Izzy’s Insights – with Tace Justice!

on February 8, 2017

Reporter Izzy
Photo Credit: Sergej Khakimullin
Shutterstock

Hi all!  Boy, I’ve missed interviewing people, but I’ve had a blast traveling around the world for a while.  Now I’m back to blur the line between reality and fantasy, truth and we-wish-truth, life and stories.  In other words, I’m here to interview Tace Justice.  You know Tace, right?  He’s the Vanguard medic.  What’s Vanguard, you say?  **Sigh**

Okay.  There’s more to life than vampires and super soldiers.  Turns out a nasty bacteria named Scorpius took out 95% of the human population, and a group called Vanguard sprang up in inner Los Angeles.  It’s led by ex-gang member and former soldier Jax Mercury.  Now, you’d think that having most of the population gone would leave things rather peaceful, right?  Right?  Nope.  Haha.  No way.  Turns out the bacteria messes with the brain and creates sociopaths.  (You do know about all the real studies regarding the structures of sociopathic brains, right?).  Anyhoo,  sociopaths can be good just not all that emotional, they can be crazy and eat dirt, or they can be super brilliant, scary, real life serial killers.  Guess who the biggest sociopathi serial killer is in the Scorpius World?  Yep.  The president.  (There are NO ZOMBIES in this series.  The bad guys are sociopaths.  Still human with brains).

So…Tace Justice has survived the bacteria, and he’s darker and deadlier than before.   He’s also kind of wondering if he’s going crazy.  Just to give you a picture, he’s blond with blue eyes straight out of Texas…with the sexy as sin accent.  Yep.  He’s a big guy who has served his country as a medic.  Now we’re meeting in a looted bar somewhere right outside Vanguard territory.

With that intro…

IZZY:  Hi Tace.  Thanks, for, um meeting me.

TACE:  What the hell is going on, and who are you?

IZZY:  I’m Izzy.

TACE:  I don’t know what that means.

IZZY:  (Man, he’s cute.  Huge blue eyes–they sizzle like a hot Texan sky.  I feel the urge to fan myself, but I don’t.  Because I’m a professional, you know.)  It means, you’re here for an interview.  You know it’s important to preserve history, even though we’re fighting for our lives.

TACE:  We have people preserving history?  (He glances down at my brand new red Louboutins and frowns).  Those are pretty fancy shoes for the end of the world.

IZZY:  The king sent me these.

TACE:  The king?  What king?

IZZY:  (Shit.  I’m crossing realities again.  King Dage Kayrs (from the Dark Protectors) can do so because, well, he’s the king.  Most everyone else can’t).  Just a guy I used to date.  You know, before Scorpius.  I wear them to remember him.  (I may need a vampire friend to get me out of this mess.)

TACE:  Did you lose him?

IZZY:  Um, yeah.  Okay.  So.  You’re fighting your attraction to Sami Steel, and that’s not working very well, right?

At this point, Tace leans back in his chair, and his eyes darken to this really cool but kind of scary deep blue.  I swallow, maybe a little nervously.  But hey, I’ve dealt with cranky vampires, remember?  So instead of talking, I just lift one eyebrow.  That usually works.

TACE:  The eyebrow thing doesn’t work on me.

IZZY:  Okay.  But you still need to answer the question.

TACE:  While I don’t see what my love life or current obsessions have to do with history, I guess I could tell you that I’ve always fought my attraction to Sami.  She’s a warrior, and that just turns me on, you know?

IZZY:  In this day and age, with the world ending, it seems like things could revert to the bad old days where women were just, well, used.  To hear you talk about her like a warrior is uplifting.

TACE:  We’re fighting for survival, and anybody who thinks women can’t fight as well as men are just crazy.  Hell.  The smartest and most likely most dangerous people we have at Vanguard are women.  Lynne, Vinnie, Sami, April…they’re all crucial to surviving this.  You get that, right?

IZZY:  I surely do.  So you don’t try to protect her at all.

Tace then rolls his eyes and turns to scout the deserted and garbage riddled street outside.  Then his shoulders seemed to relax.

