Character Interview with Ellie Westley, Seth Bishop, Jamie Baker, and Ryan Miller

Here’s a fun character Interview I did a while back for Cat @ Reading & Things blog.

(Featuring Jamie and Ryan from Being Jamie Baker & Seth and Ellie from Serial Hottie)

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Cat: hi everyone! I’m excited to welcome Seth and Ellie from Serial Hottie and Ryan and Jamie from Being Jamie Baker! *hugs everyone* Hi y’all! How are y’all doing today?

Ryan: We’re fantastic. Thanks for having us. *pokes Jamie* Right, babe?

Jamie: Sure. Thrilled.

Ellie: *scoffs* Speak for yourselves. I’m sick of interviews. It’s always the same stupid questions over and over.

Seth: *chucks his arm over Ellie’s shoulder* What my girlfriend means to say is, We’re great and it’s a pleasure to be here.

Ellie: *glares at seth* Do you have to use the G word in every sentence?

Seth: Yes. Until it stops bothering you to hear me call you my girlfriend.

Ryan: *laughs* Good to see I’m not the only one with a difficult girlfriend.

Seth: *grins* *pulls Ellie close* The difficult ones are the best kind.

Ryan: *laughs* Very true.

Cat: Haha ok. *turns to Jamie and Ryan* Would y’all mind giving us a rundown on y’all’s story for the readers that haven’t had the chance to read it?

Ryan: *leans forward and rubs his hands together with excitement* Well. You see, it all started when I made a bet with my friend that I could get Jamie–we called her the Ice Queen because she was the school’s stone-cold outcast–to kiss me. The rest of the story is basically about how she fell madly in love with me because I’m completely irresistible.

Ellie: *snorts*

Jamie: *heaves a sigh* Forgive Ryan. He’s delusional. I think that first kiss fried his brain and gave him permanent damage. The story’s not about me falling in love with him. It’s more like a superhero origin story.

Ryan: It’s a romance, babe. Accept it.

Jamie: *ignores Ryan* I was in an accident that gave me a bunch of freaky superpowers. They’re dangerous and they’re tied to my emotions, so I’d lose control a lot.

Seth: *chokes on a laugh*

Jamie: *glares at Seth* You think that’s funny?

Seth: *holds his hands up in surrender* No. Sorry. I was just thinking that if Ellie had dangerous powers tied to her emotions, the whole world would be screwed.

Ellie: *scoffs* I am not emotional.

Seth: Anger is an emotion, Ellie.

Ellie: *huffs* *slumps back in her chair and glares at the ground*

Seth: I rest my case.

Ellie: *punches Seth in the arm*

Seth: *laughs* *looks at Jamie* Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. So it’s about you learning to control your powers? That sounds cool.

Jamie: Well, it’s more complicated than that, of course. There was a reporter and a mad scientist and a super irritating guy at school that was so desperately infatuated with me he couldn’t take a hint no matter how many times I told him I wasn’t interested.

Ryan: Irresistible guy. And desperately infatuated or not, you were interested. Which is why I refused to take all your false hints. *leans over and kisses Jamie just below her ear along her jaw line.* *whispers* You know you’re glad I wouldn’t give up.

Jamie: *shivers* *sighs* Whatever.

Cat: Well *turns to Ellie and Seth* y’all’s turn. Can you give the readers who haven’t had the chance to read your story a rundown of it?

Ellie: Sure. It’s a serial killer mystery.

Seth: Really, it’s more of a romance.

Ellie: Actually, it’s kind of a comedy too.

Seth: And it’s a coming of age. It’s different.

Ellie: *snorts* Yeah, it’s definitely different.

Ryan: Sounds fun.

Seth: It was. Very, very fun.

Ellie: I don’t know that I’d call being stalked by a psycho killer fun.

Jamie: *confused* So it’s about how you were stalked by a psycho killer? But it’s a romance?

Seth: *grins* I told you it’s different.

Cat: Ok guys its time for y’all to get out of here, I want some girl talk. Can y’all go get us some drinks?

Cat: Sorry Ellie but I’ve got ask this for the readers. What were each of your first thoughts when you saw your guy?

Ellie: My very first thought? I believe I wondered if I’d died and gone to the O.C. I mean, seriously, who looks that good when they aren’t on TV? Seth is too hot for his own good. He’s like an Abercrombie & Fitch model. I didn’t think people like him existed in real life. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to be proved wrong, but just… for real. He’s disgustingly attractive. And I’m like this tall skinny freckled mess… Sometimes I’m temped to break his nose just so his face wont be so perfect anymore and I don’t have to worry about people wondering what he’s doing with me.

Jamie: *laughs* You’re funny. But I know the feeling. I don’t really care what anyone else thinks, but I wonder why Ryan dates me all the time. I don’t really remember the first time I saw Ryan. When I moved to California I was pretty messed up. I was going through so much that I didn’t pay attention to people around me. The first time I really remember thinking about Ryan was the day we met. I’d overheard him make a bet with his best friend that he could get me to kiss him, and my first thoughts then were that I was going to have a lot of fun when he attempted it. But I’d known who he was then, and yeah, he was good looking, but not anything special enough for me to really take notice of. Not until we spoke for the first time anyway.

