There
is a boutique hiding out between the fractured, narrow storefronts lining New
Gotham’s foggy docks. The shingles are ribbed and black. Washed, peeling paint
and displays offering views into wicked leather and lace studded glam. The
mannequins are ghoulish beauties stitched together from whatever was left from
the last fool to cross one of the sinister witches.
Welcome to Sinister Stitches
“…apparel
for a wicked fairy tale.”
A
spicy trinity of black magic sisters breathe star-dusted dreams to life with
their gothic apparel boutique. They are schooled in the old ways of
“fabric-bending” by the Needlewitches of old. With this knowledge, they’ve
created an entire line of clothing that all share the same basic design
element: one-size fits all. Each garment will magically tailor itself to its
wearer once worn. Last time the Witches-Who-Stitch, hosted a literary catwalk,
heroines were called from all walks of life and genres to challenge their
seamstress skills. This time, their men have joined the fun—apparently, they’ve
been sent to the boutique. (Whether they like it, or not.)
The
witches were NOT expecting men. Their expertise is usually limited to DEMANDING
their husbands NOT wear that in
public, and, of course, the fashioning of fantastic clothing for all of
literature’s heroines. (New Gotham’s men usually get their goods from Rumpel’s
Twisted Threads, BUT that’s beyond the point, the girls put a quill to their
interview, changed some bits, and rose to the occasion.)
To
enjoy the hilarity, please check out some of the questionnaire Adrianne Brooks’ Gabriel Evans from Kissed
by the Moonlight (The Wild Hunt series) was asked to fill out
after he swaggered into Sinister Stitches.
THE
WITCHES WHO STITCH QUESTIONNAIRE
Please
provide the witches with your name: Gabriel
Evans
Please
provide the witches with the following:
Hair
Color: Blond
Hair
Length: [x]
Short and Sharp, [ ] Shaggy and Sexy, [ ] Lush and LongEye Color: Amber
Skin
Tone: [
] Ghoulish, [ ] Snow White, [WTF does this one mean?] Cina-baby, [ ]
Mochalicious, [ ] Dark Chocolate, [X] Other: Uhhh…tan. Maybe. Is that a tone?
Please
provide the witches with your measurements and body-type.
a.) Height: 6’2
b.) Body
Type: [ ] Skeletal, [ ] Lean and Tender, [X] Lean and Tough, [I very
much like this description] Ripe and Edible
Do
you have any extra extremities? Place an “X” to all that apply.
[
] Horns or [ ] Halo
[
] 20 ft. of Hair or More[ ] Gills and Fins or [ ] Hooves
[ ] Wings (Span: )
[X] Tail (How many: ) - Does it count if it’s only there part of the time?
How
many heads do you have? (Your boy bit doesn’t count!)
(snickering)
Do
you have arms and legs? If so, how many?
Depends. Is it a full moon night?
How
dead are you? [X]
Living, [ ] Undead, [ ] Astral Form
What
are you? (Species/Breed)
Hell
Hound
What
is the occasion? (Ideas include: Wedding, Funeral, Sabbath,
etc. Oh, and seduction is a valid occasion. The more details, the better.)
I’m getting married J
What’s
the occasion setting? (Beach,
haunted castle, grand ball, etc.)
The
Seelie Court
Will
you be fighting for your life at some point in the evening?
(sigh) Past experience says yes.
Will
you be set on fire? Better yet, will you be setting other people on fire?
I don’t set fires… (naughty grin) unless they’re the kind I can help put out.
Will
you be grave-robbing? (Dirt
is a tailor’s tedium.)
No.
There are no graves to rob. I eat my kills like everyone else.
What
are you wearing right now? Who picked that outfit out? (Basically, who let
you leave the crypt in those?)
I’m wearing a gray suit, jacket unbuttoned, no tie.
I pick out my own clothes. I happen to have excellent taste.
Do
you hope to be naked at some point in the evening? (All right,
dirty birds. Such questions are actually intended toward the weres and shifters
in regards to their transformations.)
Yes please. Thank you for asking.
Describe
your last brush with Death in two sentences. (Helps us plan for the
unexpected.)
River.
Styx.
Do
you need a secret compartment for gigantic swords? Guns and condoms? Eyeliner,
maybe?
Eyeliner?
What the hell is that?
What
are your three favorite colors?
I don’t really have…
I don’t…I mean I’ve never really thought about…
Her eyes are blue.
