Malcolm the Messenger.
I get more letters about Coffeehouse Angel than about all my other books combined. I've tried to figure out why and I think it comes down to one character - Malcolm. My readers love him. So do I, as a matter of fact.
For those of you who haven't read the book, Malcolm is an angel - a messenger angel to be exact. Delivering messages is his job, his only job. He's supposed to carry the message, deliver it, then leave without asking any questions. Without getting involved in the human world. But he's dissatisfied and curious. He yearns to do something else.
Malcolm took shape over a couple of months as I struggled with the first draft. I knew he needed to mirror the hero, Katrina, with his feelings of not fitting in, with his feelings of being stuck. At first he was a traditional messenger angel, the kind we read about in the Christian/Judeo/Islamic tradition. He glowed in an otherworldly way, and he radiated heat. He was beautiful, too, in an otherworldly way.
But then I realized that he needed a stronger personality. He needed to be curious and playful. He needed to be a bit mischievous and willing to break rules. So I went back to one of the earliest messengers - Hermes, the messenger to the Greek Gods, who had a reputation as a trouble-maker. And I blended the traditions together. That is why Malcolm wears a kilt, why his wings are on his ankles, and why he carries a satchel.
So that's how I created my angel character. If you visit my website, you can see photos of the town that inspired Coffeehouse Angel. And please keep sending those letters. Angels rule, zombies drool!
Cover for paperback Coffehouse Angel -
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| How Cute is it????? It's absolutely ADORABLE! |
ps- Check out Karin's guest post with Carrie Ryan HERE
Badass Bookie xx
I loved Coffeehouse Angel! And Malcolm was SO my favorite character! It's really interesting how he evolved. I love the paperback cover, it IS adorable!
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