Cat: Jamie, other than the obvious, how has Ryan helped you become a better person? Ellie same question.

Jamie: Mr. Optimism? Are you kidding? Ryan has done so much for me in helping me see the good in life—which believe me, I needed. He gives me courage and strength every day just by being there for me. He does wonders for my pessimism. And no one settles my temper the way he does.

Ellie: *snorts* Must be nice. I’m pretty sure Seth makes my temper worse.

Jamie: *laughs* From what I’ve heard about you, I’m not surprised.

Ellie: He does do wonders for my self-confidence, though. In the girl department, I mean. I’ve never been good at being a girl. I’ve never considered myself pretty, or the kind of girl boys want to date, but the way Seth treats me—

Cat: You mean how he worships the ground you walk on?

Ellie: *smirks* Basically, yeah. He makes me feel special. He’s helped me discover this whole other side of myself that I didn’t know existed. He also makes a good buffer between my sister and me, so there’s a lot more peace in my house.

Cat: One final question before the boys get back, what is one thing we don’t know about each of your guys?

Ellie: Seth is an amazing artist.

Cat: Really?

Ellie: It surprised me when I discovered it too. He loves to sketch. Mostly he just uses pencils, but his sketches are incredible. He spends so much time watching and studying people that he doesn’t just draw them well, he as a way of capturing their emotion. I learned this about him last Valentine’s Day when I found a picture of myself playing street hockey. He’d sketched it one afternoon while watching me play and then left it on my dresser with a vase of roses Valentine’s Day morning.

Jamie: Oh, how romantic!

Cat: Yeah, that’s so sweet. But then, we already knew Seth was a romantic guy. How about you, Jamie?

Jamie: Hmm… well… Ryan’s a pretty straightforward guy. There’s not really a lot about him that he doesn’t openly share. Oh, I know. He loves kids. He’s an only child like me, but he’s always wished he had brothers and sisters. He loves babies especially. He said he always wanted to babysit in high school but that was a “girl” thing to do, so he never did. I keep telling him he’d make an excellent kindergarten teacher. He’s never laughed at the idea. I think he might actually be considering going into elementary education.

Ellie: I could see that.

Cat: Definitely! Though, He’d be trouble for all those kinder moms. He’d never have a hard time getting classroom volunteers!

Jamie: *growling slightly* You mean I’d be trouble for those women. Trust me, they’d learn very quickly that my man is off limits.

*Ryan and Seth return with drinks*

Ryan: *grins* Threatening people again, babe?

Jamie: *grumbles* If you weren’t so loveable, I wouldn’t have to do it so often.

Everyone: *laughs*

Cat: Welcome back boys, girls your turn. Can y’all bring us some snacks, and Jamie no super speed or spying with your super hearing.

Jamie: *snorts as if there’s a fat chance she won’t*

Ryan: *also snorts as if there’s no way Jamie won’t listen in*

Cat: Ok guys, what were each of your first thoughts when you saw your girl?

Seth: Easy. That there is a God, and he doesn’t hate me.

Cat: *giggles* That’s an interesting thought. Care to explain?

Seth: My aunt moved us from our amazing house in Beverly Hills because she wanted to research what it was like to live in the suburbs. It was a major downgrade, and I was pissed about having to leave. But when I was checking out the crappy house I was supposed to live in, Ellie was across the street, doing her homework on her roof, eating ice cream and blaring Social Distortion. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen and she lived directly across the street. Suddenly the suburbs didn’t seem so bad.

Cat: Aww. Seth, you are so romantic. Ellie’s a lucky girl.

Seth: *laughs* You should tell her that.

Cat: I think she knows. Even if she’s too stubborn to admit it.

Ryan: Your girl is stubborn, huh? I feel your pain, man. It took me months to win Jamie’s heart, and it took me even longer to get her to admit it. But I always knew she’d be mine someday. The first time I ever saw her, it was her first day of school our junior year and my best friend put the moves on her. She shot him down faster than I’d ever seen anyone get rejected. I was shocked. I genuinely didn’t understand why she’d done it. She baffled me when usually girls were so easy to figure out. She was a mystery, and I knew from that very first day that I wanted to solve the mystery. I wanted to get to know Jamie Baker. I had to get to know her.

Cat: *sighs* You guys are seriously killing me. Can each of y’all tell the readers how your girl has made you a better person?

Ryan: *with a big cheesy grin* Jamie completes me.

Seth: *snorts*

Ryan: Seriously. Jamie is my better half. I was just breezing through life before she came along. It was great, but it was really bubblegum if that makes sense. I did what everyone expected of me, I was friends with everyone, got good grades, stayed out of trouble…but I never really did anything just for myself. I was letting life steer the car and I was simply along for the ride. When Jamie came into the picture, that changed in a major way. I’d never wanted anything so badly in my life, and since I had to work so hard to get it, everything has so much more meaning now. Jamie brings depth to my life. She gives it meaning. She’s literally my everything.