TACE:  Of course I try to protect her.  She’s well trained and dangerous, but she’s not invincible.  If anything happened to her, I’d lose my mind. 

IZZY:  I understand.  So.  Do you see a happy story for you?

He snorts.

TACE:  No.  I mean, we have enemies outside the gates who want us dead.  One of them is the president of the USA.  We’re gonna have to take the fight to him soon, and my only goal is making sure Sami survives that fight.  Even if I don’t.

He’s sweet and more than a little sexy.  I can’t help but wonder why Sami hasn’t just tackled him to the ground already.  I guess I’ll go read their story now.  I’ve been waiting, and it’s finally here.

The door opens, and there stands three hundred pounds of pure muscle.  I sigh as I take  in golden eyes, longish dark hair, and a deep scowl.  Tace stands, and the second he does, I bound to my feet.

IZZY:  So.  This is my bodyguard from the, ah, Mission to Preserve History.  We’re not affiliated with any group or gang or organization.  (My voice rises as I hustle toward the badass at the door.  I need to get him out of here and out of this reality before I blow everything.)  Bye.

TACE:  Hey.  Good luck with the history!  I’m not sure what’s going to happen to us, especially with so many enemies, so it might be good to keep a record.  Bye.

When will the protectors stop trying to, well, protect me?  With a zip, I’m out of the Scorpius reality and back into another one.

See you guys soon!

XOXOXO, Izzy

Justice Ascending

 

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Here’s an excerpt from JUSTICE ASCENDING:

“Sami,” Jax said. “Damon arrived an hour ago to request assistance. I’m sending Tace into Merc territory to help with the wounded from the attack yesterday, and I’d like you to provide backup.”

Merc territory? Eesh. Although it would be advantageous to catalog their weak points. “Got it.” She kept her face stoic and strode past the men and into the war room. After she’d tapped out the night before, Tace had let her up, and she’d all but run for her quarters. A sleepless night later, and she still couldn’t forget his lips so close to hers. No way was she getting involved with a brilliant bad boy who freely admitted he was about to go dark—especially since he was smart enough to figure out everything she was fighting so hard to keep hidden.

Tace followed her. “You shouldn’t come with me,” he whispered, keeping pace past the table to the lockers.

What was happening with him? “Why not?” she whispered back, yanking open a locker to outfit herself.

He didn’t answer.

She fit a gun holster over her shoulder, pushing her green sweater out of the way. A knife went in her jeans pocket, and a couple more went beside her calf and in her boot. She looked up. “Well?”

Tace’s jaw flexed, and he stepped into her space. “It’s Merc territory.”

“No shit.” Heat flared through her at the nearness of his hard body. Man, she was off-center. “Would you move back?”

“No.” He tugged on her shoulder holster. “This isn’t secure enough.”

She slapped his hands. “Stop it.”

He yanked on the strap, and she smacked his wrist, engaging in a clumsy struggle. He leaned in. “You need to listen to me. Last night I dreamed of you beneath me, naked in bed, and coming hard. We need distance from each other.”

She didn’t back down even as her libido sprang right up into awareness. “What about Barbara?”

“It’s over,” Tace said flatly.

“That’s your problem and not mine.” Sami drew out a knife.

“Yeah, except you’re the one haunting my dreams,” he said, his voice gravelly.

She shook her head. “You’re just having more brain issues from the illness. It’ll go away once you heal. Nothing can happen between us because of our jobs.” And the fact that she was lying to everybody about her past. Oh yeah. That.

His jaw clenched. “I know that, which is why we could use distance.”

“I’m not neglecting my job because you’re horny, Justice.” She shoved him.

He tugged on the strap again, and she slapped his hand. Again. They engaged in a struggle for control, and she shoved his arm.

“What the hell?” Jax snapped from the doorway.

Her head swiveled the same time Tace’s did. Heat climbed into her face.

Jax frowned and looked from Tace to Sami and back. “Is something going on between you two?”

“No,” Sami burst out just as Tace snarled, “Hell, no.”

Jax rocked back on his heels, his face harder than usual. “All right. Keep it that way.”

