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Character Interviews
Obsession by Monica Burns
New Concepts Publishing
ISBN 1-58608-844-0
Now Available
Meet Helen |
Meet
Sebastian |
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A woman of Victorian
England teetering on the brink of sin...
Helen Rivenall is a woman
bound to sin, according to her abusive uncle, but it
is not until she finds
herself drugged and auctioned off in a London
brothel that Helen discovers a man who makes her
believe that sin is a pleasure.
A man who values his
iron-willed self-control...
The secrets of his past
haunt Sebastian Rockwood, Earl of Melton, honing him
into a man who values control above all else, but
when he finds himself bidding on a woman in a
private auction, he discovers even his iron will can
not protect him from the ultimate obsession.
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Helen Rivenall Interview |
Monica:
Today,
we're chatting with Helen Rivenall from Obsession.
Welcome Helen, I’m delighted you could be here today to
talk to the readers about Obsession. I know they’re
eager to learn more about you and that deliciously snaxy
man of yours, Sebastian.
Helen:
I'm delighted to be here, and thank you for asking me to
visit with you. Sebastian and I truly appreciate your
telling our story. We're both quite excited about being
featured in Obsession.
Monica:
For those who don’t know, perhaps it would be best to
give a little bit of background about you and how you
came to meet Sebastian. I understand that your uncle was
quite an evil and depraved man.
Helen:
Unfortunately, my uncle was not a happy man, and he
extracted his unhappiness on me. I confess that if it
weren’t for my brother, Edward, I would most likely have
fled Mayfield much sooner than I did.
Monica:
Now Mayfield was your uncle’s country home, and I know
you went to London to find your grandfather. Can you
tell us a bit more about that?
Helen:
Yes, I had
thought it would be an easy task, but it was much harder
to do than I had ever imagined. It was not my best
moment, believing I could actually find honest
employment so quickly. If it weren’t for Sebastian, I
imagine both Edward and I would have simply vanished
into the depths of London’s back alleys.
Monica:
I take it
you’re referring to Madame Chantrel’s brothel.
Helen:
Yes, it was a horrible place, and if Sebastian hadn’t
…hadn’t bought my freedom, I would no doubt still be
there.
Monica:
I can see this is a difficult topic for you, so why
don’t we move on to happier moments. I understand that
Sebastian is quite the piano player.
Helen:
He excels at it. The first time I heard him play, I
found myself completely enthralled with him. There was
so much emotion pouring out of him that night, and the
music made me want to weep for the pain and sadness that
echoed in his playing.
Monica:
Ah yes, that’s the night that Sebastian and you made
love for the first time. I must say, it was a gutsy
move. Seducing him, that is.
Helen:
Well, I admit that I surprised myself that night,
but I have no regrets. I did what my heart told me to
do.
Monica:
I know that you and Sebastian both had a great deal of
difficulty coming to terms with your relationship. It
took great effort toward the end of the story for you to
trust in Sebastian’s love. Do you think that if things
had been different, do you think the two of you would
have eventually found your way back to each other?
Helen:
Oh yes,
when Sebastian makes up his mind about something, he
doesn’t let go. I imagine he would have given me a
little more time before he started having his family
call on me, urging me to forgive him.
Monica:
I know it would have been a much more preferable
experience than the one that involved the likes of Jack
the Ripper. I know he doesn’t occupy a large part of
this story, but clearly it wasn’t a pleasant point in
London’s history.
Helen:
I still shudder to think of it. Those poor women, and to
think that...that I...
Monica:
I am sorry
Helen, that was a frightening and painful part of your
life. Let us move on to something more pleasant. I have
to tell you, I adore Sebastian. He's a total Alpha with
a need to control everything he possibly can in his
life. I think one of my favorite scenes in the story was
the carriage scene. He was so certain of you, and yet
you turned the tables on him. So tell us, what do you
love the most about Sebastian?
Helen:
Oh that is a much more pleasant topic.
