Thursday, February 27, 2014

Character Wednesdays: Part 2! EZ from Lovers in the Woods

Welcome to Character Wednesdays!  - Part 2!

Oops!  I made a mistake and scheduled two character interviews for the same day!  So instead of one getting more hype then the other, I bumped one to today, so you get an extra treat this week!

This is where I'll be interviewing character from different books, novels and short stories.  If you're an author and you would like your character to be interviewed, please send me an email.


EZ from Lovers in the Woods

Tell me a little about yourself and the world you live in.   
Thanks for having me. My name's EZ, and I've lived most of my life in First City Metro. It's a swell town, 'cept for all the cops.

  
Tell us your most closely guarded secret?
 That might land me in the slammer. Sorry. No can do.

  
Tell us about your single most important memory.  What was it and how does it affect you now? 
The single most important memory... Huh. Well, I guess it all goes back to when me and my brother Mike were just starting out in the business, if you know what I mean. We were both real green back then, and fell for a dirty trick, someone double dealed us. The coppers showed up and blasted us with their #%*! Cryoguns, and  Mike and me got frozen and all that. It feels a lot like being on fire, in case you're wondering. Well, as luck would have it, someone helped us out. I can't get into any more details, but that's why Mike and me are Genies now. We got our old brains, but our bodies are done for. I don't mind the new one, 'cept that at first, when you put it on, its real unstable and unreliable. Mine's all made of Nelcro, 'cause it's light, but it still stumbled around for two weeks like a bastard. Yeah, that memory's definitely still here.

  
What type of person are you?  Are you a hero or do you shy away from conflict?
 I like to think of myself as a careful type, if you know what I mean. I'm mostly a hero, until there's conflict.

  
Do you have any hobbies, any special talents?
 Is this gonna land me in trouble again? I can make an electrical current with my hands. It's good for opening locks and zapping out mosquitoes on contact.
  


And in that line, what would be your ideal day?
 Oh, lemme see. Sleep to whenever I wanted, that's the first ingredient of any ideal day. Then I'd get up and maybe watch some TV, and later, toward evening, me and Mike would go down to some joint downtown - nothing risky, naturally.


Do you have anyone close to you, any family or friends of interest?
 Mike's been my brother for as long as I can remember. We're twins.
  
What is your most prized possession?
 Oh gee. It has to be the Deko. It's a pocket handgun that fires liquid fireballs, very effective against larger mosquitoes.

 What initially spurred your actions in this story.  Obviously it had to start somewhere for you, give us an idea of where that starting point is and where it all started.
 We got a contract from our boss to go after a jailbird hacker named Leon Hessinger. It wasn't much, but it got things started. After chasing the convoy trains up and down Kamakira Valley for a week, we found out that Leon was back in his hometown, First City Metro.

 How do you envision your future?
 I don't know. Honestly, I just don't know how it's gonna roll out.
  
Tell us where we can read more about you?  (The book(s) they are featured in)

 I'm a very important character in Lovers In The Woods - very important, though I think it doesn't tell all of my story, and there are some things in there that I never, ever did. Ever.

I also appear in a comic strip called AME on comicfury.com



Author: Helen Alexander

Author's blog or website: http://helenalexander.weebly.com/

Amazon author central page: 


Facebook page: 


Twitter: 


Blog: 


Blurb:
  
They called her Sleeping Beauty back at the lab.

Nina has been asleep for a long time. Two hundred and fifty years, to be exact. She doesn't change, and she doesn't die. She's always fifteen. All she wants to do is to wake up, but she can't. Something - or someone - is keeping her in a perpetual dream state.

Leon is a programmer working for a security systems company in the Metro Palisade. His life is fairly ordinary and uneventful. But one day, things change. He begins to see a strange girl in his dreams. He knows she needs his help, but he doesn't know who she is - or if she's even real. Leon is willing to risk a lot to find out, and his curiosity finally gets the best of him. The mystery that surrounds Nina is greater than Leon had imagined, however: soon he's on the run from the company he worked for, the police, the secret service and the criminal underworld.  