Sami brushed by Tace. “No worries there.” When she reached Jax, he stopped her by the arm. She lifted one eyebrow and stared up into his sharply cut face.

He dropped his hand. “This isn’t an order. If you don’t want to go into Merc territory, you don’t have to.”

Sami stiffened. The men had never treated her differently because of her sex. Her abdomen cramped. “Did you give Tace the out if he didn’t want to go?”

Jax paused and then frowned again. “Actually, yeah. I did.”

“Oh.” She settled. “All right then. I’m fine on mission.”

“Copy that.” Jax released her. “Learn everything about the Mercs that you can—I’m interested in their holdings and provisions. Well, and security. If we decide to take out Greyson Storm, who steps up?”

Sami paused. Sometimes she forgot what a cold strategist Jax could be. He’d mellowed a little since falling in love . . . but only a little. “You’re thinking of taking the leader of the Mercs out?”

“Maybe.” Jax turned toward Tace. “Are you focused enough for this?”

“Yep.” Tace grabbed a black cowboy hat off a rack near the door.

Sami shook her head. “Do not let him wear the hat. We’ll look like idiots.”

Tace ran his finger along the brim of the hat. “This is my natural look.”

It might have been at one time, but the new Tace Justice? She took a good look at him. The brim hung low over his blue eyes and cast part of his face in shadow. Fine lines and rugged features were visible and yet his expression remained veiled. Tingles exploded in her abdomen. He did look good in the hat. “Maybe it will fit our purposes for them to think you’re a moron.” She pivoted on her heel and headed for the vestibule, using every ounce of her strength to sound normal.

He chuckled low behind her, and the sound shivered down her spine.

Izzy’s Insights – Interview with Characters Kane and Amber

on January 29, 2013

Sergej Khakimullin
Shutterstock

Hello, folks!  Sorry about my lengthy absence…I’ve been busy.  I requested time to interview Kane Kayrs, but he just couldn’t make the time.  I guess being the smartest guy in the Universe tends to keep one busy.  So I contacted Amber, Kane’s mate, and she said they’d love to sit down with me.  This time I chose a brand-new coffee shop in town.  They haven’t heard of us there, which is a good thing.  Those Kayrs men get me kicked out of places every darn time.  Here’s the transcript of the interview, with a couple of my thoughts thrown in:

Oh, wait a minute.  I guess I should give you some quick background.  I arrived early and found a nice booth toward the rear of the shop.  Then, since I’ve hung with the Kayrs men before, I sat with my back to the door and left the chair that faced the door for Kane.  Yeah. Not my first rodeo. 

Kane and Amber arrived, both carrying tons of shopping bags.  Kane wore his customary black slacks and silk shirt, while Amber wore a long, flowing skirt and lots of Celtic jewelry.  They reached the table, Amber scooted in, and Kane took the chair I figured he’d take.

ME:  Thank you so much for meeting me here!  I know how busy you are.  Been shopping?

KANE:  You could say thatHe gave Amber a look.  Apparently my mate loves after Christmas sales.

AMBER:  Oh, I really do.  You have to check this out.

At that point, she reached in a bag and pulled out the most adorable little hoodie with a picture of Einstein on it.  I got all excited…OMG – a Kayrs baby?  My heart actually leapt into my throat.  Honest.

AMBER:  Isn’t this the cutest?  It’s for Walter.

I coughed.  Yeah.  I coughed.

KANE:  Walter is the monkey I use in my lab.

ME:  Um, yeah.  Okay.  So…how about any Kayrs babies?  You know?  I’m just curious.

AMBER:  I think a baby would be wonderful!  But, it usually takes vampires quite a while to procreate for some reason.  Usually a century or two.  Well, except for Talen.

KANE:  It’s probably because we’re mostly immortal.  I mean, since we live so long, it makes sense that there shouldn’t be too many of us.  From a universal perspective, that is.

ME:  I see.  But I notice you’re not saying no.

At this point, three waitresses wandered into view from behind the counter.  As one, they all saw us, and they all sucked in breath.  Then, not caring of their associates, they all tried to rush forward at the same time.

Two of the waitresses smacked into each other and went down.  The other leaped several feet to land at our table. 

