Sweet romance author Danielle Thorne has some thoughtful questions about my character, Margaret McWhorter, who is the heroine in Stopped Cold, an inspirational teen mystery. Before I tell you about Margaret (with her determination and loyalty to family and friends), let's talk a little about Danielle, who recommended I share more about Stopped Cold.
Other work has appeared with Espresso Fiction, Every Day Fiction, Arts and Prose Magazine, Mississippi Crow, The Nantahala Review, StorySouth, Bookideas, The Mid-West Review, and more. She won an Honorable Mention in Writer’s Digest’s 2006 annual writing competition and won the 2008 Awe-Struck Short Novel Contest. In 2009, Danielle won Classic Romance Revival's Work in Progress Contest, which resulted in another contract for her fiction.
Danielle currently writes from south of Atlanta, Georgia. She was the 2009-2010 Co-Chair for the New Voices Competition for young writers, is active with online author groups all over the web and moderates for The Sweetest Romance Authors. Danielle is a former editor for Solstice and Desert Breeze Publishing, but freelance copywriting is now her day job when life isn't calling. She has four sons with her wonderful husband. Together they enjoy travel and the outdoors. Her newest book, Cheated, will come out on September 12th.
Web site: http://www.daniellethorne.com/
Blog: http://thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Thorne/e/B004E5V0LA/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=undefined&sr=1-2-ent
Athena Gray is determined to finish her senior year without any paranormal interruptions. She's certain it's best to ignore her ability to help spirits cross over, but a new phantom in the backwoods of Omega is watching her every move.
Determined to protect her sister and her best friend Dan, Athena pays no attention to strange events at school until they follow her home.
When the mysterious spirit causes a near fatal accident, she must come to grips with an angry and jealous ghost who wants her dead because somewhere between this life and another, Athena's adversary thinks she cheated. It will take the power of family and friendship to survive her own personal haunting and reclaim her life before supernatural forces extinguish it forever.
Now here are some facts about Margaret who turns to her Christian faith as she chases after the drug dealers who sold her brother a steroid that caused him to have a stroke.
Now here are some facts Danielle wanted to know about Margaret McWhorter, a loyal sister and friend, swimmer and high school student who looks for the drug dealers who sold her brother a steroid.
1. What is the name of your character? Is he or she fictional or a historic person? Margaret McWhorter is a fictitious contemporary teen enjoying flirting with Jimmy Wilmore, swimming and hanging out with friends until her brother takes a steroid and ends up non-responsive in the hospital.
2. When and where is the story set? It's set today in a small town in the awe-inspiring Western North Carolina mountains. The scenery resembles the area around Asheville, North Carolina.
3. What should be know about him/ her? Margaret loves her brother and sees him as an ally in the midst of the pressure her father puts on both of them to excel in sports. She also loves her mother and father and wants everyone in the family to be alright in spite of this terrible crisis. She dreams of having life the way it used to be and yearns to do something for her brother and her parents to make this sad situation better. That's why she looks for the drug dealers with her friends and tries even harder to win her swimming competitions. She savors the fun times at swim meets and when she's with her friends, especially her heartthrob, Jimmy.
4. What is the main conflict? What messes up his/ her life? In Stopped Cold Margaret's world goes into a tailspin when her brother ends up ill, and her parents are at the hospital nearly 24/7. She's faced with keeping up her grades and swimming while her heart's broken. As if that weren't enough, she's so angry at the drug dealers she can't rest until she can report their whereabouts to the undercover detective on the case. She relies heavily on her faith to help her overcome the anger and never stops praying that her brother will be healed.
5. What is the personal goal of this character? To make things right again.
6. Can we read more about Stopped Cold?
Yes, you can read more about it here.
Notice I am tagging the following three authors in the Meet My Character Blog Tour. Just follow this post as an example and check them out.
Lisa Lickel: http://www.lisalickel.com
Vanessa Riley: http://www.ChristainRegency.com
June Foster: http://junefoster.blogspot.com/
Stopped Cold excerpt:
My heart thumped so hard I worried he heard it as he put his arm around the back of the seat and touched my shoulders.
“How’d your classes go today? I wanted to talk to you after English, but you got out before I had a chance.”
Thank goodness. Seeing him here was less stressful. I fidgeted with my paper cup then set it down and tore tiny pieces off the napkin in my lap. “It wasn’t bad. Everyone was so good to me.”
“Well, they better be.” Jimmy’s voice sounded protective.
My heart melted. I let my eyes meet his. They looked caring and sincere like those of a friend. I stopped tearing up the leftover napkin. “So--what happened while I was gone?” I tried to sound laid-back.
“In class, the usual, homework, tests, same old stuff.” Jimmy shifted in his seat and moved his arm.
Had something unusual happened outside of class? Did he know anything about Winstrol V? That would be strange because Mike said he didn’t, and he played football. I wanted information so bad. “What about sports?”
Jimmy leaned back and wrinkled his brow. “Funny you would ask I’ve heard some athletes are taking steroids.”
I stopped breathing.
Emily’s eyes grew wide as she leaned across the table. “Really?”
Jimmy raised his blond eyebrows. “Yeah, a couple guys mentioned it after we played soccer.”
I took in air. My insides raced as if someone turned my nerves on high, but I had to stay calm. I needed answers. I didn’t know Jimmy played soccer. “Are the soccer players taking them?”
“You’re awfully interested. Do you two want to buff up?”
I gagged and couldn’t speak.
Emily gasped. “No. Of course not. We’re just curious, that’s all.”
Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea. I overheard the conversation, but I didn’t join it.”
I ripped the rest of the napkin into tiny bits. “Well think. Exactly what did you hear?”
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