All Leon wants is to save Nina from her endless sleep, but the price of that rescue could be a terrible one. Somehow, Nina is connected with the fabric of reality itself, and there are many dubious people chasing after the legendary Sleeping Beauty in the hopes of wielding ultimate power. When the world begins to fall apart with the sudden, inexplicable outbreak of war, only Leon holds the key to saving everything from complete annihilation - but, unless he can rescue Nina, it may already be too late.


Bio:


Helen Alexander is a writer and digital artist living in San Francisco, California. After graduating from the Academy of Art University, Helen worked as a video game artist in San Diego and Los Angeles. Currently she is back in San Francisco, at work on several new projects, including a comic book, a children's book and a dark fantasy/horror novel. You can visit Helen at helenalexander.weebly.com for the latest news on upcoming releases, author interviews and previews of new stories and works-in-progress.



Excerpt:

The new practitioner, Snade by name, was not much better than old Doc was, but he had a collection of spare parts, one of which fit Mike's eye perfectly. In about an hour, the kaleidoscopic show in his right eye had ceased, and Mike could see even better than before. Snade only accepted hard cash as payment. His other business was of a completely different nature: Snade was a psychic reader, or, as he liked to call himself, a mystic. His establishment was located on the second floor of a little house permanently embedded between two dismal skyscrapers, both of which rose to fifty stories on either side, casting the little house in perpetual shadow. Right above the entrance, a bright neon inscription read, "Snade-Mystic. Psychic. Fortune Teller. Now accepting all forms of currency. Come in."

"Say, Snade," EZ ventured, after the payment was complete. "What's it like, seeing the future and all?"

Snade looked up at EZ, his orange dreadlocks falling all over his shoulders in disarray. He had bright green eyes. On the table before him stood a classic crystal ball; also green. Smoky shadows moved inside it, circling the sphere.

"You want to see the future?" Snade asked, and shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"No, not really," EZ said.

"Then why do you ask?" Snade moved the crystal ball aside.

"No reason, but if you really can see the future, what good does it do you?"

Snade frowned, then smiled, then frowned again. One corner of his mouth began to twitch. "It's not like that. And that's… that's none of your business," he said, running his hand over his mouth. "For your information, I can't see my own future. It's not like that. It's not like that at all, but I can see other things. For a limited time, I can offer you a reading at no charge."

"EZ, what the hell are you doing?" Mike said, but EZ was already sitting at the table across from Snade.

Snade closed his eyes solemnly and waved his hand over the green crystal ball. His mouth continued to twitch.

"I see…" he began, but a sudden knocking on the back entrance door interrupted him. “Who is it?" he asked.

"Davy? Davy?" an old woman's voice called him.

"Yes, Ma?"

"Who's there?" The door opened a trifle, but it was too dark to see inside the room.

"Nobody."

"Come upstairs," the voice said, and the door closed again creakily, as if on its own.

Snade brushed back the dreadlocks from his face.

"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I have to get going, but if you ever need your eyes fixed, or your futures foretold, come back again at any time." Snade got up from the table. "Also, watch out for the Doll."

"What Doll?" EZ asked, but Snade didn't answer. He went out the back door listlessly, forgetting to lock it behind him.



Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Character Wednesdays: Dylan Jones from Riches to Rags


Welcome to Character Wednesdays! 

This is where I'll be interviewing character from different books, novels and short stories.  If you're an author and you would like your character to be interviewed, please send me an email.


Dylan Jones from Riches to Rags

Tell me a little about yourself and the world you live in.  
I’m Dylan Jones and I’m a seventh grader at Langdon Middle School.  I’m just an average kid whose parents have some money.  I get hassled a lot about that.
  