TRIUMPHANT WAITRESS (to Kane):  Hi.  What can I get you?

He lifted that eyebrow in total Kayrs fashion.

KANE:  Are your friends all right?  (She nodded and didn’t take her eyes off Kane).  Okay.

AMBER:  Maybe we should help them get off the floor.

KANE:  Stay put, sweetheart.

Yep.  Kayrs male all the way.  Then Kane smiled at the waitress.  Her eyelids fluttered, but to her credit, she didn’t swoon.

KANE:  Izzy will have a double caramel latte, Amber will have an organic bean, all natural, vegan Bobby Bill, and I’ll have a cup of coffee–black.

ME:  Um…how did you know what coffee I like?

A Kayrs eyebrow rose.  Oh yeah.  Smartest.  Guy.  On.  The.  Planet.  He probably actually knew what I’d had for breakfast, how much money I had in the bank, and my secret dreams nobody else had ever guessed.

AMBER:  Kane remembers everything.  So, how are things with you, Izzy?

ME:  Um, fine.  Thanks.  How’s life as a vampire mate?

AMBER:  Terrific.  I mean, Grandma Hilde is getting along fairly well with the vampires, though she does try to run things sometimes.

Kane flashed her a look.

ME:   So how is life at Realm Headquarters? 

Just then, the outside door jingled.  Always a bad sign when meeting the Kayrs men.  So I turned…and it wasn’t Talen or Jase, the two who usually cause me problems.  It was a large, hulking, sexy, dark-haired guy.  I’d never met him.  But the air vibrated around him in a way I’ve come to recognize as shifter-tension.

Kane instantly stood and planted himself between the table and the door.  Yeah.  The big guy wasn’t going to let anything happen to little ole me.  Well, and Amber.  I’m sure he wanted to protect Amber, too.

The guy prowled forward, his gaze on Kane.

KANE:  Terrent. 

Terrent:  Kane.

Oh.  I figured out quickly that the guy must be Terrent Vilks, the sexy as hell wolf shifter who’s the hero in TWISTED.  I began to stand because hey, I needed to interview him.  One look from Kane (over his shoulder no less) had me sitting back down.  Darn it.

KANE:  Why are you here?

TERRENT:  I need your help.  Maggie’s in trouble, and it’s time for her to move to wolf headquarters.

KANE:  We can keep her safe.

TERRENT:  Not like I can…and you know it.

Kane rubbed his chin.  Have you talked to Dage?

TERRENT:  No.  I figured I’d get you on my side first.

KANE:  Good plan.  But I can’t guarantee I’ll agree.  Let’s talk.

TERRENT:  I’d love to.  But there’s a cadre of werewolves just outside of town, and I figured…

KANE:  We’ll talk while we hunt.  He looked at me and gently drew Amber out of her chair.  Izzy?  I enjoyed our chat.  We’ll meet again after we take care of the werewolf problem.  Pure anticipation lit his sizzling eyes.  Yeah, the guy wanted a good fight.

AMBER:  I’ll just stay and chat with Izzy.

KANE:  No.

Just as easy as that, all three of them disappeared through the door.  I felt a little bereft until I noticed a hulking shadow by the door.  Gathering my courgage, I marched over to a huge, blonde guy with eyes the color of a midnight storm. Who are you?” I asked.

HUGE, BLONDE GUY:  Your bodyguard.  The king wants you safe.

Well, now.  It rocks to be Izzy, doesn’t it?  🙂

Izzy’s Insights – Interview with Characters Conn and Moira

on May 31, 2012

 

Sergej Khakimullin
Shutterstock

My name is Izzy and I interview book characters.  Many people say I’m a character, myself.  *Snort*.  That’s nice of them.  I’m hoping Rebecca lets me interview a bunch of her characters–I can’t wait to be in the same room with all of those hot vampires.  MEOW.

