Tell
me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what
you hope to achieve, etc.)
My name is Noel Valentine –Alana hijacked my story for her conspiracy
mystery thriller IMBROGLIO. I live
in a studio apartment in Elisabeth Bay on Sydney Harbour. I work in the city as
a PR consultant with William T Hall Advertising. I’m 25, 5’8”, pretty slim,
have longish dark hair and my eyes … I like to say topaz with green flecks.
These scars on my hands and arms—it’s okay to ask about them—the doctors say
they won’t look so bad after a while. It’s only been a few weeks … I was on
holiday in Cairns in Queensland and was behind a car that ran off the road down
an embankment. It burst into flames. I managed to pull one of the men out but
not the other—the police say he was dead already. And I got these burns.
As for aims in life; once it was to be at the top of the PR
game but that was before … well, before things went haywire. For the last
couple of years it’s just been putting one foot in front of the other every
day. But since all that’s happened in the last couple of months I've been able
to look at the bigger picture again and I have to say that life has improved. I’m
thinking that maybe I’ll stick around to grow old after all.
I swim. I find it incredibly relaxing mentally. My father
taught me when I was little. Most mornings I’ll swim at Coogee but my parents
have a pool and if the weather’s no good I’ll duck over to their place and do a
few laps.
What is your
favorite color and why?
White. I know people say it isn't a colour but I like it. It’s
not the only colour I wear but it’s what’s predominantly in my wardrobe.
What is your
favorite food? Why is it your favorite?
I've been known to have fads J Last one was Italian, current one is Thai. Why? The
flavours.
What would you say
is your biggest quirk?
Gloves! Ever since my hands and arms were burnt. I can’t go
into a shop now without making a beeline for the gloves section. The last ones
I bought were these lovely little lacy things, like gossamer, but enough to
disguise the scars.
What is it about
your antagonist that irks you the most, and why?
That would be Nick Donaldson, the lawyer managing Gem
Techtronics. Everyone thinks he’s an upstanding pillar of society but he’s a
criminal and one day I’ll prove it. And he’s a sleaze, which really is the icing
on the cake. He cornered me on his motor cruiser the other night; it was a work
thing and I was there with William. Such a sleaze!
What or who means
the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep
him/her/it in your life?
Family. Definitely. I lost my dad when I was young. Mum
remarried a terrific chap. And I have two younger half brothers who drive me
insane but I love them to bits. I’d do anything to keep them in my life.
What one thing
would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the
book in which you inhabit?
I’m not manipulative... I know, given what’s happening,
there’s a tendency for people to think I am. But, please, look a bit closer at
the circumstances and what I’m trying to do before making up your mind about
me.
If you could tell
your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of
the plot, what would it be?
Don’t put me in the
water! I can sort out my issues without being put in that kind of
life-or-death situation.
Ask me any
question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like
myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.
I've been wanting to get this off my chest for a while now,
ever since I found out Alana had written a warts-and-all about my life without
consulting me. Why do writers believe they can do that? Write someone’s story
without asking first. And why do they feel entitled to include the most
intimate of details; things, at least as far as I’m concerned, I’d never in a
million years have revealed to my mother let alone the world.
Good question. Here's my answer. Details are important to have in great books, and since you're a character (no insult intended) the best thing your creator can do is to share your soul with your readers. Your writer could ask your permission, of course, but what would that do? Make your story about as bland as the old, wilted salad you may have just eaten for lunch. Enough said.
***
Website — if a reader wishes to
contact me they can do so via the Contact
me page on the website
Book links (the
georiot links are smart links)
Automaton – http://georiot.co/AUTOMATON
Tapestries and other short stories
— http://georiot.co/TAPESTRIES
Social
media pages
Hi Kathryn, my creator, Alana Woods, and I would like to thank you for the opportunity to feature on your blog. I don't get to put my point of view very often so I appreciated it. Regards, Noel Valentine (and Alana Woods)
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