I saw an author interview her characters on her website and I LOVED the idea so I interviewed mine. Gives you a glimpse of them. Hope you enjoy reading, cause I liked "talking" to them.

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Meet Ireland

Ireland is at the same coffee shop where she first set eyes on Orion. Despite the fact that her hair is brushed to the side in attempt to hide the scar on her face, she’s beautiful. I wish she could see herself how Orion sees her. She is sipping on what I can only assume is an iced mocha.

IQ: (smiles) Hello.

LC: Hi. Thanks for agreeing to do this.

IQ: Thanks for spending countless hours of your life telling my story.

LC: Yeah, well it’s pretty original, made it easy to devote my time to it. You’ve been through a lot. How are you coping?

IQ: Pfft. Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it coping. I’m turning into a paranoid freak is what I’m doing. Everything else is a facade. On the inside, I’m a mess. (this time when she picks up her drink, I notice her hand shaking)

LC: Cause of the accident?

IQ: The accident was only the start of it all, I thought everything was going to be okay after that, now I’m not so sure. It doesn’t matter which way I go, someone is going to get hurt.

LC: It’s a lot to be dealing with.

IQ: You have no idea. (Her eyes never focus on me for long, instead darting around the coffee shop)

LC: Are you okay?

IQ: I’m fine, like I said, paranoid. Orion isn’t here and Damien could be just about anywhere, goes back to the whole paranoid mess thing, you know?

LC: (I glance at the door, hope she’s wrong and try to put her at ease but I’m not Orion so it won’t work) Tell me about Orion.

IQ: He’s amazing.

LC: How so?

IQ: Um, have you seen him? (She actually lets out a little giggle and her cheeks are painted with sudden color)

LC: Well, yeah. So you mean he’s gorgeous?

IQ: For starters. I mean he’s really really hot. He’s funny, he’s strong, he’s got a certain charisma, you know? It’s kind of hard to ignore. He’s kind of hard to ignore.

LC: Yeah, I noticed.

IQ: Of course you did, you have a pulse. (smiles)

LC: He’s worried you won’t choose him.

IQ: Me too.

LC: Do you ever wish you’d listened to your brother?

IQ: (shakes head) No.

LC: Why not? Things would be so much easier that way.

IQ: Easier, maybe, but at least now, no matter what happens, I got to know him.

LC: Ah, the old “better to have loved then lost, than never to have loved at all?”

IQ: (smirks then sips her drink) Something like that, yeah.

LC: What scares you the most?

IQ: Damien (as she says his name she straightens her spine, I can almost feel the tension pouring off of her in waves)

LC: More specifically?

IQ: No specifics. Everything about him terrifies me.

LC He’s a creep.(Ireland is now shifting around in her chair. I’ve made her uncomfortable by opening the door for a discussion about Damien) Orion is waiting for you, so one more question and I’ll wrap it up.

IQ: Sure

LC: Favorite memory, what is it?

IQ: Easy. Right here in this coffee shop, the very first time I saw him.

Meet Orion

Orion wants to meet in his favorite spot, English Bay in Vancouver. He’s easy to spot because he looks ridiculously out of place, like a billboard model with an Audi. I get in his car and notice he has his seat pushed back as far as it will go to accommodate his huge legs, which are covered in his signature dark denim. He’s in a white t-shirt with a blue hoodie. He smiles and nods.

LC: Thanks for agreeing to meet with me

OA: No worries, truly a pleasure. (He grins, and my insides may have just melted a little)

LC: Well, that’s a bit of a stretch but I’ll take it.

OA: You’re the one telling our story, I’m grateful for that.

LC: Well it’s quite a unique story to tell.

OA: I suppose it is, isn’t it?

LC: Where do you want to start?

OA: (Nods to the ocean, the beach) Out there.

Well, that’s not exactly what I meant. It’s overcast and cloudy. I’m not entirely too sure I want to start out there but agree anyway because I’m sure I want to talk to him. We get out of the car and I feel absolutely ridiculous. I’m five feet tall even. He’s at least six one, if not taller.

LC: Jesus, you’re tall.

OA: Yeah. (shoves his hands into his pockets) What’s the weather like down there? (The corners of his lips pull up)

LC: Very smart. It’s just as dreary down here as it is up there. (I notice goosebumps forming on my skin and I don’t know if I can credit the deep controlled measure of his voice or the weather)

OA: (His eyebrows pinch together) Are you cold?

LC: No (lie)

OA: Okay. Let me know if you’re cold. (He starts walking and I feel like I’m running to keep up with his gait)

LC: I’m fine. (lie) Tell me about her

OA: About who?

LC: You know who, the rest of the world doesn’t, yet. Ireland.

OA: (Something flashes in his eyes. I can’t quite tell what it is, love, hope, worry, fear, maybe all of those things) What do you want to know?

LC: Why do you love her so much?

OA: I’d be crazy not to. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, she’s funny. She accepts me, for who, er, what I am. She doesn’t have to like it, but she accepts it. Didn’t run away.

LC: What do you mean “who I am?” Who are you?

OA: (His eyes narrow and he leans in very close to my ear and whispers) Someone no one ever actually wants to meet.

LC: You’re pretty hard on yourself. Why?

OA: I come with a lot of baggage.

LC: True enough. New topic, what’s your biggest fear?

OA: My biggest fear, any kind of life without her. She might not choose me. The thought of losing her scares me more than anything else ever could.

LC: Why wouldn’t she? Choose you I mean. (I want to hug him right now, because as big as he is, he looks totally vulnerable)

OA: Cause of certain concessions she has to make to be with me, ultimately, they’re scary things to deal with. The reality is, most people are scared of me.

LC: You don’t seem scary.

OA: Ah, maybe not, but I can be. (he looks down at my

arms, which are still covered in goose bumps) I said to tell me if you were cold.

