Character Interview: James K Bond

Heyyy, people! Happy weekend! 

Today I have something really special for you, in regards to today's post. A friend of mine swapped interviews and took turns interviewing each others' characters. You'll be able to view my interview over on her blog on Monday or Tuesday of next week. 

Nota bene: Annie came up with these brilliant questions and we used them for both of our interviews. 

Enjoy the interview! 

Annie Louise Twitchell is a homeschool graduate who is obsessed with dragons and fairy tales. She enjoys reading, writing, poetry, and many forms of art. When she's not writing, she can often be found reading out loud to her cat, rabbit, and houseplants, or wandering barefoot in the area around her Western Maine home. 

Annie's Facebook page.

James' Facebook page.

Annie's blog.

James is the main character in Annie's WIP, Tattoos and Tiaras. A single father, blogger, book reviewer, and drinker of coffee, he lives in Greenwich Village in NYC. He can usually be found at home, with his nose in a book, or playing with his daughter – her favorite game is hide and seek and so far she's knocked over the potted fern in the living room window three times.

What is your full name? James Kevin Bond. My dad was out of state when I was born, so my mother, bless her heart, named me while on pain medication. The family name is Bond and she thought it would be hilarious to name me James. I deal with it. It's not as bad as it could be.

Are you married? In a relationship? Divorced, actually. I got married in college. I was twenty, Helen was twenty two. She filed for divorce after five years. It's rough sometimes, I admit, but I don't blame her for it. She just didn't want a family or a relationship. Got in the way of her bigger plans.

Do you have children? I am the proud daddy of the sweetest little girl on the planet and I dare you to challenge me on that. Her name is Kailee Mae and I've had her since she was born, four months after the divorce. She doesn't know her mother – Helen wanted it that way. We're doing well. She likes to be read to. I have to say, I'm not someone who's easily scared, but when she started walking... I was always terrified that she'd fall and hit her head or something. I was so scared, there were times I was shaking as I watched her wobble around the living room. Making me a little bit shaky just remembering it. I had to work so hard to let go and let her fall down a few times. It was so hard! She actually got mad at me once for picking her up. She can be a bit stubborn sometimes, she likes to do things her own way. She'll ask for help, but usually not until she's tried it. Shoes are a fight because she wants to tie them herself (I a big girl, Daddy! I do it!) but she can't always get it, and sometimes I have to do it for her so we're not late.

What was/is your relationship with your father? Better now that I'm older. He didn't really have any idea what to do with kids, so I just kind of got ignored. He adores his granddaughter though. My parents are happily married and live in Washington State, so we don't get that many visits, but they Skype us every week. Especially now that it's just me and Kailee.

With your mother? Mom is just... fun. She's brilliant, but surprisingly absent-minded when it comes to things like house cleaning or grocery shopping. My parents hired someone to do things like that, so she didn't have to stress about whether we had food to eat. Sometimes she'd wake me up in the middle of the night, drag me outside in my pajamas, and recite mythology behind constellations for hours on end until I fall asleep from sheer information overload.

Siblings? I had a younger sister, Kelly. We didn't get along that well when we were younger – I guess because I found her annoying. She had this habit of stealing my books and hiding them in the weirdest places, like in the box of ice cream sandwiches in the freezer. When she got older, we got to be good friends, especially after she moved to NYC too. For a while there we had this thing of going out bowling every month, just the two of us. I'd even leave Kailee with my neighbor, Grandma Rose. About six months ago, she... well, it's just me now.

How do you fall in love? At first sight? Over a long period of time? I fell in love with Helen kind of slowly. She intrigued me. There was this absolutely stunning woman, studying law. I was really shocked when she asked me if I wanted to go out, not because she had been the one to do that asking, but because I didn't really think I'd interest her. She said it was the contradictions that interested her – I'm six foot four inches, I have a bunch of tattoos, I'm a teddy bear, and I'm an English major. I had a habit of wandering around campus with my nose in a book. Anymore, though, I don't know. I don't think it's a very good idea for me to fall in love, so... I don't.

What three things would you take to a desert island? Satellite phone, water, and a solar battery, so I could get the heck off again because my little girl needs me.

When you walk into a room, what do you expect people to notice first about you? Definitely my appearance, especially my tattoos. I have a lot of them. They each have a meaning, a story, but I don't tell people about them. But I don't necessarily look like someone you'd expect to find with a toddler on his hip, reading Winnie-The-Pooh with a squeaky Pooh voice. And often that's what I'm doing.

What are you most proud of in your life? Kailee Mae. Hands down.

What are you most afraid of? Losing someone I love, someone I love getting hurt, or God help me – me hurting someone I love.

What's the most important thing in your life? What do you value most? Again, Kailee. She's everything to me.

What are you like when you stay awake all night? Actually, not that different than I normally am. I work at home, so I take naps when Kailee does, and I can get by with just a few hours of sleep.

What's your sense of humor? My neighbors, Sandra and Laura, tell me I'm snarky and occasionally mean. Rose says I'm a fruitcake. Kailee just thinks I'm silly.

What is your idea of perfect happiness? An evening snuggling on the couch, watching Princess movies with Kailee. Chocolate is a good idea too. She likes white, I like dark.

What is your greatest regret? Probably not spending more time with Kelly when she moved here. Maybe if I'd been around for her more, she'd still be with us.

What is your motto? Love 'em like He loved 'em, and take no nonsense.

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Wasn't that an amazing interview? 

Huge thank you to Annie and James for stopping by today!