Thursday, March 26, 2015

Slaying Isidore's Dragons Book Tour Kickoff - Timmy Interviews Isidore!

Welcome to Slaying Isidore’s Dragons' Book Tour Kickoff! Beginning today through April 25th, follow along for Fun Facts, never-before-seen Excerpts, Interviews, Character Interviews, interesting Blog Posts, and chances to win each of my books!


Now available in print and ebook at
Dreamspinner/Harmony Ink Press
Amazon   GooglePlay   Barnes & Noble

I have the great pleasure of having Timmy on my blog again and to help me kick off the book tour he interviews Isidore! This is his first character interview and he worked incredibly hard to develop questions and, as always, his questions are thoughtful and thought provoking. Isidore brought Declan along with him today and we also have the pleasure of meeting Ashley, Timmy’s sister and best friend! For those of you who have not read the blurb on Slaying Isidore's Dragons (below), Isidore is French and Declan is Irish. In this interview, Declan refers to Isidore as mo chroí which is Gaelic for 'my heart' and is pronounced me cree.  

Let’s hear it for Timmy and his guests! Take it away, Timmy!

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah the crowd goes wild!

Timmy: Thanks for joining me today, Isidore. It’s great to have you here.

Isidore: Thank you for inviting me, Timmy.

Timmy: You brought Declan with you, so I thought I’d bring my best friend, Ashley—

Ashley: Aloha!

Timmy: —Thank you for joining us, Declan.

Declan: *pauses and blushes*

Isidore: Is something wrong?

Declan: No, no. Just never done this before. It’s a little intimidating.

Isidore: Why are you intimidated? He is interviewing me.

Ashley: *cracks up*

Declan: *chuckles* Right. Thanks for having me, Timmy. I’m glad to be here.

Timmy: *smiles* Okay, let’s get started. Isidore, I know how it feels to be under the microscope and I, for one, do not like answering questions of any kind, so I appreciate your willingness to be here and the pressure I’m sure you are feeling.

Isidore: *nods appreciatively* Thank you.

::applause::

Timmy: Our mutual friend Cody says, ‘abuse doesn’t define you,’ but I have a hard time believing this. I believe in many ways my abuse not only defines me, but also made me who I am today. What are your thoughts on this?

Ashley: Wow. Start off with hard question, why don’t you.

Timmy: *glares at Ashley*

Ashley: *shrugs* Sorry.

Isidore: It is certain that what my brothers did to me is a part of me, but not all of me, nor who I wish to become. *looks at Declan* Nor is the right word?

Declan: Or, nor, doesn’t matter. They know what you mean.

Timmy: Thank you.

Isidore: Pardon. I wish to answer more.

Timmy: Go for it.

Isidore: At this time, I only begin to feel a little bit me. With Declan’s help, and my new home and mother, Sorcha, I begin to learn a little about me, who I am. I see things differently now and I see new things I have never seen before. I think it will take the little time for me to learn me. What has happened will always be a part of me, and some days are very hard for me, but I do not wish it to define all of me.

Timmy: Good answer, Isidore.

::applause::

Timmy: I have many questions I would like answered by my parents. I know I will never get those answers, but that doesn’t stop me from wondering. If you could ask your mother anything, what would it be?

Ashley: Dude, these are hard questions!

Timmy: Stop.

Declan: *laughs softly*

Isidore: *smiling* She likes to interrupt, oui?

Timmy: She wouldn’t be my Ash if she wasn’t outspoken.

Isidore: This is good. I like this. Okay. I think the questions I would like to ask my mother, she would not be able to answer. I think she found herself in a place, in a life that she did not imagine for herself or want for us, and she did not plan. She knew what was happening but could not stop it. So, like this, if she did try to answer something, it would be that she is sorry that she did not do better for me.

::applause::

Timmy: I had a friend who was very important to me when I was young. She was the only friend that didn’t hurt me and was always there for me. She died in a car accident and I struggled with her death a lot. What do you do to get through the loss of your mother?

Isidore: *sadness fills face* I miss her. I am still processing this loss. To me the pain is so great that it is hard for me. I try to focus on the good things with her and I try to keep her alive in my drawings.