I like blue.
What
two colors ninja your brain, sweetie?
I don’t understand what colored ninjas have to do with anything. But I like the fact that you called me ‘sweetie’. Proceed.
Please
pick a style that you feel embodies you the best. If none apply, feel free to
surprise us by providing your own brilliant description in the “other” slot.
[
] Dark Angel: This is for the spoonfuls of charming. The good-natured and
naughty boys next door types. Thoughtful and sensual. Loyal and intelligent.
More often than not, his head is in the clouds, but those dreams and that smile
holds hope for all of us. Our philosophers.
[ ] Beast King: This is for the warlords and alphas. The type of men who walk into a room and their presence hushes out the sun. They live in their bodies, but their minds are searching for the next challenge. Hands for fighting and these boots for ass-kickings. Our protectors.
[
] Smooth Criminal: This is for the bad boys. You know,
the types---mother’s worse nightmares. The kind of man that makes your skin
itch every time he devours you with that hundred yard stare. Chances are his
senses of humor is as wicked as his tongue. To hold him, isn’t to catch him.
Our scheming rogues.
[
] Black Knight: This for the mysteries. The ones no one can
quite make heads or tails out off. He’s a mixture, a melting pot of strong,
sinister, and sweet. He might be Dark Angel one day, and a Smooth Criminal
other days. Our brothers.
[X] Other: I
am a creature carved of nightmare. I can quote your name into the scented flesh
of your skin like a song whose lyrics I’ve learned by heart. In my mind, charm
is a weapon to be used against the unwary. The weak. I have it in spades. It
has taken me centuries to perfect the art of being ‘human’ but don’t worry. I
have the hang of it now. I am the big bad wolf, and sooner or later I always
collect my due.
Who
is your favorite comic/storybook villain?
Spiderman….what
do you mean he wasn’t a villain?
If
you could be any comic/storybook book hero, who would it be?
Superman. Or maybe Hit-girl. I like her.
Now,
tell us who you love the most.
Phaedra. I love Phaedra. I don’t know much about
being a human. Sometimes I lose myself. She’s the only thing that sticks. The
only thing that makes any sort of sense.
Anything else you’d like to add…
How do I get home from here? She told me to wear a blindfold and…let’s just say that there was a lot of false advertising.
After
many barrels of chocolate, a dash of magic, and furious sewing…
Sinister
Stitches’ Gothic Dame
Madame
Mari presents Gabriel’s
Completed
Threads
“Boy Blue”
The fey lingering in
the shadows is old, monarch-like butterfly wings dwarf her face in dark
shadows, and her flowing Mortisha gown was spun from cobwebs and spider tears.
All you can see are her eyes. Slanted, glowing and violet. They’re
almost…arachnid. If you’re a woman, you’re just a little disturbed. If you’re a
man, you are most intrigued. (If you’re LGBT, you’re lovin’ it.) After all, a
Diva never ages. She motions toward the ghoulish mannequin, and a smile pinches
her wrinkled, red mouth:
Welcome to Sinister Stitches,
shugah. Now, you’re in the wrong place. Yes, yes, this is a clothing store, but
we’re dressmakers. Twisted Threads is that way, dear. You can pick up a
business card before you leave. I do think they’re closed today. (That is the
only explanation for all this mayhem.) In the meantime, I will fashion you
something appropriate to wear on your big day. Let’s talk about color, first.
I’m a fan of the unique, and I think we’ve captured that in this suit. We went
for a rich, cobalt blue. Something that pops, but that says “sophisticated”
prince. Blue, blue, blue. There’s really no contest.
The fabric is 100 Neverland sky
cashmere. Regular Cashmere is extremely expensive and very soft. It really
isn’t as durable as most other fabrics, and it does not press well. However,
Neverland sky has a very light blend of silk and ghost cotton. That will make
it as durable as piece of full-pixie dust armor. You should be able to take
anything short of a silver bullet in this suit. We’ve also taken great care to
make it stain resistant—no need to worry about ruining it in a frenzied moment
of passion. Just take care to take it off, beforehand. Usually, in the cases of
werewolves, we fashion “tear-away” clothing, but it simply wouldn’t suit this
type of suit or the occasion. So, do behave. 
