"Classic Ginger" HER Body, HIS Nightmare...Culture Shock by Ginger Simpson

Cynthia massaged her temples. "God, there's too much to remember. You can't expect me to store all that information in my brain. You went to an academy for months to learn all this stuff..." 

Suddenly her eyes widened. "I'm not going to have to shoot a gun am I?" 

"No! I've never even taken mine out of the holster. Don't worry. You'll do fine. Just remember the basics. You'll be surprised how things sink in even if you don't think they did. You'll remember what you need to know when you need it." 

"That's easy for you to say. I'm the one that has it the toughest." 

He scrunched up his face. "You? How can you say that? I haven't the first idea about how to be a woman, and we all know how complex they are." 

"We are not! Being feminine is very simple. Let me show you." 

She struck a pose that looked ridiculous and walked across the room. "The walk is the most important thing. Take small steps and lead with your hips. Let them be your guide.''

Alex's flinched at the sight of his masculine frame sashaying around the floor. Even more annoying was the way she made feminine gestures with his hands. 

He rolled his eyes. "There's no way I can walk like that, and I wish you'd stop. You're making me look ridiculous. Promise me you won't walk like that as long as you have my body." He jumped to his feet. "Real men walk heavy and hard ... and pull your shoulders back." He grabbed her forearms from behind, forcing her chest forward. 

She jerked out of his grasp, turned and glared at him. "Don't worry. I'll play up the macho thing, but I want to see you walk like I just did." 

He blew out a loud breath then reluctantly took one step, then another. The swivel didn't come naturally, but he tried following her example. Having a woman's form and a man's thought process was tough. The two didn't work well together. He walked across the room then turned. "Well, what do you think?" 

"I think you look like someone who just had casts removed from their broken legs. But, we'll keep working on it. I also need to show you how to sit properly, drink with poise, and how to be graceful." 

He grabbed two handfuls of her blonde hair and yanked in frustration. "Just kill me now." 

"I can't. You promised I wouldn't have to shoot anyone, and I don't want to be the first to un-holster your gun." Her giggle sounded forced. 

He sagged down on the sofa. "I guess I'll be spending the night again. Looks like we have a lot of ground to cover."

http://www.amazon.com/author/gingersimpson

Sunday Snippets with Ginger #sundaysnips

Naïve, country girl, Cynthia Freitas, moves to the big city with high hopes, but her starting salary barely makes rent in a run-down tenement. Newspaper headlines warn of a serial killer in the neighborhood, and the article grabs her attention when she recognizes the victims bear a striking resemblance to her. Alex Carlyle is assigned to assist detectives in one of the toughest cases he’s ever experienced as a cop. Despondent over a recent break-up with his fiancé, he buries himself in his work until he meets the cute new tenant next door who gives him something else to think about except kidnap and murder. The aftermath of their first “jolting” kiss places the burden on Cynthia to solve Alex’s case and keep him from potentially becoming the next victim. 

Previously published as Beside Myself 

In this excerpt, the hero meets the heroine"


Maybe today was the day he’d clean up the pigsty he lived in. Maybe not! He stretched and yawned, feeling the need to pee.

Alex rolled to the edge of the bed and sat for a moment, then swaggered into the bathroom to
relieve himself of the six pack he‘d polished off before bed. As he stood at the toilet, he stared through bleary eyes at his reflection in the medicine chest mirror. His dark shock of hair lay flat on one side while the other looked like a tornado had rumbled through. Rubbing the palm of his hand against his stubbly chin, he longed for the days when he didn't have to shave every morning.

"I guess being tall, dark and handsome has its drawbacks," he quipped, while slapping both his
cheeks. Too much alcohol always made waking up tough.

"Hmm!" He leaned in closer, recalling an old re-run of a favorite cop program. “Maybe I should
forego shaving and see if I can pull off that Miami Vice-Don Johnson look." He studied the image staring back at him. "Ah, maybe not ... then I'd have to get one of those white, linen outfits like he wears." Alex backed away and cocked his head.

