As a continuation of my character interviews for my book The Heir to the Unexpected, this week I’ll be interviewing Elizabeth Ann Todd, known by her friends and Family as Liz. Liz is my protagonist’s, Jon’s, longterm girlfriend.

I grew up in Boulder, CO with three brothers and the Flatirons in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains as my playground. After graduating college in Denver, I moved to New York City to pursue a  job as a Drug Sales Rep for Hayera Pharmaceuticals. Huge change for me in environment, but a fun new adventure.

It took me a few months to settle in to the bustle of the city, but when I did, I  found a great group of friends. In fact, that’s how I met Jon. One of my girlfriends met him at party, and she set us up. He was quite the pleasant surprise. He’s just as passionate as I am about his work, but he values the same bigger things in life as I do and he wasn’t about playing games. We also have some fairly unique connections. For example, I had a head injury in high school that resulted in me loosing most of my ability to smell and taste. The head injury is a story for another day. But, try imagining how chocolate looses it’s allure when you only have the texture to remind you of it’s flavor. So much of our sense of taste comes from smell. Thankfully, Jon has a really uncanny sense of smell and an amazing ability to articulate the details of flavor- it makes me able to love food again!

The shopping! Definitely a step up from crunchy Boulder. I love the colors and the styles that the City inspires. My parents are very proud Hippies and they taught me how to shop at thrift and vintage clothing stores. I love the challenge of finding the best outfit for the best price. It’s a game that my girlfriends and I play together.

As much as I love New York City, when it’s hot, you’re hot. In Colorado, if it’s hot, you can go drive a few thousand feet up in altitude and there’s a cool breeze waiting to greet you. Mountains are dramatic and relaxing… and the city is fast and exciting. Colorado snow is fluffy and accessible, while New York snow is icy and annoying. There are trade-offs… but I love both.

I’m on track for being promoted in the next month or so, but you know how things happen in this economy. You really have to look out for your career and be proactive in owning your own advancement. So, as much as I like my job, I might have to consider other options if things don’t work out on the time-line that I want. Relationship-wise, I’m just really lucky to have found Jon. He’s an amazing guy who makes me feel special and I know I can trust him. If we keep going in the direction I think we are, I might have to put up his antics for life!

I thought a fun break from blogging about the topical process of writing my book could be to give you a more direct introduction to the actual world of my characters over the next few weeks. To do this, this week I’m going to interview my protagonist, Jonathan Lee Thomas, known by his friends and family as Jon. Look for similar interviews with his girlfriend Liz, and his Uncle Charlie moving forward!

Sure… Glad to be here and share my background to the audience.  I’m 27 years old. I live in Brooklyn, New York and work off of Madison Avenue at an advertising agency, ArtWord.  I’ve been an Art Director there for the last 2 years working on the Rein Sportswear and Junk Footwear accounts. I’m responsible for shaping the campaigns that appear on TV, all of those ads that appear in Sports Point magazine, and all of their web campaigns. You name it:  football, baseball, soccer, etc. If you see a Junk shoe or a Rein Jersey ad, I was one of the people who was behind it.

The food. I love the fact that I can step out of any building or subway stop in the city, and always be within walking distance of some new and exciting thing to eat. You can navigate the boroughs by the delicious and diverse aromas wafting through the different communities. My personal guilty pleasure is the greasy food at the Shake Shack at Madison Square Park. Between their juicy burgers, thick custard shakes and the wait in the park, it’s a dangerous addiction that results in a lot of gym visits for me…

I miss my family and the quiet mornings that greet your day– privacy is cheaply available there, unlike the chaos of New York. I miss watching the SEC with a beer and the barbecue with the family. Oh, and I miss the speed of driving; the freedom of driving as far and as fast as the backroads of Mississippi will allow you.

What free time? <laughs> Well, in the city, you always have something to do. My girlfriend, Liz, and I enjoy the city stuff- like going to gallery openings, seeing the latest up-and-coming band, or just grabbing drinks with our friends. But we also really like to try and take in what quiet time New York allows you… like sitting on a park bench in the evening and taking in the different smells and noises. Liz mostly keeps me out of trouble, but life still has its way of keeping things interesting.

Professionally, I’d like to be a Creative Director at a well known agency, which should be realistic if things keep going in the direction they’re going. I’m passionate about what I do, so I work hard. From a personal perspective, Liz and I have been dating since about two years out of college and I think she’s the one. But while I’m starting to feel more confidant about that, I’m nervous about how she and my larger family will get along. They’ve met, but a quick fun-packed weekend is different from day-to-day-life…