Welcome to Characterfest
Characterfest is a month long event where you’ll find a different character interviews written by the author each day. Each interview has a giveaway(s) make sure the giveaway is open to you and if so add a comment or question along with your email. I will close all giveaways at the end of the week and add the winners to the winners post on that Tuesday. Odds are if you won you’ll be hearing from me.
One thing I will ask is if you could please twitter or hit the facebook likes button on the post so that others can see the interview. I want to get these authors out to as much as I can and you’re my go between in this event.
I hope you enjoy each interview and please try to make it here each day to find out whom or what’s next. If this goes as planned I will be hosting this next year.
Character Interview—Broderick MacDougal
I await Broderick MacDougal—vampire and hero of my debut novel MIDNIGHT CONQUEST. Sitting in the parlor of his fortress, a fire crackles in the hearth, heating my skin. A warm, orange glow flickers along the stone walls and tapestries. The smell of burning wood is heady, soothing, and I can’t resist taking off my shoes.
Gentleman that he is, Broderick does not keep me waiting very long. His six-foot-three frame enters the room, seducing my attention. The corner of his mouth turns up in a smirk. I draw a deep breath to steady my beating heart. Even though I created this guy and he’s constantly in my head, he never fails to get my blood pumping!
His auburn hair shrouds his shoulders and the flames reflect his brassy highlights as he saunters across the room. No, saunters is hardly the word. He glides. With ethereal movements, he stands before me, that tempting dimple creasing his cheek. Cocking a fiery eyebrow, he bends forward, takes my hand and blesses my knuckles with a sensuous kiss that leaves me in a puddle. A warm chuckle rumbles from him and he sits in the vacant chair.
“You’re a rogue,” I accuse. He knows what affect he has on me, and exploits it at every opportunity.
The full smile on his handsome face nearly does me in. Leaning back, he crosses his ankle over his knee and settles in for our interview. “You make it too easy, Arial.” He winks, his deep voice like a drug. Could I possibly melt any more? “You hold the advantage tonight, lass. I must confess, your warning about the topics had me both excited and fearful.” In spite of his words, he maintains his roguish sneer.
“Yes, I have some juicy questions for you to answer, so be prepared to squirm.” I narrow my eyes in a dare.
That same eyebrow rises at my challenge, but he waits for me to begin.
Maybe I’ll be the one who ends up squirming! “Our readers don’t have much time to spare, so I’m diving right in. What’s the first thing you notice about a woman?”
“Two features draw me almost immediately…first, her eyes. I search for that spark of intelligence, a hint of something deeper than her appearance. And then her mouth.” He grins with a dangerous glint as he does just that…gazes at my lips. His deep voice is almost breathy. “Once my eyes go to her mouth, I listen for her heartbeat and her thoughts. If any attraction exists between us, her quickening pulse and forbidden images betray much.”
Yep! You guessed it! My heart’s pattering a mile a minute and he wears the most wicked expression on his face. “You are such a bad boy!”
He tips his head back and his rich laughter fills the room. “’Twas your provocative question, not mine.” He winks again. “Please proceed.” I deliberate over switching to safer questions, but Broderick shakes his head. “Finish what you started, Arial.”
I grumble as soft laughter oozes from his full lips. “Since we’re discussing reading thoughts, nosy…doesn’t it get awfully noisy in there?” I tap my temple with the end of my pencil.
“Inside your head? Aye!”
His laughter drowns out my protests, but he lures me into his amusement. I playfully nudge his knee with my toes.
Roguish smile still in place, he nods. “Aye, at first the noise was difficult to control. I, myself, did not realize how much people think…how many ideas ran through my own head…until I heard the constant rambling of it. I have, over time, learned to quiet the thoughts around me.”
“Being a Gypsy fortune teller for so long, and using your immortal gift to read minds, what advice can you give our readers? What wisdom have you gleaned from this experience?”
Broderick leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Most of my clients were women. Men do not fancy holding hands for a palm reading.” The amusement on his face melts into a softness in his emerald eyes that draws me closer. “I am happy for this opportunity to share my thoughts. Ladies, you are all beautiful, unique creatures. Yet you worry about your appearance and your presentation, and though taking care of yourself is not a fault, you betray your beauty by not being yourselves.”
I’m shocked at the whisper of my voice. “Can you clarify that a bit, Rick?”
He nods. “Many women worry more about what other people think, rather than being true to themselves. They alter their behavior based on how they assume others wish to see them, as opposed to allowing their natural personality to emerge. As such, these beautiful creatures hide behind a mask, so they miss the people who would adore them because they are pretending to be someone they are not.” Broderick sits back and rests his elbows on the arms of the chair, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. “I have seen this behavior enough to near break my heart. One can never find true love if they waste their energy on such fruitless pursuits.”
