I’ve heard that a
lot since the debut of my of the Finley Anderson Tanner series. I can’t attest to how much she and I are
alike. Yes, Finley and I share the same
sense of humor and I suppose her moral code mirrors my own. That’s pretty much where the similarities
end. Well, excluding the fact that she’s
blonde and short. That’s a function of
practicality. Being blonde and short
myself, I know how to dress Finley (fairly high heels are important) and the
physicality of the character’s actions reflect the fact that unless she started
dating Michael J. Fox, she’d never know what it felt like to dance with her
head resting on a guy’s shoulder.
In all other aspects, Finley and I couldn’t be less
alike.
She’s a shopper, something I personally loathe. I’d rather remove a kidney than go to a
mall. The whole idea of window-shopping
makes me want to stick pencils in my eyes.
Finley’s also heavily in debt, another personal taboo of mine. But the biggest difference is that she’s an
underachiever by choice. I’m so much of
an overachiever that I probably could benefit from lengthy therapy.
Crafting a character is never easy – nor should it be –
and there will always be a sprinkling of the author’s personality and/or
personal experiences in his or her characters.
Figuring out where to draw the line can be tough, especially when doing
an on-going series.
Knowing Finley needed room to grow, so I gave her some
hefty flaws. In the first book, KNOCK
OFF (available at all bookstores and for download), she takes her first foray
into the realm of solving a crime. She
isn’t all that adept in the beginning, but by the end of the book, she’s
learned a few things, although she’s a long way from attaining the moniker of
amateur sleuth. At best, she’s an
accidental sleuth.
In the second book, KNOCK ‘EM DEAD (also available at
retailers and for download), she builds on what she learned in the first book,
though she’s still a long way from a crime-solving whiz.
In the third installment, FAT CHANCE (also available at retailers
and for download); Finley is getting a tad better at sniffing out clues.
We’re now on to book #4, SLIGHTLY IRREGULAR (release date
April 17th), and Finley is better equipped to solve crime. And she’s starting to find balance in her
love life. Though this is Finley, so she
hits some bumps in the road.
Finley marked a detour in my career. After writing more than 25 romantic suspense
novels under my pseudonym Kelsey
Roberts, I wondered how books penned
by Rhonda Pollero would be
received. Different name, and different
flavor. Was there enough mystery to
satisfy mystery fans? Was the sizzle
between Finley and Liam enough of a
subplot to draw fans of my romantic suspense?
I honestly didn’t have a clue and after a lot of angst filled
soul-searching, I decided I had to put those concerns on the back burner and
just tell the story.
I’m glad I took the chance. People seem to love Finley as much as I do.
And that’s the bottom line, isn’t it? A writer is a storyteller; everything else is
just window dressing.
Happy Writing . . .
Rhonda
Hi Rhonda: I can't wait for Slightly Irregular!! I was very excited to receive an email from Amazon promoting this book.. nice move, Amazon. It's up to us readers to do our part on the 17th. Long live Finley!! I notice you posted at 2:38 A.M.... wow, that's almost the time I get up!
ReplyDeleteMary Louise
Like Mary, I can't wait either! Out of the many books I've read Finley is one of my very favorite characters. I recommend the series as often as I can.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I start talking about the books, which is often, Finley is referred to as "the girl building the rolex" and immediately everyone knows what book series I'm talking about. Hopefully one day she'll get all her parts off ebay. haha :)
Sadly Mary Luise, I do get up this early almost every day. Off-kilter body clock. *g*
ReplyDeleteThank you Paula - really appreciate it! Maybe at some point she'll get all her parts together.
ReplyDelete