6 Questions from the Porch Swing for Jim Alessio

I love Matt Czuchry, so I have mixed feelings
about "casting" him as Jim, but except
for the eye color, he's got the look.
Photo: http://mattczuchryofficial.com/gallery/

Poor Jim. Readers consistently tell me how much they dislike him, and nearly everyone (including characters in the books!) wonders how a nice girl like Angel ended up with a guy like him.

Jim's not all bad, though, and while Marita may have good reason to resent him, Angel clearly loves him and Charli seems to be developing a meaningful relationship with him.

Since Jim never gets to share his thoughts in Casting the First Stone or Chasing a Second Chance, I thought he'd be a great choice for this week's porch swing interview.

Where will we find you when you’re not on the page of the book we’re reading?

JA: At work.

What’s something we’d be surprised to know about you?

JA: That I see the best of Marita in Charli. God knows she looks just like her, which is a bitter pill for me to swallow, but the stubbornness and intelligence and certainty that are so annoying in Marita seem somehow tempered in Charli. It's a tough world, and I'm glad she's no shrinking violet.

What are your thoughts on children?

JA: Obviously, those thoughts have changed in the past thirteen years. Now that I'm in a loving, committed marriage, I'm anxious to build a family with Angel.

What regrets do you have?

JA: That I let my parents convince me that my future was more important than acknowledging Charli. It's clearly evident that Marita and I would not have ended up together, as they predicted, but now that I'm a father, I realize the depth of my betrayal to my daughter. Marita and I will never see eye to eye, and I don't think I owe her anything, but I owe Charli a great deal. 

Whom do you admire? My mother. Right or wrong, she is steadfast in her opinion and her determination. She never wavers.

Do you think Marita's a good mother? So far. But little kids are easy. Teenagers are more challenging. Given the way Marita managed her own teen years, I stand by my concern that Charli needs a stabilizing influence as she navigates that same time frame, and I think Angel and I can provide that.