Good day, book people. I hope those of you in the USA will get to spend some of your Labor Day holiday today reading. I hope those of you elsewhere are able to find some time today to squeeze in some reading. If you’re like me, an avid reader, I’m always amazed when I pick up a new-to-me book or series about how much detail the author will include about the characters. Some authors provide glimpses of the characters backstory and other authors will weave the backstory into overall story. It doesn’t seem to matter how they craft their characters, the more details I have about a character, the more three-dimensional they seem to become. Today I’m pleased to welcome an award-winning and bestselling author, Kat Flannery, whose latest book, The Memory Bell, was released a few months ago. Ms. Flannery will be discussing the importance of character biographies with us today. I hope you’ll enjoy what she has to say, follow the blog tour, and add The Memory Bell to your TBR list. Thank you, Ms. Flannery, for taking time out of your busy schedule and joining us today. The blog is now yours.
Character Bios
Kat Flannery
The Memory Bell was so much fun to write, but that didn’t mean there weren’t challenges along the way. I’d be lying if I told you the whole writing process was a breeze, and nothing went wrong. Ha, I don’t think any author could spout that sentence as true. There are always problems and as the author—the creator you have to figure out how you’re going to fix them.
With all of my novels there are problems and sometimes they’re really big ones. You know, ones that require me to rewrite 10,000 words, or scratch a whole beginning, or worst-case scenario delete the whole manuscript and start over. Every single one of the above happened when I was writing The Memory Bell in the first four months. I honestly didn’t know if the book would ever get written.
When I set out to write a contemporary mystery littered with family drama, I had no idea how in-depth I would need to go to put the Penner’s to paper. The process was crazy and long and at times annoying. Why? Well for starters I had to write a bio on every single one of the Penners so that I could understand them better, really get to know them. Yeah, I had pages upon pages of backstory and conversations that I never used. Alas it was all necessary so that I could write each character perfectly. Did it make the process any less painful? No, it did not, but I know it needed to happen.
My job as an author is to deliver well researched, three dimensional characters that are real to my readers just like they are real to me. AND if that means I write 22,000 words of character biographies and backstory, then that is what I do. I hope you enjoy reading The Memory Bell and learning all about the devious Penner clan.
Thanks for having me on your blog!
The Memory Bell
by Kat Flannery
September 1-30, 2021 Tour
Synopsis:

Grace Penner’s safe haven crumbles when a body is found outside of town.
Gifted the memory bell, a family heirloom, from her grandfather’s will, Grace’s excitement is soon squashed when the bell gets broken right after she receives it. While gluing the pieces back in place, she discovers three are still missing.
Determined to find them, she is halted when the new detective, Bennet James, investigates her family. Grace is intent on showing the detective her family isn’t capable of murder, but as the investigation deepens, and pieces of the bell show up with ominous notes, Grace soon realizes the Penners are not what they seem. Amidst the tightly knit family; dark secrets, deception, and possibly even murder unfold.
Will Grace be able to save the family she loves more than anything without losing herself forever?
Praise for The Memory Bell:
“A naïve small-town girl and a disillusioned big-city cop, drawn together by an unsolved crime that is itself only the tip of the iceberg, The Memory Bell serves up the perfect steamy summer read.”
–Jenny Jaeckel, author of House of Rougeaux
“The story moves beyond a small town whodunit to probe the underlying bonds of history that connect a family.”
-Midwest Book Review
“Wonderful, engaging, and fast-paced! Flannery knows what she’s doing!”
-Jonas Saul, author of the Sarah Roberts series
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Published by: Black Rose Writing
Publication Date: July 1, 2021
Number of Pages: 288
ISBN: 1684337089 (ISBN-13:978-1684337088)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Author Bio:

Kat Flannery’s love of history shows in her novels. She is an avid reader of historical, suspense, paranormal, and romance. A member of many writing Kat enjoys promoting other authors on her blog. When she’s not busy writing, or marketing Kat volunteers her time to other aspiring authors. She has been a keynote speaker, lecturer and guest author inspiring readers and writers at every event she attends. Kat’s been published in numerous periodicals throughout her career, and continues to write for blogs and online magazines. A bestselling author, Kat’s books are available all over the world. The BRANDED TRILOGY is Kat’s award-winning series. With seven books published, Kat continues to plot what story will be next. Creativity is in all aspects of Kat’s career. She does Social Media and Marketing for her own career and businesses, writing ads, and other content.
Catch Up With Kat Flannery:
www.KatFlannery.com/Books-1
Goodreads
BookBub – @KatFlannery
Instagram – @katflannery_
Twitter – @KatFlannery1
Facebook – @kat.flannery.5
Tour Participants:
Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!
https://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=303078
ENTER TO WIN:
This is a Rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Kat Flannery. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card (U.S. ONLY). The giveaway runs September 1 through October 3, 2021. Void where prohibited.
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Very interesting guest post! I always think about things like that – How does the author keep their characters straight, how do they develop their characters, how do they keep their personality going true through the whole book? etc.
Thanks so much for this insight!
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