Teaser Tuesday--Why People Think Nate is Based on a Real Person
Last week I introduced you to Charlie, my female main character and today I’m going to introduce you to Nate, the other main character from my upcoming novel MEET ME UNDER THE STARS which is coming out in July!
Like last time, I hate putting pictures with characters, but let's be real. Some of these are my favorite inspiration pictures for our guy Nate Walsh…
As my friend Amy would say, “I wouldn’t kick him out of my bed for eating crackers.”
Who is he?
Nate’s an Environmental Biologist from Bradford, which is in United Kingdom.
Yes. He's British. Which means he’s got a swoony accent.
Due to some family drama, he’s not able to go back to the UK, so he needs a visa to stay in America. Unfortunately, the one he had lined up--was denied--so now he's back to square one and needs a job. Pronto.
Even though he turned into a player to get over Charlie (and it worked), Nate’s feelings for her came back harder than ever when he saw her at Gwen’s funeral three months ago.
Speaking of Gwen, she’s not exactly on Nate’s list of favorite people at the moment when her will stipulates he & Charlie need to work together on this scholarship.
Because. Again. What could possible go wrong when you put two exes together?
Absolutely everything, that’s what.
This book is based on a very real life experience of mine: camp friendships.
When I was in college, my summer job was working at a camp. My favorite summers were on the shores of Lake Hubert outside of Nisswa, Minnesota at a pair of brother/sister camps called Camp Lincoln & Camp Lake Hubert. When I moved back to Minnesota in December 2001, I was fortunate to land a job with those camps in a full time capacity, working year round. (yes...you can work year round for a summer camp!)
And like Nate and Charlie, I also met some of my closest friends working at camp all of those summers--both in college and working full time. I am fortunate to have friends scattered all over the world.
Using the idea of a group of friends who met while working at camp who come back together when Gwen dies was a no brainer for me.
CP’s and beta readers, however, struggled with the idea that you can be such good friends with people you’ve only known for 12 weeks--or crazier yet, fall in love. Believe me. It happens, but that’s a blog topic for next week.
Naturally, between my friends, the whispers started to bubble when they heard I was writing a book about friendships made at camp. A few read some early drafts. Immediately everyone wanted to know if this person or that person was a particular character.
Do you really think I’d portray a character on a real life friend?
I know my friends. They’d want a cut of the royalties!
The curiosity is natural, of course, because there are similarities.
Like my friend Chris who is from New Zealand ran the climbing wall and ropes course at camp, but Nate isn’t Chris. Nate is a player, and my friend JH was also a player when he was on staff…but he’s not Nate. And Gwen may have auburn hair and freckles, but she’s not my friend Wendy. And Charlie may do DIY on a TV show, but it’s not my friend Jen who also has a DIY career.
Coincidence only, I’m afraid.
Next week I’m going to talk about those romantic camp relationships and how I saw that first hand.