Timmy: Thank you, I know that was a very hard question and I miss my friend a lot too. I have two people in my life who have helped me very much, one of whom gave me the courage to leave my past life. Do you think you would have left if it hadn’t been for Declan?

Isidore: Never. I am afraid.... No, this is not the right word. I am terrified all of the time. For me, my life is only waiting for the next pain, the next degrade of my person, the next insult, the next humiliation. I have troubles with my mind. I forget things. Sometimes I cannot know what I am to do or say. It is a constant state of...of...what is the word? Tormente?

Declan: Turmoil? Chaos?

Isidore: Ah, this is the perfect word. Chaos. This is the word in French too.

Declan: *smiles* Ill.

Isidore: *smiles* Ill, this means good.

Ashley: See? Isidore’s cool.

Timmy: *side-eyes at Ashley* Go on, Isidore.

Isidore: *looks at Declan* This cool is good?

Declan: *chuckles* Yeah, babe. It’s ill.

Isidore: Ah, okay. Thank you, Ashley. I do not believe I have ever been cool to anyone.

Ashley: You are.

Declan: You’re the coolest, mo chroí.

Isidore: *smiles* Okay, so, like this, I have no strength and, to me, I do not have the worth of a... of an... ant. I try to be a good person and I wish to be loved, but I cannot find the way to do this without Declan. I do not have the strength without him. With him, I can see a little bit of me through his eyes, the way he talks to me, the way he is always sure I am safe. I hold this close in my heart and mind, and I make the courage for me. One day, I would like to be the Isidore in his eyes.

Declan: *squeezes Isidore’s hand* You are the Isidore in my eyes, you just don’t see it yet. But you will. Give it time.

::applause::

Ashley: *looks at Timmy* Declan’s good for Isidore.

Timmy: *smiles* Yeah, he is. Isidore, I often felt like I didn’t deserve my new life and struggled with wanting to go back, not because I wasn’t happy, but because it’s what I thought I deserved. Do you ever feel this way?

Isidore: I believe the question is when do I not feel this way. It is only Declan that keeps my mind turning from this. I fall to it, he turns the thoughts back. I fall to it, he turns the thoughts back again. It is a constant work for him, I am a constant work for him.

Declan: No, you’re not. All I’m doing is showing you who you really are.

Isidore: *blushes* I wish to believe this one day.

::applause::

Timmy: Me too, Isidore.

Ashley: *one-arm hugs Timmy* You will. Promise.

Timmy: *blushes* Okay, Isidore, next question. I don’t think I will ever completely heal from everything that was done to me. It’s a part of me I can’t completely leave behind. Do you think in time you will heal?

Isidore: *sadness fills face* I wish to. I am working hard for this. I believe one day it will happen that I am better. *shifts in seat* But, like this, some holes in the heart and some small darkness in the mind will remain.

::audience awwwww::

Timmy: I agree. We get better and heal, but there are things that never go away.

::applause::

Timmy: I find it is easier for me, day-to-day, if I look at the bigger picture. I like to make goals and plan my future. What do you plan for your future? What do you want to be?

Isidore: *thoughtful* I do not see my future yet. I have a plan to stay with Declan and in my new home with Sorcha. This is the only plan I can believe for me now.

Timmy: I felt the same way when I first left. Then, slowly, I could plan a day and then two days. They sorta build when you aren’t looking.

Isidore: It is like this. Like the sun rising or the flower blooming. It is happening but we do not see it.

Timmy: *smiles* Yep, just like that. Okay, when I’m having a bad day or a hard time, one of my favorite things is when Cody or Ashley make me laugh or smile. It may be with random silliness or something real that they make a joke about. Do you feel the same way and, if so, how does Declan make you laugh?

Isidore: Oh, oui. I like to laugh. Like this, it is the good medicine. I like when Declan and Sorcha make the fun at the people who hurt me. I like when Declan asks me to do something I can do like to speak French to him though he does not understand it. I find this very funny. I ask you, would you like someone to speak a language you do not understand? This does not make sense to me.

