Characters Wanted: Debra Clopton

Hi--Debra Clopton here! Seems like its been forever since I posted. I'm glad to be here today on Main Character Monday. I love, love, love creating main characters. I spend a lot of time trying to come up with main characters with quirks and problems that interest me. I love watching people and getting inspiration from variety of sources to roll into a character. In March Love Inspired rereleased my first two books THE TROUBLE WITH LACY BROWN and AND BABY MAKES FIVE. I still remember when I was coming up with those characters. Lacy Brown was a character that was so full of life and loved the Lord with all of her heart. When I created her I just went over the top on making her full of joy while also making her flawed in that her vivacious spirit that drew me to her was also what got her in trouble all the time.

When I created Lilly Tipps for the And Baby Makes Five I had her being raised by three man hating grandmas and her best friend was Samantha the donkey. :) It was such fun and 20 books later I'm still working on trying to make my main characters and secondary characters characters that interest me and you. On that same note, I enjoy watching TV shows with quirky characters, like Monk, and The Closer oh and I can't forget about Castle! Love those shows. Do you have any characters from books or from movies or TV that you love? I'd love to hear about them. Until next time live, laugh and seek God with all your heart. Debra Clopton

Tom Selleck and Tom Hanks: Heroes We Love

Hi Everyone--Debra Clopton here talking about great main characters, and Tom Selleck and Tom Hanks are just a few actors who take great characters and make them come alive in our hearts. Why is this? What is it about the characters they play that draws us?

When creating my main characters I strive for strong, loyal, lovable and always honorable good guys. I often, but not always, think of movie characters as I'm doing this and often combine two heroes from different movies to create one hero.

Unforgettable roles for me are Tom Selleck in Quigley Down Under--what an awesome hero he played in this movie. What an awesome job the writer, John Hill, did creating that character for him to play. When he looked back from his horse at Crazy Cora my heart melted. He was a great combination of a hard man, a soft hearted man, funny and oh so strong of muscle and character. He stood for something.

Tom Hanks will forever fill my heart with warm fuzzies when I think of him as Joe Fox in You've Got Mail. A totally different type hero than Mathew Quigley and yet, I loved the role. I also am crazy about him as hurting dad and widower, Sam Baldwin in Sleepless in Seattle. What a hero--struggling to do his best for his son while hurting deeply as he forces himself to reach for a new future.

I absolutely love to create my heroes and watching movie heroes inspires me. What makes a main character stand out to you?

I invite you to meet my heroes from my Mule Hollow books on sale this month. Gabe McKennon in A MOM FOR MULE HOLLOW part of the Small Town Moms anthology with Janet Tronstad's A DRY CREEK FAMILY. And also Clint Matlock and Cort Wells my heroes in my first two books: THE TROUBLE WITH LACY BROWN and AND BABY MAKES FIVE, being released as a Love Inspired Classic on sale now :)