Charlaine Harris writes exclusively for Shotsblog about Bobo Winthrop whom we first meet in her Lily Bard Series but who has come into his own in her Midnight Series..
Between 1996 and 2001, I wrote the Lily Bard books. The protagonist is a housecleaner with a terrible
past and a talent for karate. She’s dark, she’s direct, she likes to be in
control, and she was very hard to write.
Eeeek – 1996-2001! Just saying that makes me feel very, very old.
Since Lily was so dark and grim, I had to create a great foil for her; someone
who would stand out in sharp contrast, a man who would carry a torch for her
and admire her strength. He needn’t be her forever guy, since that would
require different qualities. But he had to show that Lily was desirable.
Bobo Winthrop was everyone who’d ever awed me when I was in high
school. Except nicer. As it transpired, he was a character who resonated.
Everyone loved Bobo. He was involved in Lily’s life in two ways: Lily and Bobo
were in the same karate class, and Lily cleaned the Winthrop home.
Despite their being from two different worlds, Bobo admired Lily’s
karate skill, her bodybuilding determination, and her character. Despite being
in his teens, rich-kid Bobo developed a huge crush on the totally unsuitable
Lily.
Bobo was maybe a little dismayed that Lily also cleaned his family’s
house and had to endure his snappy, unpleasant mother. (He would have been even
more dismayed if he’d understood how much she knew about his personal life
simply because she cleaned his room.)
When we meet him, Bobo is a golden boy. He’s the homecoming king,
the athlete, the rich kid who gets the pretty girl . . . until he’s not. His
world comes crashing down with the revelation of his grandfather’s racist
political ambitions. It becomes a minor issue that Bobo doesn’t stand a chance
with Lily, who is way too much woman for a teenager. Bobo has to face the
destruction of his universe, and he must grow up almost overnight.
As I was building the world of Midnight, I knew the pawnshop needed
a proprietor, and I suddenly realized I could finally write about Bobo again.
He’s aged, of course, and he’s had a hard, hard time. But he’s also mellowed,
and he no longer expects the world to be at his feet. He has an immense
capacity for love, and a huge appreciation of the fact that in Midnight, he has
the time to enjoy live and appreciate what comes his way. I actually like Bobo
even more now.
I hope you will, too.
------
Charlaine Harris is the author of the bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series (also known as the Southern Vampire Mysteries) which led to the HBO Golden Globe Award winning television series True Blood. She is also the author of the Aurora Teagarden Series, the Lily Bard (Shakespeare) series and the Harper Connelly series. She has also written a number of standalone novels and shorts stories as well as being the co-editor of 4 anthologies and the sole editor of one. She has won an Agatha Award for Best Novel and an Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original. She has also been nominated for a Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and a Dilys Award. She has dominated the New York Times bestseller list since 2008.
Midnight Crossing, the first book in the Midnight Series was published on 7th May 2014. Day Shift the second book in the series is due to be published on 7th May 2015.
More information about Charlaine Harris and
her work can be found on her website.
DAY SHIFT is a powerful stand-alone story from Charlaine Harris set
in the same town as MIDNIGHT CROSSROAD.
Midnight, Texas is a sleepy town that’s easy to miss, and the
residents love it that way. The idyllic, unnerving lull comes crashing to an
end when the town’s abandoned old hotel is bought by a new owner with grand
plans to reinvigorate the entire town. It’s just what the town of Midnight
needs, but not all the residents are happy with the news.
But little do the residents know that a storm of people is
descending on Midnight. When the town’s newest resident becomes embroiled in a
deadly investigation, an army of police, lawyers and journalists all arrive,
and suddenly the hotel and its new owner are the least of the town’s worries.
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