Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Guest Blogger Pinkie Rae Parker

Please welcome author Pinkie Rae Parker today! She's going to answer my infamous Rick Reed questions and talk about her story that has just been released in a new Dreamspinner anthology! Make yourself at home, Pinkie! Ready to begin?









The Questions

1.      You’re marooned on a small island with one person and one item of your choice—who is that person and what item do you have?

Oh, my, my, my. If I was trapped on a desert island with a single person, I think I would pick James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel). He is, at least, the first one who came to mind. Tom Hiddleston (Loki from Thor/The Avengers) came in a very close second. Something that the two of them share is a love of the theatre and of learning, and I can imagine that either one of them could provide endless opportunities for discussion on all manner of topics, such as the works of Shakespeare, history, etymology, and string theory. I would never get bored! There’s also the added eye-candy bonus. Why not choose a brainy bel homme?

As to the item, I think I’d pick the biggest pack of soda (preferably Cherry Coke) that I could carry. That may be cheating, but I have a serious addiction to caffeinated sugary beverages.





2.      Which musical would you say best exemplifies your life – and which character in that musical are you?

            My gut instinct is to say The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and, as much as I’d like to be as awesome as Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry has the most amazing legs), I’m probably Columbia, tragically fangirling my life away while wearing rhinestones and Mickey Mouse ears.

3.      Take these three words and give me a 100 word or less scenario using them:  customary, ethical, ran
           
            For most people, mornings meant commuting to work, seeing the kids off to school, or catching breakfast with friends. For Colton, however, it meant getting to the park for his customary jog. This part of his morning routine had nothing to do with fitness or health. No, Felix ran because he loved the thrill of catching up to other runners, surpassing them, and making them attempt to regain their lead. He would always let them win, but it was hardly ethical. Felix just wanted to watch the runners’ little shorts ride high on their thighs when they got worked up.

4.      You’ve just been let loose in the world of fiction, with permission to do anyone you want. Who do you fuck first and why?
           
            I actually had to go to my bookshelf and weigh my options. I think I’d pick Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files series. A six-foot-plus wizard with a lot of love to give? Yes, please!

   5.      What is your idea of how to spend romantic time with your significant other?
            Cuddling with lots of skin-to-skin contact is pure bliss.

  6.      When you start a new story, do you begin with a character, or a plot?

            Normally, I begin with a character in one way or another. For my recently released short story “Curtain Calls,” I came up with one of the main characters while I was drawing in a notebook. I randomly sketched a doodle of a young man with freckles. I thought, “Who is this?” The plot came about when I was trying to figure out who this random fellow in my sketchbook was. All the details-- his name, his personality, his job-- derived from a few graphite lines on paper. I love getting the opportunity to create a whole world in that way.

7.      If they were to make the story of your life into a movie, who should play you?

            If Ruth Wilson was available, cast her. If not, throw a wig on Nathan Lane. I need someone with the right level of sass (and pizazz).
















8.      Who’s your favorite horror villain and why?

            Freddy Krueger. Claws down. He is my absolute favourite. I believe he was the first “monster” I was ever afraid of as a child. My parents were video rental shop-crawlers in the 1980s, and I somehow saw a part of A Nightmare on Elm Street when I was very, very young (specifically I saw the scene of Johnny Depp being sucked into his bed and a giant geyser of blood shooting up). I was terrified of Freddy after that! Then, when I hit my teenage years, I started to love horror movies, and I always came back to the Nightmare franchise. I think Freddy stood because he wisecracked. He wasn’t the silent masked slasher type. You laughed along with his jokes, but he’d slice your heart out. Plus, I met Robert Englund a few years ago, and he is a very sweet man who obviously adores the role that made him a household name.

9.      Do you have an historical crush and if so, who is it?

            Where to begin? I do historical research as my not-writing-fiction job, and I’ve come across some real cutie-pies! Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec does have a certain appeal (if you ignore the syphilis). Maybe I’m just adore men who give good art.

10.  Is there a story that you’d like to tell but you think the world isn’t ready to receive it?
            There is a story I’m dying to tell, and I haven’t tried to publish it, but not because the world could not handle it. I have been working on a fantasy novel for over a year, and I worry that in a world with Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones what I’m writing might seem a little old hat. I think I need more confidence in myself to get over that fear.

        





    My short story “Curtain Calls” appears in Dreamspinner Press’s recently released anthology Snow on the Roof.

Anthology Blurb: "Just because there's snow on the roof, doesn't mean the fire's gone out in the furnace." There's something to be said for maturity and experience, and in all of these relationships, at least one of the lovers is over forty. Whether it's a May/December romance, a second chance at love, or finding a soul mate later in life, these stories prove that it's never too late for love.

“Curtain Calls” Excerpt:
At fifty-six years old, Kitt Holbrook had spent the majority of his life on the stage. He had been much leaner and much hungrier in the early days. He spent every waking moment clawing his way up the rung of the theatre hierarchy until he finally received his break-- being cast as Ferdinand in Pleismann’s run of The Tempest in 1976. The reviews for his performance made him a sought after name in the West End and even landed him a few film and television roles. Ferdinand, however, remained his signature role and, like many other British stage actors, he returned to the part at various times afterwards. In three weeks, Kitt would do so for the last time, saying goodbye to Ferdinand in a final grand send-off.
Leaning back in his chair, Kitt scrutinized his reflection for several moments. He supposed he was aging gracefully enough. Long ago, the bright copper sheen of his hair had faded into a dark brown that, in time, turned grey. Hair dye returned some of the luster with just enough pigmentless streaks at his temples for Kitt to appear distinguished. Though his lips were unfortunately thinning, the deep-set lines around his mouth and eyes gave him a rather grim expression, so he often tried to keep his eyebrows elevated to look less prickly, even though that made his forehead resemble a cracked pavement in the muggy heat of summer.
Leave plastic surgery to the young, Kitt thought. It’s too much effort to fix what nature’s already wrought.

Buy Links:

Author Bio: Pinkie Rae Parker is happy to use the moniker passed down from her great-grandmother. Born and raised in the southern United States, Pinkie Rae is currently a cultural historian and graphic designer. She enjoys researching fashion and design in Europe during the eighteenth century and studying French. However, writing fiction is a passion that she has had since she was a teenager, and she now hopes to pursue writing for publication (outside of academia) as a full-time career.

Links:
http://pinkieraeparker.wordpress.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/pinkieraeparker
http://www.amazon.com/Pinkie-Rae-Parker/e/B00BEGMYCQ/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_2


Thanks for stopping by, Pinkie, come back any time!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

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