I have always wondered how actors retain their sanity, or do they, when they spend the majority of their lives pretending to be someone else.

However, I experienced their dilemma myself when I tried to create the characters for my book. I would literally spend hours trying to imagine what they would say and how they would say it, in a particular situation, and what the reply would be under those circumstances. Doing this seemed to turn them all into real people. From the feedback I have received, the majority of readers have remarked how much they have loved the characters, so it appears I accomplished my goal of bringing them all to life.

Despite the fact I have read the novel several times, I still experience laughter, loathing, tears and fears as I interact with my imaginary cast.

Tommy is the central figure in the book. Abandoned at birth, he never really knows what makes him tick, or why. With no one to compare himself to, it is almost like he has lost his memory, as he struggles with his identity. He is fearless and happy to deliver his own brand of justice, an eye for an eye, but where does his strength come from?

After the death of his adopted mother, his only lifeline to his past, he is driven to search for his biological mother, hoping that if he finds her she will be able to help him identify who he really is. As I wrote the book, I found it impossible not to live every moment of his life alongside him.

JHH.