Monthly Archive for February, 2011

Today’s contestant on the fictional reality show Sink or Swim is Skye Summers from my good friend Darcia Helle’s book The Cutting Edge. Here’s a recap of the rules: the three literary characters with the highest number of unique commenters to their post will be chosen as winners at the end of the year. Here are Skye’s responses to the Sink or Swim 6. Be sure to leave Skye and Darcia some questions or comments to help them make it into the finals!

1. Tell us about yourself and the book or series you’re from.
I assume you’ll need my full name. I’m Lilly Skye Destiny Summers. My parents had acid hangovers when they named me. They thought LSD Summers was a perfect moniker for a child conceived in a commune during an especially hot July. But you didn’t ask all that. Please don’t call me Lilly. I go by Skye Summers. I’m 37 and I live in Whitman, Massachusetts. The book you’ll find me in is The Cutting Edge by Darcia Helle. It’s available in a bunch of places, in various formats.

2. What is something about yourself that no one else knows?
No one else, not even my husband? Wow, I’m not sure there’s anything left that hasn’t been spilled in the pages of The Cutting Edge. And Scott knows everything about me. Wait, okay, maybe not everything. When I was 17, I thought I was in love. My boyfriend wanted to get tattoos of each other’s names on our upper arms. He went first. When my turn came, I chickened out. We broke up three days later.

3. Tell us about an unusual job or hobby that you’ve had?
Most people think it’s weird that I’ve taken part in hundreds of protests. I’m a fairly good artist and, at the age of seven, I started painting elaborate protest signs. We – being my parents and our commune family – protested animal cruelty at various labs and factory farms. We protested a few political issues, as well, but it was mostly about the horrible things humans do to animals.

4. What is the strangest or most exciting thing that has ever happened to you?
That’s all documented in the book. A serial killer apparently fell in love with me. I won’t tell you what happened because Darcia gets irritated when I spoil things for her readers.

5. What would you do if you won a million dollars?
I would buy a house out in the country, on at least five acres of land, and open a dog rescue. I’d take on the most challenging cases, dogs that have been abused or severely neglected and need to be rehabilitated.

6. Please tell us your author’s name and web sites.
Her name is Darcia Helle and you can find her hanging out in these places:
Website: http://www.DarciaHelle.com
Blog: http://www.QuietFuryBooks.com/blog
Message Board: http://www.BestsellerBound.com
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/darciahelle

Be sure to leave some comments below and to check out The Cutting Edge on Amazon. And did you know that Skye and my character Cassidy from Sink or Swim are old friends? In fact, Skye is Cassidy’s hairdresser. After you finish up here, stop by Darcia’s blog to read a fictional scene between Cassidy and Skye that offers a fun glimpse at both books.

For newcomers: readers, I hope you’ll follow the blog closely via one of the follow options in the sidebars such as Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs, Goodreads or Kindle. At the end of the year, the characters that drew in the most unique visitors to their interview will be declared the winners. For more information on the mock online season of Sink or Swim, inspired by the mystery novel of the same name, you can view the rules and application form here.