Today the spotlight shines on …………………………….Gracie Lang and Steven Kessler 
I first “met” the delightful Amy Wallace when I discovered a preview of her first novel Ransomed Dreams, prior to it’s release last year. Since then, Amy and I have enjoyed sharing with each other through email, about our love of books, our daughters (we each have three daughters all born within a couple of months of each other) and our faith. I am always blessed and encouraged by Amy’s blog posts and her novels.
Enjoy Amy’s take on her main characters from Ransomed Dreams:~
Brief physical description
Steven Andrew Kessler is tall (6’ 1”) with light brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He’s the only character I’ve ever “met” and that’s a story in and of itself. So now I don’t look for my characters in real life and I will never (please help me remember this, Lord!) introduce myself to them again and babble about how they’re really good looking but I’m not flirting with them…really.
The only actor I’ve seen that resembles Steven is David James El
liot as Harmon Rabb.
Gracie Ann Lang is athletic with long auburn hair and hazel eyes filled with wisdom, a weight of sadness, and the joy of family. What I love most about Gracie is her willingness to dream and keep living even when it hurts.
Ashley Judd in her Double Jeopardy role comes pretty close to Gracie.
Strengths and weaknesses
Steven’s strengths are the flip side of his weaknesses: loyalty and deep love for family and friends versus an “I can do it by myself” attitude when hurt, a strong sense of right and wrong that can get him into trouble when his hunches push him past compassion. He’s also a very passionate man who knows what he wants even when it’s hard to risk his heart again.
Gracie’s strengths are her faith and willingness to wrestle her doubts out with God. She’s also a deeply compassionate friend and teacher who gives her all to what she pursues. Weaknesses would be her fear and over-cautiousness.
Rel here:~ love your characters, Amy. They are one of your real strengths as a writer!
Quirk (if any)
Steven definitely has a quirk with his crazy kid-friendly ties and being a basketball aficionado. Not that adoring basketball is a bad thing… I’m just saying. 😉
I had a lot of fun with Gracie’s quirk. She blushes… a lot. Since I do that, I figured it was only fair for someone else to deal with that too.
Your inspiration for the character
The imag
e I have for Steven is a broken superhero toy. He’s powerful and dependable and fun when he remembers how to play. When I first met him in a dream, I knew he had a wounded heart. I also knew he needed to forgive himself. And it was a journey into my own need of self-forgiveness that compelled me to write Steven’s story.
My inspiration for Gracie was my own fear of losing my family.
Through Gracie, I wept and prayed through my greatest nightmare and came to a place where I could see God’s faithfulness even in the pain.
Synopsis of the book
Gracie Ann Lang is being watched by a man who will stop at nothing to hide the truth from her. Having lost the only man she ever loved and the children who were her world, the truth is all Gracie wants, an explanation for what really happened. She longs to move forward but is bound by chains of fear. Then she meets Steven Kessler, an FBI agent assigned to uncover an international plot to kidnap the British Ambassador’s daughter. Steven awakens more than memories; he revives the possibility of a life Gracie desires. A life where healing and peace crowd out the nightmares. But his case and her past are dangerously connected. Suddenly, Gracie must decide if she’s able, let alone willing to pay the required ransom to redeem dreams and restore hope.
Amy – thanks for sharing with us! I’m looking forward to spotlighting Clint and Sarah from Healing Promises as well as Michael and Hanna from your 2009 release, Enduring Justice.
Don’t forget to comment ~ Amy and I would love to hear your thoughts! Did you picture someone different when you read Ransomed Dreams? Do tell!
Come back Thursday to discover more about Christa Banister’s serial dater, Sydney Alexander, from Around the World in 80 Dates and Blessed are the Meddlers ~ more fun to be had here 🙂
Relz Reviewz Extras
Review of Ransomed Dreams
October 27, 2008 at 2:39 am
Thanks to you both. ‘Ransomed Dreams’ was a great read. It’s really fun to hear about you ‘meeting’ Steven. The gushing over a real life person thing sounded like a really good story in itself!
October 27, 2008 at 5:34 am
I really enjoyed these books and Ransomed Dreams is a firm favourite. I am looking forward to a bit more on the other characters! I can’t say I pictured Steven like anybody though
October 27, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Rel Said: “He’s the only character I’ve ever “met” and that’s a story in and of itself. So now I don’t look for my characters in real life and I will never (please help me remember this, Lord!) introduce myself to them again and babble about how they’re really good looking but I’m not flirting with them…really. “Story please!! The interview was terrific, but I want to hear the rest of this story!!Kim
October 31, 2008 at 2:19 am
Thanks, Rel, for such a fun opportunity to share a bit more about the Defenders of Hope characters!And thank you, Tracy, Nolene and Kim, for your great comments! Just for you guys I’ll do a blog (on my Heart Chocolate blog) tonight about meeting “Steven.” 😉You all are a wonderful encouragement~ thank you!
November 11, 2008 at 4:39 pm
I am currently reading Ransomed Dreams and I love that I have a character association now. I relly love Ashley Judd’s roles. It has made the book come alive for me as well as the splendid writing! I have already suggested the book to a friend and I am not half way through yet!