A warm welcome to author Marguerite Labbe joining us today to talk about her new release “A Whole Latte Sass”.
Marguerite brought Trask with her for an interview , enjoy 🙂
An Interview with Trask Briscoe
Hello everyone. Wow, we’re three days into the New Year and I’m back at home already after my trip to visit family for the holidays. I love hanging with that crazy group, but it’s good to be back in Southern Maryland. Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out A Whole Latte Sass. Yesterday there was an interview with Felipe, today Trask is in the hotseat, though not much makes him nervous and even a man with few words has something to say on occasion.
* * *
Dakota: “Welcome back everyone to another special edition of Geek Wars, where we’re talking with some of the fellow geeks that liven up our conventions and keep us from dying of boredom. Today I have Trask Briscoe with me, evil gamemaster part-time and full-time owner of The Old Dominion Magick Den down in Richmond. What made you decide to open a game store?”
Trask: “I’d wanted to be my own boss. I didn’t deal well with authority when I was younger. My grandmother left me some money and I thought what the hell. The store has evolved over the years so it’s a mix of New Age stuff with comics and games.”
Dakota: “I love it. It’s a home away from home for geeks of all kinds. Have you ever thought of expanding and opening a location in Southern Maryland?”
Trask shakes his head. “I’m a hands on kinda guy. I want to be fully immersed in one location, not shuttling back and forth between two. I do enough of that at the cons.”
Dakota: “True that. So, the first question my listeners sent in is ‘What do you like?’ but I want an answer outside of the box.”
Trask rocks on the back legs of his chair, his hands crossed over his stomach as he thinks. “A good cup of coffee, a dog at my feet, and a book in my hands.”
Dakota grimaces. “That is far too laid back for me. I can only handle so much peace and quiet before I go off the rails. I’d say you were a match for Brenden, but I’ve never known that man to just chill.”
Trask smiles slowly. “It’s a learned skill. He should try it out some time.”
Dakota: “I will suggest it, but I’m not holding my breath. Next question, ‘What fears keep you awake at night?’”
Trask: “Using again.”
Dakota: “Succinct, which sums up you. How long have you been clean?”
Trask: “Going on 15 years.”
Dakota holds out his fist and bumps it against Trask’s. “That’s quite an accomplishment. Okay, let’s lighten it up a little. ‘If you were an ice cream flavor what would you be?’”
Trask rocks back again and shrugs. “I guess plain old vanilla.”
Dakota smirks. “That’s not what Felipe would say.”
Trask raises his eyebrow. “I’m almost afraid to ask but what flavor does the Imp think suits me?”
Dakota points his notecard at him. “Well, according his best friend, it’s something edgy like Cherries Jubilee.”
Trask shakes his head with a smile. “For Felipe, everyone and everything is an adventure, but I think I’ll stick with my vanilla. It’s the perfect accompaniment to apple pie.”
Dakota: “I can’t argue with that. ‘If you had one song you could put in your life soundtrack for you and Felipe, what would it be?’”
Trask huffs out a breath. “Oh hell. Where did you get these questions?”
Dakota grins. “My listeners. Come on, from the top of your head.”
Trask: “I’m a Pretender, by Exploding Hearts.”
Dakota: “I think that’s the first song someone mentioned that I haven’t heard of so I can’t bitch if it’s sappy or not.”
Trask: “It’s ska, it’s not sappy.”
Dakota: “Well, I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised I haven’t had to pull any answers out of you. This last part should be super easy for you. Felipe failed it. One word associations about our friends and fellow convention goers. Got it?”
Trask: “Sure.”
Dakota: “Morris.”
Trask: “Talented.”
Dakota: “Theo, wait, have you ever met Theo?”
Trask nods. “Felipe took me by the bistro once or twice. I’d have to say the same word applies. Talented.”
Dakota: “Yeah, never thought of it, but he can cook. Felipe?”
Trask: “Talented.”
Dakota levels a hard stare at him. “You can’t give the same damn word for every person on this list. Come on.”
Trask ticks his fingers off with his responses. “One, Morris is a kickass artist. You can’t deny that. Two, you yourself said Theo can cook. I’m an okay cook so I have a serious respect for those who can take it up the next level. Three, are you really going to sit here and try to tell me that Felipe isn’t ridiculously talented? You mentioned his costumes it in his interview.”
Dakota: “Fine he is, but give me another word.”
Trask: “Sassy.”
Dakota: “Damn right, okay Brenden.”
Trask: “Focused.”
Dakota: “Like a laser. Now for the last one, you can go back to talented if you want. Me?”
Trask eyes Dakota a moment. “Complicated.”
Dakota’s eyes widen. “For real man? That’s not what I was expecting.”
Trask shrugs. “There’s more to you than the surface show you put on. You’ve got layers. That’s not a bad thing.”
Dakota tosses his notecard on the table. “Huh, I’ll take it. Okay, that’s all the time we have for another Geek Wars, until next time, get your geek on.”
Blurb:
It’s no secret cosplayer Felipe Suero is looking for his happily ever after—in his love life as well as his career. He’s getting his degree so he can quit his miserable job and start his own costume business. Now he just needs to land the sexiest silver fox to ever attend a con.
Trask Briscoe’s life revolves around staying clean and sober, running the Magick Den, and attending local cons. His rules haven’t left much room for romance. But he can’t deny Felipe has caught his complete attention. He’s just not sure what he can offer a man so full of joy and sass.
When Trask finally accepts Felipe’s offer for a cup of coffee, he soon finds himself on a second date and a third. Between cosplay projects and roleplaying games, they discover a deeper connection than either of them expected. And Trask realizes that sometimes rules are made to be broken.
Now Felipe just has to convince his family—and Trask—that Trask has more love to offer than he ever dreamed.
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Marguerite Labbe loves writing stories about the beauty of love and the strength of family, whether it’s the family you’re born into or the one you create. She married her next-door neighbor and best friend, and they have one son, one dog, and two cats who rule them all. She has finally converted her Alabama born husband into being a Red Sox fan and now only needs to convince her son. She runs Apocrypha Comics Studio with her husband and they often trek off to comic book conventions on the weekend where they celebrate all manner of geek culture.
Author website: http://margueritelabbe.blogspot.com/
Twitter handle: @MargueriteLabbe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marguerite.labbe.3