I thought it might be fun to try something new with you today.

Whenever I create a main character, I build out their full backstory—from birth all the way up to Page One of the novel. Most of that never makes it into the book. You won’t hear about it, the characters won’t talk about it, but I know it.

And I do that for a reason: all that hidden history—their baggage, their heartaches, their little quirks—shapes how they act and react to everything that happens in the story.

So I figured, why keep it all to myself? Let’s shine a little light on these untold moments.

This is the first in a new series I’m calling Character Spotlight—a once-a-quarter peek into an episode from a character’s past that you’ve never seen before.

Today, we’re kicking things off with a little secret from A.J., the quiet bookworm and hero of My Daring Texan. Here’s a secret from his teenage years you’ve never heard before… and his brothers have questions.

Click the video for the first-ever Character Spotlight: