Bookish Lifestyle: Character Interview + Giveaway with Derrick from Creatus by Carmen DeSousa

Earlier today I posted my review for Creatus by Carmen DeSousa. If you checked it out, you know that I ended up enjoying the book a bunch! It was unique and fun. Now, I'm lucky enough to have an interview with the hero from Creatus, Derrick!

Hey, Derrick! Thank you so much for stopping by to take part in our little event today :)

To start off, can you describe yourself in five words or less, please?

Oh, that’s hard. I don’t really like talking about myself. If it’s okay with you can I let Carmen fill out just this part of the interview?

My pleasure, Derrick. I’ll slide in her for a second. First and foremost, I see you as a Leader. Powerful but Sensitive, Intriguing, and Sensual.

What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

My kind used to ‘watch’, meaning we’d protect humans from the degenerates of society to keep our city safe. But now that every citizen has a camera on their phone, we’ve had to stop. Since I saved Kristina, however, safeguarding her has become my life. She’s a fulltime job, believe me.

Sooooo, there’s Kristina. Tell us a little about her?

Nobody understands Kristina as I do. She’s had a tragic past, and doesn’t always make the correct decisions, but she’s sweet, smart, and definitely the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, even if I end up being alone for many years.

If you had to pick one, what would you say is your favorite moment with Kristina, ever?

When creatus ‘fall’ in love, they fall forever. Sometimes just a kiss can connect us with the love of our life. I’d never experienced anything like the night in the park when we shared that one special kiss. The kiss that changed my life, sealing my soul to hers for eternity.

You’re a Creatus. Can you pleeease explain to the lovely readers of Bookish what that means?

Hmm…well, you know I’m not allowed to expose my family secrets, Jessica. But let’s just say that my kind are the reason your kind believe in vampires and superheroes. We’ve lived beside humans for over four thousand years, but we hide well. We eat differently, live longer, and are stronger, so if we reveal our true selves, we tend to scare humans.

You spent a good amount of time…watching over…Kristina. Did you ever feel like a total creep while going that?

Only when my immature brother made me feel like a creep. I only thought of Kristina as my charge. She spent ten years in foster homes, never having anyone to care about where she went or what she did. Since I failed to save her mother, it was my responsibility to keep her safe. It wasn’t until she was sixteen that I realized that when she grew up, we’d be the perfect age for each other. I’d wanted to wait until she was thirty, but Kristina forced my hand.

Let’s say some totally awesome book blogger *cough*ME*cough* gave you a pet tiger. You know, as a prezzie (YOU’RE WELCOME). What would you name him and why? (I say HIM for a reason. Don’t turn my cute—yet vicious—boy tiger into a girl, por favor.)

Hahaha. I have to say that I’ve never had anyone ask me anything close to that. Since a tiger is tough, like me—remember, I’m the toughest and the leader—let’s call him ‘Duke’, meaning ‘strong leader’.

Lots of STUFF happens in Creatus. What would you say was the hardest of all this STUFF for you to deal with?

Well, Jessica, losing Kristina is the only thing that can bring me to my knees. Creatus simply do not recover after losing the person they’ve ‘fallen’ for. I don’t want to give away any secrets, but if the rogue ever hurts her, I won’t ever stop hunting the creatus.

And what would you say was the hardest of this STUFF for Kristina to deal with.

Kristina has had to deal with so much death, but I think her concerns whether I could have murdered someone to protect my family’s secret was the hardest for her to stomach.

Oh, your family. I keep forgetting to ask you about them. I know some of them were resistant to you and Kristina as a couple. How are they dealing with this now and how (if at all) do you predict this will change as we move forward in the series?

I think there will always be creatus that can’t trust humans. After all, that is what our schooling taught us. We study our histories and remember how humans hunted creatus to near extinction thousands of years ago.

You’re stranded on an island, ALL ALONE. If you could have three things (not people, THINGS) with you in this situation, what would they be and why?

A knife, something to gather water, and flint. Boring, I know, but I told you I was a leader. With those three things, I can survive indefinitely.

This IS a Halloween event we have taking place on the blog, so recommend one horror movie for us! And then explain your choice, please.

‘What Lies Beneath’. I only like paranormal and scary if it’s believable, like me. That movie had great acting and danced on the edge of paranormal. Just enough to make you say, ‘Hmm…’

Okay, now just a few quick ones.

FAVORITES:

Color? Red

Food? Sushi, of course

Season? Fall. There is nothing like New England in autumn. Breathtaking.

Paranormal creature? ;) Creatus, is there any other paranormal creature?

Song? ‘More Than a Feeling’ by Boston. One of the greatest songs ever, and hey, that’s where I live.

All riiiiiight. That is all I have for you today. Before we say our goodbyes, though, is there anything—anything at all—you can tell us about book 2?

Things aren’t always as they seem. If you think you know what’s going on, and what will happen next, think again because you’re probably wrong. Creatus isn’t just a paranormal, it’s a paranormal romantic-suspense. Carmen disclosed to me that once again, there will be a ‘whodunit’ and a ‘what the heck is going on’, as all of her stories.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! Also, I like you. Also, we are friends. TOTALLY. FRIENDS. You are sooooo welcome back anytime.

Thank you, Jessica. I like you too. You are one of my favorite readers. In fact, you were one of the first readers who knew about my existence, so we will always have a special relationship.

Creatus by Carmen DeSousa

ebook, 217 pages
Published August 26th 2013

As the sun's rays peeked above the horizon, lighting the abyss below her, she inhaled a deep breath, closed her eyes, and jumped. She didn't scream; she didn't look down. As much as she hated her life, she hoped it wouldn't end this way. She'd really like to see him one more time.

Her life didn't flash before her eyes as she'd always heard. Just an image of her mother covered in blood and her Dark Angel telling her he was sorry.

CREATUS is a new romantic-suspense novel with a supernatural edge that answers the myths and fairy tales you've heard about preternatural sentient beings.

Prepare yourself to believe.