So, I’ve been wanted to meet Moira Dunne ever since I read Hunted and the scene where she threw a plasma ball at Connlan Kayrs, the most dangerous fighter alive.  Sure Moira’s a witch…but Conn’s a freakin vampire!  So, when Moira and Conn agreed to meet with me for an interview, I was ecstatic.  We met at a dive of a pizza joint on the other side of town.  They drove up on pretty awesome street bikes–looking like the power couple they are.  Here’s the transcript of the interview, with a couple of my thoughts thrown in:

ME:  Thank you so much for meeting me here!  I know how busy you are with both of you needing to fight for your people right now.  How goes the war?

CONN:  We’re winning.

At this point, Moira tossed red curls over her shoulder and snorted, rolling her eyes at the vampire.  I doubted many people rolled their eyes at the guy.  He’s well over six feet tall, packed hard, and with green eyes that probably make women swoon.  Women much weaker than me, of course.  I may have drooled…but I did not swoon.

Moira:  Well, we’re working on it.  The Kurjans are stepping up their game a little bit, and I’m afraid the demons are about to make a move against us.

CONN:  There’s no need to be afraid.  The demons are having some problems of their own…we’ll find the allies we need.

Moira:  I didn’t mean ‘afraid’ of the demons…I could blow several up in a moment.  I just meant it as an expression.  Stop being a dork.

CONN:  I didn’t think you meant ‘afraid’ like you feared the demons. I was trying to be reassuring and positive.  You’re the dork.

Okay.  You really haven’t lived until you’ve seen one of the toughest guys alive use the word ‘dork.’  And the grin that accompanied the insult was just charming beyond words.  Even pretty Moira blushed as Conn yanked one of her curls.

ME:  So, how’s it going marriage-wise?  I mean, with the witches and vampires and the war?

CONN:  Good.

MOIRA:  I think maybe more info is required…dork.  We, ah, are doing…just fine.

CONN:  Yeah.  That was a lot of info.

MOIRA:  Well, okay.  The witches are hanging in there – but if you’ve read Hunted, you know we have some issues right now.  And I put my younger sister, Brenna, on the Council, and she’s working hard, but something’s going on with her.  I’m not sure what.  But as soon as we get things settled with the vampires, I’m going to go figure it out.

You know, I’ve always wondered about Brenna.  She seems like a sweetheart, but she’d have to be rather tough to live the life she’s living.

ME:  So what about Brenna?  Is there a mate in her future?

CONN:  Well, according to Dage, who’s psychic, there’s a mate in her future.  But Dage won’t say who.  And whenever he talks about it, his eyes flash blue through the silver, and that’s always a bad sign.  So we don’t ask.

MOIRA:  Dage has always been really fond of Brenna, so if there’s a difficult path for her, he’d be worried.  But I also trust him to tell me when it’s time for me to get involved.

CONN:  Yeah, right.  I know you.  You’re getting involved the first second you get the chance.

MOIRA:  Yeah, I am.

ME:  So, it seems like a lot of the Realm leaders are finding mates.  How goes it with Katie and Jordan?  Are those two ever going to get together?

CONN:  Sure.  Fate is fate…

MOIRA:  I’d like to be so confident.  But, well, their path is a tough one…much tougher than most people know right now.  You’ll know more after reading chapter 1 of CONSUMED…oh yeah.  If they can figure it out…wozza.  What a life.

Which reminds me.  I think I read somewhere that if Consumed gets 100 ‘likes’ on Amazon, the first chapter of Consumed will be put up on Rebecca’s FB page.  Hmmm.  I need to head to Amazon after this interview.  Speaking of which, this is the longest time I’ve managed to keep interviewees in the chairs.

ME:  I have high hopes for Katie and Jordan…always have.  What about Kane?  I’ve heard a rumor that he’s maybe found a mate.

MOIRA:  Well, there’s a possible mate.  It’s my understanding the woman is very powerful…but doesn’t know it?  And she’s some sort of Vegan.

CONN:  I’m not giving up meat.

MOIRA:  Nobody asked you to give up meat.  Geez.

ME:  So, Moira.  I was wondering.  Obviously you’ve read Hunted.  What’s your favorite line from the book?

MOIRA:  That’s a great question!  Well, I don’t want to give anything away here…but things were looking bad and I was fading fast…here’s the line:

With a flash of speed and the shattering of glass, Connlan Kayrs leapt through the window.

