“He sounds so mean.” My husband griped about the character Sam in my book when I asked him to read it. After all, in his mind, that character was based on him.

In reality, even though my characters do have similar qualities and characteristics of people in my real life, they are their own people, so to speak. Sam is the husband of my character Faith, and they are in a battle to win over infertility. Not an easy war. My husband and I fought it for six and a half years.

In addition to that, Faith’s sister, Hope, moved in for the summer, and the girls don’t get along at all.

When I started creating Sam, I wanted him to be realistic. After all, I’ve been told in the past that my guy characters are too good to be true, with not enough flaws. Well, when a person is going through grief and frustration and wanting to protect his wife, he doesn’t always come across flawless. So, I let him get angry some. And I let him growl at his sister-in-law a bit. And I even let him throw something across the room so hard that it broke.

But I didn’t want him to be mean, either. So, I let him joke. And I let him love baseball. And he is tender and silly and loving when Faith feels like she’s lost everything.

In other words, I wanted him to be a man.

Writing men characters is the hardest part for me. Even though I have lived with my husband for fifteen years and lived with my father and brother before that, getting in their heads and figuring out exactly what makes them tick, how they will react, what they’d rather do, etc, still doesn’t come easy for me. I know what I want a man to be like. Don’t we all? Then, I try to find a balance between the two. What will make you fall in love with him while keeping him real enough to be believable?

So, if you read my story and think that Sam comes across as mean every now and then, please cut him some slack. He’s going through a lot. And he cares very deeply for his family. Just like my husband.

What about you? What do you look for in a male character in the books you read? What makes you fall in love with him?

Amy R Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.

Follow her at http://abitofanguish.weebly.com or http://www.facebook.com/amyanguishauthor

Two sisters. One summer. Multiple problems.

Younger sister Hope has lost her job, her car, and her boyfriend all in one day. Her well-laid plans for life have gone sideways, as has her hope in God.

Older sister Faith is finally getting her dream-come-true after years of struggles and prayers. But when her mom talks her into letting Hope move in for the summer, will the stress turn her dream into a nightmare? Is her faith in God strong enough to handle everything?

For two sisters who haven’t gotten along in years, this summer together could be a disaster … or it could lead them to a closer relationship with each other and God.