My Demon Valentine: Character Interview with Annie and Faust + Giveaway

Please welcome today's returning guest author Danielle D. Smith and special guests Annie, Faust, and Erik!  Danielle is the author of Black Dog and Rebel Rose, Psyche's Gate, and In the Neon.

Love is in the air. Florists, chocolatiers, card makers, and jewelers prepare to rake in the bounty as lovers and friends express their affections on the feast day of Saint Valentine.

Being me, I have to poke a little fun at this most romantic Saint's Day by interviewing a very peculiar couple...although I believe that you will find them to be as romantic as they come. Please welcome Annie and her beloved demon lover, Faust, whose story will be hitting store shelves this spring. I am delighted to see that they have also brought along their infant son, Erik, who has quite the personality!

DANI: Welcome, Annie and Faust. You too, Erik!

(Faust smiles shyly, nodding. Annie bounces Erik in her lap; Erik burbles and blows raspberries.)

ANNIE: Thanks, Dani. Say hi, baby!

(She takes Erik's hand and waves it. The baby wriggles in her lap, crowing happily.)

DANI: He's quite a character. He pinched my boob when I held him.

ANNIE: Yep, that's our little stinker! He loves women already.

DANI (laughing): I can tell! He's quite a flirt. Anyway, you two have quite a story to tell us! How did you two meet?

ANNIE (blushing): Faustie here was hanging around the strip club where I worked.

DANI: That was The Neon, right?

ANNIE: That's right.

DANI: Faust, when did you first see Annie? Was The Neon the club you were always in?

FAUST: No. It was my duty to drift all around the Red Light district, to capture the Master's prey. I saw Annie by accident, standing outside on her break. It was as if...a light had struck me. A light no demon is meant to see...but I have never regretted it.

(Annie sighs and leans in to kiss him. Erik, apparently unimpressed by his parent's show of affection, bounces and smirks to himself.)

DANI: that is so damn romantic.

ANNIE: Tell me about it. He snuck into my booth a little while later; I guess he'd been watching me for a while. He was only interested in talking...really talking...and drew me in from the start. We talked about books while I sat there with my bra off. (She laughs.)

DANI: Books? Really?

ANNIE: Yeah. I'm a voracious reader...I suppose you could say that I break the "stripper stereotype".

DANI: That's a good thing! What kind of books are we talking about here?

ANNIE:  Classics. The Plague, Metamorphosis, Goethe's Faust. Of course Goethe's Faust--that was, like, "insta" connection. (She winks.)

DANI: Faust, you are a True Native. Tell us what that is.

FAUST: It means that I am not Fallen. I am a demon bron directly from the Pit.

DANI: So you're not a fallen angel.

FAUST (scoffing): Of course not.

ANNIE (rolling her eyes playfully): He's such an elitest.

DANI (chuckling): I can see that. Tell us about your history, Faust.

FAUST (quietly): It is not something that I am proud of. I was made to be a Collector--a demon whose sole purpose is to tempt human souls into damnation. I did that for a very, very long time.

DANI: How old are you, Faust?

FAUST (distantly): I first emerged from the flames when humans were emerging from the wilderness and gathering into villages and cities for the first time. Long, long ago, though I am not as old as some.

DANI: Fascinating. Okay, moving on. Annie, tell us a little bit about your background. You are a first generation Swede, correct?

ANNIE (very proudly): Ja, that's right. My parents came from Sweden. I was raised speaking their native tongue as well as English. I'm very proud of my heritage, and I'm going to make sure my little pojke

speaks it, too.

(She takes Erik's little hands and gently claps them together.)

ANNIE: Let's sing Dani and her nice fans a song:

Baka, baka liten kaka,
rulla, rulla liten bulla,
ringla, ringla liten kringla,
mjöla den och pricka den
och… skjuts in i ugnen!

Bake, bake little cake;
Roll, roll the little buns,
Coil, curl the small pretzel,
Flour it and mark it
And... shove in the oven!

(Erik giggles and blows more raspberries.)

DANI (laughing): I love it! Faust, do you speak Swedish, too?

FAUST (beaming): I speak all human languages... all of my kind do.

DANI:  Annie, I have to ask you something, and I ask your forgiveness in advance if this is hurtful. Faust saved you from a rape, didn't he?

(Faust growls low in his throat.)

