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The Protagonist Speaks

Interviews with the characters of your favourite books

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Alexander Stone (of Stepping Stone by Dakota Willink)

 

dakota-willink-heart-of-stone dakota-willink-stepping-stoneDear readers, tonight with us on the interview couch is the CEO of a real-estate empire. He’s a man who knows how to get what he wants, understanding the value of finesse, and the importance of patience and diligence to achieve the desired result.

He is here to tell about how his world turned upside-down after meeting Krystina – the complete opposite of what he thought he wanted in a woman. His instincts failed him at every turn…

 

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up living in the Bronx. Specifically, it was a housing project with stereotypical cinderblock buildings, foul odors that never seemed to dissipate, and bars on the windows. The area was riddled with crime and drugs, where gun deaths and overdoses happened almost daily.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

The people who lived around us had very little in terms of material possessions. That was the norm. My family did not own a car and we couldn’t afford cable. Our phone was without service more often than not because of overdue bills. The few toys that I had as a child were gifts from my grandparents.

It was a struggle just to make ends meet and my mother learned early on how to stretch a dollar so that we could have a decent meal. My father worked, but never in one place for very long. He always had an excuse for his shortcomings as an employee, and someone else was always to blame whenever he got fired from a job. Because of all of this, I began to value the importance of money at a very young age, and it’s the reason why I was determined long ago to be where I am today. Continue reading “Alexander Stone (of Stepping Stone by Dakota Willink)”

Malia Poole (of Shadow of the Hare by Donna Dechen Birdwell)

shadow-of-the-hare-donna-dechen-birdwell

Dear readers, tonight with me is someone we don’t normally see – an author. But don’t worry, she is also the protagonist in her own novel, set in a world where books have ceased to matter and barely exist.

She is here to tell us about how things changed through the 21st century, and how after fifty years of self-imposed exile, she returns to a world far more terrifying than the one she fled. In Dallas, Nigeria, and India she doggedly pursues the truth her heart demands.

 

 

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I was born in 2015 and grew up in a world that no longer exists. We were living in Dallas, Texas, which was still part of the United States then, and I was named after one of the daughters of the President. I always believed—and I suppose this is true of most children—that my family and everything we did was normal and natural. We were neither poor nor privileged, or at least we didn’t think we were. Mine was the last generation to grow to adulthood in the world before the youth miracle drug Chulel and before they started sending children to boarding colonies to be raised by professionals.

Wait. If you were born in 2015, how old are you now?

Yes, well, you would want to ask, wouldn’t you? I’m 111. Most people my age still look about 22, but for various reasons, I was never as devoted to Chulel as most people. I took it for maybe 30 years, but then I quit. So, yes, I look old. But not as old as 111 used to look, right? Continue reading “Malia Poole (of Shadow of the Hare by Donna Dechen Birdwell)”

Special announcement re Tommy of Counteract (by Tracy Lawson)

Tracy Lawson - Counteract Resist Ignite

Dear readers, some of you may remember the interview with Tommy of Counteract by Tracy Lawson. Well, it appears young Tommy is now the star of a three books series – and to celebrate this, Tracy Lawson is running a special promotion!

This is your chance to get free e-books and read the story of Tommy and Careen’s fight against the Office of Civilian Safety and Defense from the very beginning.

Here’s how it works:
Download Ignite: Book Three of the Resistance Series on July 19-20 on Amazon for $2.99:

http://amzn.to/295WBYY. Then send your receipt to tracy@counteractbook.com and in return, you’ll receive FREE downloads of Counteract and Resist, the first two books in the series!


We’ll be back Tomorrow, for another very special interview – one that is happening on a very special anniversary!

Jerry (of What One Leaves Behind by Regan O’Leary)

What One Leaves Behind - Regan O'LearyDear readers, in a bizarre and somewhat worrying turn of events, our little interview couch is now participating in a crime across international borders.

You may recall the interview about two weeks ago with Bane Shaw. It seems that his dark past is not yet done with him. Revenge killings never end, and now the son of the man Bane murdered to protect his family is after him. We tracked him down on his murderous path, and asked him some hard questions.

 

 

Tell us about growing up in Glasgow, about your involvement with the street gangs

Gangs in Glesgae – that’s just the way of life. Gang life’s been around for hundreds of years! Hell, Glesgae has mair gangs than London – I’ll bet you didnae ken that! But, the only street gang that matters are my boys! The Billy Boy from Bridgeton. They’ve goat my back – always have, always will. We’re family! My da and my uncle were members – it’s who we are. We stick together against them Shanley Boys in Bridgeton and those Peel Glen Boys in the Drum. *Curses* Fenian Tims! We will always threaten their shops, piss on their churches, and force their kids from our cinemas! It’s status! I’m feared and respected because of my gang.

How did you know Bane Shaw was back in Glasgow? Did it take you to track him down?

I knew that big-heided arse would come back to Glesgae eventually. He was easy enough to find, an’ aw! Those stupid PGB blabbed all over Glesgae that the Bane Shaw was coming home – like he was some bastard hero! Coming back to marry his yank hoor! He wisnae that hard to find!

I understand you threatened Bronagh?

