My “affair” with a woman who only exists as a Word document

Where does a character like Ro Delahanty come from?

Does she start with an eighth grader, who, while other kids were outside playing baseball, was cosseted in his room experimenting with poetry, short stories, and even a screenplay? By the way, they weren’t very good…

Perhaps she sprouted from various efforts over the years to tackle a novel, only to have life get in the way and those nascent books be put up on a shelf and forgotten. What’s interesting and not a little ironic is those earlier efforts all involved male leads.

Maybe it’s that I’ve always admired strong action heroines – The Terminator’s Sarah Connor, Aliens’ Ellen Ripley, and The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen.

And I have no doubt it has something to do with the fact I’ve been married to a strong woman for more than three decades!

Ro Delahanty as a distinct character has her roots some twenty years ago, in the early 00’s.

I wanted her to be…

…female – I thought there were already plenty of thrillers starring various permutations of male LEOs.

…an everyday street cop – I figured there were enough FBI agents and private eyes to go around.

…working in a semi-rural area – rather than prowling the mean streets of New York City or the exotic byways of Marrakesh.

…Irish – well, just because the Irish are fun to write about.

…finally, as a male author, she would be an interesting challenge.

Back then, she took the form of some thousand-or-so-word cop situation sketches, more or less detailed character profiles, and locale descriptions (including hand drawn maps) – in other words, only the seeds of a novel.

When I finally retired from full-time employment a little over a decade ago, I made up my mind to get serious about completing a novel. Ro’s Handle, published in 2017, was the result. I never thought of that book as an end in itself; to me, Ro’s story has always been ongoing, a series.

Ro’s Handle was intended to be Ro’s introduction. But then, what every writer hopes for came to pass, she turned into a living character. Now I like to joke I’m not “writing” the novels, I’m taking dictation from Ro. And yes, my wife loves to tease me about my “affair” with someone who only exists as a Word document in my computer and on the pages of a book.

In six Ro novels so far, I have mentioned more than 400 characters – that even surprised me when I stopped to count. Ninety-nine percent are secondary – fellow deputies with the sheriff’s department or other cops she relates to, citizens she interacts with while on duty, relatives who are mentioned or appear briefly in a variety of contexts, friends and acquaintances, and, of course, the villains and their henchmen.

The fun of having a website is it’s perfectly okay to engage in an “info dump,” something that’s a definite detriment to the flow of a novel. In other words, here you will learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know – maybe even more than you wanted – about the different characters’ backgrounds, the inner stuff that shapes how they react in certain situations but rarely finds its way onto the pages of a book.

Of course, I have to start with a background profile on the Delahanty Family – Ro, her mother Kate, her father Mike, and her brother Patrick.

As this website evolves, from time-to-time I’ll add more character profiles, like the crucial Pribyl Family, Rob Randall, and Guillermo Castenada (spoiler alert: they’re the villains); the imperial Prentiss Family (who have a profound impact on two generations of the Delehanty family); Ro’s closest friends, Atti Mehra, Kelsey Gates, and Aaron “Big Foot” Small; her lovers, Tage “Tag” Halvorsen and Wes “Foxtrot” Trevant; her mentor, retired Sergeant “Pops” Waters, her lifelong confidante Peter Panda, and her spiritual totem, Neshnala.

I will flag you in a blog post and email announcement as they are uploaded.

The Delahanty Family

Rowan “Ro” Marie Delahanty was born on May 15, 1982, the daughter of Kathleen “Kate” Delahanty and Michael “Big Mike” Delahanty. Her older brother Patrick “Tuck” Delahanty was born in the fall of 1979, so is two-and-a-half years older. They lived in a 70s-era split-level in Lee’s Landing, Iowa, a city of about a hundred thousand alongside the Mississippi in east central Iowa.

I have no idea where or when I first encountered the name Delahanty, but when Ro became a character, it was my only choice for her last name – I mean, it just sounds so Irish! In fact, a bit of online research at the time confirmed it was a “true Gaelic Irish name,” first appearing in County Kilkenny land records in the fifteenth century. However, it was not among the more common Irish names – Kelly, Murphy, O’Connor – which I liked.

