Character Interview: Charles Hastings of Rob Kaufman's A Broken Reality

We’re thrilled to be talking to Charles Hastings from Rob Kaufman’s, A Broken Reality.  It is a pleasure to have him with us today at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview, Charles.  How old are you and what do you do for a living?

Hi. I’m thirty-three years old and I work for a technology company that sends me out to people’s homes so I can fix their computers, laptops, tablets and whatnot.

Can you tell us about one of your most distinguishable features?

I’m great at outsmarting people. Most people think I’m “ordinary”, little do they know there’s a lot more to me than meets the eye. And actually, I like to keep it that way.

What would I love the most about you?

I think you’d love the fact that I never intentionally try to hurt anyone. Of course, if someone does something to me or tries to con me in any way, I need to take action, but deep down, I’m a good person.

What would I hate the most about you?

You might hate that I do whatever it takes to protect myself and prove others wrong… and I mean “whatever it takes”.

Where do you go when you are angry?

I go to the shed, way in the back of my home’s backyard and look at all my “souvenirs” of past guests. I also like to clean my gun that I keep hidden back there. For some reason, doing those things takes a little of the edge off my anger.

What makes you laugh out loud?

Fooling people and watching them fall into my traps. People’s stupidity and ignorance is one of the funniest things on the planet.

What is in your refrigerator right now?

Half a bottle of Cherry Gatorade, leftover chicken and broccoli I brought home last night, a giant bottle of Cherry Coke, old, wilted lettuce, a half-filled bottle of Heinz pickles from last year sometime. But I have lots of stuff in the freezer, like frozen French fries and tater tots (Ore-Ida are my favorite), ice cream sandwiches and like ten frozen TV dinners.

What is your most treasured possession?

Danny’s coat.

What is your greatest fear?

That Daddy will come back to haunt me one day – not only in my dreams, like he does now, but in real life, like when I’m watching TV or at someone’s house fixing their hard drive or something.

What is the trait you most not like about yourself?

Sometimes I think I’m too nice. Everyone might think different, cause of some of the things I do, but I think I’m too nice. Yeah, that’s it. I’m too nice.

Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?

Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn’t. There were times when he made me look like I was doing something wrong or trying to hurt people. But that’s not the case… not the case at all. I treat everyone with respect until they do something wrong or try to destroy my plan. It takes me a long time to put my plans into action and when someone screws them up, they have to pay. There were times when Kaufman made me sound a little crazy. I didn’t like that… and I’ll tell you now, he won’t like the fact that I didn’t like it.

What are three must haves when shopping at the grocery store?

Tater-tots, ketchup and potato chips – the crunchy ones with those ridges, not those dainty, thin ones. Those are like eating paper.

If you could change one physical thing about yourself, what would that be?

I’m a little overweight. Not a lot, but I could stand to lose about fifteen pounds. Then I’d be close to perfect.

Are you a loner or do you prefer to surround yourself with friends?

I don’t really have any friends. That’s on purpose. I don’t like people. They don’t understand me. I’d rather be by myself or hang out with my special guests.

Who is your best friend?

Danny was my best friend. But not anymore.

What is your favorite weather?

I like rainy days. Hot, cold. It doesn’t matter. I like when it rains hard and I can barely see across the street from my living room window. It brings me back to the day I left home. Left home for good. Makes me feel proud. Rain makes me feel proud.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I never thought about being something… just about getting away from Daddy and his stink. I dreamed about getting away. It didn’t matter what I did, as long as I was away from that place. That’s all that mattered.

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?

Walk into the forest and visit Danny.

About the Author

As a child, Rob Kaufman was always fascinated by the stories recited by those around him and the words used to tell them. As he got older, his need to tell his own stories grew, as did his ability to share them in exciting and captivating ways.

However, he wanted to share more than just stories. His primary desire was to create characters with whom people could relate, while at the same time bringing them through a journey from which most would crumble.

His degree in Psychology was the first step toward getting beneath the surface of the people in his life. What followed was a lifelong search for what makes people tick – what forces them to become evil when deep down in their heart of hearts, they are yearning for love. Rob’s characters walk this search with him, deep into the human psyche, creating psychological thrillers from every day events.

Rob’s second book “One Last Lie" continues to receive great praise and is selling well in both electronic and paperback formats. His current book, “A Broken Reality” is much darker than his first, with characters who hold bits and pieces of strangers he’s known, friends he’s had and personal tragedy he’s lived through.

“This book hits home for me,” says Rob. “There were a few pages that made me laugh out loud as I wrote them... and many that made me cry. And the great thing is, I’m finding that many readers of this book are experiencing the same emotions.”

Through social and other media, Rob hopes to get “A Broken Reality” into the hands of millions, so that they, too, can experience the ups, downs, twists, turns and final tragedy that has helped make this book a Five-Star contender.

Website Address: www.AuthorRobKaufman.com

Blog Address: http://authorrobkaufman.com/blog/

Twitter Address: @RobKaufmanCT

Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobKaufman/

About the Book:

Title: A BROKEN REALITY
Author: Rob Kaufman
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 320
Genre: Thriller/Suspense/Psychological Thriller

BOOK BLURB:

On a fateful night in the dead of winter, an unimaginable tragedy changes the lives of two families forever. How will they manage to deal with reality while stopping the sociopath who is pushing them toward the edge of sanity?

Ten-year-old, Danny Madsen, has been missing for four days when Jesse Carlton begins his own search for his godson on a frigid, snowy night. Driving along a deserted rural road, Jesse hits a stretch of black ice at the same time Danny appears from the thicket. Unable to control the car, Jesse slams into the boy and watches helplessly as Danny's body flies back into the dark brush.

When Jesse regains consciousness, he has no recollection of how he and his car wound up in a ditch. However, there's a witness: Charles Hastings, the sociopathic kidnapper who chased Danny through the brush and into the path of Jesse's car.

Hastings takes this chance to set up Jesse so he'll take the fall for both Danny's disappearance and death. And so the mind games begin--an onslaught of psychological manipulation that devastates Jesse, his wife, Danny's parents and the cops' investigation. Inexplicably, the torment continues even after the primary suspect is killed and the rollercoaster of emotions and confusion seems never-ending until the final and devastating truth is revealed.

If you like gripping, suspenseful page-turners that keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end, this is a must read!

Link to book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Reality-Rob-Kaufman-ebook/dp/B07HRYRSBP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538875993&sr=8-1&keywords=a+broken+reality+kaufman

Link to book on B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-broken-reality-robert-kaufman/1129769311?ean=2940156129126