We wanted our characters to have a chance to tell us what they’d do if they didn’t have those pesky authors telling them what to do. Check out the answers see what they said.

• Terry Ambrose:

  Alexandra Atwood: Well, first off, he doesn’t know how to not meddle in my life. But, if the universe sidetracked him with something else for a while, I’d spend the day baking with my mom. We’d make all kinds of cookies, cakes, and brownies for the guests at the B&B, but we’d also have lots of time to nibble and laugh and have fun.

• Nancy J. Cohen:

  Marla Vail: If my author didn’t tell me what to do, I’d …find it a lot easier to get on with my life. She keeps involving me in all these shenanigans when I just want to live in peace and enjoy my family. Then again, I like to be challenged so maybe it’s a good thing that she keeps throwing obstacles in my path. Otherwise, life would be boring, right?

• Cheryl Hollon:

  Savannah Webb: If my author didn’t keep such a close watch on me, I’d love to explore a new artistic pursuit like oil painting or even film photography with an antique large-format camera. There’s something timeless about capturing light and color in unexpected ways.

• Maggie Toussaint:

  Bob Mancini of “Mancini Blue” has had enough of people telling him what to do. After his wife passed, his grown sons tried bossing him around. He couldn’t believe it when no one thought his wife was murdered. They thought it was a natural death. So he drank too much, did stupid stuff, and got arrested. It landed him in a psych ward. Now that he’s out, he’s happy with his author letting him choose the direction his story goes.

• Lois Winston:

  Anastasia Pollack:  If my author didn’t tell me what to do, I’d consider it a miracle. The woman gets her kicks out of throwing dead bodies at my feet and placing me in deadly situations. The least she could have done was make me an FBI agent or fully trained detective instead of an amateur sleuth with only my brains and problem-solving skills to help me.