Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to Weekend Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo hasĀ temporarilyĀ bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. SinceĀ I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what theyāre doing, where theyāre going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer.Ā
Today we have two characters ā Skriker and Rose ā from the novel Black Dog and Rebel Rose, and the novella Coyote Night by Danielle D. Smith.
Black Dog & Rebel Rose
Katelina: Thanks for coming guys! Wow, a two for one interview! Could you tell us a little about yourselves? Maybe describe what you look like for the readers?
SKRIKER: Thanks for askin’, baby. Pleasure to be here. What do I look like…heh-heh. 6′ 3″ tall, Billy Idol rock star platinum blond with carpet that matches the drapes, green eyes, lots of tattoos, beefcake body, devilishly handsome, hung like a horse…
K: Oh myā¦.
ROSE: (rolling her eyes, chuckling): Modest, are we, Skrike?
SKRIKER: You know it’s true, baby. Anyway, I’m half-demon, half-human–my pops wasĀ a soul collector who fell in love with my mom when she was stripping at this joint called The Neon, and he chose to give up his infernal birthright to join her here onĀ terra firma. I’m a hunter of all things that dwell in the dark–other demons, vamps, weres, shifters, angry ghosts– you name it, I hunt it. I also cage fight professionally underground, and do some mercenary work on the side. I live on the road most of the time, but when I’m back in my home city, I have a nice place of my own where I park myĀ shit and keep my pet devil dog, Trash, happy and spoiled. You can find me in the pages ofĀ Black Dog and Rebel RoseĀ and now,Ā Coyote Night.
K: Uh.. vampire hunter.. uh.. yeah.. How about you, Rose?
ROSE: Thank you for having us. I’m 5′ 11″ tall, pin-up shapely, with long curly dark hair and parti-colored eyes (one blue, one brown). I have a trio of scars on each cheek, marking where a demonĀ clawed me when I was five years old. I’m a Nephil, the last on Earth. My father is a warrior angel, aĀ former megasoldier in the Holy Army. He helped cast Lucifer out when the Universe was new. My humanĀ mother, rest her soul, was an artist and the unexpected love of my father’s life. He was sent to kill her in order to earn back his place in Paradise (you can read about that in Psyche’s Gate), and ended up falling hard for her instead. As you can see, Skriker and I are total opposites, but we love each other like crazy. I live in the same city as Skrike, in a little studio in the rougher side of town. He keeps trying to get me to move in with him, but…not sure about that yet. You can find me in the same stories as Skriker here.
K: Wow. So how would you say that you evolve or change during the course of your storie(s)?
SKRIKER: Pretty profound question there. I’d have to say that I evolved the most when I met Rose while hunting vampyresĀ inĀ Black Dog and Rebel Rose–I used to be a crazy man-whore, see? I banged so many girls, I couldn’t count ’em. Hump ’em and leave ’em, that was my style. I could meet a girl on a street corner and she’d be going home with me by the time we reached the other side of the street. When I met Rose and found my soulmate in her, I became less selfish and more faithful than this old boy ever thought he could be. I would die for her in half a second and do anything to keep her by my side.
ROSE: Personally, in meeting Skriker, I found myself able toĀ actually love my enemy in the truest sense of the word. My father gave me a genetic inborn hatred of demons…it was only natural. When I met Skriker, I was so fragmented about how I felt about him. I felt myself plunging headlong into love, feeling like I had found the other half of my soul, like I had known him forever…and he was a Halfling. Completely, totally forbidden under Heaven’s rules.Ā I struggled with that like you have no idea. And when I finally accepted my feelings for him, I realized that I had found my best friend. That evolution was huge for me…I had to deny my birthright in order to be with the man I loved.
K: Wow. Thatās romantic, to say the least! What first attracted you guys to one another?
Ā SKRIKERĀ (rolling his eyes back deliciously): Ohhh, mama…you’re looking at her sitting right here. What did I find appealing?…
ROSE: Oh, good God. Here it comes.
SKRIKER: Let’s see here…dynamite body that puts Bettie Page to shame. Tits that don’t quit. Hair, breath, and spit that smells like night blossoms. Eyes that would knock any man flat on his ass. Did I mention her tits? Oh, okay. Rosie’s my soulmate–truly. She is the best hunter I have ever met and blows my mind every time–her knowledge of weapons, techniques, and fighting skills are second to none–Ā and at the same time she makes me want to bundle her into my arms and keep her safe. Sex with her is, well…when they say it’s best with your OneĀ and Only, they aren’t lying. Her toughness, her warmth (which she doesn’t show to everybody), her smile…all of it just turns me into mush.
ROSEĀ (blushing a little): Oh, Skrike, you dog! Anyway, Skriker is gorgeous, as you can see, and that was the first thing that attracted me to him. He’s such a damned bad boy punk…rock hard body, all those hot tattoos, and, yes, hung like a horse. (She giggles.)Ā But there’s more to him than that. His rugged looks belie the fact that he’s crazy smart–he could have beaten the chess club at their top game. He can track better than any hunterĀ I have seen. He’s well-read, clever as shit, and has a sense of humor that can put me in stitches…and that’s rare. Oh, and he’s aĀ godĀ in bed. A lady has to put a big check mark by that, no doubt.