Timmy: *laughs* Cody sucked the M off his laptop keyboard with a vacuum cleaner. It didn’t make sense to me either, but it was funnier than hell.

::everyone laughs::

Cody: *cracks up* Thanks, Timmy. Tell everyone about it, why don’t you.

Isidore: *still laughing* See? This is good. Laughter is good.

Timmy: Okay, another question. I have a much larger group of friends now than I ever had in the past. I have made many good friends thanks to social media. Along with all my new friends come new pressures. I always want to be what people are looking for, and yet I need to be me. How do you deal with all the pressure, especially now that there is a book about you and people will know who Isidore is?

Isidore: This is a good question. I feel the book puts the microscope over me and it is uncomfortable. I do not wish to be noticed. It is safer if I am not noticed. Like this, no one can hurt me. I wish to find more courage so I am not afraid, but I think the loneliness is the hardest. Loneliness is very painful. I wish to be better with people, and would like to feel that I am part of the things around me, and that I contribute to the people. So, like this, I do not have the answer except to say that I am uncomfortable with people and I wish to be better.

Declan: *one-arm hugs Isidore* You’re doing great, mo chroi. And you’re great at taking care of Caleb.

Ashley: Who’s Caleb?

Isidore: Oh. He is a friend. He is living with us now because his parents did not like that he is gay. I take care of him so he does not feel bad and have the nightmare.

Timmy: I hate nightmares.

Isidore: I do too. They are horrible. I must relive the past and I wake in pain as if they have hurt me again. It is difficult to explain, but the dreams are real to me and the pain is real to me when I wake and I cannot get the memories or the pain to go for many hours.

Timmy: I know that feeling. It takes my whole day away from me.

Isidore: It is this exactly. It is as if they continue to steal life from me. I do not like this.

Timmy: Yep. It’s really unfair that they can still hurt us after they’re gone.

Isidore: Exactly. I become very angry, then I cry, and then I am angry with me for the tears.

Timmy: Yep. It’s like a waking nightmare after that.

Isidore: Exactly. This is a very good explanation.

Timmy: Thanks, Isidore. Okay, my friend, Mel, has a question for you. She would like to know if you will tell Declan’s Alexander and Hephaestion stories to your children.

Isidore: *bursts into laughter*

Declan: *snorts* Hey, I do the best I can with what I got.

Ashley: Who are they?

Isidore: Alexander the Great and his general, Hephaestion. They were in love and Declan tells me stories when I cannot sleep. He tells me Hephaestion liked women’s clothing, including stockings and heels, but his favorite were pasties.

::everyone laughs::

Ashley: *gapes at Declan* You are cray cray.

Declan: *smiles* Hey, we do what we gotta do to keep ‘em happy, right?

Ashley: *fist bumps Declan* You know it.

Isidore: Did you know, Ashley, they have this thing called a food fight? They throw food at each other.

Ashley: Oh, yeah. We have those with jello.

Timmy: *snorts and rolls eyes* The best ones are sock fights, especially when I get them wet and throw them at you! I win!

::audience laughs::

Timmy: Thank you, Isidore, for joining me today on Cody’s blog. Declan, thanks for coming, man. And Ash, thanks for being my BFF and sister.

Isidore: Thank you, Timmy.

Timmy: Thanks for your honesty, Isidore.

Declan: Thanks for being good to him, Timmy.

Timmy: Wouldn't have it any other way and he's welcome back any time.

Ashley: Peace out.

::applause and standing ovation::

About Slaying Isidore's Dragons

Follow the burgeoning love of two teens during the worst year of their lives. Irish-born Declan David de Quirke II is the son of two ambassadors, one Irish and one American. He is ‘out’ to his parents but to no one else. French-born Jean Isidore de Sauveterre is also the son of two ambassadors, one Catalan and one Parisian. His four half brothers have been told to cure him of his homosexuality. Both teens have lost a parent in a London car bombing. 

