April Character Interview
Patricia Parrington ~ April 15, 2024
Hello my lovely readers and fellow book-lovers! For those of you who are new here, I, your fabulous host, Patricia Parrington, have the pleasure of interviewing characters from books all over the world.
Today we have here with us James Pearson from Innocent Lies, book 2 in the Detective Mike Stone Trilogy by Colin Ward. Colin is an author of crime fiction, poetry, and theatre. He has self-published all his books and offers services to fellow authors on that journey.
Meet Pearson
Welcome to Fable Features! Take a seat wherever you’d like.
[Patricia gives a little bow and gestures at the various sofas arranged around a coffee table. She sits on an orange suede couch.]
So, tell me, what’s a day in your life like?
Well, most days are work days. Aren’t they all?
[Pearson grins and shrugs his shoulders. For a moment it’s not clear if he will do jazz hands.]
Usually, my shifts start at eight if I am on earlies. I’ve been kind of seconded into CID to work with DI Stone, which is cool. Not like a proper detective. Yet, I would love to. The boss is great. And Sands. She’s like a Jedi and calls me a puppy. Because I’m young, I think. No because I shi . . .
[Patricia laughs.]
Your coworkers sound like a fun bunch. Do you find you get along with them all fairly well?
It’s been great, actually. I was seconded from my normal duties to help a really, huge case with all this organized crime and stuff. It was kind of exciting, but also tragic, what with all that happened. But still, exciting.
[A moment of melancholy flickers across his face as his eyes glaze slightly at a difficult memory. It passes and he appears to snap back to life.]
It’s great to work with detectives who have a rep for being top of their game. I don’t mind admitting I was nervous of screwing it up, at first. But they have a sense of humor, too. I like the banter. You need that in our job. Thankfully, I’m not high enough up the ladder to have deal with all the politics and stuff.
I think that’s great they have a sense of humor! Laughter is good to have in any job.
Do you have any hobbies? Or a hobby you wish you had time for?
I still like going out when I have the time and finish early enough. I’m not really into clubbing as much. I prefer going out to eat, or theatre or cinema.
[He leans in and lowers his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.]
Either that, or spending a night in, curled up on the sofa with him at home.
[Pearson taps his nose.]
That’s one hell of a hobby, I can tell you. I also like my self-defense, which I’m really getting into. We learn some at police training, but I decided to carry on.
That sounds like a very fun hobby! I’ve never learned any form of self-defense, but my older sister has!
As for me, I am a huge foodie. You? What’s your favorite type of sandwich?
I’m partial to a bacon or sausage sarnie. Or bacon and sausage. I’m also a fan of chicken if there’s loads of salad going too. Just none of that bloody mayo. God, I hate that stuff. We tend to live on sandwiches at work, always on the move. Sometimes it’s whatever we can get our hands on. But I’d much rather a big fat sub to fast food most days. Besides, the boss gets a bit pissy if you stink out the car. So, eggs are a no-go.
[A mock grimace ripples his youthful face before slipping back into a wide grin. He licks his lips.]
[Patricia licks her lips as well.]
Mmm, you’re making me hungry!
Our next question is an interesting one: What incredibly strong opinion do you have that is completely unimportant in the grand scheme of things?
Well, I don’t class it as unimportant, but it really winds me up when you’re in the shop and the fool before you doesn’t have their card or phone ready to pay.
[Pearson rolls his eyes dramatically and raises his hands in exasperation.]
I mean, seriously. We have contactless payment for a reason. If you have to wait for your stuff to be scanned, bagged, and the price to be announced before even starting to dig for your wallet or phone, you miss the point of it being made faster.
[He nods, prompting agreement.]
Like it’s some kind of bloody surprise that you might be asked to pay for it.
That can be very aggravating!
[Patricia nods in agreement.]
Do you have any close friends? What are they like?
I have my workmates and my matey mates, you know. My non-work matey mates are mostly like me. Becky’s a wild one. Known her since school. Laughs like a foghorn and up for anything. She always says if I wasn’t gay she’d ride me like a Harley.
[Pearson tips his head waiting to see understanding. When it doesn’t come, his grin warns of his reply.]
Hard, fast, and very loud.
