HOT's Cast of Characters

Some writers make do with as little as one or two characters. Some writers need at least eight archetypal characters for each book (Hero, Villain, Sidekick, etc.)

And then there’s me . . .

Our Heroine
Turner Hastings: she’s determined to correct a terrible wrong—even if it means a life on the run.

Our Hero
FBI Special Agent John MacKinnon: he always gets his man . . . or woman.

Law Enforcement Personnel
• Sheriff’s Deputy Doug Larsen: something’s gotta be wrong with the back of his head.
• Sheriff Dick Clemmons: wishes he could use the loudspeaker on his squad car more often.
• FBI Special Agent Ted York: keeled over into his salad at lunch from a heart attack. R.I.P.
• ASAC, Tim Holt: still has a California surfer dude drawl even though he hasn’t been back to San Diego in eighteen years.
• FBI Special Agent Dante Torelli: the only man to use a Little Debbie snack cake as an interrogation technique.

Assorted Villains
• SpongeBob and Yoda: inept bank robbers with really bad senses of direction.
• Calvin Hyman: upright citizen by day, bank embezzler by night.
• Hank: one of the few (possibly the only) hitmen for hire in northern Wisconsin.

Dog
• Squeaky: a harlequin Great Dane with an unfortunate name and a taste for pickled herring.

Upstanding Citizens of Winosha, Wisconsin
• Nasty old Mr. Johnson: who likes his change clean
• Marge: she’s at the age when she no longer has to put up with guff from men or boys.
• Ashley: just back from the end of summer sale at the Wal-Mart up in Superior.
• Ernestine: gets her world news from Focus on the Family.
• Tommy Zucker: doesn’t talk to g-men.
• Rusty Turner: lover of raw turnips, expert fisherman.
• Louise: will trade a chicken salad on white sandwich for gossip.
• Shannon Hyman: has two obsessions—pigs and Jack Bauer—and who can blame her?
• Todd Frazer: can get you a good deal on a vacation cottage by the lake—even on a Sunday.
• Ralston Fish: worst nine-year-old delinquent you’ve ever seen.
• Luther Hindenburg: proponent of the death penalty.
• Harvey Johnson: has been known to drive his snowmobile under the influence.

Wildlife
• A badger (or possibly a really old skunk).
• Ticks: by the dozen.
• Mosquitoes: at least a million.
• A blue-tailed skink (unbilled cameo appearance).

Bystanders, Innocent and Otherwise
• Brad Hastings: forgot to send his sister a birthday card but she’ll probably forgive him.
• Mullet: possibly the slowest gas station cashier in the state.
• Victoria Weidner: ace assistant federal prosecutor.
• Rachel MacKinnon Fields: has been pissed at her father for three years, and as she’s sixteen she’ll probably be pissed for at least another three.
• Stan: a campaign manager with all the humanity of a Nazi death camp guard.
• Dennis Fields: all right for an asshole.
• Amy Fields: has a secret she rather her daughter didn’t learn.