First off, I must admit that when I initially started writing the character of Bishop Lattimer I wasn’t really thinking about making readers fall in love with him. I was thinking about how to make Ivy fall in love with him. But in doing so, I was lucky enough to create a character that many readers view as a worthy book boyfriend.

I knew going into writing The Book of Ivy that Bishop couldn’t be the bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold. There’s nothing wrong with that type of character, but if Bishop had been unkind to Ivy from the outset her heart would’ve closed to him completely. She already distrusted him just based on his name and the stories her family had told her. Bishop couldn’t do anything to reinforce that distrust or their relationship would have been over before it started.

Beyond those considerations, though, I wanted to write a male love interest who didn’t treat the girl like crap initially, only to become a changed man once she loves him. I’m as much a sucker for those kinds of characters as the next person, but in real life the guy who acts like a jerk to you is generally not in need of your love in order to change. He’s just a jerk. And I definitely wanted to write a love interest, who treated the main character with respect and kindness from the outset.

I can’t speak for my readers, and I’m sure there are many and varied reasons why they have connected with Bishop. But based on the feedback I’ve received, I think its Bishop’s patience and his acceptance of Ivy for exactly who she is that really makes readers fall in love with him. And that makes me very happy because those are the characteristics that I love most about Bishop, too, and worked hard to develop as I was writing. Bishop is patient with Ivy when she’s difficult, but he also doesn’t let her avoid her feelings forever. He pushes her when she needs to be pushed, but knows when to back off, too. He would protect her with his life, but he also assumes she is able to take care of herself. He sees her as a strong, smart, capable, loving girl and that helps Ivy see herself the same way.

For all of these reasons, I love Bishop, and I’m so gratified that readers fell in love with him as well!

Amy Engel was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing among countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas; California; Missouri; Washington, D.C.), she settled in Kansas City, Missouri, where she lives with her husband and two children. Before devoting herself full-time to motherhood and writing, she worked as a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on television. When she has a free moment, she can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping.

Amy can be found on Twitter, Goodreads, and AmyEngel.net.