How would that famous TV cop solve Alex’s current case? The hot water always took at least
five minutes to reach his apartment so Alex turned on the shower. While he waited, he sauntered back to the bed and pulled his covers back into place and straightened the pillows. Satisfied he’d done something to improve his housekeeping, he dropped his boxers on the floor, stepped out of them and went back into the bathroom where the water had finally turned warm. Taking a shower in The Cairns was more like walking in a light rain, but Alex stepped in the tub and quickly soaped and rinsed. The one thing he could always count on: the hot water never lasted very long.

He yanked the towel from the wall rack, sending the securing hardware flying in all directions.
Amidst the tinkling of scattering screws, the entire bar clattered to the floor. He shook his head and sighed. "Shit! What next?"

Terrycloth wrapped around his waist, Alex left the mess lying on the floor and went into the
bedroom. Should he fix the bar or call the super? Such important decisions made Alex laugh. He
decided to fix the bar later, right after he picked up all the bottle caps on the living room floor.
He donned his sweat suit and tennis shoes. Images of the missing women spun through his
mind, along with a faceless man who heaved a snide laugh at the police‘s inability to catch him.
Overcome with the need to escape his cramped quarters and sickening images, Alex decided a quick run around the nearby park sounded like just the ticket. Besides, a little exercise would counter-balance allvthose calories from his nightly beers, a habit he’d acquired since the breakup, and one he needed to discard.

He picked up his IPod and clipped it to his waistband. As he opened the door, the heaping
trashcan in the kitchen corner caught his attention. The contents overflowed the container and spewed onto the floor. He donned his headphones and cranked up the volume of his all time favorite song, Travis Tritt's, Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof.

Singing along and not caring that he wasn't in tune, he picked up empty beer bottles, potato chip
bags, and all the caps that missed their mark and stuffed them all inside the garbage sack. After tying the top, he hefted the bag over his shoulder and strode out into the hallway, keeping step with the musical beat.

While passing Apartment 2A, the door opened. The tenant backed into the hallway, two garbage
bags in tow. Not watching where she was going, she bumped right into him.

Obviously shocked by the sudden impact, she spun around. "Excuse me, I'm so sorry. I should..."

Her widened eyes traveled the length of his body.

 Her mouth gaped.

He towered over her petite, maybe five-foot-three frame.

She gazed up at him. "Uh ... I should have been watching where I was going."

Alex dropped the trash bag on the floor and removed his headphones. Unable to resist, he
returned her once over, but with a much slower scan. Blonde hair drawn back into a ponytail presented a youthful appearance, but her clingy, terrycloth outfit did a great job outlining assets that proved she wasn't a child. The way she licked her full bottom lip, maybe a nervous habit, made him want to savor a taste for himself.

Realizing he had missed most of what she said, he forced himself to stop ogling her and pay
attention. He'd heard her apology and needed to respond, but his mouth turned dry as dust. He cleared his throat and smiled. "No problem," he managed to croak.

Puberty and voice change passed through his mind, but that took place a long time ago. He
swallowed hard and pointed to her trash bags and then to his own. "Looks like we're both headed for the same place."

"Yep, it's Saturday, my cleaning day. Same routine every weekend." 

Her head tilted in a way that made her beautiful hazel eyes sparkle. His palms turned sweaty, and he wiped his right hand against his pant lengthen extended it.

"Name's Alex Carlyle. I live in Apartment 2E."

Her tiny hand disappeared inside his. "Hi, Alex. I'm Cynthia Freitas. Looks like we're neighbors.
How long have you lived here?"

Why did she make his knees weak? He adjusted his stance. "Going on two years already. Time

flies when you're having fun."

***************************

I got carried away and gave you more than a few snippets. This is one of my favorite stories, and you can't imagine how hard it was to write about two characters who really, really become entwined.

  Hop on over to the following sites and check out their weekly offerings:

http://www.jamiehill.biz (Jamie Hill)

http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGill)

http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com (Vijaya Schartz)

http://connievines.blogspot.com (Connie Vines)

Welcome, Jamie Grey

Why I Write Fantasy

Fantasy. The word has some interesting connotations. Ask a room full of people and you’ll get reactions ranging from obsession to derision to disinterest. But what is fantasy? Webster’s Dictionary has several definitions:

·        imagination, especially when extravagant and unrestrained.

