posted on September 6, 2022 by Lynn Rush & Kelly Anne Blount

Unsung Heroes: How Secondary Characters Win Over the Reader’s Hearts

Hi, Everyone!

Thank you so much to Writerspace for featuring CROSSING THE LINE! Before we jump into our love of developing and writing secondary characters, we wanted to let you know there’s a giveaway! Woot woot! You can find all of the details at the bottom of this post.

When writing IN THE PENALTY BOX, the first standalone book in the Woodhaven High Series, we created a large cast of characters, including several important secondary characters. This cast included hockey teammates, friends, family, and community members.

One of our favorite secondary characters was Preach Armstrong. And what is super cool, our readers loved Preach just as much! We got feedback from readers asking if Preach was going to have his own story. With that positive combination, casting him as the lead of CROSSING THE LINE was an easy decision.

We were like, “Heck yes!”

And thankfully, our editor, Stacy Abrams, over at Entangled Teen agreed.

As you might remember from IN THE PENALTY BOX, Preach is Brodie “Wind” Windom’s best friend.  As we wrote and edited the first book, we saw what a pillar he was to Brodie, and everyone around him, so we started thinking… what if.

And you all know how great stories begin with What if…

We already knew Preach had a great personality, supported his friends through thick and thin, and there was a depth to him that really stood out to us. So of course, we had to find something that would challenge all of that.

And challenge him we did…

Preach’s nearly perfect world comes crashing down in CROSSING THE LINE and he has to navigate several difficult and life-changing situations. His storyline was extra emotional because we’d gotten to know him so well as a secondary character in IN THE PENALTY BOX.

But that’s what makes his fall from grace that much more intriguing. It was a wild ride, that’s for sure. And we absolutely loved getting to write Preach’s story as well as continue the Woodhaven world!

GIVEAWAY TIME! Let us know who your favorite secondary characters are in a comment below and we’ll pick two winners to receive swag packs! This giveaway is open until October 1, 2022 at 11:59PM (EST). Winners randomly selected. Open internationally.

Thank you again to Writerspace for featuring CROSSING THE LINE and thank you for taking the time to read this featured blog!

Kelly Anne Blount and Lynn Rush xoxo

CROSSING THE LINE

Synopsis:

A patch of black ice is all it takes for Ryan “Preach” Armstrong’s perfectly planned future to skid out of control. The car crash shatters his hockey dreams…and injures Woodhaven’s newest student, Grace Milner. As much as this feisty track phenom gets under Preach’s skin in all the best and worst ways, she might just be his path to redemption…

Grace can’t believe that all it took was seriously bad timing and a hot but prickly hockey player to threaten her lifelong dream of joining the Air Force. Now, instead of prepping for the track season and upcoming start of basic training, she has to complete community service with the absolute last person she would ever want to be stuck with—the guy who shattered her future.

When two fierce competitors collide this hard, the only result is heartbreak…or an epic victory as they cross the finish line together.

Pick up your copy of CROSSING THE LINE today!

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Lynn Rush

Lynn Rush

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Lynn Rush, is a full-time writer, wife, and trail runner, living in the Sonoran Desert, despite her fear of rattle snakes. Known as #TheRunningWriter, she can't resist posting epic sunrise pictures while running in the desert with her trail sisters, even if she has to occasionally hop over a scorpion. When she's not running, writing, or reading, she and her Ironman husband are watching movies that fuel her undying love of superheroes, vampires, and all things Supernatural.

https://www.lynnrush.com/

Kelly Anne Blount

Kelly Anne Blount

Kelly Anne Blount is a USA Today bestselling author of young adult novels. She loves to alternate writing sweet romances, gritty thrillers, and fantasy books. She's a firm believer in balancing light with dark. When she's not writing, she's probably lost in a book, watching Twilight, or having an adventure with her sweet family, which includes her handsome husband, their darling daughter, and their five furry loving rescues. After living in a palace in Scotland, across from the Caribbean Sea, and in the snowy land of Wisconsin, Kelly and her family reside in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. She draws inspiration from the places she's lived while world building in her books. Kelly loves connecting with readers on social media! Stop by and say, "Hi!" or ask a question. You can find her everywhere @KellyAnneBlount.

https://www.kellyanneblount.com/

3 thoughts on “Unsung Heroes: How Secondary Characters Win Over the Reader’s Hearts”

  1. Lynn Rush says:

    Yay!! Thank you so much for sharing release day with us!!

  2. Colleen C says:

    I love Peabody and McNab in JD Robb’s books

    1. Lynn Rush says:

      Hi Colleen. You win! Please message me and we’ll send instructions on how to claim your prize (lynnrush (at) lynnrush (dot) com.

      Thanks!!!

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