A Taste of Home - The Characters

I've been waiting to do this but I guess now is as good of a time as any. After all, the chicken is still thawing and the pot I need to the spaghetti is busy in the dishwaser at the moment. Every good story needs strong characters and good characters are those that the reader can relate to or say outloud 'Gee... I know a geek just like that'! Maybe you can relate to one of these or you know someone that this describes. So, with out further delay...here are the characters to my upcoming novel "A Taste of Home".
First...a little disclaimer. This story was outlined almost six years ago and the characters were named then. Since then, I've met quite a few people that have the same last name as my characters in the book. Coincidence...or are my psychic abilities fine tuning. Either way...don't get excited or pissed off because you have a similar name to some of the people in this book. After all, do you know how many Chad Millers there are in the United States?

Toby Liberman - The main character. Toby is a middle aged aerospace worker born and stuck in a small closed minded town. He hates his job, he has reason to believe that his wife is cheating, and his daughter could use a good back hand across the face from time to time. Not only is he constantly disrespected on a daily basis...he no longer possesses the intestinal fortitude to earn any. A horrible marriage will do that to a man after so long...(think Dante Hicks from the movie Clerks)

Jessica Liberman - Toby's wife. A few years younger than Toby, Jessica has held on to her high school beauty and is the kind of girl that turn every head in a bar upon walking in. In the past few months, she's been a little distant from her husband and daughter. Some people think that she's been catting around on the wrong side of town with the wrong people and doing the wrong things. (think every slutty dope fiend chick that you've ever known)

Johnny Haynes - Toby's best friend and Jessica's brother. When the two of them are together, Toby is unstoppable. He emits enough nerve and wit for the both of them. Even after all these years, they work together, play together, and stick by one another through thick and thin. Even though he embarrasses Toby from time to time, he really don't know what he'd do without him. He can turn any conversation into a witty display of humor and sharp comebacks. (think Randall Graves from the movie Clerks...yes...the first person that read this book laughed and said "this is almost like Dante and Randall meet the Werewolf!)

Jessie McGee - Toby's bitter enemy from their high school days...and he's not very fond of Johnny either. He's been in love with Jessica for decades but has never been able to be truly close to her due to the two of them. Maybe that was why he got involved in law enforcement and became the town's Sheriff. Now he's got all the power and he's not afraid to use it. There are even some that think his power isn't always used for good...(think 1 out of 2 of your local PD)(if you're a cop and you take offense to that...don't stand in groups of 2...that way we can identify you from the ones that are described above)

Katie Liberman - Toby and Jessica's daughter...even though the last name probably gave it away. 13 years old and she already knows everything there is to know about life from modern television, her witty uncle and father, and the joys of public schools. Unfortunately, she, like her uncle, has an undiagnosed case of tourettes and don't know when to shut up. She display's her mother's beauty but could care less if anybody notices it. She has very few friends...but she could care less. All she needs is her family (this character was actually based on an ex coworker's daughter in every aspect. We miss and love you Kerri)

Kurt Jimmerson - A total stranger to the town...or is he? No one really knows him...but he seems to know much about everyone. (based on every creepy drifter that you ever met at 2am in any large city in America)

Now, I place all these characters in the following scenario...and there you go:

Toby Liberman is plagued by a cheating wife, dead-end job, and a daughter that is mature beyond her years. After confronting his wife’s lover, the town’s Sheriff, Toby encounters a mysterious creature in the woods that bestows upon him an unspeakable curse.

A series of events lead to a charge of triple homicide against Toby. While incarcerated, Toby meets a man who tells him he is now a werewolf. Toby is mentored in the ways of the animal and joins forces with the man in an attempt to bring the Sheriff to his knees. Forced into a final confrontation, Toby realizes that he is no longer the only one in town that has secrets.

And there you go. Sure, there's tons of stuff inbetween but I can't tell you everything. The official cover should be arriving soon and I'll post it as soon as I can. Until then...keep believing...