Fun Friday is a day for … FUN! I’ll post a variety of pictures, quotes, facts, etc., about characters and places – both real and fictional – that are in the novels I write. I will then have you either guess something about what I posted, such as what is the name of this location or why do you think a character said this or that in a scene, or I may show pictures of “the real people” for some characters mentioned in my books, or … just whatever floats my boat that Friday!
Let the fun begin!
Whenever I read a book or watch a movie that is inspired by / based on a true story, I always want to know what the “real people” looked like, and compare them to the way characters looked in my mind when I was reading the novel, or the way the actors looked who were cast in the film.
My Christian contemporary romance novel Love, Texas – Population 2 is inspired by the true story of … moi! It’s inspired by my life as a small-town newspaper reporter; my reunion with my high school sweetheart; and my faith journey.
In honor of National Police Week, http://www.nleomf.org/programs/policeweek/, today’s Fun Friday post will be a picture of two law enforcement officers.
In my novel, my character is named Rebekah Stone. As a reporter and photographer in Mesquite River, Texas, she works with two of the “coolest cops” around, Lieutenant Bobby Swan and Detective Alejandro Chapa.
These characters are based on the real people who worked for the Taylor Police Department at the time, Lt. David Clawson and Det. Jesse Soliz. The picture posted here was taken (and developed) by yours truly in either 1997 or 1998 – and it was actually during a ceremony on Peace Officers Memorial Day.
Below are a couple of paragraphs from Love, Texas – Population 2 that mention these two men.
My phone’s shrill ring awakens me from a deep sleep. I bolt from my bed and run into the living room to shut the thing up.
“Hello?”
“Robbery at our Burger King this morning. See you over there.”
Click. That’s how Chapa works—simple and to the point. Whenever some incident occurs that requires a detective, he’ll call or page me, but won’t waste time for details. Chapa gives me the address and crime type, and it’s my job to figure out the rest on scene.
And …
Right before I reach Number One Cool Cop Chapa, the second coolest man on the force, Lt. Bobby Swan, drives up. The lieutenant looks a lot like country singer Alan Jackson because of his blonde hair, body frame, and mustache. Swan fits the typical Southern boy description, but he’s a very fair and decent cop.
Once you read Love, Texas – Population 2, make sure and leave a reply and let me know if this photo of the “real” Lt. Swan and Det. Chapa stayed in your mind as how these characters looked while you read the book, or if you pictured these two cops differently.