MOIRA:  I know that doesn’t give you a lot of insight…but it pretty much represents Conn.  He’d sacrifice anything for the people he loves.

Okay, I melted a little.  I mean, who wouldn’t?  They’re such an awesome pair, and the affection and love is there.  As well as an edge…these two have enemies and they know it.

ME:  Okay, that is really sweet.  What about you, Conn?  Have a favorite line?

CONN:  What book?

Oh yeah.  I’d forgotten the vampires either didn’t know about the books, or they just didn’t want to talk about it.  These guys aren’t exactly the type to share their lives with the world.

Just as I was about to sigh…Jase Kayrs walked in.  Man, if you haven’t seen Jase, you’re missing out.  The youngest Kayrs brother is sexy as sin.  Wide shoulders, charming grin, danger glints from his eyes.  Yeah, I might have a crush.  But, then he told Conn that something was up and they had to go…something with the demons and a mission…and just like that, quick goodbyes were made. 

Although I’m no psychic, I suddenly had an odd thought.  I wondered who Jase’s mate would be?!?

Izzy’s Insights – Interview with Characters Max and Sarah

on April 22, 2012

Sergej Khakimullin
Shutterstock

So, I’ve been wanted to interview Max and Sarah ever since TEMPTED came out, and I finally got a chance to sit down with them at a brand new coffee shop in my town.  If you’ve read my earlier interviews, you know why I had to find a new coffee shop.  Max arrived early and we got started.  Here’s the transcript of the interview, with a couple of my thoughts thrown in:

ME:  Thank you so much for meeting me here!  I know how busy you are.  Where’s Sarah?

MAX:  Ah, Sarah’s on her own time schedule.  She had some stuff planned with the queen and said she’d be here on time.  But ‘on time’ for Sarah means about five to ten minutes late.

At this point I should probably tell you a bit about Max if you haven’t met him yet.  He’s huge with a very slight Russian accent.  A bodyguard to the king and then to Janie, Max is pretty formidable.  Brown eyes, dark hair, and he has that tough guy look that makes people not bump into his chair in a coffee shop.

ME:  Okay, that’s fine.  So, you finally found your mate, huh?

Max blushed.  I mean, he really blushed.  Suddenly he went from looking like a hot killer to a sweet guy.  I wanted to punch him in the arm or give him a noogy.  I think I’m in love.  (Yeah, I know he has a mate.  But give me a second for a fantasy here.)

MAX:  Yes.  Sarah was being chased by some Kurjans, and I went after her to help.  Well, there are a few more details involved there, but it’s Realm business and I can’t really talk about it.  Um, is it hot in here?

ME:  You know your story is in a book, right?

MAX:  Aren’t you funny?  There’s no book.

So Max doesn’t know about TEMPTED?  What’s up with that?  Then he stiffened and glanced toward the door.  A curvy brunette skirted several tables to find her way to us.  Max instantly held out a chair and she sat.  Max introduced me to Sarah.

ME:  Hi Sarah, thanks for coming.  Max says you’re always late.

SARAH:  (After elbowing Max in the gut).  Not true.  What did I miss?

ME:  Not much.  Max was just telling me about you running from Kurjans.

SARAH:  (After giving a huge shiver).  Yeah, I saw one, nobody believed me, and I was sent to an asylum.  I escaped, and well…everyone came looking for me.

ME:  I’ve heard the Kurjans are still a big threat and that they’ve upped their attempts to get to Janie Kayrs.

The air seemed to change around us.  Max lost the charming look, his eyes glinting.  Finally, I could see the Russian hunter Dage had trained to kill and defend.  No way did I want to give the guy a noogy now.  I shivered.

MAX:  The Kurjans won’t get Janie.  Ever.

SARAH:  We have excellent security…there’s no way the Kurjans will come close.  Max, stop scaring the nice reporter.  Though, those Kurjans are creepy.

She shivered again.  Max frowned and asked Sarah if she was cold.  She said kind of.  So Max offered to go tell the coffee shop people to turn up the heat.  (Keep in mind, it was about 70 degrees in there).  Sarah said no.  So Max scanned the entire shop, decided it was safe, and headed off to get both Sarah and me some warm coffee.

