Character Spotlight ~ Irene Hannon's Evan Cooper & Monica Callahan

Today the spotlight shines on.............................Evan Cooper and Monica Callahan Irene Hannon is a multi published, multi award winning author whose latest book, Against All Odds, has just released from Revell and is already garnering rave reviews. Given Irene is writing in my favourite genre, I can't wait to read and review it so check back for that soon.

Irene and I would love to hear your thoughts on this spotlight, especially from those early birds who have managed to already read the book! Now, over to Irene and her characters:~

Evan (Coop) Cooper

Brief Description

Coop is the quintessential tall, dark and handsome hero. He’s 38, 6’2”, and still looks every bit the Division I quarterback he was in college. He has dark brown hair and deep brown eyes, and there is a hint of danger and leashed power about him. As a member of the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team, he’s in excellent physical condition. A very private, intense, emotionally enclosed person, he tends to be a loner when not working.

Actor/famous person who resembles him

I don’t usually base my characters’ physical appearances on any prominent personalities. I just envision them in my mind. I think the Revell team did a great job capturing the essence of both Coop’s and Monica’s appearances in the cover image. However, thanks to this spotlight, I did try to think of some famous people who might bear a resemblance to my two lead characters in Against All Odds. For Coop, Pierce Brosnan in his James Bond days (Tomorrow Never Dies) comes really close.

Strengths

Coop is steady under pressure and the kind of guy you’d want on your side in a dicey situation. He’s strong, competent and insightful.

Weaknesses

He’s afraid to let anyone get too close and guards his heart well.

Quirks

No real quirks

Inspiration for the Character

I first met Coop while writing Book 2 in the Heroes of Quantico series. (See below under “Background to the Story.”) When I started that book (An Eye for an Eye, which will be released in September), I didn’t know it would evolve into a series—and the story in Against All Odds had already taken place. But the more I wrote, the more I knew I had to go back and delve into Coop’s history. I wanted to know about his past, find out what made him the strong, silent type. And I wanted to meet the woman who’d managed to breach the walls around his heart.

Monica Callahan

Brief Description

Monica is 34, 5’7”, with shoulder-length russet-colored hair and green eyes. She teaches at a university and is the author of a popular nonfiction book about communication. When Against All Odds begins, she’s been estranged from her diplomat father for many years. As a result, Coop and his partner don’t get a very warm reception when they show up at her house and tell her that a sensitive hostage situation in the Middle East—in which her father is involved—has put her life in danger. Nor does she believe the threat is legitimate…until a chilling warning convinces her the danger is very real—and escalating.

Actor/famous person who resembles her

Again, I don’t base my characters’ physical appearances on prominent personalities. However, Linda Purl or Jaclyn Smith (in their red-hair, wispy-bangs days) would look similar to Monica.

Strengths

Monica is smart, intuitive and very much in touch with her feelings.

Weaknesses

She has a hard time with forgiveness.

Quirks

She loves M&Ms and always has some nearby. When stressed, cooking helps her relax.

Inspiration for the Character

Since Coop is the strong, silent type, I needed a determined heroine who would challenge his reserve and force him to reexamine some long-held beliefs and recognize the loneliness of his life. Who better than a beautiful communication expert who has just written a book about the importance of talking and sharing and opening our hearts to others? Also, I wanted a woman of strong faith who could challenge Coop to take a closer look at Christianity—and set his own faith journey in motion.

Background to the Story

As noted above, Against All Odds was actually written after Book 2 in the series. I was intrigued by Coop’s character and had to tell his story. But this book, with its two-continent setting and terrorism element, was extremely challenging to write. I’d done lots of law-enforcement research for Book 1 (An Eye for an Eye), but this book required more extensive knowledge. For example, since a portion of the story takes place in Afghanistan, I needed to learn a lot about all aspects of that country—geographic, political and social. I also needed to learn about chemistry and GPS and a host of other things I can’t mention without giving away pieces of the story. It took 75 single-spaced pages to hold all my research notes and reference sources. But I’m thrilled with the result.

Against All Odds is a fast-paced thriller that features the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team, the estranged daughter of a U.S. diplomat, a volatile hostage situation in the Middle East, and a terrorist who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. It’s a great kick-off to my Heroes of Quantico series!

Thank you so much, Irene! I can't wait for Against All Odds to arrive in my mail box ;-)

Irene has agreed to an interview with me so I am looking forward to sharing that with you all too.


On Thursday, I will be spotlighting Lisa Tawn Bergren's wonderful characters from her epic medieval thrillers, known as the Gifted Series. I loved each book - you won't want to miss her insights.

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