Contest Winner and the Silent Hero

Happy Friday, Everyone. I put names in a bowl, closed my eyes (very tight), and pulled out a winner. A big congratulations to Inger! Please send your address info to:  amysaia79@yahoo.com. And a big thanks to all who tweeted, liked and Facebooked. It was fun!

Now, I'd like to go over a topic that has been coming up more and more with the book release. Jesse. While querying, I was told not to mention secondary characters. An agent only wants the main points, not all the friends and their cars and their cats. But Jesse was more than just a secondary character. I actually did try to include him in several queries because I felt it almost wrong to leave him out. In truth, I didn't feel The Soul Seekers was complete without mentioning him. But in agents and queries excess is excess, I learned to leave him out and he would be relegated to secret status. In typical style, he's jumped forward as everyone's favorite character. Am I'm happy about that. Jesse was so much fun to write. I think I learned a lot about myself through him. Actually, I learned a lot from each character: Emma showed me how much of a hippie, soft, wise side I had, William taught me a lot about being noble and quiet, but Jesse . . . he was the rock 'n' roller in me, the rebellion, the hell raiser that I guess never died from my late teens. His lines would pop into my head and I'd sit back, chocking with laughter. He was naughty and dark and wild. So wild. I loved his car, his black leather jacket, his long hair. I loved that he'd say what he wanted and didn't feel any consequence. Actually, I love people who are like that in real life too. While I don't cuss out loud, I love those who can rip apart the world in a few select, but choice, words.

But Jesse is also loyal and deep. He is music. He is cool.

I don't care what anyone says about our characters, they're real (to an extent). I do feel as if I was being channeled in some little way, and perhaps for a big reason. It's one of the most beautiful parts of being a writer.

Well, have a great day. I have an actual *gasp* gig this Saturday night and will be playing a heap of new songs. That's what I did a lot of this summer, in secret. While the kids were all here on the computer, I made myself an artist's corner out in the garage with an old tape player, my guitar, magazines, Steinbeck, a few cats, and a pen. A friend won't let me leave the music business just yet, and I agreed to open the set. Wish me luck!