Hunter and Josh

I love how this pic of my boys looks like they're headin' off to kick some ass. L to R: Joshua Brooks and Hunter Thale. (Models: Josh Price and Hunter Thore)

Let's go back in time...to when I was planning out this book during my re-do. I base the book in reality, mixing real events from history, real places, and real bands/music with fantasy (ie: fake places, magick/magickal creatures, and fitting my make-believe people into real events OR making them the root of a cause, like a volcano eruption from history).

My original plan for this book was to have it come with a CD of music. Stuff you could listen to while you read. For example, in one of the club scenes I mention what song is playing and in parenthesis it'd tell you "CD 1, Track #3". My 1st editor squashed this idea...said it wouldn't work. So we dumped it. BUT...I'd already written the whole book so some things stayed...and Hunter/Josh are a result of that.

You see, as music is a big part of my life and my writing I decided that like the first books the later books would mention music. Seeing as I base my books in reality AND I have friends that are talented musicians in real life, I thought it'd be cool to mix the two together. For example, my friend Amanda has a band (Tattermask) and I wanted to use their music...base a character IN the book on her and have her in the band. I asked permission, she said yes, and so I introduced her character. I then decided that I wanted some diversity in the music (as most is goth/industrial/EBM). Two of my best friends were/are rappers and I decided I wanted to showcase their music in the books too. (Note: Obviously now that we've pulled the "CD sold with book" idea I'm just going to hopefully find a way to put their stuff on my website.)

So my dynamic duo of Hunter/Josh was born and they end up becoming vital to our storyline by Book Three, Metamorphosis. In fact, you (the reader) will be able to tell as you get closer to the end of Book 1 that these two guys are going to be more involved in Book Two. (I actually end up using them to help lay the groundwork for the "big reveal" of the series.)

I pair them up with a girl named Pip at Valencia's estate in Canada called Asmarahald. It gives the reader another perspective of our "bad guys," other than just through Valencia's eyes. Which is important seeing as by the end of Book Two (Living Dead Girl) the reader starts to really ask themselves "Who are the good guys again? Who are the bad guys?" I'm hoping I've written it in such a way that the reader honestly questions this fact, because as the books move foward, Atlanta does too.

Anyway, lets talk about their characters a bit, shall we?

HUNTER THALE
(Classification: Werewolf...or is he more?)
Hunter is a guy's guy. A fighter (be it a bar fight or a warrior's battle), a knight in shining armor, and a bit of a womanizer...our "bad boy," so to speak. He was suppose to go to Grad School but took the money his parents gave him and ran off. Mainly because he had no desire to run the family business. So, since his best pal from college, Josh, got a job doing computers for Valencia up in Canada, he goes up to join the infantry...so to speak. It's a job, it's away from his parents and it's away from the life they are trying to force him into. But throughout the story Hunter begins to figure out what's really going on and must decide if he stays to help his friends, or runs again. There's a lot more to him than you know in Book Two...but by Book Three I'll let you in on his secrets.





JOSHUA BROOKS
(Classification: Shape Shifter - Red Shouldered Hawk)
Josh is more of a woman's guy...but not in a feminine way. Simply put, he's a romantic who isn't as apt to jump into a fight just for the hell of it, like Hunter will(unless he's backing Hunter up), but is without a doubt a knight in shining armor as well.Mainly Josh's character prefers life to be uncomplicated. His only bit of real stress before the shit hits the fan is that his girlfriend is a mole, working for Valencia in the "enemy's camp." However, through her, he and Hunter will learn things about Valencia in Book Three and will have to come to terms with the fact that she's a bit shady. Josh, just like Hunter, will then also have to decide to stay or leave. Though, his reasons are quite different.

These two are best friends and good men. Without them, I don't believe my stories would be as rich. It's also fun to write characters based on two of your best friends. :) Both of them, in real life, are amazing people and actors/performers. No one has my back faster than them. I love them with all my heart.

What's funny is that this whole WINDFIRE photoshoot happened because Josh and his fiance were going to be in NYC for a week. I decided it was a sign to do the shoot since he'd be here. So I thought I'd not get to do the shoot...cause no one was going to play Josh, but Josh. Luckily, it worked out.

Now, in the later books of the WINDFIRE Series, Hunter and Josh will meet up with a character from Moon Over Manhattan (the sequel series)...she's just WAY younger in the WINDFIRE Series...can you tell who she is:



That's right...a younger Denika (Model: Lauren Steinmeyer) has cameos in the WINDFIRE Series. They'll meet her in Book 7 when she's 16 then work with her in the last book where we'll see her at 18 and up. And of course, Josh and Hunter show up at the end of Moon Over Manhattan with cameos in HER story. Fitting, yes? Lauren is also one of those amazing people in my life, like Josh and Hunter. If you come to the NYC Comic Con this year you'll get to see her dressed as Denika as we hand out postcards for the book. Somehow the girl has "let" me rope her into being my assistant on all things book related. I appreciate her more than words can proclaim. :)

Anyhoo...I will tell you that Hunter and Josh are probably my favorite male characters to write after Sean and Grayson. And you will get things from Hunter's POV...for he's one of the "seven".

The Seven?

I will explain.

The series is in third person, single perspective, but as its an ensemble of a team...you hear this saga from these 7 points of view:

Atlanta
Valencia
Sean
Gray
Jensine
Roman
Hunter

I hope you enjoy them in the book as much as I enjoy writing them...or maybe I should say, as much as I love them in real life.



xo

Tamsin :)