·        the forming of mental images, especially wondrous or strange fancies;

·        An imagined or conjured up sequence fulfilling a psychological need; daydream.

·        A hallucination.

·        A supposition based on no solid foundation;

Not all of them are completely complementary, are they? Even more interesting is what happens when you tell someone you *write* fantasy. Sometimes you get those looks – the ones where people seem to be looking for the horns sprouting from your head or the Dungeons and Dragons game sticking out of your backpack. I should know, some of my family members have been the ones giving me those looks.

But you know what? I don’t mind. I’m a fantasy writer and proud of it!

So why do I find myself writing in such a “strange” genre? Perhaps it’s because I’m a bit of a dreamer myself. Growing up, I used books as an escape, a way to forget the real world for a little while, and often the books I chose were about Hobbits or Elves or Magical Wardrobes. For a short while, I could be part of something bigger. I could be a dashing hero. I might even save the world!

When I began to write, I naturally started drafting novels that had fantastical elements. My characters demanded settings that were more than just our everyday world. And I loved the freedom and creativity it takes to create something brand new. It’s that act of asking What If…and not being held back by the constraints of the “real” world.

But what I also found was that so much fantasy was based on the male hero, the patriarchal society. And I wanted, no needed, to change that. I wanted worlds where women are equal to men, where their voices are heard and accepted. Where women are the  strong main character that saves the day, not the Sleeping Beauty who lays passive and unconscious for most of the story until the Prince rescues her.

My short story Princess for Hire took those tropes and turns them on their head. I wanted to write something that put a spin on the usual Handsome Prince rescues Helpless Princess we’re all so familiar with. And even better, I wanted to create a world where anything was possible and nothing was unexpected.

Most of all, I wanted to write something that fell under the definition of fantasy I like best: Imagination unrestricted by reality.

My short story, Princess for Hire is available March 1^st from MuseItUp Publishing. You can also visit me at my website (http://www.jamiegreybooks.com) or my blog (http://www.jamiegreybooks.com/blog). I’m also on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jamie_grey.

Who Needs Spring When You Have The Vampire Family?

I'm sure some of naughty little fiends (!) are familiar with Eternal Press and my novel with them, The Vampire Family. We came out last year in ebook formats and last month, we became available in paperback! Hip, Hip! So, I'll just get right to the good stuff. I know that's what you want. Horror, dark fantasy, historical, urban, paranormal, romance, these greedy little vampires do it all!

Here's Our blurb from our Eternal Press Page:

Sadistic? Check. Domination? Check. Happiness? Not for all.

Antonio Welshire accepts the mysterious Mestiphles' offer for vampiric power, but fails to consider that not all in his family desires evil. Daughter Victoria revels in the debauchery, but eldest daughter Samantha loathes the darkness. Enemies are in no short supply when the family turns to darkness. Charismatic rebel Gaston turns up to rival for Antonio's power; the vampire lover Jean can destroy them once and for all, and henchwoman Lilith seeks to supplant Antonio as Mestiphles' favorite. Who will be declared the victor? And in the end, though they've survived coven wars and persecutions since the 12th century, can The Vampire Family survive each other? Killing his abusive parents isn't enough for Antonio Welshire. Rape and death follow him through his youth in the 12th Century-until a stranger named Mestiphles give Antonio unimaginable vampire powers. Fearful yet captivated by his allure, Antonio's adopted sisters Ann and Elizabeth share this gift with him and their children-Victoria, James, Samantha, and Stephen. Antonio is a cruel ruler , and after his defeat of the young rebel Gaston, Antonio struggles with Lilith-another magical pet also created by Mestiphles. Antonio's vampire family grows over the centuries, each vampire loving and losing vampire fledglings over time. Wars, persecutions come adn go, but the family's troubles always stem from within. Elizabeth may be his wife, but Ann supplants her as Antonio's mistress. By the 20th century, Elizabeth has found love again-unfortunately her fledgling Jean share's Samantha's disdain for the vampire life. Will The Vampire Family self destruct before the 21st Century?