In terms of cut, we went with a
classic “Italian” thin-man cut. Think “Armani or Gucci.” These suits don’t
usually suit wider frames, because they are tailored and form fitting. They’re meant
to create harsh and clean lines. We did pad your shoulders just a wee bit to
give you that extra balance. We want to really bring out that “triangle”
silhouette. We did cut thin lapels, but you’ll note that you do have a vent in
the jacket. Most Italian suits don’t feature them, but we figured it would be
nice to have the extra freedom of movement. The outfit has a white double-collared
shirt and matching cobalt silk tie with elfish striations. And Brenda threw in
your Nevernight Aviator shades. But don’t embarrass me, son. You be sure to
take them off during the ceremony. Now, here, take your old clothes.
Now, why don’t you go make
yourself useful, and go be that girl’s “something blue.”
(And save me a piece of cake!)
IMPORTANT BULLETINS from THE PIXIES:
For more information about Adrianne Brooks’ and Gabriel’s
adventures in Kissed by Moonlight (The Wild Hunt series) please check out her author
website. Adrianne also invites readers
to her Facebook page here.
Care to check out the last round of Sinister Stitches
interviews? Check
out Sophie Avett and Jennifer Blackstream’s paranormal den, the Brimstone Pub.
All SS interviews are retired there after their tour until the release of
the SS e-book.
Fancy a tour of New Gotham? Check out New Gotham’s Survival Guide! It might save your life!
For more information about Sophie Avett’s New Gotham Fairy
Tales, the Sinister Stitches series, and recent releases, please check out
her website.
Image Credit(s): javiindy
Image Editing Credit(s): Elaina, For the Muse Design
Cry Wolf
A New Gotham Fairy Tale
Sophie Avett
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance (MM/New Adult)
Publisher: Skeleton Key Publishing
Date of Publication: May 1, 2014
Number of pages: est. 22 pages
Word Count: est. 10, 000
Cover Artist: Elaina, For the Muse Design
Book Description:
There’s a wild animal on the loose in the black forests surrounding New Gotham...
Not that anyone cares.
Well, Peter doesn't care.
Peter Ume is more interested in finding a way to alleviate the skull-numbing boredom of a city wide shut down. So far his ideas for excitement hover between stealing an unwary idiot’s underwear (soul works, too), setting someone’s eyebrows on fire, or stabbing the next person he meets in the eye with a hot French fry.
There’s a wild animal on the loose in the black forests surrounding New Gotham...
Not that anyone cares.
Well, Peter doesn't care.
Peter Ume is more interested in finding a way to alleviate the skull-numbing boredom of a city wide shut down. So far his ideas for excitement hover between stealing an unwary idiot’s underwear (soul works, too), setting someone’s eyebrows on fire, or stabbing the next person he meets in the eye with a hot French fry.
It turns out, he’ll be able to save assault and theft for a rainy day. As luck would have it, this naughty kitsune is about to meet the big bad wolf.
And man, is the wolf in for a surprise...
And man, is the wolf in for a surprise...
Warning: This story can be read as a standalone, but you will want to smack Sophie for it. (Or so the ravens have said.) So, do keep in mind that there is a part two. (And it will be a freebie. Sophie’s Pixies will carrier pigeon everyone more information soon.)
About the Author:
Sophie Avett is kind of a nerd. Like not even one of the cute, hip ones everyone brags about nowadays. More like the socially awkward hippie who eats way too much bread and dreams about being a dragon from behind towers of mythology books. Um...yeah. Picture old, tattered paperbacks and comic books--mostly Batman and Wonder Woman--dwarfing a tiny desk, with just barely enough room for the troll who writes there and the 70 pound hell-hound that insists on laying it's wet nose on top of her bare foot.
About the Author:
Sophie Avett is kind of a nerd. Like not even one of the cute, hip ones everyone brags about nowadays. More like the socially awkward hippie who eats way too much bread and dreams about being a dragon from behind towers of mythology books. Um...yeah. Picture old, tattered paperbacks and comic books--mostly Batman and Wonder Woman--dwarfing a tiny desk, with just barely enough room for the troll who writes there and the 70 pound hell-hound that insists on laying it's wet nose on top of her bare foot.
Granted not the most exciting existence, but she tries to make up for it by writing romances populated with her own peculiar ilk of paranormal beasties. Trolls, wyverns, the obscure Nordic brownie--she likes to keep things interesting. And bloody. (And mostly naked--but, we'll keep that bit between us.)
Brimstone Pub, the Blog: http://thebrimstonepub.com/
