Johnnie Alexander — When the Bad Boy Becomes the Good Guy

Today I’m excited to welcome Johnnie Alexander as we learn how a bad boy can become good. And read on through to find out how a one lucky winner can receive a free copy of When Love Arrives — ebook or print (print in US only).

The heroine needed a threat. The hero needed a rival.

Enter Brett Somers.

His dimpled smile charms the ladies. His talent for making money impresses the men. His ego is bigger than his bank account.

The handsome deep-pocketed blond Adonis was the perfect bad boy for the NaNoWriMo contemporary romance I wrote almost thirteen years ago.

That story languished as I turned to World War II for inspiration and honed my writing skills.

But every so often I’d rewrite the opening scene of that contemporary and show it around at a writers conference. Over the years, the title changed at least four times. I even changed the heroine’s name so she would talk to me. (True story.)

One variation placed as a Bronze Medalist in the My Book Therapy Frasier contest.

Eventually the day came when my agent asked if I happened to have a contemporary.

“Sure do,” I replied.

“Send me the proposal,” she said. “By the way, I want to pitch it as a series, so add a couple more story ideas.”

“Sure will,” I replied.

And that’s why Bad Boy Brett, who threatened the heroine’s dreams and angered the hero, experienced a small change of heart in Where She Belongs, the first book in the Misty Willow Series.

In the series’ second book, When Love Arrives, Brett no longer wants to charm the ladies or impress the men. His ego isn’t quite as big as it used to be.

He’s now the hero. The Good Guy.

Readers live through Brett’s transformation with him.

Even as the antagonist of the first novel, he has a voice, his own point of view. We’re with him, experiencing his thoughts and his emotions when he gets the news that turns his world upside down, when he realizes the emptiness and futility of the life he’s living, and when he makes amends with the hero and the heroine.

His redemptive journey continues in the second novel.

Bad Boy Brett still appears. He messes up. He walks by a church, thinks about going inside, then walks away. He isn’t always nice.

But mostly Good Guy Brett’s knightly armor shines.

Once again we’re beside him, sharing in his vulnerabilities and grieving over the childhood tragedy that tore him apart.

He changes. He grows.

He seeks God.

That’s how a Bad Boy becomes a Good Guy.

And now — drum roll please!  To enter to win a free copy of When Love Arrives, simply leave a comment. We will randomly draw from all entries. And thanks for stopping by!

 

About Johnnie:

Johnnie Alexander writes inspiring stories that linger in the heart. An award-winning and international author, she volunteers as the marketing director for the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference, is president of the American Christian Fiction Writers Memphis chapter, and co-host of the weekly online show Writers Chat.

Johnnie treasures family memories, classic movies, road trips, and stacks of books. She lives near Memphis with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, the princely papillon who trees raccoons.

 

Personal Links: Imbedded Hyperlinks

 

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Misty Willow Series Website

Johnnie’s Blog