Ro Delahanty

Rowan is a family name from her father’s side: In Irish it means, appropriately enough, “red-headed one.” Mike’s grandmother’s first name was Rowan; they also know of other female Rowans further back in the family tree. Her middle name, Marie, is a variation of her maternal grandmother’s name, Maria.

In fact, Ro is only half Irish; her maternal grandmother’s family was from Mexico; her paternal grandmother was mostly German. But her Irish side is certainly dominant!

Growing up, Ro is close to her father; they go for hikes in the state park, listen to classical music in his den, and have season tickets to the Illowa Symphony Orchestra. And she is very much his daughter in temperament and physical appearance. She is tall like her father, at five feet ten-and-a-half as an adult. In school she is at least a head taller than the girls in her class and well above average for the boys. She has long legs, slender hips and waist, wide shoulders, and is not buxom, reaching 34 C as a high school senior.

But what makes Ro undeniably her father’s daughter is her looks. Her eyes are a striking blue gray, leaning toward the gray. They are large and set wide and easily slip into a merry smile – except, of course, when she is wearing her serious “cop face” while on duty (the illustration of Ro on the home page is Ro with her “cop face”). Her cheeks seem a little chubby, like her dad’s, but her mouth is small and full. Her nose is small and slightly pushed up. Where Michael’s hair is a tightly curled light red, Ro’s is a deep red, like old paving bricks, and wavy instead of frizzy. In elementary, middle, and high school, she wears it in varying lengths, but always at least below her ears and sometimes shoulder length. As an adult she keeps it cut short.

As a ten-year-old fifth grader, she announced to her classmates she intended to be a cop when she grew up. Unlike most kids, who dabble in a whole series of possible adult career scenarios, she never wavered from that goal. Through her teenage years she prepared, earning a black belt in judo, as well as winning pistol, and long gun shooting championships.

Throughout high school, she eschews dating, to say nothing of sex– her attention was focused elsewhere. She doesn’t meet her first serious boyfriend until the end of her senior year. That summer she discovers and begins to enthusiastically explore her sexuality, and never looks back.

After high school, she enrolls in the local Mississippi Valley Community College (MVCC) two-year criminal justice associate’s program, but after a year, switches to the Parker National Institute of Criminal Justice online bachelors’ program, finishing her BSLE in 2005.

In July of 2001, as a nineteen-year-old, she joins the Fort Armstrong County Sheriff’s Department as a third shift dispatcher. But as soon as she reaches the minimum age of twenty-one, applies for and becomes the only female sworn deputy.

As a character, Ro Delahanty…

…is inner-directed. Her first instinct is to look inside of herself for guidance, rather than to others; however, she does seek out and pay attention to both her mother and father, and various mentors throughout her life. She has a strong sense of independence. At school she does not follow the crowd, so tends to be the odd girl out. She is not socially connected – except for her best friend Atti Mehra, her brother, Tuck, and her cousin, Justin – and is not a team player.

…is a “why” person, like her father. She is an analyzer, an intellectualizer, it is her default approach to life. She is interested in “the big picture,” the “why” behind the things we do. But can also agonize too much, especially about personal matters.

…at the same time, pays attention to her instincts. She first learns this in her judo classes, when the sensei instructs his students to “listen to your inner voice, it will tell you how to defeat your opponent.” And, as a cop, understands so-called “gut feelings” can often be the difference between life and death.

…is driven, has a strong sense of purpose. Her first instinct is always to have something useful to do; she doesn’t like TV, gossip, frivolous activities, what she calls “time wasters.” In other words, she tends to take herself too seriously and has a hard time just having fun.

…is highly competitive. But only with herself, not others; she is a high achiever in things she is interested in and chooses to commit to. This can mean she sometimes focuses too much on what she’s “into” to the exclusion of other things.

…has a strong “live and let live” ethic. Ro believes people should be allowed to be who they are; she values genuineness, detests phonies; she can’t abide judgmental people, intolerance, prejudice, or anyone who wants to control / manipulate others.

