Today Julie Lynn Hayes treats us to an interview with the delightful Alexx from When Will I See You Again.
What
is your name and occupation? Alexx Jameson. I work at the Crescent Bay
Chronicle. In the mail room, right now,
but I hope to become a reporter there some day.
How
old are you? *looks nervously around* Twenty. Almost twenty-one. Well, next
Halloween, actually.
How
did you come by your current occupation? When I first moved to Crescent
Bay, I got lucky, and I ran into the editor, Mr. Randolph. One thing led to
another and he gave me a job.
Do
you like your job? Why or why not? I love my job. I became best friends
with the receptionist. His name is Miller. I like everyone there. Well, almost
everyone. I’m not really all that fond of Price Chancellor, I have to admit.
He’s a news reporter, and a bit of a diva. But honestly, most people aren’t
fond of him, and I think the only person he really cares for is himself.
Who
is the person/creature you dislike the most? I guess that would be
Price. *laughs*
Who
is the person/creature you respect the most? I respect Mr. Randolph a lot.
I’m grateful to him for giving me a job, and for giving me a chance to show
that I can be a reporter and not just the mail room guy. I think he’s what
makes the Chronicle the great newspaper it is. Okay, maybe it’s not the Times
or the Tribune or anything, but it’s perfect for Crescent Bay.
Is
there anyone special in your life? Well,
yeah. Kinda sorta. I mean there’s someone I’m attracted to. But who
isn’t? His name is Raoul Marchand. Yes, one of those Marchands. Most famous
supernatural family in Crescent Bay. And he’s drop-dead gorgeous. Of course,
it’s ridiculous to think that he and I... that him and me... oh never mind,
just wishful thinking.
What’s
your favorite meal, and do you fix it yourself or have someone fix it for you? I
live in a boarding house, actually, and while I do have kitchen privileges, I
try not to abuse them, so I’m more of a microwave meal kind of guy. Usually I
do stuff I don’t have to cook, and cheap take-out.
Favorite
color? I don’t really have one. I think all colors are pretty.
Football
or baseball? I’m not really into sports.
Favorite
exercise? Writing?
If
you had one wish, what would it be? That’s a hard one. If you’d asked me
that before, I’d have said becoming a reporter was my biggest wish. But since
meeting Raoul... I just want him to be... well, happy. And safe. Does that
sound too corny? I just worry, that’s all. I know I don’t have a chance with
him, but I hope he meets someone that will be good for him and not just use him
for who he is.
What
makes this Raoul so special to you?
Well, he’s drop dead gorgeous. But
it’s more than that. There’s something inside of him, something I can’t
explain. Something I want to get to know. I want to ease his suffering, make
him feel good about himself and the world around him. I know, I know, he has it
all now—looks, family, money, position. What more could he want? But I think
he’s not happy. I just want to make him happy.
When
Will I See You Again takes
place in a time when the presence of werewolves and vampires among the general
populace is known and accepted, largely because of drugs that control any baser
animal instincts. SL57 is the werewolf wonder drug, short for SomnioLupus,
otherwise known as Wolf Trank. In the small seaside town of Crescent Bay,
people come to the famous nightclub Charisma, mostly because of the charismatic
man who is one of the best-known supes in the area: Raoul Marchand. Raoul is a
regular party animal, one who lives but to have a good time, and who cares for
no one and nothing. But he hasn’t always been this way...
BLURB: Raoul Marchand is the
crown prince of Charisma, the infamous night club in Crescent Bay, renowned for
its supernatural clientele. He has the pick of any and all men, but he cares
for none. He uses them and throws them away again, and has done so for some
twenty years, in the aftermath of a tragedy that robbed him of what he loved
most in the world.
Alexx Jameson is an
idealistic young would-be reporter with the Crescent Bay Chronicle. Presented
with an opportunity to write a story on the Marchands, he eagerly grasps the
chance to be a real reporter. His friend, Chronicle receptionist Miller
Fenwick, suggests they go to Charisma to do a little research. Alexx isn’t sure
that’s such a great idea. After all, he’s still under age, being only twenty.
No problem, Miller can fix that! Added bonus, there’s a full moon tonight.
When Alexx first
encounters Raoul, it isn’t exactly in the way he dreamed of, and he’s sure he
made a terrible first impression. But Fate throws them together under
unforeseen circumstances, and the attraction between them can’t be denied. Can
Raoul let go of the past long enough to find his future with Alexx, or is he
doomed to repeat past mistakes?
Excerpt:
Alexx drew in his
breath in dismay. This wasn’t going well. Even so, he could not stop staring at
Raoul. His eyes met the other man’s. Raoul’s were very golden; he wasn’t aware
such colors even existed in the spectrum of the human eye. But then again, he
didn’t have any friends that were werewolves either. He wondered if this was a
sign that perhaps this man was about to change, right here and now?
The thought was both
exhilarating and frightening.
Alexx’s vision
telescoped until he wasn’t aware of anything but this gorgeous man in front of
him. Blood pounded in his ears and his mouth felt suddenly dry. Having lost all
sense of the others in the room, he was surprised when he felt his chair yanked
out from under him. Before he could fall, a hand grabbed the scruff of his
neck, propelling him to his feet. He glanced at his companion; Miller was being
subjected to the same surly treatment.
“You waste my time for
this?” Raoul’s upper lip curled back in a snarl. Alexx found himself wildly
attracted to him. “I have somewhere I need to be. Paolo, please show these gentlemen out.” Sarcastic much? He turned and reached for the door, but it opened
before he touched it.
A shaggy blond with
hazel eyes and a cheerful countenance stuck his head inside. “Hey Paolo—” He
interrupted himself at the sight of the occupants of the room.
Alexx heard Miller’s
sigh of relief, even as he too recognized the newcomer. He’d seen him around
the Chronicle often enough, although he’d never really spoken to him. Foster
Levine, son of the Chronicle’s owner—heir apparent and future newspaper
magnate.
Alexx’s relief quickly
changed to anxiety. What if Foster knew how old he really was? He couldn’t be
sure one way or the other, but for the sake of argument, he had to assume he
did. Would he out him to Raoul Marchand and his burly minion? Had they simply
jumped from the frying pan to be scorched by the fire?
~*~
Author Bio:
Julie Lynn Hayes was reading at the age of two and writing by the age of
nine and always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five
children, and more than forty years later, that is still her dream. She blames
her younger daughters for introducing her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a
world which has captured her imagination and her heart and fueled her writing
in ways she'd never dreamed of before. She especially loves stories of two men
finding true love and happiness in one another's arms and is a great believer
in the happily ever after. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and
two cats, loves books and movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day.
She enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, knitting and
needlepoint and loves to cook. While working a temporary day job, she continues
to write her books and stories and reviews, which she posts in various places
on the internet. Her family thinks she is a bit off, but she doesn't mind.
Marching to the beat of one's own drummer is a good thing, after all. Her published works can be found at Amber
Quill Press, Dreamspinner Press, MuseitUp Publishing, Torquere Press, and
eXtasy Books. She is also an editor at MuseitUp.
Julie's links:
Twitter: @Shelley_runyon
Email: tothewolf.max@gmail.com
