Interview with Lila Jenner from Crimson Dahlia

I met Lila Jenner for coffee and beignets while on a trip to New Orleans. She happened to be in the area and graciously offered to meet up with me and help me take over Literal Addiction for the day. I was very excited about this interview. Lila is the feisty but somewhat aloof Jenner sibling, so she doesn’t do interviews for just anyone.

I’ve been friends with Lila for a while now. It takes a little while for her to warm up to people, but once she’s your friend she’s loyal and open. She’s also lots of fun packaged with a sarcastic sense of humor. She looked as lovely as always with her long honey-blond hair and green eyes. She has the ability to heal emotions and to can see when people are telling the truth. Just recently, she left her friends and family to join Marcus’s tribe of Louisianan Svatura.

 I ordered my usual latte with about ten squirts of caramel. Lila went with a chai tea. After getting our drinks and treats, we sat down, and jumped right into the interview…

[Laughs] There are so many options out there, it’s hard to pinpoint. Telepathy would be pretty cool as long as you could control all the noise in your head. Ellie’s dragon morph is pretty bad ass in a terrifying way.

I’m still getting to know them. They seem like a good group of folks. Most of them anyway. They like to joke around a lot. But they live in a swamp. I mean, right in the middle of it. Very different from the places I’ve lived.

The biggest reason is that I felt like I could help. Marcus plans to go to other Svatura tribes and use his story and ours to convince them that Gideon had controlled the Vyushers’ actions without their knowledge or agreement. Gideon’s death means that the threat is gone. Completely. I can help them with that. Share my experience with the Vyusher, and Selene. If we can avoid all out war, well… it’s worth a little time away from my family.

[Rolls her eyes.] That man drives me absolutely nuts. Time away from him is a good thing. I should have done this years ago.

[Picks at her napkin without looking at me.] Have you seen him recently?

Me: As a matter of fact, I interviewed him not long ago.

Lila: Huh. I’m surprised he agreed to even talk to you. He might put you in danger with his power. [Uses air quotes when she says danger.]

Me: You don’t think he’s dangerous?

Lila: [Shrugs] Not anymore. I wouldn’t have left him alone if I didn’t think he could control all those volatile firestarter emotions without me around to help.

[Snorts] Goodbye.

[Mutters] If I had my way, I’d have married that man years ago.

[Louder] I’ve decided it’s time to move on. He’ll never get past his need to protect me, and he has more control over his emotions than he thinks. That’s why he’s survived this long (even more than my ability I think).

[Glances at her watch.] I need to get going pretty soon here.

family

can’t

honesty

arrogance

fire crackling

chalk on a chalkboard (yes, I meant chalk – that scritch scratchy sound) [shudders]

d*mn (can I say that on a public blog? guess I just did.)

Psychologist. With my emotional healing, I could make a difference.

Anything that involves a bad smell.

I heard all your questions, and I’ve got the answers… let’s start with spiders.

I had fun seeing my friend Lila again. It had been a little while.

Thanks to Literal Addiction for letting me ambush the blog and take it over with Lila!