From Ginger Simpson's Odessa

1886: The wagon carrying Odessa Clay and her father overturns, killing him.  Odessa is near death when Zach Johnson, a reluctant outlaw, finds her. Miss Clay has joined us today to tell us about her ordeal.

Why don't you start by telling us a bit about yourself, Miss Clay.
Well, I suppose you could consider me an orphan, since my Ma died some time ago, and my father recently passed in the wagon accident that started my story.  Pa wanted to move me to Phoenix so I could be around a better class of people, and after a whole lotta trials and tribulations, I finally made his dream come true.


Why Phoenix?
Pa wanted to move us to Phoenix to be closer to his sister, my aunt, Susan.  Ever since Ma died, I really haven't had a woman's influence in my life, and I reckon he thought I'd have a better chance at being courted by a good man.

Someone like Zach Johnson? 
Oh, Lordy.  The man is truly handsome and he makes my stomach feel kinda funny, but he's so bossy.  I keep haven' to remind him he ain't my Pa.

Tell us about the journey. 
Well, things were going fine.  It was hotter than Hades out there in the desert, and if it had been a tad cooler, perhaps Pa wouldn't have cracked the reins to get the horses moving enough to stir a breeze.  If the wagon wheel…<choked sob>  the wagon wheel hadn't struck a rut in the trail and caused the wagon to turn over, Pa never would have gotten pinned.

<silence>

They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Do you think that applies to you?
You bet.  I never expected to be left alone in the middle of the desert.  I had two choices: Die with Pa or try to find my way to Phoenix.  I figured I'd just follow the trail, but I didn't get very far.  Thank the Lord, Zach came along when he did.

I expect the experience was educational to say the least. 
I've learned I can survive just about anything.  I went from being lost in the desert to watching a man die right before my eyes in a saloon.  Then I got kidnapped, saved by a couple travelling to Phoenix in a wagon, and I found my Aunt Susan.  I'd say that was a pretty decent lesson.  Wouldn't you?

Tell us a bit more about Zach. Was it love at first sight?
<soft chuckle> Hardly.  He might be a tall good-lookin’ drink of water, but I thirsted for the real thing when I first saw him. I had collapsed from heat exhaustion and thirst in the middle of the trail.

What now? 
I'm pretty sure Zach and I have a future together.  You know, when he found me, he was on his way to join a pretty famous outlaw's gang in order to get enough money from robbing a stage coach to save his Pa's ranch.  He took the time to get me to safety, and you'll find out when you read my story, neither of us are very good at listening to advice.  He's about as bullheaded as they come, and I can be pretty darn stubborn, too.

<Off-side> Dessie?

Looks like it’s time for you to go, Miss Clay. Folks will have to read about your adventures in Odessa, by Ginger Simpson, published by Eternal Press and available in eBook and paperback.



While you're online, mosey on over to Ginger's blog Cowboy Kisses.

From Kate Hill's Frenzied

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Nighthawk here and my New Year's resolution is to interview as many new characters as I can get my claws into. Any suggestions? I'll wing it and swoop down on them.

Speaking of wings, I have Michael here from Kate Hill's Frenzied. Michael is an Angel-raised Demon. If that doesn't mess with a man's head, I don't what would.

Loren, my foster father, took me from Hell soon after I was born. He believes every new soul deserves a chance and regardless of our physical bodies, our spirits are neither good nor evil until we choose one way or the other.

Still, it must have been a challenge.

Living up to an angel’s expectations hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve learned that he never asked for anything I couldn’t give. He took a lot of risks to give me the chance for a better life.

I'd say. But Frenzied isn't a story about your childhood, is it? You take your daemonic skills and go on a manhunt for the killer of your favourite girl from an "escort service". You don't look like a man who needs an escort service. You look like a guy who could get a date on a desert island. Meanwhile, you've made the suspect list of the victim's sister. How did you get into this mess?

<Laughs>Which mess? Fighting evil or blamed for Marla’s murder? I’ll answer both. Though Loren taught me to get in touch with my “good” side, that means admitting that as a demon I also have an evil side. I decided to use my violent streak to do battle with my own kind. In a way that also answers the second question. One of my demonic cravings was a need for rough sex. I was never rough with my partners, but I needed them to be rough with me. It’s too complicated to explain here and now, but let’s just say Marla gave me what I needed. Her sister misinterpreted our relationship and assumed I killed her. 

Tell us about Marla's sister.

Wow. There’s so much I feel about Britt. Most of it is too personal to talk about. She’s the only lover who truly knew me. She saw my demon side and she wasn’t afraid, at least not so afraid that she couldn’t accept me as I was. I consider Britt my “first” time, not because I never had sex before but because it was the first time I had sex without pain. She allowed me to be who I am. I didn’t need to hide anything from her and I never imagined that could happen.

This is hard to talk about. Just thinking about it makes me. . .<sighs deeply> When Marla’s killer, another demon, killed Loren and nearly killed Britt too—actually she was dead for a brief time—that’s when things went wrong. I felt it was my fault. I wasn’t there to protect them. Yet at the same time it was when things went right. They were no longer there to guide me, but they had changed me for the better. What I learned from them will always be with me. Because of them I learned that nothing in Hell can ever lure me back there.

So, what does a good looking demon do for a living?

My career is security and keeping the world safe from demons. I can’t go into detail about my new relationship with the angels, but I’ll say this much. I’m forever on their side and I think this time they know it. 

And your love life?

It’s better than I ever imagined it could be. No words can describe my love for Britt. It’s a joining of hearts and souls. Yeah. That’s about the best way I know to explain it. As for my relationship with Loren, in so many ways talking about that hurts the most. I know he’ll always be with me. Like Britt is my soul mate, so is Loren, only in a different way. He’s on a higher plane now and still fighting the good fight. Loren is my friend, my father and my teacher. Always an angel.

Bottom line, despite the hell you went through, are you a better person?

I think so. I hope I can continue living up to the expectations of angels.

I learned that parents love you no matter what, even when you’re not so nice, and that there’s more to being a real parent than physically creating a child. I’ve also learned that true love is unconditional. Oh and I learned that if you give your girlfriend access to your car collection, make sure you teach her how to drive a standard. <Chuckles>

Where do you see yourself in the future?

In the future I see myself fighting demons, learning from my new boss, the warrior angel Rutendo, and having a happy life with Britt.

Any final words before you fly off to battle evil?

Listen to the people who love you. You know who they are. Don’t place limits on yourself and always believe in yourself.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind a little rough love with that guy. To find out more about Michael, read Frenzied by Kate Hill.