We're also available at Fictionwise/Barnes and Noble-at a discount if you're a member!


The Vampire Family is meant to be a parallel examination into the high and lows, loves and losses, darkness and light of one twisted group of immortals through the centuries. Here's a more detailed breakdown of our storylines and characters. For more infor, you can check out my official website For Flying Servants Only.......

Book 1: Conflict

Antonio Welshire’s downfall begins as a young man in the British Isles almost 1,000 years ago. Caught between abuse and poverty, Antonio's ambition leads him to power, and a unique stranger named Mestiphles. Antonio's tyranny, however, is contested by Gaston-Antonio’s shrewd and charismatic young rival. Will Antonio be victorious against the unruly Gaston and gain Mestiphles’ favor? Or will the battle destroy Antonio and his family?

Book 2: Pinnacle

Elizabeth’s new fledgling Jean romances the weary Samantha, and the lovers plan to upset the already shaky 1,000 years of Antonio’s reign. Mestiphles wants The Masquerade-an annual party held by Antonio to attract unsuspecting guests-to go off smoothly, but Ann and Elizabeth’s escalating tensions also threatened to destroy the family's decadent lifestyle. Will Samantha finally be free of her father's rule? Can Antonio keep his vampire coven on top or will Mestiphles take it all away?


Book 3: Hunted

Victoria returns to upset Samantha’s not so perfect life. The remaining Welshire vampires must form an uneasy alliance to defeat Lilith, an avenger sent by Mestiphles to finish the dysfunctioning Welshire coven once and for all. Lilith failed Mestiphles in the past and is determined to hunt down the fallen coven one by one to impress him. Will the Welshires prevail? Can Lilith complete Mestiphles’ plans and destroy the Welshires? Which coven will gain Mestiphles’ favor?


Now, now, you probably want an excerpt for those juicy little appetites! I've got a short one ready here-I can't hog up all of Ginger's Space, now, can I? ;0) For a lengthy dash of free samples, Check our our Vampfam Blog.

http://vampfam.blogspot.com

You can also read more about The Vampire Family and keep up to date with our appearances by subscribing to our blog or friending and following us. If you prefer groups, you can come on over and hang out at the Kristin Battestella Yahoo Group. We're due for a Summer contest in a few months!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kristinbattestella/

And of course, you can get all the latest information about our paperback edition by visiting our page on Amazon. The look inside feature is now available!


Alright so here's the naughty little excerpt!



“Catherine?” Antonio’s shadowy figure stood at her door. The tiny flame shortened in a clump of wax as the maid looked up.
“Yes, sir?” She set down her quill. “You sound different, sir. Are you ill?”
“Yes.” He stepped toward her. “I need your help.”
The dim light shined in his face. He couldn’t see. His eyes felt bloodshot, and his hands seemed pale as the candle flickered. He put his hands on Catherine’s arms. She felt warm to his cold touch. Sharp teeth cut the inside of his lips.
Antonio’s voice trembled. His hands shook. “I need your help.”
“Of course, sir.” She put her arms on his, but Antonio shook and felt the muscles of his forearm clench. “What can I do? Here, sit down.”
His arms came around her waist. Antonio heard her blood rush and saw her face flush. He put his head down on her chest. She trembled, but held Antonio’s head.
“Such overwhelming!” He spoke more to himself than Catherine. His words and hot breath were muffled against her. “Now I know what Mestiphles meant. I know what to do. I need to do it. I have to have it!”
“I’ll get some water.” Catherine was about to get up, but Antonio clenched his hands tighter around her.
“No,” he said hoarsely. His nails dug into her sides, and she winced. Antonio relaxed his grip, and she allowed his hands to roam. He unlaced her dressing gown. His hands stopped shaking, and bewitched, Catherine gave him total control. He pulled the loosened gown off her shoulders and swept Catherine to her feet in one swift motion. Yes, he knew she was captivated and paralyzed. He could be so frightening, yet masculine and desirable. Antonio put his head to her neck and bit the pumping jugular.
She flinched, but her blood flowed into Antonio’s mouth. The short life drain was ecstatic, but soon grew empty. Her life was now in him.
Antonio let Catherine’s limp body fall to the bed. He had her, and now he wanted more.


