After reading my novel, a reader asked me, “Are you, Lindsey Blake?” I laughed at the question because it seemed so far-fetched, but after thinking about how I develop my characters, my answer changed – a little.

Lindsey Blake is a single woman, who left a grown son and his wife behind in Boston, to start a new life in South West Florida. She loves the warm weather.

I am a married lady with three grown sons and a granddaughter who left Boston because I wanted to live in a warm climate. So yes, there are similarities in the geography but not necessarily in the family history or personality. Lindsey is portrayed as a loner, but I am not.

I am working on my fourth novel now, and in each story, the characters are a blend of people that I’ve met, or are close to me, or perhaps pieces of myself. It’s possible that the old instructions, “Write what you know,” has stuck with me through my stories.

I caution you about guessing which characters are a reflection of me or someone that I know, because some are entirely made up! When you read about Cliff, you’ll see what I mean.

Characters are a combination of imagination and reality, as they should be.

Who is your favorite character in DETACHED?