Love's Last Call by Beth Matthews Blog Tour: Characterization

My characters tend to be sarcastic, smart-alecks. This is because I am myself a sarcastic smart-aleck. However, when I write my characters this way too it's because I'm trying to serve a larger purpose for the story; I'm trying to show how well they work together. I'm trying to show that they light up when they're together, that they spark off each other. I'm trying to show, in other words, that they belong together.
There's nothing quite so sexy as someone who gets your sense of humor but who can also make great jokes back at you! Like so:
"So, why is the bar called 'Jezebel's'?" he asked."Well, she is the patron saint of false prophets and fallen women." She passed a hand over her body to emphasize her revealing clothing, like a lovely assistant on a game show gesturing to all the Fabulous Prizes."You're a fallen woman, then?" he said."Oh, yeah, loooong time ago. I've fallen and I can't get up."
When writing romance, everything is a tool to sell the romance to the readers. Showing that people have compatible senses of humor is a great way to show they'd be a great couple. Really, when was the last time you sparked with someone in real life who didn't share your sense of humor?
In the book, the hero and heroine develop a game where they tell bad pick up lines to try to get the other person to laugh. (Probably agreeing on what constitutes a bad pick up line is another indicator of compatibility, huh? ;P) My personal philosophy is if you can find someone who makes you laugh you're doing pretty good in the relationship game. And I try to put that into my writing too.
And, hopefully, watching my hero and heroine have fun together is fun for the reader too. :)

Love’s Last Call by Beth Matthews
(Ladies of Jezebel’s #1)
Publication date: October 20th 2014
Synopsis:
Lucy York is an aspiring mechanical engineer working as a shot girl serving watered-down drinks to drunken frat boys at Jezebel’s Bar & Lounge. The job isn’t so bad—it pays her bills, and she’s managed to make a surrogate family for herself at the bar. But now, at 24, she’s ready to spread her wings and fly north to attend UC Berkeley and, maybe, distance herself a little from the all-consuming social scene at Jezebel’s.
Then her boss hires a new bouncer, Norm, a literature dork who seems like everything a bouncer shouldn’t be: tall, gangly, sweet (and, you know, named Norman). But as she gets to know him, ol’ Norm turns out to be everything Lucy never knew she wanted and the best friend she’s ever had. He’s not a bad bouncer either.
One obstacle to their happily ever after: the owner has a strict no-dating rule for employees. If anyone at Jezebel’s finds out she’s dating a bouncer, Lucy will lose her job, her surrogate family, and the money she needs to go to Berkeley.
But, if she loses Norm, is she losing her best chance at happiness?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22755545-love-s-last-call?ac=1Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Last-Call-Ladies-Jezebels-ebook/dp/B00N3PM7CI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1409243882&sr=8-4&keywords=beth+matthewsB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loves-last-call-beth-matthews/1120553358?ean=2940150522961

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AUTHOR BIOBeth Matthews is a California girl, born and raised. She’s a total geek, a movie buff, and a mediocre swing dancer. She lives in sunny SoCal with her boyfriend and two of the neediest housecats on the planet.
Author links:http://bethmatthewsbooks.com/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8342297.Beth_Matthewshttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Beth-Matthews/244314945645273https://twitter.com/IAmBethMatthews


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