Character Interview and GIVEAWAY!

Sorry for posting this late! But to make it up to you, I’ve also included a giveaway. That’s right my 1st GIVEAWAY!

Somehow I managed to get Eric, Katherine and even Eliza to sit down and chat with me for a short while. I asked them questions that were submitted by you and some questions of my own.

Without further ado, let us begin.

Eric

I’m sitting on a couch in Eric’s apartment. He looks like a shell of himself. His hair is disheveled and his strong jaw has scruff. A lot of it. He’s wearing jeans and a white V neck T-shirt.

“Good afternoon, Eric. Thank you for agreeing to answer a few questions from the readers and me.”

Eric nods slightly, staring at the floor with empty eyes.

“How are you holding up?”

Eric sighs heavily then reclines back, placing his hands on his knees. “I’m not sure.” He mutters and lift his gaze to mine. I see so much sadness in them. Sadness and regret.

I nod and then look at the list of questions. ”Many readers ask the same question, ‘Why can’t Eric just kick Eliza to the curb?’”

Eric exhales harshly and runs his hands on his face. “I’m done with her,” he snaps.

“That wasn’t an answer.”

He glares at me but when he sees that I’m not going to back down, he sighs. “You need to understand, Eliza was the only woman who could handle my aggression. Until, Katherine. I’ve known Eliza for years. She wasn’t just a woman I fucked. She helped me cope with my father’s death and with my fear of being sexually involved with a woman because I feared I’d hurt her. She was my friend.”

“Okay, next question. Have you seen Katherine since the accident?”

Eric’s head lowers as his eyes close with what looks like a mix of exhaustion and pain. He looks like he hasn’t slept a wink.

“I have… from afar. She won’t let me get anywhere near her.”

Eric’s cell phone buzzes on the table between us. He picks it up and frowns at the screen before turning that breathtaking gaze at me. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.”

I open my mouth to object, but before I can inhale, Eric’s is marching away from his living room. A minute later he returns wearing a baseball cap that’s pulled low on his face, a jacket and shoes.

“I’m sorry, I need to leave. Please show yourself out.” He turns around and leaves me all alone in his apartment.

Eliza

I take a deep breath before opening the hotel’s door and welcoming Eliza into my room.

Eliza’s crimson stained lips curl into a smile and she opens her arms before engulfing me into a hug.

“N. How lovely to see you.” She purrs.

“Yeah, you too.” I pat her back awkwardly before moving out of her arms. “Let’s sit down.” I gesture to the sitting area.

After we’re settled, Eliza pick a red apple out of the fruit basket and takes a bite.

“How have you been, Eliza?”

“Have you seen Eric?” She pins me with a focused stare.

I smile, “I’m not here to answer your questions, Eliza.”

A few moments of silence pass by.

“I’ve been missing my man.” She finally answers before taking another bite.

“I doubt Eric is anybody’s man right now.” I mumble.

“What?” She frowns.

“I said, let’s begin. Sheri asks, ‘Why is Eliza so cold-hearted?’”

Eliza’s eyes narrow and her nostrils flare. She smoothes her hand over her hair before answering. “I’m not cold-hearted. I love Eric and I proved to his pathetic redhead that I was right, Eric is mine. A cold heart can’t love, can it?”

“Of course it can. But the love it shows hurts the people around it.”

“Well, I do not posses such a heart. I was merely protective of what’s mine.”

“In a cruel and hurtful way.” I say calmly.

“All is fair in love and war.” She says as she crosses her legs, hiking her short skirt higher.

I look down at my questions.

“Heather would like to know where her… umm… shoe… is.” I mash my lips together tightly to stop the bubbling laughter that is stuck in my throat.

“What?” Eliza snaps, frowning.

I swallow the laughter before leveling my eyes with hers, then I ask again, “Her shoe. Where is it?”

Eliza’s face contours into a grimace as she processes what I’ve said. The moment her eyes flash back to mine, hot with anger, I know she understood the meaning.

“Fuck you.” She hisses before standing up abruptly and turning on her heel, slamming the door behind herself.

