Every story needs a heart. For The Catalogue, Jake Penny became that pulse—the character through whom readers could feel the stakes, the tension, and the humanity behind the espionage. But Jake didn’t come out of thin air. He’s stitched together from scraps of memory, inspiration, and a few very real-life influences.
Where Jake Began
One of the things I love most about writing is figuring out the psychology of character development—understanding what makes someone tick, and why they make the choices they do. Jake’s creation was shaped in part during the early stages of my own fatherhood, when I became more aware of how the pressures of society can weigh heavily on a person. The demands to provide, to protect, to simply endure—those became the soil Jake grew out of.
He isn’t flawless. In fact, he carries a checkered past that he can’t quite shake. But through those barriers, there’s always a subtle light—the drive to do good, even if “good” doesn’t always look perfect. Jake is someone who survives day-to-day, stumbling forward with all his doubts and scars, yet still trying to make the right choices when it matters.
And I think that’s why readers connect with him. Most of us know what it feels like to carry past mistakes, to feel the weight of expectations, and to wonder if we’re really doing enough. Jake’s story reminds us that imperfection doesn’t erase the possibility of redemption—and that trying to do right, even in small ways, still matters.
Inspirations and Traits
I pulled from multiple places to shape Jake. His sharp curiosity comes from journalists I admire, those who risked safety to chase the truth. His wit and sarcasm reflect conversations I’ve had with friends who always defuse tension with humor. And his dogged persistence—that’s part personal, part borrowed from people I’ve known who refuse to quit, no matter how uneven the fight.
Jake’s flaws, though, are just as important. He doubts himself. He second-guesses. He struggles to know if he’s cut out for the world he’s been dropped into. That tension between determination and insecurity is what made him feel alive on the page.
Real-Life Parallels
Jake is not me, but there are echoes of me in him. His way of noticing details others miss, his tendency to replay moments in his head long after the fact, even his stubborn streak—they all trace back to my own life. One tick in the book that you'll is when Jake is in uncomfortable situations, we strokes his ring finger. This is something I do, first as a reminder not to leave the house without it, but also to go to a safe space when I'm overthinking. But the backbone of Jake—the grit, the way he carries his scars and still pushes forward—was borrowed from a man named Jake Penny that I served with years ago. That man didn’t know he’d help shape a character, but the impression he left was indelible.
Why He Matters
Jake Penny matters because he embodies the fight so many of us know: the struggle to rise above our past, to hold on to integrity in a world that makes it difficult, to find light in the midst of shadows. He has a checkered history, but he tries, day by day, to do right. And that’s where his humanity shines—through persistence, not perfection.
Bonus Trivia
- Jake’s favorite drink is The Party Arty (details in the book).
- His middle name, which never appears in the novel, is David.
- The first line I ever wrote for him (in an early draft) was, “Funny how the moments you don’t see coming end up rewriting your whole life.”
Want to see how Jake unfolds in this story?
Download The Catalogue today and experience a world built seamlessly into every twist, turn, and character choice.
