Character Interview – Michael West from Our Little Secrets
It’s come to my attention that I’ve written about a whole lot of people—I mean, a WHOLE lot—in the last almost 5 years, and not everyone has met all of these folks! So what better way to get new readers in touch with longstanding characters than to interview them? Let’s get started with one of my favorite characters of all time, Michael West, the hero of Our Little Secrets.
Merry: So Michael. Tell us a little bit about yourself…
Michael: Well, my name is…Michael West. My story begins in the town of Cold Springs, Montana in the year 1895, where I run the town’s general store. I’ve running the store for several years, and I live in the apartment upstairs. I’m originally from Philadelphia, however, where I was…um…involved in the family business. It’s not something I like to talk about.
Merry: Gotcha. Is that where part of the title for your book, Our Little Secrets, comes from?
Michael: (hesitates) Possibly.
Merry: I understand that a long-time friend of yours was involved in your decision to move to Cold Springs.
Michael: Yes. Phineas Bell, Cold Springs’s banker, and I went to college together. We’ve always been close, but Phin…let’s just say Phin ran into some trouble with his family and moved out West. That’s his story to tell, though. We kept in touch, and when I was going through a bad time in my life, Phin encouraged me to move out to Montana to start over.
Merry: And has that worked out for you?
Michael: Absolutely! It was a little awkward at first. I wasn’t in the best state of mind when I first moved to Cold Springs, so it took a while for the townsfolk to warm up to me and me to warm up to them. There were some understandings about…about the kind of man I was. But that all sorted itself out when Charlie came to town.
Merry: Charlie is your wife, right?
Michael: Right. Short for “Charlotte.” And she’s far and away the most wonderful woman I’ve ever known.
Merry: I understand she had some secrets she was keeping when she first arrived in town herself.
Michael: She did, but those are her secrets to tell. It’s funny, but the whole reason we started talking in the first place was due to a misunderstanding. Fate has a funny way of throwing people together, though. Within an hour, we both realized that we had what the other was lacking…in several ways. I’ve never made a decision as fast as the decision I made to marry her.
Merry: But it was rough going at first, wasn’t it?
Michael: It depends on what you mean by “rough going.” There were a lot of things we didn’t know about the other, and those things had to be worked out. I’ll admit, I made some rash decisions and had a knee-jerk reaction that ended up being more trouble than it was worth.
Merry: I know some readers have criticized you for…well, without giving anything away, let’s just say for doing something that might be considered betrayal.
Michael: In a way it was betrayal. But at the time I was working under false assumptions. I’m not sure anyone else would have done things differently, given the circumstances. But believe me, Charlie let me know exactly what she thought about all that, and she continues to bring it up whenever she’s upset about something today.
Merry: I bet! Charlie’s a fireball that way.
Michael: She certainly is. And in a few other ways too. (winks)
Merry: Speaking of which, how do you feel about being the hero in one of the steamiest historical romances that I’ve written?
Michael: (laughs) It fits our characters. If you consider my past…but we won’t talk about that. Rather, if you consider the chemistry between Charlie and I, the lack of inhibitions that we both displayed right from the beginning, it’s no wonder we turned out to be so heated. Plus we both have a bit of a wild streak to us, you have to admit. So all those scenes are just part of the natural progression of the way we interact with each other.
Merry: So how do you feel about the fact that you now have competition for the title of My Favorite Hero I’ve Written? It’s been you for years, but now, with Angus MacFarlane from Scotsman’s Siren, you have a challenger.
Michael: Well, all I can say is that readers will have to get to know me better, and they can decide for themselves who they love. But you and I both know I will always have a special place in your heart.
Merry: That’s certainly true! Thanks for stopping by to reintroduce yourself to people!
So, folks, that’s Michael West. You can read much more about him and Charlie in Our Little Secrets, which is free on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, and Kobo!
Stay tuned for more character interviews to come!
