When Characters Don’t Do What the Author Planned by Lyn Cote

What’s the author to do? To think? Well, usually I smile because that means that my characters have become REAL. Once a reader said to me, “You act like these characters are real.” And I said, “Within the pages of the book, they are!”

If my characters do not behave like real people with minds of their own, I haven’t done my work right. And readers will shut the book sooner than later. ‘-( I think it has to do with the working of my conscious and my unconscious mind not communicating till I’m actually writing!

Early in my writing career, I began a scene where are my heroine was to drive into town to visit her grandmother's grave at the cemetery. Imagine my surprise when she started driving toward the local nursing home to visit grandma. We wrestled with the steering wheel for a few moments and then I gave in. And she was right; grandma needed to be alive. She was a major mover in the story. But who knew? My heroine did.

For my latest story, Mavis’s Forever Christmas, I had provided a future hero for Mavis at the end of the previous book, Ellie’s Forever Family. But when I began to work on the new manuscript, Mavis rejected him. And insisted that she had someone different in mind. I was flummoxed. But I had learned by then just to give in to my character.

Mavis’s Forever Christmas is part of a group series called “Puppies for Christmas” novellas. Nine sweet romance authors wrote Christmas Novellas with puppies in them and we have released one a week from October 13 through the first week of December. 

(The stories are not connected —but each has a holiday romance and one puppy or more.) My book Mavis’s Forever Christmas comes out the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the 22nd. Here is the scoop.

Is falling in love only for the young?

Never married, Mavis, a retired college librarian, has made a new life for herself near her “adopted” niece Ellie. Over a year ago, John lost his wife, who was Mavis's best friend for nearly forty years. He has spent the months traveling with his trailer, trying to figure out this new life. But when his only daughter Ellie faces complications with a difficult pregnancy, he’s pulled back to her hometown.

Helping Ellie brings Mavis and John close once again, and new feelings and attractions spark. Maybe falling in love isn’t just for the young, but is it right? Or is it a betrayal of his late wife and her best friend? By a Carol Award-winning author, this emotional, small town, family drama will touch your heart. And an adventurous little puppy will make you smile. Here’s the link to click Only 99 cents.

BTW, Ellie’s Forever Family is half price $1.49 through Nov 30th. Click here for more info.

And I hope you’ll take a look at all these wonderful holiday canine stories! Click here for Ellie and here for all the puppies! Happy Thanksgiving!—Lyn Cote