Bobby Upton has a special place in my heart. He was introduced in The Prophecy as the son of Rebecca Upton, aka Rebecca the Blade, and is known as the Son of the Blade. 

I know, it's a little cheesy, but this is how I think of him.

Bobby also has another nickname, one he earned during his time in the Army's Special Forces, but you'll have to wait until the, respectively, June and October releases of Light's Bane and The Enemy Within to learn about that.

Anyway, Bobby is really a sweet guy, affectionate and fun-loving, with that bad boy vibe that comes from being a man who knows just how charming and sexy he is. (Believe me, he uses it to good effect.) He also has a bit of a troubled past, not from the way he was raised, but from decisions he made when he became an adult in the eyes of the People. I've seeded hints about this into Light's Bane and, of course, in The Enemy Within, which is his story.

Yesterday, Richard and I were strolling through our local grocery store, where we hit the book and magazine aisle. Since taking up writing fiction, this section has become a favorite. Ok, all right, it was a favorite before then, since I'm always looking for something new to read, but it's really become a must-visit since I started writing fiction, only now it's not the books that draw me in; it's the magazines. 

For writers who like having visual images of their characters, there are few better places to find great images than in magazines. Magazine covers are particularly inspiring. I've found several character images simply by browsing the magazine aisle at the grocery story. Yesterday's foray yielded two, and one of those was for Bobby.

In her blog, Jennifer Crusie discusses using collages of several people to portray characters, since what you're looking for is, essentially, the expressions of emotion or particular characteristics. I prefer to use images from one person capturing a wide range of expressions. This allows me to ignore the individual (because the features are the same) while focusing on the emotion or characteristic portrayed by the image. 

The photo that drew my attention yesterday was of Aaron Taylor-Johnson as seen on the cover of this month's issue of Men's Health. To view the images, click on Aaron's name (above), and then use the numbers to scroll through the pictures, or go here to see them all at once. I'll use the latter link for this discussion.

It's important to note that Bobby does not look like Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Bobby's eyes are brown/green/gold hazel and his hair is a lighter brown and a bit longer and curlier. His physique is leaner, although no less muscled, and so on. These photos are just visual cues to help me remember certain aspects of Bobby's character, not images of Bobby himself.

For example, the top photo showing ATJ shirtless dangling from a rope on the rock face exemplifies Bobby's daredevil playful nature. (Also, what a great torso shot.) The second image captures Bobby's commitment to physical fitness, while the third (lounging on the Jeep) is a perfect example of Bobby's confidence in himself as a man and in his appeal to women. He's not a womanizer, not by any means, but he's certainly aware of the effect he has on others, particularly women.

The image that's my favorite, though, is the magazine cover. It's the eyes, that tough, don't mess with me glint that promises deep and ugly retribution for anyone who crosses him. This is the aspect of Bobby that most people never see because he's such an outgoing, happy-go-lucky guy on the surface, very much like his father, Robert, who's a genuinely nice guy. Underneath, though, Bobby is all Rebecca, a dangerous and often ruthless warrior who will stop at nothing to get the job done. 

Like all of the characters hanging out in my head, Bobby has been a lot of fun to work with. I'm still in the middle of writing the first draft of The Enemy Within so I can't say too much, but I did want to give you a sneak peek into a character who will likely keep popping up throughout the series.