K: Well, sounds like your author certainly gave you a lot of romance, did she give you a lot of enemies, too?
SKRIKER: Heh, heh. Enemies? You got all day? I’m on Hell’s shit list, honey, just like my dad was when he took off on the bosses Downstairs. All nasty things hate me: vampyres, werewolves, all that junk. ‘Cos I kill ’em, and kill ’em nasty. I say bring it ON.
Coyote Night
K: Erm.. yeah. *cough*
ROSE: My enemy? Whoever sent a pack of demons to torture and murder my mother and maim me when I was a little girl. I don’t know who he is, and haven’t found him yet…but when I do, he will hate the day he was created.
Ā K: Wow. So I guess youāve probably had a lot of soul changing moments. If you had to pick the one that really shaped you, what would it be?
SKRIKER: Meeting Harry, my savior. Believe it or not, he’s a werewolf…but the nicest one you’ll ever meet. He rescued me when I was living in a sewer tunnel at thirteen. My family was killed by demons when I was eleven, see, and I ended up on the streets, alone. Harry took me in and taught me everything I know. I fight in his underground fight club and make loads of cash doing it.Ā I ride a Harley, just like him. He helped me become who I was meant to be, andĀ helped me balance pride in my demonic gifts with my humaity. His daughter, Gretchen, is like a sister to me. You’ll get more of that story later on–those pages are still being written–but that’s definitely what helped to shape old Skrike.
ROSE: What shaped me? My mother being horriblyĀ slain and my face being maimed. I was so innocent and pure before that. After that happened, my father took me and hid me away in the magical house of a Mother Goddess for ten years. There, he taught me how to fight as the angels do, how to sharpen my angelic gifts like a well-honed blade. I became the warrior he always knew I could be, as much as I think it pained him. I ran away when I was sixteen–got sick and tired of being hovered over–and I spent the next year traveling the world, hunting the dark horrors out there, taking occasional lovers, becoming a woman and a true soldier. My mother’s death…it shaped me in ways that I think my father never even expected.
K: I canāt even imagine! My dad died when I was like a baby, so it wasnāt really the big emotional hole, you know? But, speaking of challenges, whatās the biggest challenge you face in your newest story?
SKRIKER: InĀ Coyote Night, I face having Rose stolen away from me by a Navajo skinwalker who wants to possess my girl as his own. NOT something you do to old Skrike. It leaves me fighting the most desperate fight of my life…trying to keep my woman safe in my arms.
ROSE: Saving a pack of children stolen by this skinwalker. These kids have endured so much spiritual and physical horror from being kidnapped and held captive by this monster…they become my ward, and I am determined to save them, no matter what the cost. I will face off with the skinwalker using the angelic powers my father gave me; whether or not my human side gets in the way will be the big question.
Photo by mytat_2s via flickr
SKRIKER: (wistfully): For Rosie to marry me. Hint, HINT.
ROSE: To find who killed my mother. Then we can talk marriage…if that’s possible for a Nephil and a Halfling.
K: oh, I donāt see why not. I mean, if you like marriage and allā¦ the commitment, you knowā¦ erm, anyway, if you could say one thing to your readers, what would it be?
SKRIKER: Enjoy the ride! And many juicy kisses to the ladies…
ROSE: Write to Danielle D. Smith and tell her to stop being such a bitch…I mean, seriously. The brutality she puts us through…the heartache…
K: Aha! I know what you mean! My author is evil incarnate and yours sounds on par with her! If you could say one thing to your author what would it be?
SKRIKER: Thank you, Dani! You couldn’t have done a better job, mama! (Blows a noisy kiss)
ROSEĀ (grumbling): You seem to enjoy torturing your characters a lot, don’t you?
K: And it looks like weāre about out of time-
SKRIKER: I think you missed some questions, baby.
K:Oh? Like what?
ROSE:Ā No comment. No, don’t askĀ him…oh, Jesus…
SKRIKER: Oh, fun! Let’s see…Q1.) Skriker, have you ever seduced a nun in a church? A: Why, yes, I have. And she enjoyed that pipe I laid very much! Q2.) Skriker, if you could get Rose to do one thing in bed that she hasn’t done yet, what would that be? A: Why, I would–
ROSEĀ (abruptly cutting in): Okay, this interview is over! Thank you for your hospitality.
K: *Blinking* Um.. yeah, and thank you. *shakes head*. Yeah, as I was saying, thanks to Skriker and Rose for stopping in. you can find them in Black Dog and Rebel Rose, and the novella Coyote Night by Danielle D. Smith.
Ā And a special thanks to Danielle D. Smith for playing along!
Bio: Danielle D. Smith is a traditionally published author of Paranormal, Horror, and EroticaĀ tales for adult readers who like their stories “outside the mainstream”. Her fourth book, the novella Coyote Night, will be released this summer by Solstice Publishing. Purchase her bookĀ Black Dog and Rebel RoseĀ HEREĀ to read the story of Skriker and Rose’s chance meeting. Visit the author online atĀ www.danielledsmith.com
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If youāre an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:
https://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/character-interviews/
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Katelina: Hello Sin! Welcome! So the book is named after you?
Amaranthine by Joleene Naylor 