I’m a little taken aback at the heavy warmth in the atmosphere and in his voice. As usual, Broderick MacDougal gains control in unexpected ways. “You’re a guy who tells it like it is, Rick. I’ve always admired that about you.”
He nods with a hooded gaze and smiles.
“Some of the questions common during most hero interviews don’t apply to you, so I can’t ask them.” I search through my notes to find the ones that do.
“Such as?”
I chortle. “Boxers or briefs?”
He laughs. “Aye, I wear neither. What did you call that?”
“Commando!”
He laughs again. “What other questions?”
“Uh, ok. White, milk or dark chocolate? You drink blood, so I don’t—”
“That does not mean I cannot eat food or do not occasionally partake. I am rather fond of dark chocolate.” That heart-melting dimple emerges beside his lopsided smirk.
I’m a little surprised. After all, he’s my character. “I didn’t know that about you.”
“You never explored that part of me before.” He cocks a challenging eyebrow.
I rise to the challenge. “What’s your favorite erogenous zone on your body?” Ha!
Broderick widens his legs a tad and I can’t help but drop my gaze to his groin. Nor can I stop heat from flaming my cheeks as he slides his hands over those powerful thighs, down between his legs…and…uses the pads of his index fingers to trace the crease where his…ahem…package and legs meet. I dart my eyes back to his, and his wicked gaze, I fear, has not left my face the entire time.
My mouth suddenly dry, I reach for a glass of water on the small table beside my chair. After a long drink, I clear my throat. “What’s—” I squeak and try again. “What’s your favorite color?”
“Sapphire blue,” he responds, almost dreamy.
“Ah, the color of Davina’s eyes.”
“Aye.” He sighs. “’Tis a woman who has stirred my blood like no other. I may toy and tease with you, but there will be no other woman like her.” Broderick crosses his ankle over his knee again and strangely enough, I see color bloom in his cheeks. He shifts in his chair and sports a boyish grin.
“Wow, I wish I could read your thoughts right now,” I tease. “I’m sure they’re about her, judging by the way you’re blushing and the, um…” I try to peer around his knee, but he clasps his hands casually across his lap. “What are you hiding there, Rick?”
Broderick opens his mouth as if to respond, but no words come out. He makes two more attempts to bring forth some witty phrase, but resigns to clamping his mouth shut, a crease marring his brow.
I gasp. “The infamous Broderick MacDougal is speechless. An immortal moment indeed.”
He chuckles. “As you are fond of saying, payback is a bitch.”
That it is! After a tense moment with the air fairly crackling with that oh-so-scrumptious sexuality of his, Broderick rises from his chair, steals my hand and sears a kiss on my palm, piercing me with his sparkling emerald eyes. My heart quickens when his fangs graze the tender skin of my wrist. His tongue darts out to taste my pulse and my breath quickens. Such a tease! “As always, your company is entertaining.” He winks, graces me with that lovely dimple and roguish grin, and glides out of the room…leaving me breathless.
Broderick, however, will be available for questions throughout the week, and so will I. We are both standing by with much anticipation. This is a rare opportunity to speak with Rick, ladies, so be sure to take advantage of it! Until then…
That’s my two pence…
Arial ;)
Midnight Conquest—Blurb
Masked in a Gypsy guise, Broderick MacDougal hides his vampiric identity while seeking to destroy the man who slaughtered his family. When an old Clan rival ensnares Broderick in a trap using an enticing widow, he is compelled to discover if she is bait or an accomplice, and the cinnamon-haired beauty is his next conquest.
Widow of an abusive husband, Davina Stewart-Russell clings to the only image that gave her strength during those dark times—the Gypsy rogue who stole her heart as a youth. After nine years, she is finally face-to-face with him again, but reality clashes with fantasy as she is confronted with Broderick’s passionate pursuit.
When Davina’s past returns to haunt her, Broderick is forced to reveal a dark secret worse than anything Davina thought possible. The challenge before them has fatal risks and neither of them is prepared for the sacrifices expected for the sake of eternal love.
Reader Advisory: This story contains explicit love scenes, described using graphic and direct language. This story also contains explicit, nail-biting scenes of violence and domestic abuse. (Don’t worry…the bad guys get it in the end!)
Author Bio
Arial Burnz has had a love of paranormal and fantasy fiction since childhood, scratching out her stories on her lined notebooks and getting in trouble in class for daydreaming. Today, she is an author of paranormal and fantasy tales, writing for young adults, children and adults. She lives in Southern California with her husband/romance novel hero (DeWayne), their two cats (Nicodemus and Cody) and their dog (Zeddicus Drool Zorander).
Buy Links:
Trade Paperback - https://www.createspace.com/3597574
Either can also be found on Amazon.com, B&N & iTunes.
Arail is giving away a choice of ebub,mobi or PDF copy of Midnight Conquest to one lucky commenter with an email.