There is so much about Sebastian that I adore. If I had
to pick one thing, it's his compassion. He keeps it
buried deep inside. He doesn't want anyone to know that
he's really gentle and tenderhearted inside, but I know
it. He's that way with me when we're alone.
Monica:
Well, we're
pretty much out of time for our interview. Helen. I
really appreciate you coming to visit with me here on my
bulletin board. I know my readers like to learn more
about the characters in the books they read. I really
hope you'll talk to Sebastian for me and encourage him
to meet with me so I can interview him as well. He's
being quite elusive.
Helen:
Thank you again for having me. I will definitely talk to
Sebastian. He can be difficult at times, but I think I
know exactly how to persuade him.
Monica:
Thank you Helen, and thank you readers for dropping in
to meet Helen Rivenall the heroine of Obsession. Until
next time, happy reading.
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Sebastian Rockwood, Earl of
Melton Interview |
Monica:
Ladies, today we have that delicious alpha male,
Sebastian Rockwood, the Earl of Melton with us to talk a
little bit about his appearance in my new book,
Obsession.
Sebastian, may I call you that?
Sebastian:
Only on the
condition that I may address you as Monica.
Monica:
Oh,
certainly. I must say that I’m delighted to finally have
you here with me for this interview. You’ve proven
rather elusive to say the least.
Sebastian:
I do
apologize for that, Monica, but I’ve been quite busy
seeing to business matters that I ignored for quite some
time.
Monica:
Well,
I’m delighted that Helen managed to convince you to meet
with me.
Sebastian:
Ah, yes.
She was quite persuasive in a number of ways.
I find it most difficult to resist her demands.
Monica:
Yes…well…ah,
why don’t we focus on Obsession, which is the story
about how you and Helen fell in love.
Sebastian:
Certainly, but first I do wish to thank you. We were
both pleased with the manner in which you told our
story. We think it was an honest and forthright
presentation.
Monica:
Thank
you, Sebastian.
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to write the
story. Could you tell the readers a little bit about
your history, and why you were at Madame Chantrel’s
brothel the night you met Helen.
Sebastian:
I would
be happy to do so. The Rockwoods are renown for their
impulsive behavior, or rather I should say my siblings
hold that designation. Caleb’s fiancée had taken it into
her head to investigate the practices of brothels
selling virgins to the highest bidder, and my brother
was convinced Chantrel was holding his fiancée hostage.
Caleb can be quite hot headed, and I knew that if I
didn’t take up the matter, he would do something rash.
Monica:
Rash?
Sebastian:
Quite. I
had images of Caleb storming into Chantrel’s and
searching for his fiancée. As it was, when we did go
searching for the girl, we were forced to exchange shots
with Chantrel’s men.
Monica:
Yes, that was a
scene that didn’t make it into the book. As I understood
it, you didn’t want to intrude into the telling of
Caleb’s story.
Sebastian:
Correct,
and I also was not in the best of moods at that time
given my condition.
Monica:
You
mean the gun shot wound to your arm.
Sebastian:
Precisely, damned painful.
Monica:
As I
recall, Helen was the one to take care of your wound.
Then of course there was your expression of gratitude.
Sebastian:
Gratitude? Ah, yes, you’re referring to that delightful
kiss. I hope you enjoyed it as much as Helen did.
Monica:
Oh yes,
I…oh, you’re being quite bad today.
I can see why Helen found it difficult to resist you
that day in the library.
Sebastian:
You seem
fascinated with the way I seduced Helen
(folds his arms and arches an eyebrow), but if you’ll
recall, Helen was the one to seduce me.
Monica:
Yes, I
do remember that, in vivid detail I might add.
Perhaps we should move on to a couple of the more
serious topics in the book. Your mother, for instance
Sebastian:
My
mother? (Sebastian avoids direct eye contact, clearly
disturbed by the change in topic and doesn’t answer for
a long moment. Staring off into space, a deep sorrow
comes through in his voice) My mother was a wonderful
woman. We all idolized her. When I…the accident
happened, life at Melton House changed. The house
plunged into a darkness that didn’t change until Helen
came into my life.
Monica:
I
understand you became head of the household just a few
short years after your mother’s death.
