Meet the Characters of…
A Better Man
(The Men of Halfway House 1)
Matthew “Matt” Doner
Birth Name: Matthew Collings-Lloyd
Height: 5’10”
Age: 29 (at end of book 1, 2nd ed.)
DOB: July 1984
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Education: graduated magna cum laude in both accounting and finance
Occupation: Owner of Halfway House
Personality/Characteristics: Compassionate. Dedicated. Independent.
What do you like most about Julian? “The way he makes me feel. J gives me a sense of peace.”
Belief: “Everyone deserves a second chance.”
Charge: embezzlement and insider trading
Time served: 5 years
Appearances:
Book 1: A Better Man (main character)
Book 2: A Hunted Man (secondary character)
Book 3: A Restored Man (secondary character)
Julian M. Capeletti
Birth name: I go by Julian M. Capeletti. That’s all you need to know.
Height: 6’3”
Age: 32
DOB: Nov. 1981
Eyes: Green
Hair: What hair? If it grew out, it would be dark brown
Origins: A mix of Brazilian, Italian, German and American – translation: “I’m a mutt.”
Occupation: Contractor
Personality/Characteristics: Direct. Extremely private. Loyal.
What do you like most about Matt? “Everything. He just gets me.”
Belief: “Everything happens for a reason.” By the way, you ask too many damn questions. I’m outta here…
Appearances:
Book 1: A Better Man (main character)
Book 2: A Hunted Man (secondary character)
Book 3: A Restored Man (secondary character)
Samuel “Sam” Isaacs
Height: 6’0”
Age: mid-40s
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark with a little gray
Occupation: Rehabilitation Officer
Personality/Characteristics: Extreme optimist
Motto: “Do what you love and you’ll seldom work a day in your life.”
Belief: “Everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Sometimes, people just need a little bit of a nudge, a tiny point in the proper direction to get them going on the right path.”
Appearances:
Book 1: A Better Man (main character)
Book 2: A Hunted Man (secondary character)
Olivia Collings-Lloyd
Relation: Matt & Alex’s mother, wife to Mitchell Collings-Lloyd
Height: 5’6”
Age: What kind of an absurd, inappropriate question is that to ask a lady.
Eyes: violet-blue
Hair: silvered
Belief: “Appearances are everything and you are a fool if you believe otherwise.”
Appearances:
Mitchell “Mitch” Collings-Lloyd
Relation: Matt & Alex’s father, husband to Olivia Collings-Lloyd
Height: 6’3”
Eyes: pale gray
Hair: graying faster than I’d like and catching up with my eye color
Occupation: President/CEO of Collings-Lloyd Textiles
Belief: “I always try to believe there’s good in everyone. Sadly, I’ve come to realize it isn’t always the case.”
Appearances:
Book 1: A Better Man (secondary character)
– note: storyline change re: Mitchell in 2nd ed.
Alex Collings-Lloyd
Relation: Matt’s brother
Height: 5’10”
Age: 25
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Belief: “If you’re lucky enough to get a second chance, you better fight like hell to make the best of it.”
Appearances:
Book 1: A Better Man (secondary character)
– note: storyline change re: Alex in 2nd ed.
Lindy Snow
Relation: Alex’s fiancée
Height: 5’8”
Age: If I tell you now, I won’t be able to lie about it when I’m older 😉
Eyes: Green
Hair: Brown
Belief: “When you marry someone, there’s a truckload of drama that can come with it. Just put on some lotion and let it slide right off your back.”
Appearances:
David Costa
Relation: Julian’s ex-landlord
Height: 5’6”
Occupation: Landlord for apartment complex
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Belief: “Family and friends are important. Give them some love and lots of hugs and they give it right back.”
Appearances:
Although not physically present in A Better Man, the following characters played critical roles in shaping the story.
Liam Carter
Relation: Matt’s cellmate, friend and inspiration for the halfway house
Height: 6’2”
Age: Deceased, June 2012 at age 25
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Personality: Vibrant/Full of life, always smiling. Could talk non-stop for hours.
Charge: embezzled funds from the family business to support his gambling habit
Sentence: 5 years, released after serving 4
Eleanor Doner
Relation: Matt’s aunt (mother figure in Matt’s life), Mitchell’s older sister “Ellie” Deceased early 2013 She bequeathed all money, property, and personal belonging to Matt with two instructions:
- Everything should be sold.
- Do something with the money that makes things right.
Her push to ‘make things right’ was a motivator for Matt to open a halfway house.
Nick Moretti
Relation: Julian’s older brother
Age: Deceased 1993 at age 18
Eyes: Green
Hair: Brown
Personality: carefree, impulsive
Marie Capeletti-Moretti
Relation: Julian’s mother
Age: Deceased 1995 at age 34
Eyes: Green
Hair: Brown
Personality: Patient, compassionate, and caring
Belief: “Everything happens for a reason.”
Image disclaimer: Licensed material/stock is used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.