LC: I’m not.

OA: You’re a bad liar. Here (takes off hoodie) take this.

LC: Thanks. (I throw my arms into the sleeves which hang a good three inches over the tips of my fingers. It looks like a freaky mini-dress but it smells really good) This jacket smells amazing.

OA: Yeah, it’s a perk. I get to look good, to smell good, to have nice stuff, its so people like you find me appealing.

LC: Huh? (I find him very appealing, but he doesn’t need to know that, after all he’s just a kid, right? Well, maybe not, but he looks it and I’m married)

OA: It’s supposed to make things easier.

LC: What things?

OA: You know what (winks) you trying to ruin the story?

LC: You’re right. No. I don’t want to do that.

OA: Didn’t think so.

LC: What do you hope people take away from your story?

OA: It’s simple, I’m not anything to be afraid of. Not really.

We talk a while longer, mostly about Ireland. I walk away hoping, praying, that Orion finds his happiness because he deserves it.

Meet Luke

Luke is at the library lost in the pages of a book, which is no surprise to me. I have to clear my throat to get his attention.

LB: (looks up from his book and slams the pages shut). Sorry about that. (Stands and holds out his hand) Nice to meet you.

LC: You too.

LB: First question?

(Okay so he doesn’t want to mess around with pleasantries. Being a “to-the-point” kind of girl myself, I admire it)

LC: Do you have regrets in life?

LB: No. Life’s too short to have regrets. (he leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest, I hope it’s more of a display of comfort and not a defensive measure)

LC: You should know.

LB: I do.

LC: Seriously? You wouldn’t change anything? Even with your sister?

LB: (shoves the bridge of his glasses up and exhales) Seriously. What could I change? Ireland was destined to meet him I can’t change destiny.

LC: You don’t like Orion. Why?

LB: (scowls) Would you, if I.Q. was your sister?

LC: That’s hard for me to answer because I know how much he loves her. That should count for something, right?

LB: If he loved her as much as he says he does, then he would have never put her in this situation.

LC: He’s protecting her.

LB: From something he is the direct cause of. (Luke’s tone tells me he is a master at debate, we could go back and forth like this all day long)

LC: True enough, but he makes your sister happy. You want her to be happy, don’t you?

LB: Not considering what he wants her to sacrifice for him, no.

LC: You’re pressuring her too, why is it any different?

LB: (Rolls his eyes at me, making it crystal clear I’ve just asked him the dumbest question possible) I can’t pressure her to do anything she doesn’t want to do. Trust me, there are so many things I want to say to her but I end up chewing my tongue off half the time instead.

LC: You’re such a great brother Luke, you love your little sister.

LB: More than anything.

LC: Then you should want what’s best for her.

LB: Therein lies the problem. I do want what’s best, almost as much as I want that boyfriend of hers to pay for his mistake.

Meet Damien

Of all the interviews I have to do, this one makes me uneasy. I’ve downed two gravols just to keep my stomach from revolting. After getting to know Damien, I’m not eager to meet him, now or ever for that matter. He’s deceptively good looking, but I know what he’s really like, who he really is. He’s almost lazing in the chair with dark sunglasses over his eyes and his jaw-length hair pulled back.

DA: (Smiles and shows his teeth and I shudder) Well, well, Love, glad you could make it.

LC: I wish I could say the same.

DA: (cringes, but stands and pulls out my chair, as he does he says) Ouch. You act like I don’t have any feelings.

LC: I question if you do.

DA: (he places his hand on my shoulder and I stiffen like a steel rod has taken the place of my spine) Of course I do, but sadly, they’re mostly for myself.

LC: Do you even remember what it’s like to have a heart for God sakes? (Omigod. Did I just tell him off?)

DA: I learned a long time ago Love, the heart is the most over-rated thing. It is simply an organ to keep pathetic little people alive. It has no other purpose. A means to pump blood, to sustain life. (Grins again, and I fight my gag reflex)

LC: You’ve never loved anyone?

DA: Only the one person who matters, me.

LC: You’re pretty self righteous.

DA: As I should be. I can hear your heart beat right now, it’s frantic and that darling, that’s because of me.

LC: (Now I seriously feel like throwing up) It’s because I’m scared, not attracted to you.

DA: If you say so love, but I beg to differ.

LC: You can beg all you want, Orion would probably like it. (shut up A voice is screaming in my head. Don’t make him angry)

DA: (Waves a long skinny finger at me) A lady like you should not be using curse words so freely, (pauses) filthy words like ‘Orion’ should not escape from pretty lips.

LC: Don’t flatter me.

DA: I speak the truth. And besides, let’s give me a little more credit, shall we? You and I both know, I’m not going to hurt you. (He brings his fingers together and cracks his knuckles)

LC: I don’t know that, but I do know if you try anything I have a can a pepper spray with your name on it

DA: A bit foolish of you to think that might actually have any effect.

LC: Almost as foolish as you to assume I hadn’t thought of back up. (As I say this, I see his eyes dart to the entrance of the place, then quickly take inventory of the patrons around us. He thinks Orion is watching. That’s good for me, might make him think twice)

DA: (eyes narrow at me) You wouldn’t.

LC: Maybe. Maybe not. (I shrug) Why can’t you just leave them alone?

DA: Because that would be no fun at all.

LC: What did Orion ever do to you?

DA: He was born. He opened his mouth and took a breath. He didn’t have to do anything else.

LC: Will anything ever make you happy?

DA: Of course, Love.

LC: What?

DA: For Orion’s pitiful existence to be completely erased.

When the interview is over I cannot get out of there fast enough. I wish my damn legs would grow a few inches to provide me with more momentum. It isn’t until I’m back at my car when I can finally breathe again.