Using Family and Friends to Shape Characters in My Latest Novel

My latest novel The killing Begins is full of real life characters and characters influenced by people I grew up with. Since the novel was released on Tuesday of this week, I would like to discuss some of those characters and the people whose friendship influenced the makeup of each character.

The novel begins in 1973, the year I graduated from Kingfisher High School. Back in those days, life in a small town was heavily influenced by friends and family. It is with great respect for those people's influence and participation of life with me that I use their traits to build key characters in The Killing Begins and the subsequent novels in my 'killer on the loose' series. I will start with the character based on me.

Konnor Williams - Those of you that knew me 'back in the day' will recognize me in Konnor. I decided to base his character on me because of the setting for the opening chapter. The first chapter begins at the Jiffy Stop Convenience Store with Konnor as the high school senior working there. Since I worked the entirety of my senior year there, the character naturally took on many of my characteristics.

Bonnie and Jerry - The owners of the Jiffy Stop in the book. Even though I use real names for some of the characters, I chose not to use Mary and Bob Lindsay's names for reasons that become apparent in the first chapter. I loved them to death. They were both very good to me.

Deputy Bernie Rogers - There is a police officer from my past that is the personality I used for Bernie Rogers. I will not name him, but I did have a few run-ins with him while I worked at the Jiffy Stop. One time, this young, new addition to the local police force came in to the Jiffy Stop and accused me of selling beer to minors.

There are some of you out there that know I did not sell to minors because it made a few of you angry that I wouldn't. Don't get me wrong, just because I wouldn't sell beer to minors did not mean I was not above taking a six-pack with me after close on a Saturday night to drink while cruising Main. If I picked you up after I left the Jiffy Stop to cruise with me, I always shared. Bobby Gaither, Jim Lambert, Punk, Dennis Forbes, and John Burpo were the friends I dragged Main with and whom I shared my beer with. But, I never sold beer to minors.  But I digress. (Now, dear readers, you may understand the reason I call my blog 'Ramblings of a Writer'.)

I told the police officer just that --- well, not about the part about dragging Main and drinking with my shotgun rider. After I told him, he just stood at my counter as if he didn't know what to do. I helped him with that. I told him if he was not going to buy anything he needed to leave. We had a no loitering sign posted and I pointed it out to him. I noticed his veteran partner, who was hanging out at the magazine rack, smiled at that. They both left.

Rick Taylor - Rick Kuehn is Rick Taylor in my book. He was my closest childhood friend. My confidant and partner in crime. He, you will find in all of my books except the first, a Historical Romance Novel based on my Maternal Grandparents’ lives.

Trevor Jacobs - is inspired by Donald ‘Punk’ Pannell. A couple of years older than me, we roughnecked on drilling rigs together and rode our Harley’s together. He even worked as a roughneck for me when I was a driller. He was one of the hardest workers I have ever been around. Away from the drilling rig, he was funny, caring, and would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it. I could not have asked for a better person to ride beside me. I miss you my friend. You left this world too soon.

Charlie Jacobs - Punk Pannell's older brother Charlie Pannell was my driller when I started roughnecking on a drilling rig a week after high school graduation. He was a great guy to work for and learn from. He was calm, authoritative, and did not mind explaining something if asked. Which I did, a lot. He was the type of driller that most influenced the way I operated when I became a Driller.

There are several people involved in the book whose real names I used based on their roles in my life at the time of the book. This is done out of respect. Below is a breakdown of those characters. Their vocations played a part in my 'killer on the loose' series of books. Even though I used their real names, they are portrayed in a fictitious manner.

Eddie - Many of my friends and family will recognize Eddie Kuehn, Ricky Kuehn's dad. He drove Kingfisher’s garbage truck for many years. He and his wife Shirley were close friends of my parents and Ricky and his siblings were close friends with me and my siblings.

Doc McIntyre - Longtime local doctor. He was my families doctor for many years.

Shorty Hill - Prominent Kingfisher rancher and owner of the Cattlemen’s cafe. Well liked and respected. Shorty opened his back dining room after hours for a group of regular coffee drinkers. I was a part of that group for a couple years until late 1983 when I transferred to Denver to take over operations in the Rockies. There were ranchers, an Oilfield Company Man (me), and my boss, a crop duster pilot, a couple prominent farmers, an Oilfield contract pumper, and an oil and gas producer. I am sure there were others, but my nearly seventy-year-old memory is not what it used to be.

Ernie Shafenberg - A prominent farmer, oilman, and owner of the Patio Cafe. He believed he had been reincarnated several times and wrote a couple books about it. My dad hired out to him part time to drive his tractor and other jobs around Ernie's farms. He seemed to be always in a good mood and was very good to my family.

Mary - The short, round, and always smiling waitress at the Patio cafe was patterned after my mom. She worked the breakfast run at the Patio Cafe for several years.

Lee Hix - Toolpusher on A&P Drilling Rig #2 was the head man over the day to day operations of the drilling rig I broke out on. His daughter Sandy and I were high school classmates.

Gene Meacham - Owner of Meacham Photography Studio in Kingfisher. One of his daughters, Carol, was a classmate of my Aunt Joyce Lumpkin. Another daughter, Cynthia was a classmate of mine.

Marvin - Marvin Wilcox was my loan officer at Kingfisher Bank and Trust. Played semi pro softball for a team out of Enid, I think. He also played on our slow pitch softball team. He could send a softball into orbit.

Dave Pitts - Owner of Pitts Harley-Davidson dealership in Enid, Oklahoma where I bought a new 1974 Harley Sportster.

Mae and Jim Lambert - Owners of the Town House Bar in Kingfisher. They were like family to me. I would stay over at their house quite often on Saturday nights. Their son Jimmy, a classmate, and I would clean the Town House together on Sunday mornings.

Jimmy Lambert - Son of Mae and Jim Lambert and classmate of mine.

Coughlan Brothers - Hosts of Cimarron River beer parties. I knew the Coughlin brothers, not completely sure if they were the ones who hosted those river parties. My old memory may not be correct on who hosted the beer parties on the river. But, the parties were fun and peaceful with live music provided my local bands. I attended a few.

Doc Voskuhl - A longtime Kingfisher veterinarian.

Other characters in the books are not based on anyone in particular. Just figments of my imagination.