Hello, April – that’s okay for you? – would you please introduce yourself?Sure, Tamara, let’s not bother with formalities, that’s not my style. Okay, I’m April Winston, Admiral of the Navy of the United States. Some people know me rather by my nickname, “Angry April”.
I’m formally retired, but I’m still busy, I tell you! I was born on July 23rd in California. I’m a true blonde, and even if I’m just one and a half meter short, that doesn’t mean I’m easy to overlook. If you had a chance to peek into my most recent book, “Lioness’ Bride”, you know what I mean. It’s only the first of three – you know, when I started telling my story, I wasn’t aware how long it would become.
So it will be a trilogy?
So to say, yes. At the same time it’s a part of the Zoe Lionheart series, the fifth to seventh sequel.
You didn’t get your own series then?
Oh, I’m not envious at all. It is Zoe’s story, and I’m proud to be an important part of it, perhaps the most important part of all. You can’t separate us anyway. We’re one head and one ass, if you excuse the wording.
What makes you special?
Except being Zoe’s best friend? Perhaps that I know how to make good use of my brains. Otherwise I don’t think I’m special.
You’re still quite young for a five-star Admiral. Don’t you think that’s special?
Yes, of course it is. But not because of me – the circumstances were special. Okay, I was member of a special unit, too, but I’d prefer to think that I’ve earned my credentials by my hard work and my dedication, not by any attributes of mine. And, in this case, by unique qualification.
So you have no special abilities?
Again, no. Unlike Zoe, I’m just an ordinary woman with a good education and some hard earned skills. Anyone could have come that far, given he or she had truly taken to the task.
Okay. Tell us about your most current adventure.
That would be Lioness’ Bride, released April 1st, 2011. It’s a funny thing that my first sequel hit the April slot, isn’t it? Well, it’s giving some background about me and how Zoe and I met before the story ventures to the events following after the end of Lioness’ Wings, as Zoe has told it. We really thought we were done then – but the bad guys hadn’t forgotten. They came after us. And I think, that part of the story really tells something about Zoe and me, how we can rely on each other, how we can trust each other.
They came from two sides—two columns of twenty heavily armed, professional mercenaries each, and they came to kill. We were prepared. Zoe took the northern column, left me the men from the south.
I waited at the northern edge of another clearing. My deliberately created tracks were hard to miss, he should find me here.
A few rays of sunlight penetrated the tight-grown crowns and made it to the forest floor. Strong trunks alternated with tall saplings, rose to the sky like phalluses. I called myself
to order, sex wasn’t on the agenda now.
The clearing floor was covered with leaves, a mouse or lizard made them rustle. Perhaps the next prey of one of the two timber rattlesnakes living in this area.
He surprised me by approaching from the north—he had circled around the clearing and suddenly appeared almost right next to me, the heatseeking visor before his eyes, the storm rifle leveled.
I let myself drop to the ground.
He turned around and grinned at me, aimed his rifle—slapped his cheek yelling “Ouch! Bloody critter!”
In disbelief he stared at the tiny blowtube arrow, pricking like the sting of a mosquito until his slapping hand had driven it deep into his cheek, then torn it out again. His glance became glassy, the rifle dropped from his feeble hands, then he slowly collapsed.
I rose very cautiously, left the clearing carefully checking each of my steps not to accidentally hit one of the tiny projectiles which had shot across the clearing shortly after my drop on the release switch. I really didn’t need a treat of my own recipe.
After that, things went worse. The Carpatian mission almost got me killed, and I still get the creeps when I think of it. I – no, I shouldn’t tell spoilers here.
If you could offer your author advice, what would it be?
Life is short and dangerous. Enjoy it while you can.
Are you happy with the way people perceive you?
Happy? No, not at all. They call me Angry April and they fear my wrath, rightly so, but while this kind of reputation may be helpful, the reason for it – to have executioned three men – is nothing to be happy about.
What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you?
Meeting Zoe. I wouldn’t be here telling my story if that hadn’t happened. It was most interesting to meet her initially, and it remained interesting thereafter. You’ve heard of that curse—said to be Chinese— “May you live in interesting times”? Well, I’d say “May you meet an interesting companion” is the next level.
Do you regret having met her?
Oh, no, never! While that might have saved me some painful experiences, it might as well have me killed in the course of events. No, living with Zoe is the greatest gift one can receive, I won’t change it for anything.
Share a little bit of the ‘real’ you with our readers. Any Dark secrets?
