Today’s article is going to be about the title character of my new book, Jon Drake. Just who is Jon Drake? This man has endured a lot of pain in his life, starting at the tender age of 12. When you are 12, you are excited about life, and transitioning into a teenager. It should be a time of harmony, where you grow as a human being.
But for Jon, it was anything but that. Already without a mother because of her death a few years earlier, Jon’s father Robert died in front of his very eyes, when a man named Freddy Hunter shot him. This left Jon desolate, alone, and saddened. He had no one. His best friend Jessica’s father took him in. But one day some people took him from them, and he ended up in South America.
Once in South America, Jon encountered more hardship. He was now in the employ of one of the most dangerous cartels in Brazil; the Great Command of the Capital. Their leader Armando Escobar saved Jon’s life, but at a high cost. Jon now had to work for them. At 12, Jon became a member of the cartel, and lost all hope.
Flash forward ten years to the present day, and we start the story in another part of Brazil. Jon is now a man, with many scars, physical and emotional. We do not learn about the extent of those scars at first, but we peel back the layers as the story goes on. The reader gets to see exactly who Jon is, and what made him the way he is. This man could have lived a happy life, and could have been something else. Instead, he fell victim to circumstances.
Despite all that, coming home can prove soul-saving. In Jon’s case, it might change his methods, and alter his plans. Gone for ten years. He did everything he had to in order to survive without worrying about the consequences. Because of that, Jon often did unspeakable acts. It would be safe to say that Jon is not proud of what he did during his ten years away from home.
The book puts forth the fact that Jon has returned home. However, this is not a social call. Encouraged by the mysterious Vladimir Ramirez, Jon has returned to his hometown to get revenge on the men that killed his father. These men are Alexander Caine and his right-hand man, Freddy. Because of this, his interactions with everyone he reunites with are intentionally tense. Remember, he is not there to hang out with his friends. He has a job to do. Yet, because he has encountered these people who once cared for him, things get complicated.
Jon Drake is one of the most complex characters I have ever written. He can be deadly. He can be goofy, such as when he drinks. He loves to drink a lot. Some more humorous aspects of Jon’s character involve when he drinks. That gives the reader some insight into the actual character, and how he copes with everything. It also enables the reader to identify with Jon, and relate to him. We all have experienced some issues in our lives, some more traumatic than others. It is how we deal with those issues that determine who we are. Jon Drake sees one endgame, and that is his death. But what brings him back to the light is the people he encounters, and how they help him. That drives him.
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