ANNIE (her eyes downcast): Yes. Thank God...I know it's odd to say thank God, but I think now that God did have a hand in it. I'm the oddball Swedish girl who is also a devout Catholic, so I believe very firmly in that sort of thing.

DANI: That's good, Annie. What happened?

ANNIE (stroking her fingers through her baby son's feathery blond hair): One of my regulars attacked me when I was leaving The Neon. Faust...came out of nowhere and...stopped the guy.

FAUST: I tore him limb from limb. Then I carried him into the night and spread his flesh across the skies.

DANI: Wow.

ANNIE: Yeah, pretty amazing. Faust scared the hell out of me, no pun intended--he was in his true form-- but he proved himself that night. I can't ever thank him enough. He's given me everything.

(Erik burbles and grabs a strand of his mother's hair in his fist, yanking; he sticks his little tongue out and it's black and forked. Annie laughs, breaking the tension.)

ANNIE: And I mean everything. This little guy is the best Valentine's gift Faustie could have ever given me. I
had a dream about Erik once...only he was grown up. It' was pretty incredible.

DANI: You had a vision?

ANNIE: Yeah. Big muscles, like his papa, and lots of tattoos.

DANI: Wow! Does that bother you?

ANNIE (grinning): Nope, not at all. He's gonna be a badass. Aren't you?

(She bounces Erik in her lap, and he squeals merrily. Faust looks on, adoring.)

DANI: Faust, you must be very proud of your family.

FAUST (shyly): Yes. They have been my redemption.

DANI: That's so awesome. Thanks for joining us, guys. Happy Valentine's Day.

ANNIE: You too, hon. Thanks for having us. Say bye, bye!

(She waves Erik's floppy little hand. He squirms, hiccups, and burps up a tiny spout of flame.)

DANI (cracking up): Boy, he's a cute little devil! Bye, little guy!

Danielle D. Smith is an author and artist living in San Diego, CA. She writes dark fantasy, horror, and erotica that appeals to those readers looking for paranormal fiction outside of the mainstream. Her third book, IN THE NEON, will be released in Spring 2011 and will be her first novel to be fully illustrated.

In the Neon by Danielle D. Smith.

In the Neon tells the story of Faust, a master Collector demon born from Hellfire itself, and Annie, the beautiful stripper who lights a forbidden fire in his heart. Dark fantasy for fans of paranormal romance, erotica, horror, and demon-themed fantasy.

Thank you Danielle for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Danielle D. Smith and her books, please visit her website.

**Signed Character Art Giveaway**

We are giving away a signed, artist embellished matted print of this artwork, titled "Little Family", depicting Faust, Annie, and baby Erik (who some may recognize as Skriker) to one lucky winner!

To enter, leave a comment on this post including your email address (so we may contact you if you win).  You do not have to be a follower to enter (though I always appreciate a follow!).  This giveaway is to US mailing addresses only.  Giveaway ends February 28th midnight EST.

Black Dog Rebel Rose Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to fredamans of Freda's Voice winner of our Black Dog and Rebel Rose eBook Giveaway!  Freda will receive an eBook copy of Black Dog and Rebel Rose by Danielle D. Smith. 

Thanks to all who entered!

**All giveaway winners drawn using Random.org**

Bite Before Christmas Character Interview: Rose + Giveaway

“A good many things go around in the dark besides Santa Claus.” –Herbert Clark Hoover

IN A NEPHIL’S WORDS: A HOLIDAY INTERVIEW WITH ROSE

The Yuletide beckons! With winter’s chill comes twinkling lights, the smell of pine, and the warmth of the hearth calling us home to share the season with family and friends.
Whether pagan or Christian, the dark half of the year brings a sense of beauty and mystery; we somehow become more aware of, and in awe of, the Universe.

To celebrate the season of angels, I felt it only appropriate to welcome a guest who carries the celestial lineage in her very genes. Please welcome Rose, the Nephil daughter of one of Heaven’s finest warriors. Please make her feel welcome; she is usually a loner, and tends to be wary of those she doesn’t know.

DANI: Hello, Rose. Welcome and happy holidays. Thanks for taking time out to chat today.

ROSE (nodding abruptly): You’re welcome.

DANI: I see that your boyfriend, Skriker, is with you.

(Rose rolls her eyes. Skriker waves excitedly, grinning.)

