Into Twilight (Stefan Mendoza #1)

by P.R. Adams

“This is Chan,” Danny said. It was the first time he’d spoken since introducing me to Heidi, and he seemed uncomfortable even with that little bit. “Systems expert?” I extended a hand; Chan just glanced at it. “Don’t touch people.” Chan looked back down at the display. Red LEDs flickered off and on from ear lobe to top. “Dirty.” I cocked an eyebrow at Danny as he headed for the kitchenette. “Systems expert,” he confirmed. “Gridhound. Ran in the same snowcrash Jacinto used to.”

Chan. How do you create a character like Chan and not make that character the protagonist? I didn't want to write a story about that sort of broken character (everyone in the cast is broken...that's the point), but boy oh boy, Chan is so compelling to talk about. Most of the time, when I create a character, I either have an actor or model in mind for the part and snag a photo for reference, or I go looking for someone with the right look. I couldn't do that with Chan. Chan is Chan. I wanted so badly to make this character memorable, irritating, and yet lovable, someone the reader could pull for. The character arc is complicated, and there are some really, really tough and uncomfortable scenes for Chan. I hope that makes the end result memorable.