…places a high value on duty / protectiveness. This, and her strong sense of purpose, are the roots of her ambition to be a cop. She can’t stand bullies / abusive people. Does not like or want to be domineering… Ironically, it means in her judo classes she was primarily defensive, to the point her sensei kept telling her she needed to be more aggressive. As a deputy, her standard greeting when she climbs into her squad car to begin a patrol shift is, “Hello, Mr. Pete, let’s go help protect the world from the bad guys.”

…believes in doing the right thing. To Ro, morality is not about what you’re required to do by law or by custom, but rather a personal choice one makes based on the Golden Rule.

…is very loyal. Especially to her family, but also to the few people who she really allows herself to connect with; when she makes a commitment, it’s deep. But this can mean she is vulnerable to a sense of loss / being hurt if the relationship sours; while she doesn’t hold a grudge, if someone lets her down, they are now held at arm’s length.

…is physically oriented. Ro likes to “experience” her body, feel her muscles work; trail running several times a week in the woods of a state park in Fort Armstrong County is her Zen. As an adult she enjoys sex – maybe too much.

…has a sense of personal pride. Especially of her accomplishments, like judo, shooting, running. However, while proud of her body, she does not think of herself as “beautiful,” so tends to suppress her femininity.

…loves learning. She liked school but was not a top student; she tends to do well in classes she sees relevance in, but so-so in others. She loves college because it focuses on what she’s interested in, law enforcement. She reads police procedural novels, not so much for entertainment, but for what she thinks she can learn about how cops work and think. She does not pursue knowledge for knowledge’s sake, but for its perceived usefulness.

…revels in nature. She prefers the out of doors, especially the woods, and has a real “tree thing.” As a child she loved picnics in the state park, hiking / camping with her dad, and visiting the centuries old white oak called Neshnala that is the park’s central attraction.

…has a spiritual side. She believes we all share some kind of universal connection through nature (especially trees), through running (her Zen), and later through sex. She is not “religious” in the traditional sense, does not like any organized church; to her, if there is a God, it is the accumulation of all life energy, a nature God.

Perhaps the gun safe in a corner her apartment’s study reveals as much about Ro as anything…

  • Sig Sauer P229 .357 magnum – This is her official issue sidearm as a deputy sheriff.
  • Glock 34 9 mm – This is the full-size handgun she competed with as an adult.
  • Glock 19 9 mm – This is her compact off-duty weapon, with her at all times.
  • Ruger Mark II Government Competition Model .22 LR – This is the gun she first started pistol shooting with and which she won many of her trophies with as a teenager.
  • Browning BPS 12 gauge – This is the long gun she skeet shot with after she graduated from…
  • Stevens Model 311A .410 – …a gift from her father, it is the gun she first learned to shoot with when she was ten years old.

Film star resemblances – When I am describing a certain character in my books, I generally have one or more film stars in mind. For example, when visualizing Ro, for her face, especially the serious frown that characterizes her “cop face,” I saw Daisy Ridley, but for her height and figure I saw Mackenzie Davis, only with red hair.

Kate Delahanty

Kathleen “Kate” Rourke Delahanty, Ro’s mother, was born in October of 1956, in Grand Island, Illinois – just across the Mississippi from Lee’s Landing – the daughter of Glen Rourke and Maria Rojas Rourke.

Kate is drop dead beautiful, melding the best of both of her parents’ heritages – she has fine, even features, like her dad, but has the rich, dark hair, which she wears in a casual flip, and intense dark eyes of her mother. She also inherits her father’s outgoing personality and organizational skills. Although by the time she is in high school, the Rourkes are comfortably well off – Kate’s sixteenth birthday present is her own convertible – she is never “stuck-up,” but always comes across as genuinely liking someone. Not only is she a cheerleader all four years of high school, she is the Homecoming Queen her junior year and Senior Queen her senior year, and is involved in the high school choir and student government. But her real skill is organizing charitable events, like an annual drive for the local food bank. Inheriting her father’s outgoing personality, she is very popular, never wanting for a date; but she never goes steady with anyone.

