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Special Interview With Tom Masters

A Master's Inn Character Interview

                         Tom Masters

Today we have a treat in store for us. Tom Masters has consented to a rare interview.

Who is he? Tom is a character in my forthcoming novel, The Master’s Inn. I thought it’d be fun to do a series of interviews with the characters and Tom has agreed to be my guinea pig.

When I called him last week to find out if he’d do it, he was in the midst of preparing for some special guests to arrive at The Master’s Inn, the B&B he and his wife, Barb, own and run together.

Tom graciously took a break from his work to answer a few questions about himself, although a bit reluctantly. You’ll see why.


ME: Tom, I’m so glad we could spend a few minutes together. I promise not to keep you too long, but just long enough to give my readers a glimpse of who you are.

TOM: Glad to do it, Deb. Well, not really glad, but you’ve been so persistent. I heard you even tried to enlist my wife to pressure me. Not a smart move, I must say. I don’t respond well to pressure.

ME: Sorry about that. You’ll be glad to know she told me the same thing—that I must deal with you directly.

So, what can you tell us about yourself?

How did you get into the B&B business? It’s particularly curious to me, knowing you’re retired from the Marine Corps, with three tours in Vietnam under your boots. I would’ve thought you’d be a security guard, or a cop, or some other job which necessitates carrying a gun. What’s up with that? I’m sure my readers would like to know.

TOM: Well, that just proves you know nothing about me, now doesn’t it? I don’t want to be rude, but just because I’m proficient with a weapon doesn’t mean I want a job where I have to carry one all the time.

Let’s move on, shall we?


ME: Okay, sorry about that. I can see you’re uncomfortable talking about your experiences in Vietnam.

TOM: Not uncomfortable. It was over a long time ago, and it’s not part of me anymore. I don’t dwell on it. No point.

ME: Hmm. Okay. Just give me a minute to cross out some of my notes. There. Those are off the table.

Tell us something about your family.

TOM: There’s just Barb and me. Oh, and my nephew, Bob, and his family. Bob and Gwen and their two teenage boys are the guests we’re preparing to host this weekend.

ME: That’s all the family you have, Tom?

TOM: Didn’t I just say that?

ME: Well, yes, you did. But—give me a minute—oh, here it is. I understood you and Barb have a daughter. Care to tell us about her? Where she lives, and–

TOM: No.

ME: But–

TOM: Moving on . . .

ME: Okay, but—I just ran out of questions for you.

TOM: Too bad. Are we done?


ME: Wait a minute. Maybe you could tell us what activities you’ve planned for your nephew and his family this weekend. I’m a little desperate to give my readers a better picture of who you and Barb are as people. You know, flesh you out a bit.

TOM: Activities? It’s a B&B in the mountains of northeastern Washington State. We’ll be hiking and sledding and doing mountain things. That enough for you? We really don’t make plans for our guests. It’s their vacation, not ours. I will say, though, that it’s been five years since we’ve seen them, and Barb and I hope to help them with some problems they have.

ME: What kind of problems?

TOM: Bob was also in the Marine Corps, deployed to Afghanistan.

ME: So, he has PTSD? Or–

TOM: –and that’s all I’ll say about that.

ME: Oh, okay . . .


TOM: Look, Barb’s yelling at me from upstairs to get back to work. Bob’s family is supposed to arrive late this afternoon, and I’m behind in what she wants me to do. She’s pretty picky, so I’d best get on with things.

ME: Maybe we could get Barb on the line and get to know her a bit. You know, let you off the hook. What do you say?

TOM: Good luck with that, Deb. She’s a driven woman right now, and I’m not going to bother her. If you want, you can call back and ask for her, but I really don’t advise it.

ME: Of course, Tom. Maybe some other time. We hope you have a great visit with your family, don’t we, readers? And I certainly hope the weather doesn’t close in on you and mess up your plans. I’ve heard the reports and they’re not good. Storms up in northeastern Washington can be pretty fierce, right?

TOM: It’ll be fine. Storms don’t bother me. Lived here a long time and I’ve never met a storm, a bear, or a big cat that scared me. I’ll have to hang up now. Thank you for calling.

Goodbye.

ME: Goodbye . . .


Huh! He’s gone already. Busy guy. I wanted to ask him about the bears and big cats . . . do you suppose he really sees them near their home? No, thank you!

Well, there you have it, readers. You just met one of the main characters in my novel, The Master’s Inn. He’s a take charge, no-nonsense kind of guy.

In The Master’s Inn, you, my dear readers, will experience first-hand what happens when families harbor tragic secrets, lie to each other to keep those secrets, then are thrown together with total strangers in the most extreme of circumstances. Talk about ripped hearts and flaring tempers and–oops—no spoilers intended! You’ll have to read it for yourself . . . a tall tale of confrontation, brokenness, and redemption in the majestic mountains of Washington State.

Gotta get this interview off to be posted. Have a great day, and stay tuned for the next installment of The Master’s Inn Character Interviews.

 

5 responses to “Special Interview With Tom Masters”

  1. debbieburkewriter2016 says:

    Nicely done, Deb! Initially I thought why do I want to waste time reading about some guy with a B&B? But you kept luring me in.

    • Deb Gorman says:

      Thanks, Debbie! Your “…why do I want to waste time reading…” gave me the idea that for the next one, I must up the game and hook the reader sooner. Not so much exposition in the beginning of the interview. The next one will be with the “smart-mouthed teenager”, guaranteed to get our dander up. But, she’s got some lovable traits buried under all that sophistication. Stay tuned, and thank you so much for your gracious comment.

  2. Clever!! Loved the banter!

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