Although not every story begins with picture inspiration, I always have photos of my characters. In this case, I found photos that matched the images I had of the characters in my head.
Brant Daugherty was an easy choice for Andrew Carmichael. Although the eye color isn’t quite right–Brant has rather brilliant blue eyes and I picture Andrew’s as hazel–he has exactly the look I imagined. Some photos are serious and a little stern, from when he and Joel first meet and he’s in pain. Others are a little softer, with a smile just playing on the edges of his lips like I imagine him at the end of the story.
Joel Brooks was more difficult and I looked for a long time before I found the right person. More than the specific features, he had to have the right vibe. He needed to be sporty but have a little bit of shyness to him, something boyish and sweet in his expression. Lucas Guldan was an unexpected fit, and the moment I saw pictures of him I knew he was the right one.
I’ve been collecting the photos for a little while now, and yesterday my friend Bethany put together a couple of nice collages of pictures and I thought you’d enjoy seeing them.
Is that how you pictured Andrew and Joel looking? If not, I’d love to know what you imagined!