From early childhood, Kate demonstrates an interest in art. When she graduates from high school, she enrolls in Chicago’s Harrington School of Design, graduating from the two-year Certificate in Interior Design program. While she is a good student, she is also very active socially, partying frequently. When she returns to Gilbert, she goes to work for Goodman’s Furniture as a part-time salesperson and interior designer, where in the fall of 1977 she meets and falls in love with Michael Delahanty. They are married in June 1979.

In 1985, with her father’s financial backing, she leaves Goodman’s and starts Kate Delahanty Design, specializing in commercial interior design.

Kate loves her children and, like any mother, would do anything for them. But she sees her basic role as the “facilitator” of their lives. What that means to her is to give them as much space as possible so they can become whoever they are supposed to be. Yes, she needs to provide structure and a sense of responsibility, but she hates the expression “right and wrong,” rather preferring to think in terms of helping them make choices that have consequences.

Although raised Catholic, in both the Irish and Hispanic tradition, as an adult Kate is not religious, being particularly uncomfortable with the church’s attitudes on women and gays – she had many gay friends while in college in Chicago; her nephew, Justin, her sister’s son, is gay.

Besides her business, and, of course, the kids’ numerous activities, Kate’s only outside activity is participating in the Illowa Community Chorus, both as a singer and a member of the choir’s board.

While Kate can cook, although she doesn’t very often, her approach is the opposite of Mike’s, she “eats to live,” so her dishes tend to be basic and often from a box or bag. In this sense, Ro is like her mother.

Kate becomes sexually active between her sophomore and junior year. While in high school she was not promiscuous but does have sex regularly with different boys. It is while she is in art school in Chicago that Kate parties and is very sexually active – after all, it was the 70s and women had newfound freedom to be themselves.

Film star resemblance – In my view, Kate’s screen doppelganger is the French actress, Audry Tatou.

Big Mike Delahanty

Michael “Big Mike” Delahanty, Ro’s father, was born in 1956 in Alden, Illinois, a rural town of ten thousand about twenty miles from Grand Island. He is called Big Mike because he is six feet four inches tall and weighs 230 pounds. His father is Brendan “Red” Delahanty his mother was Helen Graf Delahanty.

She and Brendan were married in 1950. They try for six years to have a baby, finally succeeding with Michael. However, within days after Michael’s birth, she passes away from complications with high blood pressure. Michael has no memory of his mother.

In effect, Michael had three “mothers” growing up…

The first was his aunt Ellie, short for Ellen, his mother’s younger sister. After Helen died, Ellie, who lived a block away from Red, cared for the infant Michael right alongside her own recently born son, Preston. Red would drop him off early in the morning and pick him up after work, although as often as not, they would stay for dinner.

The other two “mothers” were his grandmothers: Nana Graf and Gramma D. Sometimes as an infant, and more and more frequently as a toddler, Red would take his son to one of the two grandmothers. Nana Graf lived on a farm a mile outside Alden. Gramma D lived in town. When Michael started school, he would usually go to Gramma D’s or to Auntie Ellie’s, but sometimes be picked up by Papa Graf and taken out to the farm.

All three “mothers” provided lots of love for young Michael. And each had their own special something that made it fun to visit – Ellie had his cousin Preston, a built in playmate; Nana Graf had dogs to play with, horses to ride and farm chores to help with; Gramma D had a TV to watch, she liked to play games with him, and she was the one who started Michael learning how to cook.

As an adult, Mike was an accomplished amateur chef, doing virtually all the cooking for the Delahanty family. Mike’s big deal was his July Fourth Big Bash attended by upwards of forty or more relatives and friends.

Growing up, Red was very involved in his son’s life. As an infant he cared for Michael virtually every night. When Michael was a toddler, Red took his son with him everywhere and involved him in all of his activities, which is how Michael first learned to fish and hunt. Eventually Red started to date, with most relationships lasting for only a few weeks, others for several months. Red never remarried: partly because he didn’t want to, seeing marriage as a potential infringement on his independence and as a distraction from raising his son, and partly because most of his girlfriends weren’t excited about marrying into a readymade family.

