Author Cheri Schmidt: YA Indie Carnival ~ Friday the 13th ~ Or Not...

Actually, I forgot it was Friday the 13th! It’s not something I think about much, mainly because I’m not a fan of horror. At all... So if you came here for horror, then you came to the wrong place! :D

I write YA Paranormal Romance without much in way of horror... Of course my villains are scary, but my stories are not the kind of stuff that will disturb your dreams. At least I don’t think so. Well, I suppose many people did find the spiders in Forever a bit horrifying...what did you expect from witches?

Anyway! Besides the spiders, probably the scariest I get is in my villains. So maybe you’ll enjoy this interview of Lucas that Max did for me. (Note: If you want an excerpt of Max’s story, which I’m working on at the moment, simply scroll down.)

Here is an interview of a vampire, oh wait, I mean an interview of a villain, oh wait, I mean an interview of a werewolf... ENJOY! (told from max's point of view)

“Welcome to Cheri’s blog, my lovely ladies...and dashing gents, whatever the case may be.” Max winks as he sketches a bow, his waves of brown hair tumbling down over his forehead. The knight shoves fingers through his hair to push it back into place as he settles into his chair. “Today, I have Lucas from the Fateful Trilogy here for an interview.” Max twists in his seat to face Lucas who is sitting in a comfortable chair in Beon’s drawing room at Order headquarters. “Welcome, villain.”

Lucas stares, or rather, scowls at Max before he says with a heavy note of annoyance in his tone, “Were you expecting me to cackle evilly, or something? Because it’s just not going to happen.”

Max shrugs his big shoulders and props one booted foot on his opposite knee, the picture of ease. Apparently the knight isn’t intimidated by murdering rogues. Although, it might have something to with the burly vampire body guards posted at the doors during this interview, but only a little bit. Max is dangerous in his own right. “Shall we begin?” Max drops his gaze for a moment to peek at his notes.

“If you would get on with it, I’d appreciate it. I do have better things to do than sit here with you answering stupid questions.”

“Like what, exactly?” asks Max.

Muscles jump along Lucas’ jaw. His dark eyes narrow on the knight. His nostrils flare. “Are you talking about stupid questions you’d like to ask me, or what I’d rather be doing?”

“The latter, obviously,” mentions Max.

“Mischief and mayhem...obviously,” answers Lucas smugly.

“What sort of mischief and mayhem? Be specific. Our audience is curious to know,” Max queries with an annoyed lift of one eyebrow.

Smirking evilly, Lucas locks his dark gaze onto Max’s in a threatening way. “I could be seeking time alone with Nadia so that I may get to know her better. She and I haven’t...chatted much.” The smirk turns to a leer as it seems Lucas imagines what he’d like to be doing to Nadia.

Max comes back with a threat of his own. His lips thin, his fingers slip into his boot, and in the blink of any eye, he sends a knife at Lucas. The six-inch blade sinks into the back cushion of the chair Lucas is seated in.

The villain didn't even flinch. “No bad for an old rusty knight,” Lucas says in a silky voice.

“I’ve spent most of my life dispatching miscreants like you.”

“We've digressed,” comments Lucas.

Max draws a measured breath and releases it slowly, apparently in agreement. “Do you have any hobbies the readers might not know about?”

“Crossword puzzles,” says Lucas.

A mocking laugh blasts from Max. “Do you also knit?”

Lucas frowns. “You insult me.”

“Every chance I can get.”

“You’re digressing again,” Lucas says. “Did you have any other questions for me? Perhaps something more relevant than what I do with my spare time, like what I do with my victims instead? I can promise you, the readers would be much more interested in what I could be, or rather, will be doing to Nadia.”

“Threaten my wife again, and next time I won’t intentionally miss.” Lucas didn’t seem to have an answer to that, so Max went on, “What made you like this, Lucas? What event in your life darkened your soul so much?”

“I think I was always like this, to be honest,” Lucas says with a note of pride.

“Always evil? Surely as a child—”

“I don’t remember much from my childhood. But what I do recall, it wasn't exactly pleasant.”

“Your father—”

“Wasn't the nicest chap there ever was.”

“So you’re blaming your evilness on him, then?”

Lucas shrugs his shoulders. “I wouldn't be the first.”

“Now you’ve made me curious. Tell me more about your father, would you? What was it about him that turned you to a life of disruptive and violent behavior?”

“This is an insipid line of questioning. Next please,” Lucas says with an air of superiority.

Max rolls his jaw in an apparent effort to keep his anger tamped down. “Fine. Let’s just cut to the chase, hmm? What is it about being a monster that appeals to you so much?”

“It’s a bit cliché, but there is power in fear.”

“So this is all about power?”

Lucas sighs. “Actually, no. It’s all about revenge.”

“Against Ethan,” says Max.

“Precisely.”

“Did I just hear my name?” Ethan asks as he enters with service for tea.

Max draws in a breath of air, and his eyes land on the hot scones on a plate next to the teapot. Despite the fact that he was hungry, he eyes Ethan with unmasked curiosity. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you.”

“I don’t need help.”

“Then I’m simply here to offer refreshment.” Ethan’s gaze touches on Lucas and it was easy for Max to mark the lie.

“Really?” Max asks doubtfully.

“Of course.” Ethan starts pouring out. He has three teacups so Max knows he intends to serve Lucas as well. Intrigued, Max leans back into the cushion and watches to see how this is going to play out. “Would you like a spot of tea?” Ethan asks Lucas.

Lucas eyes the cup wearily. “Is it poisoned?”

A chuckle rumbles out of Ethan. “Would I poison you?”

“Yes. I believe you would.”

“What reason exactly would I have to poison you?” When Lucas doesn’t answer right away, Ethan asks, “One lump or two?”

Lucas folds his arms. The corners of his mouth slid downward. “Where’s Danielle? Isn’t she going to join our quaint little tea party too?”

“No,” Ethan practically growls, straightening, the food forgotten...apparently. Ethan removes his glasses and sets them carefully on the coffee table next to the tea tray.

The action was clearly not lost on Lucas as he also rises to his feet and pushes up his sleeves.

“Ethan, what are you doing now?” Max asks.

“Nothing,” Ethan shoves up his sleeves as well.

“Why did you take off your glasses then?”

“No reason.”

Max rolls his eyes when Ethan throws the first punch, and the two men brawl, spilling the tea, smashing the teacups, and breaking the table.

Max hadn’t noticed at first, but Ethan had ropes and a gag in his back pocket. As a bruise develops around Ethan’s left eye, and a trickle of blood oozes from his bottom lip, Ethan tightens the knot on the ropes now securing Lucas to the floral-patterned wingback chair.

Clearing his throat, Max folds his arms over his chest and shoots a curious gaze at Ethan. “Exactly how am I supposed to interview the villain with him bound and gagged like that?”

Ethan shrugs his shoulders. “Scone?”

Casting his gaze to the ruined food on the floor he lifts an eyebrow.

Ethan’s face splits into a smile. “I’ve got fresh ones in the kitchen, this was poisoned.”

“And you need a new pair of spectacles,” Max points out.

“Oops,” says Ethan spying his crunched eyewear in the mess littering the decorative rug.

PS: For perhaps some good Friday the 13th reading, check out the Vampire Diaries. A series my daughter loves! It was written long before Twilight was out, and, even though we love the show at our house, the books are nothing like it. They're better, in a different sort of way...

~0R~

Some of my fellow carnis can better take care of you in terms of horror than me, so please take a minute to check out their blogs too. (But before you leave, view the post before this one, leave a comment about what recipes you’d like to see in Sophia’s cookbook, and be entered into a giveaway for a signed book!)