ROSE: Yeah, he insisted on tagging along.

SKRIKER: This here’s Dani, baby. She’s a cool chick.

ROSE: I know who she is, Skrike, thank you. Look, there are cookies over there—go check them out. (sighs) Sorry, Dani, please continue.

DANI: Tell us about yourself, Rose. You are half angel, correct? Also called a Nephil. Word on the street is you are the last Nephil on earth.

ROSE: That’s right. I’m the first Nephil born in millennia; there were other Nephilim born way back, a whole wave, but they were destroyed. I am a very…strange creature.

DANI: Your father was a warrior in the Holy Army, correct?

ROSE: That’s right. He was banished…Jesus…I don’t know how long ago. Centuries and centuries. I think it was during the Crusades, but I don’t recall for sure. Anyway, he was given a chance to go home, to earn his wings back…and he would have to kill my mother to do it.

DANI: Your mother, Psyche. She was an artist?

ROSE: Yes. A wonderful artist—talented far beyond her years. She was like magic in my father’s eyes because of what she could create. He fell for her hard and gave his wings up a second time for her, accepted every condition that Heaven threw at him so he didn’t have to leave. They loved each other so much…it breaks my heart that he was allowed to be with her so little after I was born. It’s a long story, and someday it’ll be told, but that’s me in a nutshell.

DANI: This blog post celebrates the beginning of the holiday season, a time that most folks look forward to immensely. How do you celebrate Christmas or Yule, being half angel and all? Is it a big deal for you?

ROSE (her mouth twisting): Truth be told I’m not very big on the whole Christmas thing. I hate being in churches, or anywhere that there are lots of angel images or states, because it makes me feel like their eyes are on me. Like my Heavenly ‘family’ is staring me down and judging my every move. Angels are not as fluffy as all the Christmas cards make them out to be, and there are too many of them around this time of year for my taste.

DANI: So you never celebrated Christmas with your mother, or with Skriker now?

ROSE: I celebrated with my mother before she died. She loved Christmas and I loved it then, too. But I was just a kid…after she died, it was never the same for me again. I do celebrate with Skrike, because he loves it, and because I love him, but it’s more for him than for me. Strange, I know.

DANI: That is strange. Skriker’s half demon.

ROSE (chuckling and blushing): I know, go fig. He loves churches, as all demons do, and I hate them. I told him that if, IF, he can ever convince me to marry him, I will not do it in a church.

SKRIKER (his mouth full of cookie): I’d do it in a church.

ROSE: You’d do it anywhere, Skrike, and I hear that you already went the sex-in-a-church route before we met. Shush.

DANI: How do you and Skriker celebrate Christmas or Yule? I take it you don’t go to mass or the local bonfire…

ROSE: I don’t. Skriker tries to when he can—his mother raised him Catholic and it still sticks to his ribs, I think. Yeah, I know…a half Swedish, half demon guy who is also Catholic…it’s all irony with him. Anyway, if I can’t convince him to go on a hunt with me during Christmas, we usually spend it at his apartment. I go with his flow…he’s big on decorating. So was my mother, so I guess that’s why he can get me into it. Sometimes Harry, Skrike’s patron and adopted father, and his daughter, Gretchen, swing by for dinner. But usually it’s just the two of us. Skrike’s the cook and the maid in this relationship, so he takes care of everything.

SKRIKER (winking): My Rosie just lies around and looks pretty under the lights while I do all the work.
 (Rose blushes again, smiling)

DANI (laughing): What a crazy holiday gathering! A tattooed half demon cooking and cleaning, a half angel lounging under the tree, and two werewolves popping in with the champagne. I love it! What is your favorite meal at these holiday feasts?

ROSE:  I don’t really eat. Being half angel, it’s not really necessary. Skrike eats like a pig, on the other hand, so I let him cook what he wants. Usually he does the whole Swedish meatball and lingonberry sauce thing. I usually just drink lots of champagne and leave it at that while he and the weres eat up.

DANI: Do you exchange gifts?

ROSE: Sometimes. Skriker usually goes all out with his bottomless wallet.

DANI: What’s the best gift he’s bought you so far?

ROSE: My own Harley. My Ducati Monster was wrecked on our first hunt together and he bought me a new bike for our first Christmas together. Sweetest thing ever.

