Questions: about the books

I’m cheating a bit today, since I’m really tired. I’ll tackle Celeste and Patrick’s questions later.

Taylor said:

First off I want to say I really enjoyed SSG and Under the Rose, both books I got so into it, that I ended up staying up really late to finish them. I look forward to next summer, I can’t wait to see what direction next book goes in, I bet it will be great.

As I was reading I took an instant liking to Amy, and when I got farther into Under the Rose, I started becoming a fan of Poe (Jamie) and decided they’re my two favorite characters. Do you have a favorite character other than Amy?

Thank you very much, Taylor! Also, thanks, Ashley!

Yes, I do have favorite characters. I probably shouldn’t say that, but hey, if J.K. Rowling can admit it, why can’t I? (She must have a weak spot for Luna, which is why we get to know what she does for a living post-Hogwarts, but not my fictional boyfriend Neville.)

(Please note: if you haven’t read my books, there are some spoilers below. I’ve whited out the text where indicated, so mouseover to see.)

I really like Poe, too, and have ever since I first had him stick Amy in that coffin. He’s a lot of fun to write. So evil! He was supposed to be a minor character (which is part of the reason he never got a real name in the first book), but he remained so interesting that I (spoiler for SSG in white text) gave him a bigger part towards the end and then sent him to Eli Law School so that he’d stick around for the sequels. I’ve pretty much been thwarting my original plans for his future at every turn. Poor kid. Like he hasn’t had a hard enough life. But yes, definitely one of my favorites! (Interesting bit of trivia, that may or may not ruin your own image: In my head, Poe looks like Christian Coulson, the guy who played Tom Riddle in the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets movie. He’s pretty much the only character I have such a firm visual on. Just FYI.)

I also really like Malcolm, and it’s too bad he didn’t get more screen time in Under the Rose. I think he and Amy work really well together. They have fabulous chemistry. Spoiler (in white text): He’s back in a big way in the third book. I even have some letters begging me to get them together! (In passing: The bulk of my fan mail addresses whether or not real secret societies are angry at me and/or who Amy will “end up” with. My question is, does she need to “end up with” anyone?)

I love all the Diggirls, especially Clarissa, Demetria, and Odile. I love how they are so different in their personalities and needs, but they can find common ground. Their relationships with each other and Amy remind me so much of friendship I had in college.

I love Lydia, too. She was fun in the first book, but I think I really fell for her in Under the Rose, especially given her plotline. Spoiler for UTR (in white text): I think it was writing Josh falling for her that did it to me.

And I love Brandon. I love writing him, because he’s so different than all the other characters in the story, but he’s also a very strong and complex person. He’s a “moral compass” character, and as such, he’s probably the one that let’s me know most easily whether I’ve written him right or wrong. But he’s also really challenging for that reason; he’s not perfect, but it’s harder to show that than it is with a character who is more obviously flawed, like Amy or George.

Ahhh… George. Talk about characters who weren’t what I planned them to be! George was supposed to be a jerk, but he basically refused to be so from the very beginning. He’s not without his flaws, and I think (spoiler in white text) he makes some pretty big mistakes in UTR, but overall, I believe George is a nice guy. I’d originally envisioned him as a sort of ruthless player, very Valmont-type, but I like him so much better this way. More like Daniel on Ugly Betty, I think.

Is that enough favorites? That’s most of the cast, isn’t it? Yeah, I like them all. 😉 I think if I had to pick one fave, it would be Poe, because it’s the most obvious choice. He’s the only main character who wasn’t originally envisioned as such.

HUGE HARRY POTTER SPOILER WARNING FOR THE COMMENTS SECTION. (Sorry, Leah and I had ourselves a little late-night HP party…)