I laugh quietly as I scribble my plans for her.

Katherine

Laura opens the door to Katherine’s apartment with a gentle smile. ”Zakhoditi, pajalusta Please, enter.”

“Spasibo Thank you.” I reply.

I walk a short distance and see Katherine sitting on her couch. With dark sunglasses. Her hair is loose around her, matching the red summer dress she’s wearing.

“Hello, Katherine.” I greet her but hear nothing in return. I glance back at Laura but find that she had gone.

“Katherine?” I ask as I sit beside her.

“You’ve got some fucking nerve showing up in my home for an interview. You should be at your home, writing. Fixing this.” She snaps, pointing at her sunglasses.

I sigh. “I am, Katherine.”

She looks away and crosses her arms over her chest, reminding me a surly child.

I decide to skip the first question. I can see how she’s been, pissed off. Not that I blame her.

“A reader wanted to know what are your ambitions in life? We know that you don’t want to follow your father in his career, so what do you want to do?”

Katherine inhales deeply and I notice her delicate hands clenching into fists. “What I want, is to be able to see. I can’t even think about anything else right now.” She sighs before continuing, “I don’t know, N. I really don’t. I need to find some peace before setting a lifetime goal and ambition.”

“Peace? In what way?”

Katherine shrugs and turns her face to the window. I know she can’t see anything but the gesture alone makes my heart ache for her.

I move on to the next question.

“Cristiane asks, ‘Why would you — a determined and strong minded woman — allow Eliza to run all over you and your relationship with Eric?’”

Katherine releases a shaky breath before answering. “I was a fool to trust… him. I was blindly in love, and now I’m blind without it. I wanted to believe that I meant more… that she…” She shakes her head and turns her face to the window again. “I don’t want to talk about this, I’m sorry.” She says with a vacant voice and I bite my lower lip from the pain she’s going through. Pain that I’m putting her through.

“There are no more questions. I’ll get back to my writing.” I place my hand on top of hers and she turns her hand, squeezing my fingers in a silent thanks.

Before Laura closes the door, I remember a question that was meant for her.

“Oh, Laura. There’s a question for you. It’s from Heather. She’s asking for one of your recipes.”

Laura smiles broadly. “Oh, that’s sweet of her. A little bird told me that she like Nutella so I’ve prepared something special for her.” She says as she hands me a folded page.

“Thank you.” I say before leaving.

 

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Nutella Sticky Buns

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 12 buns

Seductive Nutella swirled buns baked in a sticky, nutty caramel sauce and drizzled with a sweet confectioners’ glaze.

Ingredients:

1 (¼-oz.) package active dry yeast 1/4 cup, plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup milk

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

3/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts

1½ cups Nutella

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze:

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

2-4 tablespoons milk, as needed

Instructions:

1. Combine yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar and ½ cup warm water in a bowl until foamy, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Into the milk stir the remaining sugar, 4 tablespoons butter and the salt.

3. Add the yeast mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the milk mixture, the vanilla, 2 eggs, and the flour just until combined.

4. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place until dough doubles in size about 1½ hours.

5. Heat oven to 375° F. Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir in brown sugar until smooth. Pour into a buttered 9″ x 13″ baking dish and sprinkle with the nuts.

6. In a small bowl beat the remaining egg.

7. On a floured surface roll the dough into a 15″ x 20″ rectangle. Spread the Nutella evenly over top of the dough leaving a ½” border on one long side.

8. Brush the border well with egg and roll the dough into a log. Trim the ends off and cut the log into 12 rounds. Transfer the rounds cut side up to the baking dish sprinkle with cinnamon and bake until golden brown about 30 minutes.

9. Meanwhile whisk the confectioners’ sugar and milk together as needed to make a thin glaze. Let the rolls cool slightly before serving.

10. Invert them onto plates and drizzle with the glaze and the syrup and nuts from the bottom of the baking dish.

(Read more here.)

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GIVEAWAY

I’m giving away this lovely kitten necklace! The winner will be picked on May 1st! Good luck

Yours, N.