Declan and Isidore meet at the beginning of their senior year at a private academy in the United States. Declan is immediately smitten with Isidore and becomes his knight in shining armor. Isidore wants to keep what is left of his sanity and needs Declan’s love to do it. One is beaten, one is drugged, one is nearly raped, one has been raped. They are harassed by professors and police, and have fights at school, but none of it compares to running for their lives. When the headmaster’s popular son attempts suicide and someone tries to assassinate Declan’s mother, they are thrown headlong into chaos, betrayal, conspiracy, allegations of sexual coercion, even murder. And one of them carries a secret that may get them killed.

50 comments:

  1. What a wonderful interview! So frank, and funny. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Debbie! So glad to see you here!
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  2. Fabulous interview, Timmy, as always. And I love his kind of interactions with characters of a book, it makes them more real. And by the way, still don't like Isidore's father and step-brothers with passion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was so fun! I also loved having someone to ask these questions too.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  3. Absolutely mesmerizing! Wonderful insightful questions Timmy ... thoughtful answers Isadore. Thank you for sharing such personal information with us ... your faithful audience. Love & Peace & Contentment to each of you. So grateful you have found your safe harbors! Love & Respect to each of you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Ann. These are hard questions, both to write and to answer.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  4. Oh, the minion gif.....bwahahaha! Great interview! This is def on my TBR list! It'll be fun to re-visit this interview after I've read it and gotten to know Isidore and Declan for myself. :D

    I have to add one thing for Timmy: Your friends here on social media just want you to be you. You don't have to let us see all of you - none of us have earned that privilege - but don't ever feel like you have to be who you think we want to see. We love you for who you are. None of us are perfect and we know you aren't either - don't feel you have to be. <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's hard for me to not "people please" as Cody calls it. It's how I survived in my old life. It's what kept me the safest. I am trying to break those old habits, but it takes time. Thank you for your support.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
    2. Please be patient with yourself, Timmy. Everything you've been through has made you wise beyond your years. I wasn't even aware there was such a thing as people pleasing or that I was guilty of it until I was well into my twenties. I remember Oprah Winfrey (and can you imagine anyone more in charge of their own life than Oprah?) doing a show on just that topic when she revealed how she was well into her adulthood before she realised she was allowed to say no if saying no was what's best for her. So give yourself a pat on the back for being well ahead of the game and give yourself permission to travel the road while taking baby steps. Yes, it is important to put your own life and needs first, but if that leaves you feeling uncomfortable it is perfectly okay to find a compromise that works for you. <3

      Delete
    3. Thank you Helena, your words mean so much to me.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  5. Awesome interview! Thank you so much for the thought provoking questions and answers!

    ReplyDelete
  6. A fantastic interview! I don't want to say I enjoyed it, that's not the right word. I found it very moving and reminds me again what a brave, beautiful person your are, Timmy. Always be yourself! That's the person we admire and love. Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's ok to say you enjoyed it, and maybe also learned something about me and Isidore.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  7. An incredible interview!! Thank you so much Timmy for the wonderful questions and to Isadore for the beautiful answers. I am looking forward to reading this very soon. Great job by everyone. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The book is sooo awesome. It's sad, happy, funny, and there is tons of suspense!
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  8. What a great interview! And what a magnificent start to the blog tour! Well done, Timmy!
    You asked all the right questions, (even the hard ones), and made me really feel that both Declan and Isidore were in the room with you! Excellent.
    Now, after falling half in love with Isidore, I must say that the coolest person in the whole interview is Ashley. The girl is spot-on!!! Please bring her along more often. You two are a tag-team to admire!
    Well done, all of you! Yeah, and Cody, too, eh? LOL LOL
    <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! She's great right? I love her! Bossy, without telling me what to do. Loud without being overwhelming. She is the perfect compliment to me.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  9. Thanks for sharing this intervew! It was quite funny on some points. I look forward to reading this book, both the cover and blurb are very appealing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you love it as much as I did! I admit I'm a little biased, but I promise it's a great story!
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  10. Loved this so much. Tears and laughter. I really felt like I was there watching this interview. Well done Timmy, excellent job, can't wait for your next interview, hope Ash can make it to that one too <3