SKRIKER: Of course, I prefer her to be perched behind me on my saddle with her crotch squished against my ass, but she’s an independent gal, so I can’t fault her that she needed her own ride.

ROSE (jabbing him playfully, giggling): Skrike, you moron.

DANI: One hell of a gift! I’m jealous! Now, a big question I’m sure all of our readers have on their lips is: would you/do you kiss under the mistletoe? Anything else under the mistletoe?

(Skriker snickers. Rose shoots him a nasty look.)

SKRIKER: Oh, Dani, you have nooooo idea, baby—

ROSE: Shut up, Skrike! You already had your interview at Paranormal Romantics, so for the last time, hush! My turn now!

DANI: Ooh, a little tension here! Moving on. You say your mother loved Christmas. I hope this isn’t touching on too sore of a spot, but do you have any favorite holiday memories?

ROSE (sadly): That’s okay. It’s a good question. Yeah, I do have a favorite memory, from the last Christmas that my mother was alive. I was five years old. My mom had been raking in some nice money from selling her artworks—finally—and so she wanted to give me the biggest Christmas she could afford. It was just the two of us, of course, but she did so much for me. She decorated like crazy: silver and blue and purple glass balls, silver tinsel, a million white lights like a fairy world. I remember levitating the tree ornaments, laughing as I watched them float, and she never once told me to be careful. Having a child who could levitate things didn’t even phase her at that point, you know? The funniest thing was when she went to put the angel tree topper up. I must have looked at her like she was nuts because she asked my why I didn’t like it. I told her it didn’t look like a “real angel”, that a real angel would look like my father, who was rarely permitted to be with us. And you know what she did? She made a new tree topper, just for me. A dark-haired male angel topper with red feathered wings. She presented it to me on Christmas Eve and I was so happy I almost squealed. We sat under the tree with my mother’s handmade topper looking down on us, and I remember saying, “Now daddy can watch over us from the tree.” I woke up in the middle of the night and saw my father there, by the bed, looking down at me, before I fell asleep again. We didn’t see him again until just before my mother was murdered, so that whole Christmas is something I still treasure.

(Rose wipes a mist of tears from her eyes. Skriker hugs her and kisses her cheek.)

ROSE: Thanks, honey.

SKRIKER: No worries, babe.

DANI: Wow. That’s a beautiful memory, Rose.

ROSE: Yes, it is. I hope it stays with me forever, especially because I’m immortal.

DANI:  Absolutely. Do you look to any spirit guides during the Solstice?

ROSE: If I’m going to look to any guide, it’s going to be my father. We may chew each other’s heads off half of the time, but he’s got my best interests in mind and can swing power that Skrike and I can’t even touch. Plus he’s my Guardian (sighs and rolls her eyes) so keeping him off my ass is an impossible feat.

DANI: Your Guardian? As in ‘guardian angel’?

ROSE: You got it. Usually Lailah, the Angel of Conception, assigns the Guardian. But my dad was bonkers when I was born and insisted that no angel other than him was worthy of Guarding me. The bastard doesn’t even have wings anymore and he still manages to stick his nose everywhere. Really, really annoying.

DANI: How does your dad feel about Skriker?

ROSE (snorting): How do you think my father reacted when he discovered that I was screwing a half-demon punk?

DANI: Gotcha. Well, it looks like Skriker ate all the cookies, so that means we’re about out of time. Anything you’d like to say to our readers today?

ROSE: Treasure your loved ones…you never know what may happen to them.

DANI: Excellent advice. Thanks for joining us.

ROSE: You’re welcome, Dani.

SKRIKER(waving): Bye, Dani! Love ya, baby!

DANI (laughing): You, too, Skrike! Kiss, kiss!

Danielle D. Smith is an author of dark fantasy, horror, and erotica novels. She is also an apprentice tattoo artist in San Diego, CA.

To learn more about Danielle D. Smith and her books, please visit her website, her blog, or check out her previous author interview here at From the Shadows.

**Black Dog and Rebel Rose eBook Giveaway**

We are giving away one pdf eBook copy of Black Dog and Rebel Rose to one lucky reader!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post including your email address (so we may contact you if you win).  You do not have to be a follower to enter (though I always appreciate a follow!).  This giveaway is international!  Giveaway ends December 20th midnight EST.


Black Dog and Rebel Rose on Amazon.
Black Dog and Rebel Rose on Goodreads.

