October Character Interview
Patricia Parrington ~ October 3, 2023
Hello my lovely readers and fellow book-lovers! For those of you who are new here, I, your green-haired lovely host, Patricia Parrington, have the pleasure of interviewing characters from books all over the world.
Today we have here with us August from Aaron Quinn’s book August Likes My Hue. Whether it’s dancing to the 1975 when no one is looking or engaging with pen and paper, Aaron is inspired by the mad, rad off-kilter moments of life and his stories are driven by the dark hope of the South.
Meet August
Welcome to Fable Features! I’m so glad to meet you.
[Patricia moves aside a pillow and sits on an orange suede couch.]
[August smiles warmly at Patricia and reaches her hand out as she sits.]
[Patricia shakes her hand then pulls out a quill.]
So tell me—do you have any family in the area?
[August looks around with a mix of franticness and humor.]
I sure hope I still have my husband in the area. That man could wander into a snowstorm smack dab in the middle of a desert.
[August checks her phone.]
Sorry, always have to check to make sure he hasn’t gotten himself into some sort of bind. Or arrested. That man, I tell you.
Wow, sounds like you’ve got your hands full! What drives him into those situations? Is it for work?
If you mean to work my nerves, then yes. No, I’m kidding. You ever meet someone who drinks life out of a firehose? That is Luther. He wants to consume everything at once and then figure out the details later.
[Patricia laughs.]
That is certainly one way to get the most out of life! What’s your favorite memory?
[August puts the phone in her lap and covers it with both of her hands. Her eyes drop into memory as she exhales for the first time since being interviewed.]
My grandad had a farm where we celebrated all the Holidays. When I was 12, instead of getting us presents at Christmas, he decorated the whole property with decorations. Lights over all the trees, figurines everywhere, even a giant Christmas tree right next to a pond. We sat out there with hot cocoa and listened to him tell Santa stories on Christmas Eve.
That sounds beautiful. No wonder it’s your favorite memory!
So they say our living spaces can tell a lot about who we are. What does your home or room look like?
Right now, until this itch lets my husband go, it looks like a hotel. No roaches anymore, thank God.
[August scratches at her arm as she finishes her sentence.]
[Patricia shudders at the mention of roaches]
Well I hope the itch goes away at some point. Hotels are nice, but sometimes it’s nice to stay in one spot for a while!
[She leans forward with a grin.]
If you could make one big animal tiny or one tiny animal big, what animal would that be?
An armadillo. I would make him gigantic then I’d watch him snatch my husband and roll into a ball. I can hear Luther’s giggles now.
Haha, that sounds amazing! A strange situation, but amazing.
Speaking of strange situations, what’s the strangest or scariest situation you ever found yourself in?
Does being married to Luther count as strangest?
[August laughs and shakes off her words.]
You won’t believe this: about a week ago, my husband had us jump in a massive 18-wheeler for a ride. That ride led me to the middle of a field at night with a pastor chasing us with a gun. I thought we were dead. You talk about making an animal small. That is making the strangeness of our journey small.
Sure, I’d count that!
[Patricia shakes her head in disbelief.]
You guys lead a crazy life. How do you deal with that? If I were in your shoes, I’d be worried nonstop!
Oh, I do. But that is life married to that man. His sister is a huge support. Don’t get me wrong, Luther has his quirks, but that man’s passion burns bright. Sure, things are crazy like you said, but I married him because of his passion, so I have to walk with him when that passion leads us to unbelievably odd situations.
[Patricia smiles warmly.]
Sounds like you guys make a great couple. I admire how you support his itch for adventure! But let’s get back to talking about you. What are you a natural at?
[August looks away and bites her lower lip.]
Natural at? Why does the question stump me? I can think of giant armadillos and Christmas lights. But what am I natural at? I am not sure that anything in life feels natural anymore.
You know, that’s not an easy question for many people. And I guess it doesn’t help in your case, given the wildness of the events that seem to occur often to you!
[Patricia leans back on the couch and taps her chin with the quill.]
Does that bother you at all? Life not feeling natural? Or do you prefer it this way?
[August smirks and points at Patricia while nodding her head]
Patricia, I like you. I feel like I should pay you for therapy sessions. These are great questions. It is a paradox, I think. I prefer life feeling natural while at the same time preferring life with Luther. I used to think both were possible, but I am not sure that is possible.
[Patricia throws her head back in a laugh.]
Hah! Maybe I should.
It does sound like a difficult situation to be in. Which brings us to our next question: What would you say you struggle with the most?
Other peoples’ opinions. It is the oddest thing, Luther, he can walk into a room wearing a duck floatie and flippers and would not care about what others think. Not me.
That is certainly a super power! I have trouble not caring about other’s opinions as well.
[Patricia lowers the quill.]
We’ve got time for one last question: What’s something you were taught when you were young that you still remember today?
My mom always taught me that a bird in a heater isn’t worth as much as two in a bush. She never could remember sayings like that. And I don’t know what that one means. But I’ve never forgotten it.
Hmm, well that’s certainly something to ruminate on.
[Patricia stands up.]
Thank you so much for coming today! I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors with Luther.
End of interview.
Want to Read More?
August’s author, Aaron Quinn, can be found on Instagram and Linktree. His book August Likes My Hue can be purchased here.
See Ya Next Month
Aaaand that's all the time we have today. Thank you, readers, for coming. And thank you, August, for letting us get to know you. See y'all next month, and until then, stay outta trouble and keep writing!
If you would like to submit a character to be interviewed for a future issue of Fable Features, please send an email to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Fable Features.
Please note that erotica and content with excessive vulgar language will not be accepted.
If you have questions you'd like Patricia Parrington to ask in a future interview, please submit them to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Interview Questions.
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