Sebastian:
Yes
(Sebastian nods with a somber expression on his face).
My father never recovered from my mother’s death. He
literally drank himself to death. So it fell to me to
raise my siblings the best I could.
Monica:
I know
that you’re a man of schedules and things being precise.
Do you think that’s a result of your parents’ deaths?
Sebastian:
I would
say primarily my mother’s death. It was difficult for me
as a child to not equate impulsive behavior with her
death. It was a painful time for me, and I confess it
came to a head when Helen’s uncle tried to take Helen
from Melton House. (Sebastian’s face has now become dark
with anger)
Monica:
I take
it you’re referring to the moment when Mr. Rivenall
knocks Helen down the stairs. I remember how horrifying
that was for you.
Sebastian:
Yes.
(Sebastian’s face is dark with grim emotion, his mouth
thin with displeasure. It’s clear he’s not about to
elaborate on his feelings in the matter).
Monica:
Why
don’t we move on to something less painful for you? I
know you’re a gifted pianist. Can you tell my readers a
little more about that?
Sebastian:
All of
the Rockwoods are proficient with some form of musical
instrument. My parents arranged lessons for me at an
early age because I continuously snuck into the music
room to play with the keys. I enjoy pounding out my
frustrations on the keyboard. It helps me think, focus.
In a sense, it provides me with an outlet to release my
tension.
Monica:
Well,
having heard you play, I’m totally in love with your
playing, in particular your rendition of Beethoven’s
Piano Sonata #14 C# OP#27. There’s such passion in that
piece when you play it.
Sebastian:
I’m
please that you found it moving. It’s one of my
favorites. (Sebastian pulls his watch out of his
waistcoat pocket to check the time.)
Monica:
I hope
you’ll indulge me with just a few more questions.
(Sebastian smiles slightly as he nods his head)
Monica:
You
mentioned that all of your siblings play a musical
instrument. Having just finished your sister Constance’s
story, I know she’s the violin player in the family. I
understand from her that you’ve played duets with her in
the past.
Sebastian:
I wasn’t
aware that you had talked with Constance about telling
her story. (Sebastian’s expression is one of surprised
interest) She and Lucien have only recently set their
wedding date. But you’re correct. She’s the violinist in
the family, and she’s quite gifted. Originally, I
arranged piano instruction for her, but she was clearly
not meant to play the instrument. (Sebastian grimaces as
he speaks)
Monica:
That
bad?
Sebastian:
Shall we
say it was not her forte?
Monica:
And her
other talents?
Sebastian:
Other talents?
(Sebastian looks decidedly uncomfortable as he shifts in
his chair, his expression remote).
Monica:
Yes,
her visions?
Sebastian:
That’s a subject the family rarely discusses.
(Sebastian’s tone makes it clear the topic is off
limits)
Monica:
Of
course, my apologies for bringing it up. (Sebastian nods
sharply) Let me ask you about Lord Templeton. He’s your
nemesis in Obsession, and yet I found there to be
something pitiful, yet totally twisted about the man. Do
you have any thoughts about why he was so twisted?
Sebastian:
I didn’t
know the man well enough to understand his madness. I’m
simply grateful that he’s not able to hurt Helen any
more. (Sebastian pulls his watch from his waistcoat and
pops open the face cover)
Monica:
Obviously, we’ve run out of time, but I really want to
thank you for being here, Sebastian. I know my readers
love getting to know the characters in my stories a
little better.
Sebastian:
You’re welcome. (Sebastian smiles and promptly stands,
offering a slight bow). If you’ll excuse me, Monica, I
have a number of matters that need attention.
Monica:
Oh, of
course, Sebastian. (Monica stands to shake hands with
Sebastian. With a wicked smile, Sebastian brushes his
mouth over Monica’s fingertips
, prompting her knees to go wobbly)
Thank…thank you again for visiting with us today,
Sebastian. I know my readers will appreciate it. Well,
there you have it dear readers. I finally managed to pin
the elusive Sebastian down for an interview. I hope you
enjoyed it.
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