Guest Author Interview: Danielle D. Smith + Swag Giveaway

Please welcome today's guest author Danielle D. Smith.  Danielle is the author of Psyche's Gate and Black Dog and Rebel Rose.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Danielle:  I originally began writing as a very young tween, around 11 years old, and was very enthusiastic about epic fantasy stories early on. My poetry and short fiction was published in student journals and newspapers when I was a teenager. I eventually let writing fall by the wayside in order to focus on fine art and painted almost exclusively for about a decade. Then, about two years ago, my husband went into law school and I began to write again in order to decompress from all the stress of paying the bills. The result was Psyche's Gate, my first novel, and since its publication I have never looked back. My second book, Black Dog and Rebel Rose, is hitting the market just in time for Halloween. Very exciting!

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Danielle:  I have always loved dark mythology, whether that be vampires, werewolves, ghosts, or something more celestial. Angels became the obvious choice for me early on: I was raised by a mother who believes firmly in celestial guardians and guides, and somewhere along the road, the concept stuck. My angels are warriors: strong, sexy, sometimes tormented, always fascinating. My demons closely follow suit.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Danielle:  I would love to have the ability to drink without getting drunk. Lol! Okay, having wings would be totally cool, too. ;) Being able to take to the skies and fly without limits, to soar up and touch the very stars, would be a wonderful gift.

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Danielle:  Black Dog and Rebel Rose is a steamy horror romp, pure and simple. This is an incredibly focused story, very to the point: two main characters, an abandoned town, and vampyre guts blown all over the place. The sex is sizzling, the dialogue sharper than steel, and when you throw hot motorcycles and tattoos into the mix, how can paranormal fun not be had?

Psyche's Gate, in contrast, is sexy, yet serious. The characters are developed with great care. Psyche is the epitome of the hopeful artist: penniless, yet unable to unchain herself from the creative gift given to her. Alexius is the dark, tormented heavenly warrior who has fallen from grace and into the realm of mortals, the "talking monkeys" that he should despise and be willing to sacrifice in order to regain his stolen wings. In the end, Psyche is the woman that he has been commanded to kill, and yet he finds that he will do anything to spare her from harm. Psyche's Gate is a tale where love is truly meant to conquer all, including the commands of Heaven and Hell.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Danielle:  Black Dog and Rebel Rose: I'd love to see Mia Kirshner as Rose. The woman manages to be a solid serious actress and ooze a gothy sex appeal all at the same time. As far as Skriker goes, who knows? It'd probably have to be some unknown hottie--Kiefer Sutherland is too old, not tall enough, and not buff enough, even though I always think of Skrike every time I watch The Lost Boys.

Psyche's Gate: Ideally, I would see Natalie Portman cast as Psyche. Natalie manages to be both dainty and strong. She is beautiful, but in an unpretentious manner, just like my heroine. On top of it, I have read that her mother is an artist, so she'd probably be able to appreciate the role.
Alexius was actually based strongly on my husband, Aaron, who is a very talented actor in his own right, so I would ultimately love to see him cast as the "unknown" who made his big break playing the character that was based so perfectly on him. A second choice would probably be Hugh Jackman, with his sculpted figure and intense onscreen presence.

Black Dog and Rebel Rose by Danielle D. Smith.

Skriker.

A meltingly sexy hunter with rock star style. An insatiable seducer and lover of women. Son of a human lady of the night and a True Native of Hell, he is a killer of the evils that dwell in darkness.  Fifty miles of bad road will lead him and his rumbling Harley to an abandoned town and the vampyre hunt of his dreams. It is in the rot and the ruin that Skriker will discover his destiny.

Rose.

A fierce and beautiful huntress haunted by a tragic past. The most amazing woman that Skriker has ever met.  A sizzling tryst will lead him to discover that Rose is his soul mate, the girl who will make him abandon his lustful ways and make him hunger for her alone. But Skriker's new beloved harbors an ironic secret. A secret that may lead to a half-demon's gruesome undoing...
Thank you Danielle for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Danielle D. Smith and her books, please visit her website.

** Psyche's Gate Swag Giveaway **

To enter, please leave a comment with your email address.  You do not have to be a follower to enter (though I always appreciate a follow!).  One winner will receive an autographed Psyche's Gate bookmark.  This giveaway is International!  Giveaway ends October 1, 2010 midnight EST.