Meet Gary Garrison, a good friend, who once asked me to put him in one of my books. Since we’re such good friends, of course, I said YES!

Gary’s first preference, he stated, was to be a cover model, shirt ripped opened and chest bared. Hairy chest or not, was negotiable. He said we could Photoshop that as desired. And he wanted his long, thick mane flowing behind him in the wind. I told him that last request could prove to be a problem. However, there are wigs and extensions, so that hurdle, too, could be scaled.

But I needed to find the perfect character for him. I mean, he’s a good friend! As I was writing the Belle Meade series, that perfect opportunity presented itself. Gary was made for this role!

But first, some quick backstory…

Gary is a professor at Belmont University here in Nashville where he teaches with my husband Joe. That’s Joe photo bombing our picture.

A while back, due to a foreign clerical error, Gary’s name was listed in a publication as Gray Garrison instead of Gary. Well, of course, once his colleagues got a hold of that, Gray became the preferred moniker. And the nickname stuck.

That’s when the character of Old Gray was born.

Here are some of Old Gray’s most powerful scenes in the Belle Meade novels:

Yep, Old Gray is a broken down old gelding, sway-backed, and knock-kneed. ; )

And my personal favorite….

When To Whisper Her Name, book 1, released, Gary said he feverishly scanned the novel looking for his name, but couldn’t find it. Perplexed, he reached out. I told him to check more carefully—and look for the name Old Gray. : )

Gary is such a kidder (if you can’t tell by that gleam in his eyes) and we’ve had fun with this through the years. But do be careful when you ask an author to include you in her book. You never know what you might end up being!

Do you enjoy learning about “behind the scenes” details in novels? Has anyone in your life ever given you a nickname that’s inadvertently stuck?

Blessings from my corner of Nashville, friends,

Tammy

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In a town battered and bruised by war, one woman embarks upon an impossible search – and one man must face the past in the very place that almost destroyed him.