Characters on the Couch: Gwen Knight’s Caleb and Autumn

This week I’m excited to welcome Autumn and Caleb, the second set of characters from the box set A Wicked Halloween. It will be released on October 4, and it’s currently on preorder for 99 cents. You can get all the info here. Order links are below.

She speaks with the dead. He was cursed by them.

Four hundred years ago, a coven of dead witches stripped Caleb Jensen of his soul. Now, his only hope is to convince local necromancer, Autumn Kane, to track down and restore it before his eternal hunger consumes him. Beautiful, powerful, and confident, Autumn is more than Caleb bargained for.

Except, Autumn has problems of her own. The dead are crying for help. A serial killer has begun targeting the young brides of Salem, and she is the only one who can save them. She has no time to break the curse on this rakish man who steals her breath. Everything about him unsettles her, from his dark nature to his wicked allure. He’s no knight in shining armor.

But maybe it’s time for a little evil in her life.

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.

Autumn and Caleb might seek out a psychologist to help overcome his need to feed on souls. His hunger is an addiction.

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

It’s one of the main internal conflicts in the book. Caleb is in love with Autumn, but her soul constantly tempts him. He needs to feed.

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?

Autumn would wander. She would study your desk, your certificates, your degrees. But Caleb would throw himself down on the couch with a leg slung over the arm rest.

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

Caleb would roll his eyes and say it isn’t important enough to talk about. He would use humor to defuse the situation. Autumn would get right down the issue at hand and attempt to solve it.

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

Caleb would order a shot of Jack Daniels. Autumn would order a glass of red wine, dry.

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 actually don’t use anything like that. I just start at the beginning of their life and write out a layout for their entire lives, pausing to consider the decisions they would make based on the image I have of them in my head.

Thank you so much, Gwen, for sharing your characters with us!

Gwen Knight is a Canadian girl currently living in Edmonton, AB. She graduated from the University of Lethbridge with a degree in Archaeology and Geography. Her interests consist of playing in the dirt, designing elaborate snow forts, boating, and archery.

Don’t forget to preorder the Wicked Halloween box set, just 99 cents for a limited time!

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