Bless Ginger's little heart for having us today! You can catch me, Ginger, and the rest of the Eternal Press Gang next when we hang out with the Talking Two Lips Group Saturday April 18. I'll also be chatting live 9 p.m. Tuesday April 21 at Coffee Time Romance. If you've got a few moments that night, stop on by!

Previously, I've taken The Vampire Family out for some live fun with Fallen Angels Reviews and Night Owl Romance. We've had several reviews and interviews as well, most recently with Raine Delight's Spotlight:

http://authorrainedelight.com/2009/03/author-blog-spotlight-is-on-kristin-battestella/

http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/Interviews/2007/Nov07-LindaL-KristinBattestella.htm

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/interviews/kristinbattestella.asp

http://redrosesforauthors.blogspot.com/2008/10/interview-with-kristin-battestella.html

http://eternalpressauthors.blogspot.com/2008/05/interview-with-kristin-battestella.html

Whew! There's plently more Vampy press at my home page, jsnouff.com/kristin. You can read up on severl of my horror short stories as well or taste a bit of my non fiction and reviews at I Think, Therefore I Review.

Up next writing wise is a horror short story I've been going back and forth on called The Haberdasher. Samples of this and other short stories are available at Yahoo Group. I've also done some editing work on my pal Leigh Wood's sf erotica On The Way To New Isosceles, which I am happy to say was recently contracted with Eternal Press! For seriously naughty samples of that one, check out Leigh's blog:

http://leighwood.blogspot.com

On a final note, I have to mention that one of the first questions I'm always asked is, "Is there a sequel to The Vampire Family?" My answer? Maybe...

Try this Quick Quiz

Hi Ginger and y'all...
Again I would like to thank Ginger for hosting this blog. What a great range of posts you have had already. I have added new books to my 'to buy' and 'to read' list. Thank you to those authors who have shared excerpts! They are wonderful previews.

To day I have been out and about. On Friday I meet with one of my readers, a fan who has purchased my books and is eager to read the next. Since it is still a while before it will be published, she has agreed to help me proof read the draft. After arranging to have coffee with her, I have picked up a series of photographs shot at a mediaeval re enactment weekend. Taken by a fellow member of our local writers group, the photos are awesome. Today I gave them to another 'fan' (who has been reading my books from day one). He has some brilliant ideas about cover designs. Later this month there is a local mediaeval day and with luck and some sunshine we should have the opportunity to get the 'right' shots. Hopefully they will work for my Fantasy covers and book trailers. At least that is the idea.

So, apart from actual writing, my day has been spent doing 'author' type stuff. It really is a huge amount of fun.

Meanwhile... another off topic post. Just a bit of fun. My last post was a bit deep and dismal. So perhaps this is a bit lighter reading.
Last night I was given this quick quiz. It took me a little while to fill in the blanks, but the grey matter had a little exercise and that can't be a bad thing. Hope you have fun with it.
***
This is not a test of your mathematical ability. It will however test your mental flexibility and creativity. Since the test was developed it has been found that few people can solve more than half the questions in the first try.
Many get answers long after the test has been set aside and may even get them all over several days. Accept this as a personal challenge.

Instructions: Each question below contains the initials of words that will make it correct. Find the missing words. The first one is done for you.

1. 26- L of A 26 L etters of the A lphabet

2. 7- W of the A W ………………………………………..

3. 1001- A N ……………………………………………………

4. 12- S of the Z …………………………………………

5. 54- C in a D (with the J) ……………………………..

6. 9 – P in the S S …………………………………………….

7. 88- K on a P …………………………………………….

8. 13- S on the A F ………………………………………….

9. 32- D at which W F ……………………………………….

10. 18- H on a G C …………………………………………….

11. 90- D in a R A ………………………………………………

12. 200- D for P G in M …………………………………..

13. 20000- L U T S …………………………………………….

14. 3- B M ………………………………………………………..

