A partial listing of who’s who in the books:

Gus González --  The fourteen-year-old protagonist.  Raised in foster care, Gus can hardly believe his luck when he is unexpectedly adopted by one of television’s most popular and recognized stars. Gus has little interest in show business and prefers to spend his time playing soccer, watching TV, and hanging out with his friends.

Desert Blood 10pm/9c is told from Gus’s point of view as he works to unravel a mystery surrounding his new dad and uncover a dangerous attacker who has it out for them both.


Nicholas Hernandez -- Gus’s newly adoptive father and star of the hit television crime drama, Desert Blood.  Nick plays a good-guy police officer named Gabriel Santana on the show. At the age of
twenty-six, the wildly popular actor shocks Hollywood and his fans with the decision to take in a teenaged kid.  After the courts grant Nick custody of Gus, the tabloids print nothing but outrageous stories and hurtful rumors that make the public question the nature of their relationship.


Lalo Perez -- Gus’s best friend since they were six. Lalo views Gus’s relationship with Nick as an easy way to meet girls and break into show business.  A wise-cracking loudmouth, Lalo spends most of his time pestering Gus’s new dad for a chance to demonstrate his acting skills.  He is fiercely protective of Gus and is outspoken and fearless when it comes to defending his long-time friend. He earns extra cash by secretly selling Nick’s personal possessions on Internet auction sites like Ebay.


Aurora Castillo --  Nick’s ex-girlfriend. Aurora is Hollywood’s most popular Latina movie star.  A former Texas beauty queen, Aurora’s life is shattered when Nicholas puts an end to her dreams of becoming his wife and adopts Gus instead.  Bitter and angry, Aurora launches a plan to win Nick back and possibly get rid of Gus at the same time.


Pete Flint -- Gus and Lalo’s friend. Unpopular at school, Pete becomes a part of the in-crowd following Gus’s headline-making adoption.  Abandoned by his own father, shy and lonely Pete is attracted to Nick and Gus’s new relationship and finds himself an innocent victim of those that wish to do them harm.


Eddy Adams -- Nick’s best friend since high school.  Eddy is also in show business, but has had none of the same luck as Nick.  He often has to work low-paying jobs to make ends meet. He is extremely loyal to Nick and supportive of the adoption.  He is like an uncle to Gus.


Sara Flores -- The girl of Gus’s dreams.  Unfortunately, she seems to only have eyes for someone else -- Gus’s new dad, Nicholas Hernandez.


Becky Sanders -- Nick’s publicist and personal assistant. She is aggressive and ruthless in her efforts to keep Nick on top of the Hollywood A-list. Loud, abrasive, and mean, she gets the job done in spite of the bad press generated in the tabloids following the adoption. She openly hates Gus and blames him for putting Nick’s red-hot career in jeopardy.


Lieutenant Stephen Johnson --  A detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He is called in following a brutal attack and mysterious kidnapping at the remote Copper Creek Studios, where Desert Blood is filmed.  Impressed by Gus’s amateur detective skills, he enlists the boy’s help in solving the case, despite Nick’s objections.


C.J. Delacruz -- A Senior classmate of Gus and Lalo.  Extremely handsome and talented, C.J. is considered a front-runner for landing a new role as Gabriel’s brother on Desert Blood.  Nick’s mentoring of C.J. is a source of great annoyance to Lalo, who wants the part for himself.


Todd Wilson -- Todd is a college intern working at Copper Creek Studios on the set of Desert Blood.  An aspiring screenwriter, he frequently brings his scripts to work and solicits feedback from Nick.

These are just some of the characters you’ll meet in the first Gus González mystery, Desert Blood 10pm/9c.