Um. Yes. Y’know, when I earned my nick “Angry”, I was acting cold-blooded. But there are times when the Dark side of the Force grows in me, when I’m really “Angry April”. I can hate my opponents, sure. If I think of Iraq—but no, that’s long gone.
What motivates you to continue on these adventures?
Well, I think I simply can’t let go. As long as there’s a challenge, I’ll tackle it. That’s how I tick, I’d say. And, of course, I have the most motivating partner in the Universe. You can’t stop Zoe, and you can’t stop me. Unless you kill us both, and that has proven extremely difficult. So we carry on.
What is your most favorite thing to do?
Mmm—having sex with Zoe, in private or publicly. Or having sex with a dozen hard cocks while she’s caressing my nipples. Or sucking a cock while she’s licking my clit—you get the picture.
Maybe it’s the thrill—if your prospect is you might be killed the other day, you try to get what you can while you can get it. There’s no holding back.
Even with different partners?
Yes, sure. The love we share is strong. You know, the good thing about love and passion is, the more you give, the more you have for yourself. You may exhaust your stamina, but not your love. We both know that, and we give freely. And while we love each other most—our own sex—there’s nothing bad to a firm erection pushing inside now and then.
How many sex partners have you had? How many at one time?
I haven’t counted, but never more than five at the same time—that is, if there were more than five, they had to take turns. I only have so many holes and hands.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I’m either dead or still fighting and fucking. But I guess you’ll read about me again. And, of course, there’s another little secret…
Oh, why don’t you give us some hint?
(Smiles) I don’t want to talk about unhatched chickens.
How does one become an Admiral?
I guess you don’t ask for the usual career path, do you? No, you don’t. There’s a—well, I wouldn’t call it short cut, although that would sound like me, wouldn’t it?—secret way for secret operations. It’s simple—if you have to outrank someone during a mission, you outrank them. You get the rank for it. And not just the rank, but the responsibility, too.
What are the pro’s and con’s to being an Admiral?
Do you want the long list or the short? Oh, don’t say it. We don’t have all night, I’ll stick with the short, that’s what I’m best at anyway. Hey, stop laughing (grins).
So, the pro’s first. You’re the one ordering the dress code, you always get the best seat and the most impressive uniform. No one can chase me around or call me to attention. That can make up for a lot. When other soldiers are looking down at me, they are in fact looking up. It makes me feel great.
The con is responsibility. You always have to be right. If you’re wrong, your people die.
Describe your best kill. Why was it the best?
I don’t think in such terms. I’m a soldier, and my job may include killing people. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it, or that I would rate any such action “best”.
What are your opinions on Dragons?
The most dangerous creatures on this planet – except me, of course – and never to be underestimated. Fierce in battle, intelligent, powerful. On the other hand, the most reliable partners you can imagine.
What makes being with a Dragon the best sexual experience?
Oh. Where should I start? They don’t have bad breath, they always smell good, don’t have problems with funnies during sex. Stamina could be a point – but the best thing about sex with a Dragon is ultimate dedication. There’s sex and only sex. Utmost concentration. If you have sex with a Dragon, you’re not just the center of attention – you’re everything. There’s nothing but passion. It’s unforgettable, every time, even if it’s a quickie. Oh yes, there’s nothing like a Dragon quickie!
What’s the oddest thing you’ve seen or done?
I’ve seen and done so many odd things, where should I start? Perhaps it strikes me most, that you can find humans willing to work toward annihilation of their own species. But it might as well be that I’ve missed the prompt where I should have laughed.
Should that sound sarcastic to me?
Yes.
Oh. Maybe you have a different point of view. You don’t worry about skin cancer, you probably needn’t care about pollution because you don’t have to drink water, and you Vampires might even be able to survive after a nuclear holocaust—but what about your food sources? Think about it.
Okay, let me come back to your question. There was a situation once. We were on vacation, so to say, in a remote cabin in Canada, and I was just fetching some water from the lake. I hadn’t bothered to dress up—that is, neither my pants nor my guns—when a grizzly showed up. Can you imagine? Me, nude in the lake, with nothing but a tin bucket, facing a grizzly? That’s what I call odd.
What happened?
Why, the grizzly took me as a snack, of course. (Grins) No, of course not. Probably I wasn’t worth the trouble—and I had that bucket! Not even a grizzly wants to mess with Angry April and her Big Bucket.
If you could change one thing about you or someone you loved, what would it be?
If I could, I’d bear Zoe’s pain. She has suffered enough for more than one life.
How do you deal with stress?