ME:  Wow.

SARAH:  Yeah, I know.  The war makes them all tense.  But underneath the big, bad, tough-guy killer exteriors, the vampires are nice guys.  Well, most of the time.  Well, sometimes.  Well, ALL the time with their mates.

ME:  That’s nice for their mates.  You’ve read Tempted.  What’s your favorite line from the novella?

SARAH:  That’s a great question!  Well, we’d just met and he saved me from several scary Kurjans.  Then he tracked me through the woods where it had been raining, and I was freezing when we found shelter.  And, don’t tell him, but I was kind of scared of him.  You should see him fight.  Well, here’s the line:

Two strides and he shoved her over.  “Don’t panic here, darlin’.  But we’re about to snuggle.” Quick movements had him under the blanket, turning her to spoon against him.

SARAH:  The idea of the big guy using the word ‘snuggle’ just threw me.  He was so dangerous and so sweet at the same time.

ME:  Okay, that is really sweet.  So how is life at Realm Headquarters?  You’re a teacher, right?

SARAH:  Yes.  Oh my goodness.  I love teaching there.  But I have to tell you, going from teaching a bunch of young kindergarteners to teaching humans and a bunch of young shifters is a huge leap.  The shifters will shift right in the middle of class.  I’m having so much fun!

Her eyes sparkled and her entire face lit up–and I could totally see why Max adored her.  Yeah, they belong together for sure.  Then Max returned and gave us both coffee, once again scanning the coffe shop for threats.

ME:  What are you looking for?

MAX:  Talen told me that trouble seems to follow you, and I’m looking for problems.

I started sputtering.  I mean, really sputtering.  The only trouble I’d ever had was caused by Talen causing problems.

SARAH:  Don’t worry, Izzy.  We all know that reporters have dangerous jobs.

Even the Realm women were in the dark?  Then I noticed the amusement in her eyes.  Oh.  Yeah, she got it.  So I shared a smile with her and nodded.

MAX:  We have to get going in a minute because Conn’s heading over to Ireland to fetch his mate, and I’d like to say goodbye.  Though I’m sure Conn will be home with her soon so we can keep her safe.

ME:  Isn’t she a witch?

SARAH:  Moira is a very powerful witch…and I don’t think she’s the type to be ‘fetched.’  Something tells me their meeting is going to have some powerful fireworks involved.

MAX:  (After shrugging).  Doesn’t matter, sweetheart.  Love always wins…you know that.

At this point Max got a call and said they had to go.  But that was all right with me…I’m heading out to pick up my copy of HUNTED.  I SO want to see those fireworks.  See you next time!

Izzy’s Insights – Interview with Character Dage Kayrs…Take 2

on January 26, 2012

 

Sergej Khakimullin
Shutterstock

My name is Izzy and I interview book characters.  Many people say I’m a character, myself.  *Snort*.  That’s nice of them.  I’m hoping Rebecca lets me interview a bunch of her characters–I can’t wait to be in the same room with all of the Kayrs brothers.  MEOW.

So, I tried interviewing the king once before, and his brothers showed up to cause havoc.  Talen is particularly tiresome when it comes to interviews…who knows why.  But Dage agreed to meet me again and this time we met at a very quaint coffee shop that’s off the grid.  The coffee is spectacular and there’s free WiFi, so even if our meeting got cut short, I was happy.  For those of you who haven’t met Dage yet, he’s about six and a half feet tall, packed hard, with black hair and incredible silver eyes.  Frankly, it shows he trusts us that he’s not hiding the odd color.  Here’s the transcript of the interview, with a couple of my thoughts thrown in:

ME:  So.  Thank you for trying this again.  I’m sorry about last time.

DAGE:  That certainly wasn’t your fault.  Sometimes my brothers are a handful.

If that wasn’t the understatement of the millennium, I don’t know what was.  But I nodded and gave him my most professional smile.  He smiled back…not fooled a bit.

ME:  So, I wanted to talk to you about Max’s mission – I believe he left the other day.