Tell us your most closely guarded secret?
Well, in my history class, old lady Wickware had us pick a name or subject out of this box and then an oral report is due – you know, boring stuff, right?   Anyway, the paper I pick has the word Orphan Train on it.  Well Wickware put her hand on my shoulder and WHAM – I am standing at a train depot in 1875!  I am staring at the actual Orphan Train.  I’m serious!  You can’t make this stuff up!
  
Tell us about your single most important memory.  What was it and how does it affect you now?
You won’t believe this but this man, no this jerk, drops a little boy and a baby – no joke, a baby, off at the cement platform outside the depot.  Then this…this…man just leaves.  They are crying and he just leaves!
  
What type of person are you?  Are you a hero or do you shy away from conflict?  
I’m no hero, that’s for sure, but let me tell you I didn’t shy away from that dude.  We had words.
  
Do you have anyone close to you, any family or friends of interest?
I’m lucky cause I have a lot of friends and my family is awesome.  But when I was on that train, I met a kid my age. He seemed really cool but his story was awful.  It was weird that I have money in my pockets most days and I didn’t that day.  I would have liked to have been able to give him some.  I can’t get him out of my mind, and I wonder how things turned out for him.
  
What initially spurred your actions in this story.  Obviously it had to start somewhere for you, give us an idea of where that starting point is and where it all started.
Well I had heard stories of bizarre things happening in old lady Wickware’s history classes, like other kids being sent back in time, but come on, who would believe that? Plus, nobody has actually said it happened to them, out loud anyway.  I know first hand now and believe me, except for you, I’m not talking either.

Tell us where we can read more about you?  (The book(s) they are featured in)
Riches to Rags, Book 5 of the Wickware Sagas
  
Excerpt from Riches to Rags
“Daddy, we don’t want to go with them. We want to stay with you.” His lips
were quivering and his eyes filled with tears.

The man stood. “I done told you, since your mama died I can’t care for you.
Now, you will do what I tell you.” He turned to walk away but the boy grabbed his
arm.

“Daddy…” The man shoved the little boy, making him fall, landing hard on the
cement. Both boy and baby were now crying and Dylan noticed not one person
stopped to help.

“Hey,” Dylan yelled, “maybe you need to man up and go talk to the lady
yourself. It takes a really brave man to push a little boy around.” Dylan’s face was
purple with anger.

“This ain’t none of your concern, kid,” the man yelled over his shoulder as he
practically ran through the door, escaping his kids screams.

“You can’t leave them here, you gutless wonder!” Dylan yelled, but their father was long gone. “People can’t just throw their kids away,” he muttered, picking up
the screaming baby, afraid she would get stepped on.

“It happens all the time.”

Dylan turned to see a boy, a few years older than himself, leaning against the
wall. He was dressed in dirty long pants and a shirt that seemed to have more holes than material.


Author:  Penny Estelle
Author's blog or website: 


                                            * * * *

I have more stories for the middle grade kiddos and several for the older group.  In April I have a historical romance coming out, Revenge, the Cowboy Way and in May my first children’s picture book coming out, Have You Seen My Tail?

You can find out more about my stories and me at the following links.  Please stop by and visit, join, and like.  I love visitors and comments!




Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Character Wednesdays: Fara Bellamont from Upon Your Return

Welcome to Character Wednesdays! 

This is where I'll be interviewing character from different books, novels and short stories.  If you're an author and you would like your character to be interviewed, please send me an email.


Fara Bellamont from Upon Your Return

Tell me a little about yourself and the world you live in.  
My name is Fara Bellamont.  I am eighteen years old.  I live in France in the city of La Rochelle.The year is 1863 so, as you can imagine, this is a precarious time for women.  I live in a fairly large house with my uncle, who became my guardian after my parents’ deaths.

Tell us your most closely guarded secret?
I have a dreamer’s heart.  There is nothing I want more than to have many adventures someday and to somehow find love.

Tell us about your single most important memory.  What was it and how does it affect you now?
I have many, but the ones that I hold onto include my parents, specifically my mother.  I remember sitting on her bed faced away as she brushed my hair gently.  We would chat about everything.  Sometimes I would just listen to her talk, whether it was about something my father did or her thoughts on issues of the day.  Her voice was so calming to me.  I suppose those memories are all I have, all that keep me sane at times.