One of Red’s regular “dates” was to the concerts of the Alden Community Band, with young Mike along. Besides the traditional marches, the band would often play adaptations of famous classical music themes, which is where Mike first acquired his interest in Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff. By the time he and Kate moved into their split-level, he had several hundred vinyl albums and CDs, all classical.

Michael graduated from Alden District High School in 1973 and joined the Navy, serving aboard the carrier U.S.S. Enterprise in the Pacific. Because of his size he had played lineman for his high school football team, but in the Navy got interested in internship boxing. He ended up as his carrier group’s heavyweight champion during his last year in the service. Aboard the Enterprise he was a crew lead for loading and unloading ordinance from the newly deployed F-14 Tomcats, which is where he learned how to handle loaders (forklifts).

After leaving the service, his Navy experience, along with that his father also worked for Jacob Daring, led to Big Mike’s first job as a forklift operator at the worldwide farm and heavy construction equipment manufacturer’s newly opened national parts distribution center in Lee’s Landing. By 1990, he was the day shift domestic logistics coordinator.

At first, he lived with his dad in Alden, but soon tired of the nearly one-hour one-way commute, so decided to get an apartment closer to work. While he had a few hand-me-down items of furniture from his dad and others, he also needed things, like a couch for his living room, which is how he ended up going to Goodman’s Furniture in September of 1977, and meeting Kate Rourke.

For Michael it was love at first sight – as far as he was concerned, he had never seen anyone so beautiful. After much stammering and nervousness, he ended up buying a sofa from her. But, over the next several months found excuse after excuse to visit Goodman’s – he needed a living room lamp, he needed a bedside lamp, he needed an end table – always insisting on working with Kate.

It quickly became obvious to Kate he was more interested in the salesperson, her, than in the furniture. Unlike the “smooth operators” she was used to, she found Michael “charming” in his honesty and innocent genuineness. When in December of 1977 he finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, she said yes. They dated for another year; he bought her an engagement ring for Christmas in 1978; they were married in June 1979.

Film star resemblance – For Mike, I visualized Colm Meaney, only bigger.

Patrick “Tuck” Delahanty

Patrick “Tuck” Delahanty was born in January 1980. The nickname “Tuck” comes from that as a little girl, Ro had trouble saying her older brother’s full name “Patrick,” instead shortening it to “Tuck.” Ro is the only one who calls him “Tuck;” his parents usually use his full name, Patrick, and his friends all call him Pat.

Patrick gets his height, and most of his looks, from his mother. Even as an adult he is only five-ten, slightly shorter than his sister. Tuck has boyish good looks, even when he is in high school and college. He has light brown hair that he wears short and brushed forward, wide brown eyes, a straight nose and wide, sensual mouth. Like Kate, he is very gregarious and has lots of friends, both male and female.

He is two years ahead of Ro in school, graduating from Lee’s Landing High School in 1998. He goes to the University of Northern Iowa with a major in business / marketing. In college, he is on the college newspaper staff as an ad salesperson, in his junior and senior year becoming ad manager. By the time he graduates, he has more than tripled the annual ad revenue of the paper from when he started a freshman. With his degree in marketing and his success in sales, he secures a job as an ad sales rep with KLEE, the leading local TV station.

However, an entrepreneur like his mother, he eventually leaves the TV station to start his own ad and public relations agency, Pat Delahanty Communication.

While Pat dates regularly and frequently, and has several male friends, he always remains close to his family and particularly to Ro.

Film star comparison – For Tuck, picture a younger Jeremy Renner.

Coming next, the all-important Pribyl Family – Charles; his wife, Carol; and his sons Dwight, Woody, and Ron. They are the founders, owners, and operators of the mega car dealership, the World of Wheels, with its vast business interests, both on the books and off the books.

Ro Delahanty’s and Ron Pribyl’s life paths become inextricably entwined.