You Are Invited For an Adventure…Are You In?
This past October 21, 2015 commemorated the future day that Marty McFly traveled to in the time travel trilogy Back to the Future. As you can see from the picture my family really got into the fun. My son dressed as Marty McFly and entered a costume contest—and won. He even went in search of a DeLorean and found one at the Rhode Island Comic Con. But we weren’t the only ones to jump aboard the time machine fun. Doc Brown and Marty McFly, AKA Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox, even appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live for a fun night for all of us who have been waiting since 1985 for them to “arrive.” When Marty and Doc climbed from the DeLorean the crowd went wild. But I don’t think their reaction had much to do with the excitement of a time machine or the date they arrived. I think it had everything to do with the characters.
My 2014 book, Grave Danger, was nominated for a RITA® Award. My publisher asked me for a quote to inspire other writers, and this is what I said:
“Create characters a reader would follow anywhere—across a café, across a desert, across a lifetime.”
I think it’s safe to say many followed Marty to 2015 because they were invested in the character of Marty. In the eighties, they watched him on the big screen overcome bullying…when his dad never did. Marty was a character who was sure of himself, a trait we all want to have, even if it means we have to walk alone. But Marty had Doc, and really one good friend is all we need, even if that friend accidently sends you back in time. Marty’s very existence became threatened, and viewers watched on the edges of their seats as Marty kept himself alive…and even strengthened his father’s life by the end. We rooted for him the whole way—and we followed him to 2015.
The characters in stories, whether movies or books, should evoke a response from the viewer or reader. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a positive response. It just has to be enough for the reader to decide if they’re all in, or not. Are these characters and their dilemmas intriguing enough to keep the reader invested? Do they make us want to stay with them through thick and thin? We don’t always have to relate to characters to be able to say yes to those questions. I don’t relate to Marty McFly (And hope I never do), but if I was in his situation, would I react the same way? Does the character inspire us, even in their flaws, to make us root for them and make us ask ourselves if we would have what it takes to survive and succeed? That’s the desire that a reader needs to say, “I’m all in.”
So, here is my latest release called Silent Night Pursuit:
Lacey Phillips believes Captain Wade Spencer knows something about her brother’s mysterious death. So she throws caution to the wind and tracks him down on Christmas Eve looking for answers. Wade tries to turn her away—until bullets start to fly. He doesn’t want to take the stubborn beauty on his life-or-death mission to find out the truth about how Wade’s past may have cost her brother his life. But with killers lurking everywhere, he has to protect her—especially when she breaches the walls around his heart. Can Wade and his faithful service dog keep Lacey alive long enough to figure out who’s targeting them? Can he do this even while his own injury of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder reminds him that he could be the one to destroy her before the enemy ever does?
I invite you to join Lacey and Wade on their adventure, and of course Wade’s ultimate service dog, Promise, is another character the reader can invest in. You may or may not be able to relate with Wade and Lacey or Promise firsthand, but they are sure to inspire you as they track down a killer and fight against all odds for a life together.
Thank you for reading, and I wish you many books where you can say, “I’m all in.”
Katy Lee is the author of six published novels. She writes suspenseful romances that thrill and inspire. She believes all of her stories should stir and satisfy readers—from the edge of their seats. A native New Englander, Katy loves to knit warm wooly things. She enjoys traveling the side-roads and exploring the locals’ hideaways. A homeschooling mom of three competitive swimmers, Katy often writes from the stands while cheering them on. Her 2014 book, Grave Danger, received the highest honor in romance: a RITA® nomination in the Romantic Suspense category, as well as a nod for the Daphne du Maurier award for excellence in mystery and suspense.
Visit Katy at: www.KatyLeeBooks.com