J.M. NORTHUP

MEET MY CHARACTER

1. Tell us about your story:
   • What is the name of your book?
     • CHASING VEGA and CHASING THE CAPTAIN
   • What genre is it?
     • Jessica and I argue about this. It’s primarily a Thriller, but I think it’s also a pretty good mystery.
   • When and where is your tale set?
     • For two cops who are supposed to be working out of our fictional Paloma, Illinois, we get around. In the stories, I’ve seen Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona, New York City, Nashville, London and Moscow.
2. Who are you?
   • What is your name?
     • ALEXANDRA CLARK. But my friends call me Ali.
   • Are you a fictional or historical character?
     • I’m “real” to me, but Jess always reminds me that I’m Terry Shepherd’s fictional creation.
   • What’s your role in the story – are you the protagonist or a supporting character?
     • I should be the star, but I’m the “sidekick,” Jessica’s cop partner. I get all the good material though.
   • Are you a human, animal, alien, robot, or something completely different?
     • I am a computer forensics geek, so you could say that I have the brain of a robot. My romantic preference is female, and that makes some old-school minds consider me an alien. Cross me and I can be the worst Tigress you’ve ever seen. But biologically, I’m human.
   • Do you consider yourself to be good, bad, or indifferent?  Would others agree with this assessment – why, or why not?
     • I’m better than good, unless you get on my bad side.
3. What do we need to know about you?
   • What is your personal goal?  I mean, what do you ultimately want?
     • I want to prove to small minds that women like me can be superheroes. But I spend most of my time pulling Jessica’s chestnuts out of the fire.
   • What is standing in your way?  What conflict(s) do you face?
     • Jess causes most of the trouble I get into. Most people in my world have grown to accept me for who I am. But I still struggle sometimes to accept myself.
   • Why is this goal important to you?  What’s your motivation?
     • Girls like me need heroines. That’s a big burden to carry, but it’s important.
   • If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be, and why?
     • I wish I could speak French. It sounds cool and I would go to France and not tell anyone I could understand them until they insulted me for being an American. Then I would weave a tapestry of French profanity that would make Hemmingway proud.
4. How do I get a copy of your book?
   • Is it available now, or when can we expect to see it released?
     • CHASING VEGA and CHASING THE CAPTAIN are both available now. I’m also one of the stars of Terry’s digital holiday story, CHASING CODY.
   • Do you have a universal link available?
     • Terry says to send everyone to TerryShepherd.com.