When the mind gives birth to a stranger.

Where do my characters come from?

I am an avid reader and movie watcher and have been since a very young age.  Characters interest me much more so than the story they're involved in.  I can overlook a weak plot if a character is compelling.  When I am reading or watching a film, I will see a spark of something familiar in a fictional character.  That is usally my psyche telling me, "Hey, you've been thinking about this guy/girl.  Pay attention."  Perhaps an example is best.

I have always been fascinated with King Henry VIII, which lead to a general interest in Tudor history and the English monarchy.  Also, I have spent many years as a fan of vampire lore in different contexts.  The romance novel alpha male is something I am very familiar with in different genres (paranormal, historical, regency) and I have my stand-out favorites.  Combine all of this into one person's imagination and an alpha male vampire king is created.  It starts slowly... a mental glimpse of this character in snapshots, if you will.  The character has the voice and diction of King Henry (and the bad temper), the paranormal abilities of a vampire, and the tortured soul of an alpha male.  The cultivating of this person is a slow, slow process.  In fact, I am very far into my novel and I am still uncovering who he is. 

The fun part is deciding the particulars-- name, age, appearance, likes, dislikes, special talents.  My hero is a delectable combination of King Leonidas as portrayed by Gerard Butler in 300 and Julian Luna as portrayed by the late Mark Frankel in Kindred: The Embraced.  It makes sense, doesn't it? For me, it just works.  I can see and hear this person as though he were flesh and blood.