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Meet the Elliott Family

A Master's Inn Character Interview

Me: Hi! Is this Samantha?

Stevie: No! I’m not a girl. Sammie’s my sister. Don’t I sound like a boy? Who is this anyway? I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.

Me: Oh, I’m so sorry, Stevie. Don’t worry, you sound like a boy, now that the connection’s better. Is your Mommy home? Or your Daddy?

Stevie: Sammie! Be quiet, I can’t hear on the phone! I don’t know who it is, the lady hasn’t told me yet–

Me: Stevie, my name is Deb, and I’m calling to talk to your Mommy or your Daddy about the book all of you are in. My readers want to get to know all of you before the book is released–

Stevie: Mommy! There’s a book lady on the phone. I’m going outside to play now…

*Sound of phone dropping . . . *

Me: I’m so sorry, Readers. I guess maybe we’d better hang up and try this again–

Samantha: Stevie–you dropped the phone! Sorry, who is this?

Me: This is–

Samantha: Oh, hi Mommy. Stevie answered the phone before I could get it, then he dropped it and ran outside. He’s so rude.

Sally: Never mind. Go finish your lunch, okay? Hello? Hello? Is this Deb?

Me: Is this Sally? Oh, good–I was afraid we weren’t going to be able to talk to you or Steve.

Sally: No, I’m here. And Steve’s just getting home from work. As soon as he comes in, I’ll put the phone on speaker. Sorry about Stevie–we’re still teaching him phone etiquette. You know how it is, I’m sure.

Me: Yes, indeed. My readers do, too.

Sally: Here’s Steve . . . and Stevie again. Phone’s on speaker now. Steve, this is Deb–you know the author who wanted to interview us? And her readers are on the line.

Steve: Hello Deb . . . and readers. Good to speak with you. Hey, kids, keep it down. We’ll get busy packing for our trip to see Grandma as soon as we’re off the phone.

Sally: Sorry, Deb. They’re just a bit excited about going on a road trip to see my mother. We leave tomorrow morning.

Me: Oh, how far away is she?

Steve: Not far. We live in Sagle, Idaho and she lives, well, right now she’s in the hospital in Newport, Washington. Only about thirty miles.

Me: In the hospital?

Sally: She had a stroke–I guess not a massive one–and they want to move her to Spokane, but I insist on seeing her first. We should’ve been on the road today, but Steve–

Steve: –I had to work.

Sally: Had to? I don’t think so.

Steve: Now, Sal, don’t start that again.

Me: Steve, what do you do? I mean for work.

Steve: I manage a hardware store. And I had to work today because one of my guys had already arranged for a day off…I couldn’t get out of it.

Sally: Not even for me, so I could go a day early to see my mom? Before…oh, never mind. You never listen to me…

Steve: Sal, please–

Stevie: What’s wrong with Grandma, anyway? Is she gonna die?

Steve: Stevie! Don’t interrupt. Hey, I’d better take the kids upstairs and help them with their backpacks. Good to talk to you, Deb.

Me: Thanks, Steve. Hope you get where you’re going tomorrow. Weather reports are calling for snow.

Sally: He’s gone, Deb–he didn’t hear you. Did you say snow? I told him we should’ve left yesterday. Now I have to add bad weather on top of worrying about Mom.

Me: I’m sorry, Sally. Maybe it won’t be as bad as they’re predicting. They’re often wrong, you know.

Sally: Hope you’re right. I guess I’d better get up there and help Steve with the kiddos…no telling what they’ll pack and what they’ll forget.

Me: Okay, Sally. Thanks for your time. My readers appreciated getting to meet you and your family. It’s always a treat to meet characters before the story comes out, ya know?

Sally: I suppose. Seemed weird to us, but I guess authors are kind of quirky that way. Well, I guess I’ll be seeing all of you again when we arrive in Newport, right? I mean in the story.

Me: Umm…sure, Sally. Goodbye, and good luck with those kiddos!

Sally: ‘Bye!


Gotta tell you, dear readers–I didn’t want to say anything to her, but Sally’s in for a rude surprise. ‘Nuff said, I think.

And now, drum roll, please!

This was going to be the last in the Master’s Inn Character Interview series . . . but I’m excited to announce that a surprise character will be featured next month.

Be looking for it!

 

 

2 responses to “Meet the Elliott Family”

  1. Kay DiBianca says:

    Deb, you deserve an award for putting up with some of your characters! Of course, you have the final say about what happens to them in the story, right? Author power.

    I can’t wait to see how all these people fit together. Hurry up with that novel.

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