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…