People are always intrigued about the love interests in books. I have had lots of
people ask me all sorts of questions about Alis...where he came from, if he's based
on anyone in real life (and if so, where can they get his phone number!), and whether
or not I see the character any differently than my readers.

Well, to start, I'll tell you that no, unfortunately the beautiful yet slightly awkward Alis
was not based off of anyone...at least not anyone I know of. He came straight from
my head, and he really didn't emerge and become a real person until later drafts of
the book.

When I first started on Losing Faith, I knew I wanted to give Brie a nice (and sexy)
guy to fall for, and I knew he had to be everything that Dustin wasn't. That was a
starting place. When I realized how he fit into the story, he became much more
complex of a character for me. I had to really dig in and find out what made him tick,
what he was afraid of, why he was in the situation he was in, and most importantly,
why he was attracted to Brie.

The picture above is how I see Alis. Sexy without really knowing it. Confused. Dark,
with a lot going on inside that very full mind of his. If you have different thoughts, I'd
love to hear them!


Denise
Full Name:
Alistair James
Monachie

Age:
16
Character Development: Alis
Congratulations!
You've found
your way into the
cave...now, will
you ever find
your way out!
(mwah hah hah
hah hah)

I know it's a little
bit creepy in
here, but this is
where I keep my
deepest, darkest
sekrits.
Have a look
around. In some
entrances to the
cave, you may
find
passageways
that lead you
deeper...

You may find
sekrit excerpts,  
character
pictures,
interviews, and
much, much more.