What type of person are you?  Are you a hero or do you shy away from conflict?
I can’t say I like conflict in any way, but I am not a coward either.  If I believe in something, I will fight for it.

Do you have any hobbies, any special talents?
I can play the pianoforte fairly well and I like knitting.  I also love literature.

And in that line, what would be your ideal day?
My ideal day would be to comb the stacks in my uncle’s library, select a book to read and settle down in the parlor.  I would immerse myself in that world for a time.  I go to afternoon teas and dinners, of course, but I prefer my own company to that of a crowd.

Do you have anyone close to you, any family or friends of interest?
I do have one friend, Helene, that I met at the convent I stayed in as child in Burgundy.  We have been fairly close for years.

What is your most prized possession?
My most prized possession is the gold locket I wear.  It has my parents’ pictures inside.

What initially spurred your actions in this story.  Obviously it had to start somewhere for you, give us an idea of where that starting point is and where it all started.
I blame my parents.  I could always see the love between them.  It was special, and I wanted that for myself. I knew I would wait for love.

How do you envision your future?
I picture myself happy, perhaps with a family, with people I care about and who care about me.

Tell us where we can read more about you? 
You can read more about me in Upon Your Return, which is available now, and the other books in the Heiresses in Love series when they are published.

Author:  Marie Lavender
Buy link:  http://www.amazon.com/Upon-Your-Return-Marie-Lavender/dp/1484978099/
Author's blog or website:  http://www.marielavender.webs.com/
Author's facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Upon-Your-Return/221212331354873
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104926404745289477307/

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Character Wednesdays: Avery Blair from Double Hue




Welcome to Character Wednesdays - where I'll be sharing interviews with different characters from different books.  If you're an author and would like a character interview posted, send me an email!


Avery Blair from Double Hue - by Briana Lawrence

Hello everyone, I'm sitting here with one our very own rising stars at the University of Minnesota, Avery Blair.

Hi there!  Thanks for having me!

Avery, we've seen you on stage several times now, what exactly got you so into acting?  What makes you so enthusiastic about it?

I love entertaining people.  It’s one of the hardest things to do and doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves.  It’s hard to make people react to your characters.  You have to try your best to make them laugh when you want them to, to make them feel sad or happy or angry.  You can’t predict how people are going to react and I love when I can do it right.  When I’m on that stage, I feel empowered.  I’m bringing a character to life and I’m making people react the way I want them to.  If I do a scene and I do it the way I want to, I’ll make you smile, or laugh, or cry, whatever I want.  And the best part is that if you do well enough, if you have that star power, those feelings stay with your audience even after the curtain closes.

That’s what I strive for.  I strive to be that star.
   
A star?  Well of course!  I assume, in order to build your skills, you've seen many shows.  Tell us, what's one of your favorites?

That’s such a terrible question!  I have so many favorites!  Can’t we talk about something else, like video games?  There’s one I’m playing right now, or rather, I’m going back and replaying it.  They announced the third one, finally!  Kingdom Hearts 3!  It’s going to be amazing!  I can talk about that all day...

(laughs) You can talk about your video games but not your favorite show?

All right, all right.  How about I talk about the one I’m going to be in.  I’m going to be in Rent and it’s going to be amazing.  It really is one of my favorite musicals.  I’ve seen it at least a billion times, if not more than that.
   
And building on that, if you could have any role, what would it be?  Where should we expect to see that name of yours in lights?

Actually, this role is sort of the role of my dreams.  This is one of those musicals I’ve watched so many variations of.  On stage.  On DVD.  I’ve listened to the soundtrack and pretty much know the entire thing without reading the script.  Though I’m still going to read it… repeatedly. 

