Meet Monty Jay, the dark romance author behind the gripping Hollow Boys series, known for their intense storytelling and complex, morally grey characters. Monty Jay brings these characters to life with a unique 140-question character interview—a writing tool they talk about in an upcoming LitJoy podcast episode. We wanted to know more about this character interview process and thought you would too!
(check out the resources added at the end of this article)
So we asked...and Monty Jay agreed to give us a sneak peek of their writing process in this exclusive article featuring a character interview with one of the characters from their newest dark romance Wrath of an Exile, book one in the River Styx Heathens series releasing September 24!
Get ready to explore Monty Jay's writing process, uncover what makes their characters so unforgettable, and delve into the darker side of romance . . .
A Word from Monty Jay:
Before beginning a novel, I often conduct character interviews to better understand my characters. It's the most effective method I've found for developing a new character's voice. These character interviews provide valuable material for creating dialogue or inner monologues in my books, and sometimes I simply use them to further build and develop my characters' personalities and plot. This makes them more real to me and makes it easier for me to put the characters on a page and have readers connect to them.
Below I've shared a snippet of the 140+ question interview with my newest female main character found in Wrath of an Exile, the first book in the River Styx Heathens series.
Character Interview: Seraphina Rose Van Doren
The Basics
What is your full name? Do you have a nickname (if so, who calls you this)?
Seraphina Rose Van Doren
Do you have a nickname? (if so, who calls you this)?
Not sure there is enough time in the day to run through that list.
I have time.
*shrugs shoulders* Your funeral, dude. *releases a sigh and pops blue bubble gum* Pretty much everyone calls me Phi. My mom and dad have called me Sweet Phi since I was young. I have an aunt that calls me Firefly. Atlas Caldwell refuses to stop calling me Phi-fi-fo-fum, even though we aren’t fucking ten anymore. *crosses arms, rolls eyes* The people of Ponderosa Springs call me The Queen of Disaster, and men with too big of egos call me The Vixen. *recrosses arms, tone shifts to sarcastic* These are the many faces of Seraphina.
What’s your favorite of those faces?
The one I show Jude.
Does he have a nickname for you?
He calls me Geeks.
Where and when were you born?
I was born July 23rd in San Diego, California.
You’re a Leo. Fifth sign of the zodiac. Fearless, strong sense of self-confidence, protective, overconfident, reckless, prideful, sensitive.
*rolls eyes* You sound like my sister.
You don’t like astrology?
I just don't see the point in letting the stars decide who I am. Sure, I’m reckless and headstrong, but I’ve always been more interested in things I can actually prove. Physics, logic, stuff that makes sense. It's not that I don't like it, I’ve always preferred fact to belief.
Who are/were your parents (their names, birthplaces, occupations, personalities, etc.)?
Gotta be more specific. Do you wanna know about the people who biologically made me? Or my parents?
You’re adopted?
*nods, pops gum again*
Tell me about both your biological parents and adoptive parents.
The woman who gave birth to me was someone my mom *aid with emphasis* met when she was working at a theatre in LA. They were friends—according to Mom she was a really talented set designer. Until she met my sperm donor who got her hooked on drugs.
What happened to them?
They were in a car accident, two weeks before my due date. Neither survived and I was a preemie baby in a hospital with no family. My parents were there the day after I was born, never left until they took me home eleven days later.
Tell me about them.
Sage and Rook Van Doren. They both were born and raised in Ponderosa Springs, Oregon. It’s where they met. Went to California to finish college, before they came back home after they had my older brother. They wanted to raise us around family, and family was in Ponderosa Springs. My mom is a force. Unyielding and determined. She owns a theatre that she named after her deceased twin sister. There is nothing she isn’t capable of doing. My dad is a little eccentric, a little scary, and every bit loving. He’s a judge, but not because he thinks he’s above the law. I think he’s got this thing with justice and making sure those who are wronged get it. There is no one who knows me better than him. He’s been my best friend all my life. They’re flawed, in many ways, but I’ve never felt unloved.
Do you have any siblings? If you do, what are/were they like?
Yeah, I have two. Reign is the oldest. The trailblazer. Wildly athletic, brash yet charming, he’s the favorite.
Your parents say that?