15. 366- D in a L Y …………………………………………….

16. 24- H in a D ………………………………………………..

17. 1- W on a U …………………………………………………

18. 5- R form the O S …………………………………………

19. 57- H V ………………………………………………………

20. 11- P in a C T ……………………………………………..

21. 1000- W that a P is W ………………………………..

22. 29- D in F in a L Y ………………………………………

23. 64- S on a C B ……………………………………………..

24. 40- D and N of the G F ……………………………….

****

Thanks again Ginger, for allowing us to share your blog this week.

By the way.. I have a set of answers that seem to fit. If anyone is stuck.

Rosalie Skinner, Author of Exiled: Autumn's Peril... coming soon from Enspiren Press

Winter Blues

Hi everyone! Thanks Ginger for hosting another Blog Extravaganza!!
I have taken time off writing these past ten days, because the dreaded Winter cycle of coughs and colds has begun in earnest.
Down here in the Southern hemisphere, the days are short and the nights are brisk. Thankfully we don't get real COLD weather. I am not complaining, but... it's the viruses that make Winter dismal.
My grand daughter caught a cold. Because she has chronic lung disease (from prematurity) she spent ten nights in hospital) It's to be expected, except that being a premmie baby she has not been into a shopping centre or anywhere she might risk catching anything.
Her Mum takes care to keep her as isolated as possible, while trying to give her interaction with other babies and give herself a chance to meet other mums.
To her credit, the baby is now nine months old and till the other day had not had even a sniffle. (When I say nine months, she would be six months old later this week, if she had arrived on time and not 100 days early)
Despite ten days in hospital, she is thriving, smiling and a total delight. It's just so hard wanting to protect her and knowing that it is virtually impossible to prevent her catching another cold another day.
Still... While in hospital the writer in me was hard at work noticing how intriguing the environment becomes. Once through those automatic glass doors, the world changes. Another eye opener that impacted on the writer within the grandma, was seeing a tiny six month old baby left to cope with her hospital stay without her mum. For whatever reason kept the mum away, the tragedy of hearing the little girl whimper so often broke my heart. The nursing staff did all they could for her as time and numbers allowed. Once she was well enough the would whisk her out of her cot and into a pram. She spent her 'wake' time sharing the nurses station among the hustle of activity there.
Today she is allowed home, but her mum hasn't come for her.
Imagine the character she will become. She will survive.
This hasn't been really been about writing, but we write about life and dear oh dear, I have seen another side of life I would rather stayed deep in imagination. I write Fantasy, but I could not imagine the depth of despair I have witnessed this last week.
Thanks Ginger for giving me a chance to post on your blog. I apologise for being so OFF TOPIC but I appreciate the chance to share what has moved me so deeply.
Take care all.

Exiled: Autumn's Peril Character Interview

Again, many thanks to Ginger for hosting this Blog fest. What a wonderful collection of stories, bios and chapters. My "to be Read" list doubled and trebled. It is expanding exponentially.

Tonight the main character from Exiled: Autumn’s Peril, Rosalie Skinner’s forthcoming Fantasy from Enspiren Press was supposed to join us for an interview.

Apparently, he is still unavailable for a chat. Never the less, in his place we have Gwilt who has been involved in the story since the early days.

Interviewer: So Gwilt, welcome. It’s great to be in contact with you. Seems as though our main man is not available?

Gwilt: It’s good to be able to talk this way. Caleath is not here at present.

Interviewer: Never mind. We appreciate your time. Now you realize that this week we are interviewing for a Romance writer's blog?

Gwilt: 'Romance' 'blog'? Romance I can understand. Blog? Does it matter if your terms sound alien to me? I have nothing against aliens, mind, and have never let not understanding terms stand in the way of a good story.

Interviewer: Well, perhaps if we can keep our focus on Romance. Even though Exiled: Autumn's Peril is classed as a Fantasy, there are elements of Romance in the story aren't there? Even though Caleath’s story doesn't fit the Romance genre.

Gwilt: (laughs) We can still appreciate when two people are drawn together. I don’t think that changes, no matter what else is going on around them.