Seth: *looks at Cat* And you said I’m the romantic. I’m not really sure how to follow that speech.

Cat: I doubt you’ll have a problem.

Seth: Well…what can I say? Ellie does so much to make me a better person that I don’t even realize she’s doing it a lot of the time. I’m not exactly a normal guy, you know? I’ve been diagnosed with a personality disorder. I struggle a lot with my social skills and stuff like that. I’ve never had close friends because of it. I’ve never had any real relationships with anyone except my aunt. I freak people out. But Ellie loves me anyway, and she’s the kind of person that has no problem telling me when I’m stepping over a line or acting weird. She’s really helped me learn a lot about myself and overcome some of my flaws. She makes me stronger. I’ve been through a lot of trauma in my life, and Ellie makes it all okay. She gives me something to focus on other than the pain and nightmares of my past. She’s healed me. I owe her everything.

Cat: *sighs* See? No problem at all. Will y’all tell the readers one thing they don’t know about Ellie or Jamie? Something only y’all would know.

Seth: Hmm. Okay, you know how Ellie is so coordinated? Hand-eye coordination especially. She kills at video games and is so good at all sports—not just hockey. But for some reason she cannot play ping-pong. It drives her crazy that she can’t get it because she’s so competitive. She gets mad at me any time I ask her to play because she knows she can’t beat me. *grins* She can be a bit of an ungraceful loser, but she’s so adorable when she’s frustrated that I actually asked my aunt for a ping-pong table for Christmas so I’d have more opportunities to get her riled up.

Ryan: *laughs* Ha! If I ever tried something like that with Jamie, she’d end up burning the house down or something. As entertaining as my girl is, she’s a bit of a menace when she’s pissed off.

Cat: I can imagine. So what about you? What can you tell us about Jamie?

Ryan: *thinks for a long moment then snaps* Oh, I’ve got one! Jamie loves country music even though she’ll never admit it.

Jamie: *shouting from another room* I DO NOT! THAT IS A LIE!

Ryan: *nods his head* She totally does. She sings country songs all the time when she thinks no one is listening.

Jamie: *comes storming back into the room* He’s full of it. I don’t like country music. My mother listens to it. I can’t help it if the songs are so annoying they get stuck in my head!

Ryan: *grins* Whatever you say, babe. But, hey, it’s okay, Jamie. Country’s not so bad. You can like it if you want to.

Jamie: *rolls her eyes as she plops back down in her chair*

Cat: Hi girls. *waits as everyone settles in* What did y’all bring back?

Ellie: *tosses Cat a bag of Twizzlers after snagging a handful*

Jamie: *Opens a can of Sour Cream and Onion Pringles and passes it around*

Cat: Ellie and Seth, will the readers ever get another story from y’all?

Seth: I hope so. I plan to have many adventures with Ellie. I’m sure all of them would be novel worthy.

Ellie: *shakes her head* I don’t think so. Our last adventure nearly got me killed. And it hurt like a son-of-a-you-know-what. I’m all adventured out, thanks.

Cat: Ryan I gotta ask, you always seem so easy going but how do you really feel about Teddy?

Jamie: *laughs*

Ryan: *takes a deep breath and exhales slowly* I always believed that everyone had at least one good thing about them. I thought you could always find something positive about a person no matter how much you disliked them. *smiles and shrugs* Apparently I was wrong.

Ellie: *bursts into laughter* Nice. The guy sounds like Travis.

Cat: Jamie and Ryan, y’all left us with a doozy of a cliffhanger in More than Jamie Baker. Seriously it pretty much ripped my heart out. Can y’all give us any hints on what to expect in Remember Jamie Baker?

Jamie: Honestly, I have no idea what to expect. I mean where the heck was Kelly going with that plotline anyway? And why? Why would she do that? It was cruel! Not just for Ryan and me, but for all of the readers too.

Ryan: *slips his arm around Jamie’s shoulder and squeezes her tightly* Babe, settle down. You know Kelly tried her best to find a way to end it without a cliffhanger and just couldn’t manage it. And the first ending she had for us was even worse, if you remember correctly. So have a little faith. I trust Kelly. She hasn’t let us down so far. *grins at Cat* I’m not sure what Kelly has in store for us with Remember Jamie Baker, but I know it’s going to be awesome. Aside from Jamie, I know for a fact that Kelly happens to be my biggest fan. So I’m sure the book is going to have a plethora of awesome swoony Ryan-Miller-Steals-Your-Heart scenes. And come on, do you really think Kelly’s capable of finishing something without a happy ending? I mean, we’re talking about the woman who wrote Cinder & Ella for crying’ out loud. Whatever she has planned for us, I personally can’t wait!

Cat: Aw, I like your attitude Ryan. And I think you’re right. I’m sure whatever she comes up with will be great. Well unfortunately that’s all the time we have for today. *Gives everyone a hug* Is there anything y’all want to say to your fans or just in general before you leave?

Ellie: Can you pass the Pringles?