Meet the Characters from "Empty Places"

[image error] Characters make a novel. You can have the greatest plot and
twists, but if the characters are weak or lack verisimilitude, the reader won’t
stick with the book.

In my latest mystery thriller, EMPTY PLACES, the plot is
pushed forward by the characters and the secrets that motivate them.  Though the story is seen through the eyes of
the protagonist and narrator, Peter Brandt,  characters both large and small provide the
stimulus for action.

So who are characters in EMPTY PLACES, and what motivates
them? Let’s take a look.

Peter Brandt: A
war correspondent for an American news service, Peter has seen up close the
horrors of war. He carries with him the scars of armed conflict, both physical
and emotional. When he returns the United States to bury his former wife — whom
he still loves but won't admit it to himself — even older scars are splayed
open. Enduring deep seated guilt over the break up of his marriage, as well as
the wartime death of a young mother he couldn’t save, Peter is pushed forward
by his need to find redemption.

Matt Banyon: Matt
Banyon is Peter's best friend. A bear of a man, Matt is a retired cop who, upon
realizing Robin Anderson had no family left to bury her, calls for Peter to
return to the States. Peter was never sure why he returned home but, as he
says, "If Matt says I should go, I go." But Matt has ghosts of his
own, and his own sense of guilt could lead to tragedy.

Robin Anderson:
TV reporter Robin Anderson had been married to Peter, but as her career grew
the two seemed to drift apart. Desperate to find a new TV job in a bigger
market, Robin makes questionable decisions and takes unnecessary chances. By
doing so, she signs her own death warrant.

Laurie Hall:
Laurie Hall is a reporter with the local daily newspaper and a friend of Robin
Anderson. Beautiful, sexy, and rich, she seeks to help Peter discover Robin's
murderer. But Laurie has a secret, too — a secret that could get Peter killed.

Carlos Timmerman:
Carlos Timmerman is a rich and politically powerful Cuban exile. A survivor of
the disastrous Bay of Pigs attack on Castro's Cuba, he now uses his money to
support guerilla fighters in Nicaragua. At least, that's what the papers say.
And Peter knows the press is rarely correct.

Miles Hampton:
Miles Hampton is a local Sheriff’s captain in charge of the nearby Indio
substation, but he has bigger ambitions than being a cop. A candidate for
Congress, Hampton is too busy rubbing elbows with the political elite to
investigate Robin Anderson’s murder. Worse, he and Matt Banyan have history
together — bad history.

B.D. “Bulldog”
Jefferson: A retired Marine, Palm Springs Police detective B.D. Jefferson’s
dislike of journalists is only slightly less than his dislike of the Viet Cong
he fought in Vietnam. On the surface, that could be the reason he seems intent
on blocking Peter and Matt in their investigation. Or is he taking orders from
somewhere other than police headquarters?

EMPTY PLACES can be found in print and Kindle versions at Amazon.com, and in print at Barnes & Noble.