As for my name in lights, once I graduate that’s my next step.  I really want to perform at one of the theaters here in the city.  I’ve seen so many shows at the Orpheum, I would just die if I got to perform there.  But then I’d move on to bigger cities and bigger venues.  I have it all figured out… in my head, at least.


You certainly have some high dreams, it sounds like Broadway better be prepared for you.  Tell us, aside from the theater, what are some of your other passions?

Hmmm… do I tell you more about my video games, or my boyfriend?

Boyfriend?

Yep!  We’ve been together for four years.  He’s kind of a geek, which might sound weird coming from a Theater major who plays video games.  Maybe I mean he’s a nerd?  He’s a Marketing major and is all numbers and charts and graphs and stuff.  He’s one of those brainy guys, you know?  I’m all fun and acting and he’s all PowerPoint presentations.  He even wears glasses! 
 
Ohh, he sounds like a cutie. 

He is, most definitely.  Nerds are cute now, you know?  He’s a real sweetheart, though.  He lets me crash at his place when my roommate is too busy drinking his way through college.  He lets me play my video games at his place even if he’s not a big fan of them.  Now that’s true love. 

Nothing says “I love you” like accepting your gaming, musical boyfriend.

Amen to that!

(laughs)  I think we've seen him in the front row at some of your shows.  How'd you two meet? 

Oh man, this is a good story.  See, he always tells the story on how we met in our first year of college in one of those introductory classes they make you take.  And it’s true, we did meet that way, but I’m going to let you in on a secret.  There’s more to the story.

On our first date he took me to a musical at the Orpheum, only he failed to mention that he didn’t like them.  He also failed to mention that he didn’t have tickets.  He told me that he did, but he actually didn’t.  So instead, when we got there, he told me that the theater made a deal with him.  That if we agreed to help usher people to their seats, we could stay for the musical. 

Really?!  He said that?

He sure did.  He didn’t think I knew that this was something the theatre did if you volunteered as an usher.  They let you watch the show once you help everyone to their seats.

So what did you do?

I went along with it.  We didn’t even get to sit together during the show.  He told me the truth later, and he also told me that he didn’t care for musicals.
  
Can you tell us some more about him?  He must have a secret interesting side if he's able to handle all of your upcoming stardom, especially if he hates musicals.

I guess that’s what makes him special.  He likes my reaction to them.  I get really excited, and he likes watching me get excited.  Same with video games.  He’ll actually watch me play even if he could care less about the game, but he likes watching me.  But the poor boy doesn’t have a creative bone in his body.  The only thing I’ve ever seen is this box of crayons his grandfather gave him. 

Crayons?  What made him keep a box of crayons?

His grandfather passed away when he was a kid and the crayons are the last thing he gave him.  So he still has them.  It’s sweet, really.  Even with his charts and tables there’s still that small hint of there being something more to him.  It’s one of the many things I love about him.

Well, we're looking forward to your future shows.  Thank you for speaking with us today and we'll see you at your next show!


Thanks so much!

****

Double Hue is published through Eternal Press and is currently available through Amazon and the Eternal Press website.  If you'd like to contact the author, you can visit her website or find her on Goodreads.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Coming soon! Character Wednesdays!

Calling all authors of books, comics and original works!

Beginning on February 12th, 2014, I will start having a weekly feature called "Character Wednesdays".  Each Wednesday I'll be interviewing a character from a published work as an introduction into that world.

If you are an author and would like one of your original characters interviewed, please message me or email me and let me know!

I have several authors lined up already, but there's always room for more!

You can contact me through this site, or you can email me at snowtigra(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Anime Milwaukee Artist Alley - Where you can find us!


Along with writing books, my partner and I visit several conventions a year to show off our costumes, and sell our crafty items.  (We make dolls, clocks, mirrors, woodburning, hats and a bunch of other stuff.)

Our first convention this year is Anime Milwaukee in Milwaukee Wisconsin.  The convention is on February 14th through 16th and below is a map for where you can find us in the Artist Alley/ Dealer's Hall.