Character on the Couch: Debbie Herbert’s Tanner

Greetings, my lovelies! I’m excited that the next Lycanthropy Files tale, a novella called A Million Shadows, will be included in a box set of Halloween stories set in Salem called A Wicked Halloween. It will be released on October 4, and it’s currently on preorder for 99 cents. Yes, thirteen stories for 99 cents! Can you believe it? You can get all the info here. Order links are below.

From now through the end of October, I’ll be posting characters on the couch from the set. First up is Tanner from Debbie Herbert’s Charmed by the Salem Witch. I love her series of new adult paranormal romances and am excited for this next installment to be out. So, without further ado, here are Debbie and Tanner!

Salemcoverhi-res — How gorgeous is this cover?

At the Women’s College of Salem, Sarah hopes to meet like-minded students of The Craft. But after joining a coven, the other girls seem to have it in for her and she can’t figure out why . . .
. . . until Tanner, the new, cute IT guy, helps uncover her family’s dark secret. Sarah will have to learn to trust Tanner if she’s to survive a killer freshman year. And Tanner must accept his paranormal powers to save Sarah when the blood moon rises at Samhain, the witch’s Halloween.

1. If your character were to go to a psychologist – willingly or unwillingly – what would bring them in? Yes, a court order is a valid answer.

Tanner would only go in if Sarah pleaded with him to do so. The guy’s so in love with her that he’s endured worse to get to be with her.

2. Is the presenting problem one of the main internal or external conflicts in your book? If so, how does it present itself?

The bum knee that he injured playing college football has presented a host of problems for Tanner. His big dream was to become an NFL star and now that the dream is shattered, he’s drifting–clueless about what he wants to do with his life. But as it turns out, this physical injury has a magical component he must resolve.

Oooh, a magical component! That makes me feel better about the bursitis in my left knee.

3. It’s always interesting to see how people act when they first enter my office. Do they immediately go for my chair, hesitate before sitting anywhere, flop on the couch, etc.? What would your character do?

Tanner would get as close to you as possible, switch on his charming grin, and have you answering his questions by the end of the session.

4. Does your character talk to the therapist? How open/revealing will your character be? What will he or she say first?

Tanner would come across as sincere, fun, and the kind of guy you’d love to date. He’d wink at you, call you “gorgeous,” and would have your phone number before you realized you don’t know the first thing about him.

5. Your character walks into the bar down the street after his/her first therapy session. What does he/she order? What happens next?

He’d order a beer and make friends with everyone in hearing range. By the end of the evening, he’d have danced with all the girls and talked football with all the men.

6. When you’re building characters, do you have any tricks you use to really get into their psyches, like a character interview or personality system (e.g., Myers-Briggs types)?

I like to do a diary entry using their first person point of view and ask them a few questions such as: what’s your motto in life? what’s your big dream? what’s stopping you from achieving that dream?

Thanks for the opportunity! I love your Character on the Couch interviews!

And thank you for stopping by! I love your books. 🙂

Debbie Herbert writes paranormal romance novels reflecting her belief that love, like magic, casts its own spell of enchantment. She is traditionally published through Harlequin, as well as Indie published. Married and living in Alabama, she roots for the Crimson Tide football team (Roll Tide!). Debbie enjoys recumbent bicycling and jet skiing with her husband. She has two grown sons and the oldest has autism. Characters with autism frequently land in her works, even when she doesn’t plan on it!
For more information, and to sign up for her newsletter, visit www.debbieherbert.com. Or connect with her on social media:
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