[A sharp clap of his hands and a mischievous snigger escapes with a slight snort.]
Instead, she calls me her camp little dirt bike, which I hope is a compliment.
I mean, it kinda sounds like one?
[Patricia cocks her head, thinking, then shrugs.]
Do you have any tattoos, scars, or birthmarks?
Nope, nope, and nope. I am perfect in every way.
Wow, even with self-defense training and working with the police? That’s impressive.
When was a time when you surprised yourself?
Well, sorry this is a work example, but I totally smashed it on this last case we did. Boss was dead impressed. I’m the CCTV king, you see, for spotting a somewhat vital lead. Jokes aside, though, I was rather chuffed with it, and he’s even asked to keep me attached to his CID team, aiming to train to be a detective soon. I hope.
That would be very exciting. Is that your dream job? To be a detective?
It is now. Originally, I just loved being on the beat. Kind of fancied maybe going into traffic police. But, to be fair, that was mainly because I want to drive the Subaru and BMW pool cars.
[Pearson’s eyes light up for a moment, but more like a schoolboy than a true petrol-head.]
But now that I’ve seen how complex cases are handled, I’ve got a real taste for it. I know it’s not all like on the Telly or film, and there’s loads of long boring stuff, too. But having to pull even the tiniest bits of info, chase up leads, find that one frame captured on CCTV that could break a case . . .
[He’s now poised on the edge of the seat,]
. . . that’s where I want to be. Plus, there is so much I can learn from the boss and the Jedi and Harry.
[Pearson sits back in his chair and mockingly places his hands on his knees.]
I guess this is where I say I want to make a difference.
[He says this using his fingers for the quote.]
Kind of. Mostly, I just want to kick ass in a nice suit.
Ayeee, that does sound pretty cool.
[Patricia leans forward.]
What would you say is your favorite memory?
[He leans back in his seat and looks up at the ceiling. He frowns for a moment and his smile fades before returning. Leaning forward again, he gently rubs his hands together. His voice softens, his eyes remain focused on his hands.]
It comes from a sad time in my life, too. You see, the first boy I ever loved, and I mean properly, like, not just an uncertain crush, when I first really accepted I was gay . . . Well, he died. I won’t bore you with the details.
[He pauses to swallow.]
I told my current boyfriend all about it. Sobbed in his arms for hours, too. Well, he listened like no one ever had. Really listened. And remembered. One day, a weekend and a day off, he gets me up and says I had to get dressed for my surprise.
We left the house and he took me, blindfolded, out to my old love’s grave. It was the anniversary of his death. And he’d cleaned it all up, decorated it with fresh new flowers, all the works. I tell you, it was perfect. Just bloody perfect.
[He smiles quickly, eyes filling not quite to tears, but close. A slight crack catches in his voice.]
That meant something. You see. First time I ever really got it. Inside. Like a kind of weight had been lifted and I felt safer in his hands. Must have done, right? Still with him.
[Patricia quietly offers him a tissue box.]
That was extremely kind of him. It’s hard to lose someone close to you.
Well, let’s end on a more lighthearted question: If you could change the color of one type of animal all over the world, what would that animal be and what color would you change it to?
Zebras.
[His answer comes abruptly, as if he’s previously put careful thought into this.]
I’d change them to blue and white stripes simply to see if the people who make zebra crossings have to come out and repaint all the roads.
[He pauses.]
Actually, they’d be buggered in the wild, though. Scratch that.
[Pearson dismisses his idea with a wave of the hand.]
Black and Green. Yeh, that makes more sense. Better camouflage, so they don’t all get eaten, and we still get a new road paint job.
[He nods his head in confirmation of his wise decision.]
That’ll work.
[Patricia throws her head back with a laugh.]
I love that answer. And I love how much thought you’ve put into it.
[She checks her wrist.]
Looks like that’s all the time we have for today.
[She stands with a smile.]
Thank you so much for coming out!
End of interview.
Want to Read More?
Pearson’s author, Colin Ward, can be found at his website, and his books can be found on Amazon (check out Book 1 To Die For and Book 2 Innocent Lies!)
See Ya Next Month
Aaand that's all the time we have today. Thank you, readers, for coming. And thank you, Pearson, 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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