    Oh and the minion gif at the end? I'm the one eyed one lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Deeze! We'll see if she will come to my interview with Declan!
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  11. This was so cute! Great interview, Timmy!!! <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! So awesome to see you here!
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  12. Great interview, everyone!!!! I loved it!!! I can't wait for everyone to be able to get to know Isidore and Declan!! <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi my Jules!!! Thanks for stopping by and reading.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  13. This may be the BEST character interview I've read! Such thoughtful questions. I bet you and Ashley are so fun together, Timmy! And to Isidore..don't worry about what other people's expectations of you. Be yourself and your true friends will love you because it's you. I cannot wait to get to know you and Declan! Thank you, Timmy, Ashley, and Cody!! ❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kari! That is an awesome complement! I hope you enjoy Declan's as well.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  14. Thank you Timmy for the great interview! And Isadore, you are so brave and strong, you are here for a reason, you will understand that when the time is right (Timmy, that goes for you too!) I am so grateful that Isadore has Declan, and Timmy has Cody. Too many of us go through life without that support. Keep on keepin' on (Timmy, you might need to explain that one to Isadore!)
    Thank You for sharing your story with us .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm still learning myself! Thanks for joining us Kerry!
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  15. Thought out questions and thought provoking answers. Timmy and Ashley you did a wonderful job. Thank you Isidore and Declan for answering the questions. Already pre ordered the book. :)

    Timmy I agree wholeheartedly with what Jaycee said. Love and Hugs.

    ReplyDelete
  16. You did a great job Timmy - I loved the interview and can't wait to read Isadore & Declan's story. I already pre-ordered it! Congratulations Cody and looking forward to following your blog tour!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's going to be an exciting blog tour! I get to come back two more times! :D Yay me!
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  17. Hugs to you Timmy! You have great interviewing skills - asking those tough questions and still keeping the humor. :) The more I read from your interview, the more I want to know. Thank you Timmy and Cody for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I try to never take without giving. If I ask a hard question, I tell a little of the "why" it's an important to me.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  18. This interview is beyond fantastic, Timmy! You all did such a wonderful job. What I liked the most was that you weren't afraid to ask the really hard questions and then I loved the dialogue that ensued after each one. Every day I get more excited for the release and our interview just ratcheted it up by a bazillion!
    Kudos, Timmy and Ashley.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sandy! Even with the tough questions, I had a lot of fun hanging out with Isidore, Declan, and Ash.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  19. Whoa! This is super-duper-stupendous! I loved the interview, Timmy and Ashley! You did a great job in asking difficult questions and it gave us readers fabulous insight into Isidore and Declan. You are all so brave, I'm in complete awe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! It's the support you guys give me, that has made it possible for me to be brave.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  20. Wow! I got to know just enough about Isidore to become so much more interested in his story! Timmy- you did your job of "interviewer" perfectly! Thanks to this introduction I can't wait to read this book! I want to commend you, Timmy, as well, for opening your heart and your life experiences to the readers. You are courageous and your example will make others strong. :applause: THANK YOU for this interview!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. <3 My Mia <3 Thank you. The love and support you give me is truly a gift. Thank you for being here. I always love seeing you, but I always feel a little safer when I know there are people here that help protect me.
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  21. Great interview, Timmy. Your questions for Isidore were perfect and I could tell you really put him at ease. Ash is so funny and so sweet. It's easy to see why you love her so much. This is the perfect kickoff for a book tour. Great job!! PS... If Isidore is with Declan at his interview, I still want to know if Isidore will tell the stories. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tried Mel! LOL! Thank you for stopping in and reading! When will we see you interview the boys? You know them as well as I do! I love you Mel! <3
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  22. I'm joining late but it was an amazing interview! I feel like i'm getting sucked right into this book! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Ree Dee! We have fun doing character interviews! I can't wait to hear what you think of the book!

      Delete
    2. Never too late! You're always welcome!
      <3 Timmy

      Delete
  23. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I just had a birthday so I'm pleading senior moment!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy Birthday, Ree Dee! Thank you for dropping by and commenting!
      Here is your original comment: I'm joining late but it was an amazing interview! I feel like i'm being sucked right into this book! Thank you!
      I wasn't able to restore it so I placed it here. It's a wonderful comment and thank you again!

      Delete