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Thursday, June 16, 2022

Secondary Characters – The Sometimes-Unsung Heroes – And a Giveaway!

 


In a romantic suspense novel, there’s no doubt that the hero and heroine are the stars of the show. We fall in love with their struggles, and root for them as they fight the bad guys along the way to their happy ending.

But there are some unsung heroes to their story, and they play an important role in helping the hero and heroine reach their goals.

They are the secondary characters. All stories have them. They can be a friend. A family member. Law enforcement. Or just someone who lends a hand along the way to “the end”.





In AMONG THE INNOCENT, there are several secondary characters who help Leah Miller and Dalton Cooper discover the identity of the killer who is targeting young Amish women.

As the new chief of police, Dalton relies on his officers as they investigate the case. Ethan Burke, Henry Landry, and Sam Coeburn make up the small St. Ignatius police force along with Leah Miller. Violence is rare around the community but not unheard of. Sam Coeburn was on the force when Leah Miller’s entire Amish family was murdered ten years earlier. Without each of these brave officers, the case might not have been solved.

I loved writing about the flamboyant Sugar Wallace, dispatcher for the St. Ignatius police force. Sugar is a former cop herself and outspoken, but Sugar has a heart of gold, and she knows what Leah went through in the past and is protective of her.

One of my favorite secondary characters to write was Marge Petri, Leah’s adopted mom. Marge and her husband Ellis took Leah in and raised her as their own child. Marge has been struggling with dementia for a while and it breaks Leah’s heart to see her mom forgetting simple things. When Marge unexpectedly blurts out something about having a son, Leah is shocked at first, but soon she realizes there might be secrets from Marge’s past that are connected to what is happening now.

Secondary characters play a huge part in any story. Without them, the book would be flat.

For a chance to win a copy of AMONG THE INNOCENT, do you have a favorite secondary character from a book that stood out to you, or a favorite secondary character type that you enjoy reading about?

Be sure to leave your email address for a chance to win a copy of AMONG THE INNOCENT. I will announce the winner next Friday, June 24th!

 

Have a blessed weekend!

 

Mary    

       


17 comments:

  1. Loved this book and Marge really touched my heart.

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    1. Aw, thank you, Lucy. She was a favorite of mine as well.

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  2. Hi, yes I have read books with secondary characters, it makes it more real. Have a great weekend and stay safe. aliciabhaney(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

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  3. Kekoa from Lights Out by Natalie Walters - fabulous!

    amybradsher at gmail dot com

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  4. I loved this book! Loved the spunky Sugar and my heart broke with Marge

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    1. I loved writing Sugar and Marge's story as well.

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  5. The best friend is always a secondary character that I like. marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  6. The character Marge was special. My sweet mother-in-love suffered with dementia for 10 years so Marge touched my heart.
    No need to enter me in the giveaway.

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    1. Thank you for saying so. She was special to me as well.

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  7. no fav
    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  8. I haven't read the books yet...I think the secondary characters really make the story pop! chendryx at nctv dot com

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    1. ...and I agree with Amy's character of Kekoa from Lights Out by Natalie Walters!!

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  9. I have a winner! BN100, you are my winner. I'm sending you an email now. Thank you all for participating! Have a great weekend.

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