DAGE:  Interesting.  Why do you believe that?

Okay.  Vampires can be kind of scary and this one scarier than most.  Even though his tone stayed calm and no expression crossed his face, an odd tension made the air around us kind of heavy.  The king probably didn’t like his information getting out.

ME:  My sources are pretty good.  And this interview won’t run until Max has finished his mission (but about a month before TEMPTED, Max’s story, comes out—don’t tell the king), so there’s no reason not to talk about it.

DAGE:  Hmmm.  Okay.  We’ll discuss Max and then we’ll discuss your sources in my organization.  Basically, there’s a woman named Sarah Pringle who has created a blog and website about the Kurjans.  They’re after her, and we need to get to her before they do. 

(The Kurjans are the bad guys–pasty faced bad vampires afraid of the sun.  Unlike the good vampires).

ME:  You’re going to let her keep the website up?

DAGE:  No.  Jase already took it down and posted information about her writing a good book.  The website has been taken care of.  Now we just need to get her records from the insane asylum because I’m sure she told them all about the Kurjans.  We can’t have that information out there.

A bit of concern had me sitting back in my chair.  What exactly were the vampires going to do to poor possibly-crazy Sarah Pringle?

ME:  I find it odd you sent Max.  I mean, he’s Janie’s bodyguard now.  What did he used to be?

DAGE:  Max has always been part of the family…serving as my bodyguard as well as one of my best hunters.  The guy is a Russian bloodhound when it comes to hunting.

ME:  Ah…okay.

To be honest, I’ve met Max.  The guy isn’t just a hunter. 

ME:  But why Max?  Many of your people are scouts, including Conn.  Why send Max?

DAGE:  Let’s just say I think Max is the right guy for the job.

A really cute twinkle entered the king’s eye at this point and for a second, I could just stare.  Then I shook it off and got back to business, reminding myself that I was a professional and the guy had a mate.  I mean, really.

ME:  Are you matchmaking, king?

DAGE:  I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.

At this point, a barista sauntered up to give the king a free muffin.  I mean, seriously.  It’s a coffee shop.  You order at the counter and take your own food to your table.  Okay, I’m not just irritated that she didn’t bring me a muffin.  I’m irritated on Emma’s behalf.  Dage politely thanked the woman, keeping his attention on me.  She returned to the counter, her butt swaying the whole time.

ME:  I bet that happens a lot to you.

DAGE:  What happens to me?

Man, guys are clueless.  Even immortal deadly ones.

ME:  Forget it.  So, I have to know, does Max get a happy ending?

The peace was too good to last.  I should’ve started with the main question.  Guess who showed up?  NOPE!  It wasn’t Talen.  Jase, the youngest brother, hustled inside, his brown hair ruffled and eyes flashing.

DAGE:  What’s happened?

JASE:  Something’s going on with the witches…Conn is leaving now.  We have to go.

Darn it.  My source in the Realm hadn’t reported anything about the witches.  I mean, we all knew Conn was heading to Ireland to collect his witch soon (and I fully expect she’s not going to allow any sort of collection), but I hadn’t known it would be this quickly.

DAGE:  Izzy, I appreciate your time, but I need to get going.

The darn barista, who had somehow lost a couple buttons on her shirt, hustled over, her gaze on Jase.  So, yeah.  The guy is seriously hot.  But I mean, come on.

ME:  I’d like to talk about Conn and his mission to Ireland.

Dage flashed a smile as he stood to join Jase. 

DAGE:  I’ll arrange for an interview with Conn when he gets back.  You’ll enjoy meeting him.  And we’ll discuss your sources in the Realm next time.

Okay, it was kind of a threat.  Then, well…the coffee chick made a move.  Not a kill ya type of move.  But an almost genuine trip to basically land in Jase’s arms.  They got all tangled up, and he ended up just picking her up.  The woman beamed.  Then she pouted really pretty when he put her down with a smile and whispered something in her ear.  The Kayrs men left.  I took a look at the flushed waitress.

ME:  What did he say?

NEARLY TOPLESS WAITRESS:  He said he’d be back next week

Excellent.  So will I.  🙂