I try hard to think up a solution to the cause, or at least a temporary relief. It’s worst if I can’t do anything. I can be quite annoying if I’m nervous, I’ll run around and pester my people with questions, double-check everything again and again, and so on. But if there’s any course of action I can take, stress will just fuel my determination.
Tell us about your first meeting with Zoe. Did you fall in love with her then?
No, not at all. We needed a hacker for our team, and she got the job. She also was the second woman on our team, and at first I wasn’t sure if I should be envious, but she turned out to be too kind for that—you couldn’t blame her for her looks, but otherwise she didn’t try to mess with the boys. She quickly found her place in our team and took to her task.
It didn’t take me long to see her as a good teammate, and perhaps as some kind of sister. Or should I say sister-in-mind? I must have felt attracted to her, but I wasn’t aware then. Well—she soon had the opportunity to save our asses, and I think that tightened the already growing bonds between us.
After that miserable trap in Florida—as she told in Lioness’ Blood—she needed help, and that’s where we got closer than friends usually do for the first time. This relationship later grew and became more intense, including but not limited to sex, but I didn’t realize I was in love. Maybe I was a bit thick regarding this topic, maybe I didn’t understand that a woman feeling entirely heterosexual could really feel for another woman—and still love cocks.
Is it true you’ve been researching poisonous snakes?
Yes. I’ve always been fascinated by small creatures who can kill much larger ones. Snakes, spiders, scorpions, jellyfish and so on. And when I had the opportunity to spend some more time on that subject, I talked to Zoe, she agreed, and that’s how I started.
But you keep a safe distance.
I do have respect, and if a snake appears nervous, I stay away. But if I find a Western Brown in my kitchen tent, I simply take her out with my bare hands. I expect them to respect me, too. It works.
It’s still a dangerous hobby.
It’s more than a hobby. I’ve earned my doctor’s degree in biology on that subject. I think I could always earn a living from that.
Is there a message you want to get across in this interview?
Buy my book, it’s really worth it. No, just kiddin’, but that’s the easiest one. Another would be “Don’t mess with me”. Or “Don’t mess with a Dragon”. Or “Don’t mess with our world”. Or better, “Size doesn’t matter”—just look at me.
I think the most important lesson I’ve learned, and that would be something you might have taken from my words, is that love can go a long way—can cross boundaries of gender, species, origin. Love is a universal force, and if you love someone, don’t let anyone or anything get in your way.
Is there a question you wish I had asked but didn’t?
“May I bite you?” Honestly, the way you’re looking at me, you’re about to either bite or seduce me, and although I’m not delicate, I’d like to be asked first. But perhaps we should continue our discussion in private?
Short and mean, that’s how April characterizes herself, and short certainly doesn’t apply to her meanness. She’s been in the covert operations business long before the twists of events changed Zoe’s ordinary life forever. Once they joined forces they were virtually unstoppable. Where does the short blonde woman at Zoe’s side come from, and how could she become the world’s most powerful soldier?Excerpt:
“Even a heroine has to pay for her errors—dearly”
A whistle interrupted us during dishwashing. We briefly looked at each other, I put the towel away and took off my shorts. As usual, Zoe didn’t wear anything anyway.
I watched the surveillance monitor coming to life while I dressed the gray-brown-olive speckled catsuit. Men with bulky objects in their hands, with armored, fire resistant camo suits, infrared visors on their clumsy helmets, fought their way far off the only narrow access road from south through the forest which surrounded our hunter cabin, deliberately ignoring the barb wire fences with their signs Access prohibited—intruders will be shot or worse.
With another whistle a second screen joined in. “North side,” I commented. “Two teams, twenty men each, elephant rifles, shock pistols, cast nets. Heatseekers, armor, fire protection. They didn’t come by accident,” I added unnecessarily.
“The more danger, the more honor,” Zoe commented in thoughts, while several centimeters long, golden claws seemed to grow from her fingertips. It was misleading—the claws were freshly built in a yet unknown way while she concentrated on it.
“Shouldn’t you have dressed the suit first?” I asked and pointed at the second camouflaged catsuit which had been lying ready next to mine. “Before you poke holes in it?”
“Don’t need it,” she answered, and fascinated I watched her skin briefly being covered by a golden shimmer, slowly assuming a brown-green-scaly color and texture. So many years, and still Zoe was coming up with new things.
Only her crooked face told that the accelerated process had to be unpleasant.
Surely our opponents were hoping to catch us by surprise. Several more or less well hidden surveillance installations hadn’t triggered, had probably been deactivated, only the best-disguised devices had warned us that it finally was time.
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