Aye! That I did! Unlike my da and my uncle, I know how to hurt a man! And it isnae killing whit family he left behind in Glesgae, no! I’ll take his soul from him – I’ll take his woman! Continue reading “Jerry (of What One Leaves Behind by Regan O’Leary)”

Dahoud and Merida (of Storm Dancer by Rayne Hall)

STORM DANCER dark epic fantasy RayneHall cover 2013-01-30Dear readers, tonight we are hosting the notorious Dahoud, a former siege commander with more curses on his head than a camel has fleas, and a conscience heavier than a bricklayer’s tray. Together with him is his lover, the foreign weather magician Merida. 

 

 

Let us start with Dahoud first. Tell me, what are you most proud of in your past?

[Dahoud] The first time I took charge. I was a fifteen-year old grunt in the army. Our unit was transporting supplies when the enemy attacked. One after the other, our officers fell. I rallied the survivors, and we recaptured some of the supplies, and got our wounded back to base. Nobody questioned my command, and it felt good. I was made a centurion after that, quite an achievement for a young nobody from the Samil tribe without family or education.

What was your childhood like? Any favourite toys?

[Dahoud] There was no time for childhood. When you were old enough to walk, you were put to work, guarding the flocks, mostly. I don’t remember anyone giving me toys. My mother certainly didn’t. I made my own stone sling and bow and arrows and practised with them – do they count as toys? Continue reading “Dahoud and Merida (of Storm Dancer by Rayne Hall)”

Cassius (of Roman Mask by Thomas M. D. Brooke)

Thomas Brooke - Roman MaskDear readers, tonight with me in a man who witnessed one of the Roman Empire’s most iconic events. He is here to tell us about some of the wonders to be found across the Empire, and of its leading men and women.

 

What is Germany really like? Are the people there really as tall as the legends say?

Germany is awful.  No, really it is.  The lands are mainly covered in dark, thick forests that are often shrouded in mist, so finding your way through the impenetrable maze of woodland is all but impossible.  You don’t ever want to get lost in the woods there, trust me.  What isn’t forested, tends to be covered in bogs, or stony fields unsuited for anything but the basest of crops.  Their winters are so cold, with a harsh wind that comes in from the East, that you’re likely to freeze to death unless you find shelter come nightfall.

But worst of all are the people.  The German tribes are made up of a variety of warlike people all full of giant muscle bound warriors, with blonde or red hair, and fierce cold pale eyes that bore through you with hatred and malice.  Their women are almost as bad, often following their men to the battlefield to hurl insults and spit anger at their enemies from behind the lines. Continue reading “Cassius (of Roman Mask by Thomas M. D. Brooke)”

The Prancer (of The Unicorn Throne by Chrys Cymri)

Chrys Cymri - Unicorn ThroneDear readers, tonight with me (not quite on the couch), is The Prancer – the unicorn guardian off the pages of The Unicorn Throne. Let’s find out what this mystical being has to say to us humans.

 

Can you tell us a bit about the First Kingdom, and the origins of the animosity between the unicorns and dragons?

The People of the Trees are the first born children of the Land. We honour her and entrust our bodies to her from birth. And in turn she gives the Dancer the gift of Judgement and the Painter the gift of Healing. The Family, however, have never been accepted by the Land. They killed her original children the moment they emerged onto the Land. And, from time to time, a dragon will come and hunt from the herd. It was a dragon, the red one called the Traveller, who killed my milk-brother Storm. And I’ve promised on Storm’s grave to track down this dragon and demand from him the piece of horn he took away in his eye from their fight. Continue reading “The Prancer (of The Unicorn Throne by Chrys Cymri)”

Marie (of Marie by Ana Elise Meyer)

Marie - Ana MeyerDear readers, tonight on the interview couch is Marie, off the pages of her eponymous novel. Marie is a special person, the picture of physical perfection. Let us find out what mind lies inside a body that can heal at rapid rates. 

 

What was it like growing up at the institution? Did you have a favourite toy?

How do you think it was? I lived in a sterile building. I had my friends and that was all, but they turned out to be pricks.

What the fuck is a toy?

Did you have any one there that you felt close to, like a parent?

That is none of you damn business!

What does your extreme healing power feel like? Do wounds hurt less?

It feels like healing, and yes it does fucking hurt. I am not some superhero or something. Continue reading “Marie (of Marie by Ana Elise Meyer)”

Tommy (of Counteract by Tracy Lawson)

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Dear readers, today we are interviewing Tommy, off the pages of Counteract and Resist. Tommy lives in a dystopian future, constantly under the guard of the Office of Civilian Safety and Defence (OCSD).

 

What was it like, for a growing child under the OCSD?

It’s funny you should ask what it was like to grow up under the thumb of the Office of Civilian Safety and Defense. The OCSD really took hold in 2019, when I was only three years old, so I’ve never known what it was like to live without the Restrictions–until now. I guess my life was pretty close to what you’d call normal. I understand now that my mom tried to shelter me from what was really going on. My dad was an attorney and activist who opposed the creation of the OCSD and spoke out against their policies, but my parents didn’t talk about it at home–at least in front of me. I grew up going to school and playing sports. We lived in an area that still had a few restaurants and shops, but it wasn’t like that for everyone. I guess our quadrant had a lot of rich people, lots of people who were high up in the government. Our community’s social status–and our compliance with the Restrictions–are what allowed us to have those luxuries. Continue reading “Tommy (of Counteract by Tracy Lawson)”

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