Interviewer: There is that. I believe Caleath is a Fantasy hero, not a romantic one at all.

Gwilt: You haven’t met him then, have you? I think most of the ladies who cross his path would not turn him away, if he found time to spend in their company. At least that’s the impression I have. Mind, there are days when it would be wise not to cross his path.

Interviewer: Tell me more.

Gwilt: Ahh, I’d rather not. Perhaps discretion is advised. Talking about Caleath or his romantic side is not in my best interests.

Interviewer: You are not afraid of him?

Gwilt: (clears throat) No. Not at all. I don’t want him to think his private life is under public scrutiny. He’s already dealing with that. Some days he deals, some days he doesn’t. Just lately, he’s been a little tetchy. I’d rather not have him find out later that we’ve been talking about him, especially if we were to mention Nasith.

Interviewer: He is not comfortable talking about her? Why is that? They seem to get along well enough after their initial animosity.

Gwilt: Isn’t it obvious? Caleath is besotted by the woman.

Interviewer: Besotted, an odd term to use. Refers to drunken behavior rather than infatuation.

Gwilt: Where Nasith is concerned Caleath might be better off drunk. I believe he would risk all to keep her safe. Despite knowing she cannot think of ever continuing a relationship with him, whenever her name is mentioned he becomes defensive. I do my best to make him see reason and he’s not an easy man to talk around.

Interviewer: Do you see him as a romantic hero?

Gwilt: He would never admit to such a thing, not aloud. I have seen him watching Nasith and I know better. If you talk to him, Nasith is not a subject I would broach.

Interviewer: That’s not giving me a lot to go on then.

Gwilt: Well, if you want to talk Romance. Why not talk to me?

Interviewer: Forgive me, but I don’t see you as a lead romance in the story.

Gwilt: Ahh, but the real romance wasn’t actually set down on parchment. Probably because the term you use ‘falling in love’ doesn’t actually exist in our terminology. Caleath told me about the idea of romantic love. He said it was peculiar to old Earth. Most of the population of the planet strived to find their perfect partner in a fairytale type relationship. Well, if that’s the romance you refer to… I can tell you, there was another meeting of like souls during Caleath’s adventure.

Interviewer: And you have the details? Please enlighten us.

Gwilt: How long do you have? It would be my pleasure to tell you how I met Larissa. I am afraid the author of Caleath’s quest failed to realize people’s interest in true romance. Imagine neglecting to pen our story, in favor of his. Such an oversight. Still there is yet time.

Interviewer: I would be interested to hear your story. Was it love at first sight?

Gwilt: Love at first sight? I am not sure about ‘love’, but my heart quickened. Where my glib tongue usually delivered words flawlessly, suddenly I could not speak coherently. My senses beheld Larissa as a vision of unspeakable beauty. Her voice, lilting music, her scent as sweet as spring blossoms, uninvited my body trembled and blood thudded through my veins. From that first moment, I found every thought twisted toward arranging another meeting. Sadly, we parted within hours, but at no time since that day, have I thought of Larissa without the same quickening of my pulse and tight longing in my chest.

Interviewer: Sounds like love to me.

Gwilt: There you go. I could be your romantic hero.

Interviewer: So you could, if we had more time. Sadly our connection is breaking up. Perhaps another time. Thank you Gwilt. It has been a pleasure.

(transmission ends)

Rosalie Skinner

Author of Exiled: Autumn's Peril

Read the first chapter at Bebo.

Become a fan and meet the author.

Character interview from Exiled: Autumn's Peril

Many thanks to Ginger for hosting this blog. With all the terrific blog entries already posted, I wondered if an interview with Caleath, the hero of the forthcoming Fantasy ‘Exiled: Autumn’s Peril' by Rosalie Skinner might interest our readers.

(The novel is set on the planet of where Caleath has been surviving in exile. This is a planet where nano-technology is considered magic, while magic is considered commonplace and doesn’t involve microchips or gene enhancement.)

Unfortunately, Caleath is unavailable at this time. He is nothing if not reclusive. Perhaps later he will reconsider and talk to us. In the meantime, we have managed to make contact with Nasith, the female lead character from the novel.