*scoffs* No? No one is gonna say it out loud. But I know he is. I used to think it was because he was the only boy, but it’s not that, he’s just . . .*shrugs* I don’t know, he’s golden. Reign’s just got one of those personalities that make it impossible not to love him.
What about the other sibling?
A: Andromeda is . . . the epitome of beauty, and I’ve never known her to be bad at anything. Music, art, sports, academics, the list could go on and on for hours. She doesn’t blend in, even though I know she wishes she could. She shines too brightly in her silence to ever be ignored. It's the beauty ancient priestesses beheld, the kind that whispers rather than shouts. It's unparalleled, ethereal. She has a way of pulling you into her quiet presence, an uncanny ability to empathize with others, this depth in her soul that I've always been jealous of. Her existence is effortless.
And yours isn’t?
No. Mine feels more like a battle.
Beliefs and Opinions
Are you optimistic or pessimistic?
Neither. I’m a realist. Good things happen, bad things happen. We have no choice in how or when those things happen to us.
Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?
I’d probably say no to a stranger, but yes to anyone who really knows me. Our bodies are created from the same atoms that make up this table *knocks table* and that chair you’re sitting in. We are made of the same matter that the stars are. Most of the elements in our bodies—carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, calcium, and iron—were created in stars over billions of years ago. So maybe not soul mates, but universe mates, yes.
Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?
Yes.
Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable?
Killing someone is never acceptable. It’s not our job to play fate.
But you would kill someone?
Yes. Playing fate is a moral decision, it’s all about your internal scales of morality. I know that killing someone is unacceptable, but if anyone were to hurt me or my family, that’s a decision I’d have to live with. One I wouldn’t care if I had to live with.
Likes and Dislikes
What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
I love building Legos. Big fan of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who. I like anything that involves science.
What is your favorite color?
Red.
What is your favorite food?
I love pasta, and my mom makes the best marionberry pie, so I guess that too.
What is your most treasured possession?
First edition of The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes that my dad got me for my fourteenth birthday.
Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? How do you get the money for it? Do you want to quit?
I don’t smoke cigarettes, I hate the smell. But I drink and smoke weed.
So cigarette smoke is bad? But weed is okay?
Nicotine smells like lung cancer. Weed smells like an escape.
Relationships With Others
Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe them with some basics like their personalities, how you met them, what you have in common, etc.
Most of my friends are either siblings or people I’ve known since childhood. But my best friend is Atlas Caldwell.
Describe them with some basics like their personalities, how you met them, what you have in common, etc.
I met Atlas before I even knew I met him. There is a picture of him holding me when I was a few weeks old. Our parents are best friends, so we grew up together. Atlas is fun. He’s lighthearted and always has a joke, he makes me laugh. But he’s always there, and we just kinda get each other. We always have. He’s my person.
A huge thank you to Monty Jay for sharing their time and giving us access to their full 140+ question character interview, which we've turned into a downloadable PDF just for you (see resources below)! It’s always special when authors let us peek behind the curtain to see the craft behind the characters and stories we love. And don’t forget—Monty Jay’s newest dark romance, Wrath of an Exile, releases September 24!
Want more of Monty Jay? Check out the books that have been a huge influence in their life here, and be sure to tune into the LitJoy podcast on September 10, where they’ll discuss their writing journey, their approach to creating morally grey characters, and much more!
And remember to check back in the LitJoy Lounge for more exclusive author connections, Q&As, fun articles, and so much more!
About the Author
Monty Jay is a dark romance author with titles published in multiple countries. Their books are for hopeless romantics with wicked hearts looking for their next morally grey hero. They call the Appalachian Mountains home, along with their two furry friends, Poe and Maeve. When they aren’t writing you can find them reading anything Stephen King, in a tattoo chair, or bingeing a new true crime documentary.
Like sports romances? Check out Monty Jay's hockey romance The Fury Series!
*As a reminder, we at LitJoy care about your emotional well-being, and highly recommend checking for trigger warnings when starting any new book! We hope you'll do so for any and all of our book recommendation roundups. Your mental health comes first!
Resources Mention in this Article:
- Monty Jay's Website
- Monty Jay's Character Interview Questions
- LitJoy Podcast: Fun Friday Book Recs with Dark Romance Author Monty Jay
Do you read dark romance? Who’s your favorite morally grey character?
Drop us a comment below! 👇
