Last week I spent some time in Homewood, Alabama. I was there with a couple of novels and a strong need to unplug. I read A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee and Camino Island by John Grisham—two very different books, but both reminders of how character is the engine behind every great story.

Coming back home, I felt that creative pulse again—not just to write, but to deepen the characters I’m currently working on. Across many different projects, I’ve got five central characters wrestling with choices, identity, loyalty, and purpose. Some are loud about it. Some aren’t.

And I’m curious:
Which of these characters do you connect with the most?

You don’t need to have read the books to answer. Just pick the one that speaks to you.

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🔹 Graducts (Epic Fantasy)

An aging war hero with a fractured past and a mission no one else wants. He’s a tactician, a survivor, and a man who has to decide whether restoration is still worth the cost.

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🔹 Fletcher Boyd (Fantasy/Coming of Age)

A young man with a gift he didn’t ask for, and a curse he refuses to believe. He’s searching for freedom—but keeps stumbling into responsibility.

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🔹 Peter Stone (Southern Grit)

Quiet, disciplined, and haunted by past failure. But when a food truck—and a risky friendship—give him a second chance, he leans in. Even when it costs more than expected.

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🔹 Sticks (Ralph Efferland) (Southern Grit)

A fast-talking ex-con with too much charm and too many enemies. He’s trying to make something good out of smoke, hustle, and sheer determination.

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🔹 Mara Wells (Near-Future Tech Suspense)

Smart, skeptical, and just beginning to realize how much of her life is being manipulated. She’s not out to take down the system—but she might be the glitch that breaks it.

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💬 So… who’s your pick?

Do you see yourself in one of them?
Do you want to see more of a certain character in the future?

Drop a comment or shoot me a message.
I’m always listening—and the right nudge might just shape the next scene I write.