Interviewer: Nasith, thank you for taking time to talk with us.

Nasith: Hello. Are you a disembodied spirit or another of Caleath’s alien artifacts? He’s no longer with us. South. He rode south. Alone.

Interviewer: Easiest answer would be ‘an artifact’. Nasith, you sound disappointed that Caleath left, yet he took you as a hostage. Would you tell us a little about your experience?

Nasith: I have time on my hands. For once, we are warm and reasonably safe. What would you like to know?

Interviewer: First impressions are always interesting. What did you make of being abducted on your way to Sharyac’s Tor?

Nasith: (sighs) Seems like a lifetime ago. So much has changed since then.

Interviewer: The same peril still threatens the south.

Nasith: I guess I mean the way I feel about Caleath. That night I tried to kill him. He’s not easy to kill but I wonder now if my heart was in it. One of the men I traveled with was trying to kill him. I was not.

Interviewer: You tried to kill him? That’s not surprising given the circumstances.

Nasith: Before he grabbed me and threw me across the shoulder of his horse I had no dealings with Caleath, but I knew of his plight. If asked at the time I would have said I felt pity for the man. The men who hunted him were driven by dark magic. I had no reason to want to see him hurt, until he used me as a human shield. He bruised my ego, rumpled my pride, nothing else. Now I realize I overreacted, but then it was a dark and desperate night. I felt justified in my actions. Later I came to regret them.

I am rambling. Being clean and able to relax, it’s such a pleasure. What was the question?

Interviewer: We are interested in your first impressions of Caleath. Wanting to hurt him seems natural, since he abducted you.

Nasith: The assassin hunting Caleath gave him little scope for niceties. He took a hostage, me, rather than having to kill the man. I didn’t know that at the time. Then I was afraid. He seemed so angry, frighteningly confident despite being hurt, and somehow vulnerable at the same time. He’s still confusing, but he doesn’t frighten me anymore.

Interviewer: When did your impression begin to change?

Nasith: It was only later, when I managed to get him to talk that I discovered more about him. He actually took good care of me. Despite the hurt I caused. When we faced danger he would protect me, leaving himself vulnerable rather than risk my safety. I was his hostage for only a short time. When he discovered who I was, I believe he saw my presence as a burden but he accepted responsibility even though he says he doesn’t belong on this world.

Interviewer: You knew from the start that he was from another world?

Nasith: The assassin spoke freely about his origins. Only Caleath seemed to find his past a painful topic. Revenge drove him, and the need to escape from this planet. The things he has done, to survive, to escape. I find myself wondering if I know him at all. He confuses me, even now. I miss him and long for his touch one moment and want him out of my life the next. How odd is that!

Interviewer: What does the future hold?

Nasith: Our immediate future is blighted by the looming threat from the south. Here in Sharyac’s Tor we hope to arrange an alliance to combat this unnatural menace. Or do you mean a future that involves Caleath?

Interviewer: I was thinking more along the lines of a relationship between you and Caleath.

Nasith: Some moments I dream of nothing else. As I said, in his arms I feel safe. Looking into his eyes, they are as changeable as the ocean, I am afraid of drowning. I have spent too many hours watching him wondering what makes him do the things he does. The way he moves, it’s almost poetry. A lethal sort of poetry, it’s like watching a predatory cat and it is as compelling. And yet, he has the ability to make me feel extraordinarily special and more sensual than I believed possible. He is considerate, strong, has a depth of compassion I have never seen before. His touch is electric. (sighs) Then I find myself despising him and the lengths he has gone to, the long-term threat of invasion he has created, and I tell myself I am glad he is a dead man walking.

Interviewer: Dead man walking? That’s an odd term for someone who is hard to kill?

Nasith: He took me hostage. My people will see that there is retribution. It does not matter that he took care of me, or that I chose to accompany him in the end. My abduction is unforgivable. He will pay with his life. I cannot let myself become involved. Do you think me heartless?

Interviewer: It is not for me to judge.

Nasith: There, now you sound like him. I think we have spoken long enough. Good night.

(transmission ends)