression.
Blurb for A Deadly Love:
In
the heart of the redwoods, a madman waits...
Recovering
from a broken engagement and determined to start over, Brooke Wakefield flees
to her grandmother's home deep in the redwood forest. Discovering her teenage
crush lives next door is a less than auspicious beginning. The last thing she
needs is another man to break her heart, but every time Dillon glances her way,
her heat level soars.
Dillon
Tremayne isn't looking for a relationship. With a young son, an eccentric
grandfather, and a logging company running him ragged, he can't afford any
romantic entanglements. But Brooke's humor and strength are hard to resist.
When
a woman from his past is brutally murdered and another disappears, Dillon is
heartsick—and terrified the killer will target Brooke next. Can Brooke and
Dillon find love in the heart of the forest? Or will a madman's twisted dream
destroy their chance at happiness?
Excerpt from A Deadly Love:
June sat in the
parlor watching a police drama. She glanced away from the TV when Brooke
entered the room. Her thin, white eyebrows drew together over worried eyes. “I
heard raised voices. Did you have an argument with Dr. Shaw?”
“No, Dillon and
I exchanged a few heated words.” She dropped onto a chair and sighed. “He was
angry I went out with Carter.”
“I told you he
would be.”
“You were
right.” Brooke scowled down at the toes of her black boots. “Dillon should have
decided what he wanted from me a little sooner.”
June clicked off
the TV with the remote. “I’m sure you two can work it out.”
“I burned that
bridge, Grandma. Anyway, it isn’t like our relationship was going anywhere.” She
swallowed against the hot lump in her throat. “Not that I wanted it to.”
“Oh, honey, you
don’t fool me.” Her eyes softened. “You care about that man.”
Brooke blinked
back tears. “I’ll get over him. Eventually.” She squared her shoulders and took
a deep breath. “I accepted Carter’s invitation to the black and white ball.”
Her
grandmother’s lips firmed. “When I was young, girls didn’t keep company with
one man when they had feelings for another. It made things simpler.”
She squeezed her
eyes shut. “I don’t know why I make it so hard. I really don’t.”
June stood and
walked over to her chair. She laid her hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “You’re
afraid of being hurt again. Carter is safe.”
“Maybe so.” She
rested her cheek on her grandmother’s frail hand. “Men are overrated. Who needs
them?”
June chuckled.
“I’m afraid we do. The dishwasher was making a funny noise when I ran it
earlier. I was going to ask Dillon to take a look at it.”
Brooke jumped to
her feet. “We don’t need him. I’m a whiz with kitchen appliances.” She draped
her arm around her grandmother’s thin shoulders and headed for the kitchen.
“That dishwasher is no match for the two of us.”
Readers can find Jannine at:
Website:
http://www.janninegallant.com/
Group
Blog: http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JannineGallant
Jannine has a question for you:
Who are some of your favorite supporting characters?
