Character Interview with Lann Drean from the Aeromancist by Charmaine Pauls

We’re thrilled to be talking to Lann Dréan from Charmaine Pauls’ Aeromancist. It is a pleasure to have him with us today at Pimp That Character! 

Thank you for your interview, Lann. Can you tell us your story? 

I thank you for having me today. The pleasure and honor are mine. Normally, I do not talk to the press, but since a Chilean journalist nearly ruined my life, and more importantly, that of the only person I love in this world, I felt our story had to be told, for reasons I will not explain now, lest I spoil your reading enjoyment.

I was born in Russia. Forgive me my terrible accent. I do try very hard to speak a proper English. My mother died giving birth to me. My father never forgave me. He abandoned me when I was one day old. I was handed down from family to family, until I was strong and old enough to run away from the misery of a foster childhood I will not bore you with. From the age of nine I grew up in the streets of Moscow, surviving by tricking and stealing. Yes, my history is not pretty. I am not a good man with an innocent soul. My story is not a happy one. My past revolves around the team that I work for as aeromancist, but my future is designed around a woman, a beautiful female who moves my air.

You wonder what an aeromancist is, yes? I was born with a rare gift, an art to manipulate the air. This has made me one of the most hunted men on the face of the earth. Imagine what a man can do when he can control the weather. I am a danger to governments, and wanted by those who wish to abuse my power. It can be taken from me, if my soul is twisted before I am killed.

To escape from the strenuous job I am doing in a New York-based paranormal crime taskforce, I bought a dilapidated Franciscan monastery in Santiago, Chile, and decided to restore it to its former glory and turn it into my holiday home. I harbor a deep affection for romantic scripts, and fell in love with its private library of over four hundred books, most of them handwritten. My only intention was to relax in this new environment for a month, where I could lose myself in the restoration of my newly acquired books. That was until Miss Katherine White walked into my study. The molecules split in her wake as she walked toward me, caressing me like invisible fingers. I knew then that I wouldn’t stay away from her, even if I should have. How could I? A man known to be untouchable and emotionless when it comes to his enemies… it seems fitting that I had to be brought to my knees by a woman.

Can you tell us about one of your most distinguishable features? 

I do not care much for my ears, which, sadly, turns out to be one of my defining physical attributes. Mr. Black, our team pilot, refers to them as elf-ears behind my back. Even if Bono’s teasing is good-natured, one of these days he is going to have his ears cut off for his disrespectful tongue.

Or maybe you meant non-physically, yes? You shake your head but I will tell you anyway. I have already said too much, so what is the point of holding back now? On an emotional level, people tell me that my unbreakable control is my outstanding characteristic. Of course it is. Air is my element, after all. I am aloof. I cannot fight my nature. I am what I am. But enough about that. Can we move to a different question, now?


What would I love the most about you?

That depends on who you are, deep down. If the unknown does not frighten you, you will love my gift, the art I have inherited from the genes of my forefathers to manipulate air. I can call down lighting, or create you a storm. I can make pretty clouds for you in the air, or perhaps you prefer sunshine and a clear blue sky. If you are repelled by that rather unnatural power, you’ll best like the fact that I am a man of my word. Yes, I do promise I won’t kill you after this interview for the information you now possess. Relax. You can believe me.


What would I hate the most about you? 

The very thing I hate most myself – that I condemned an innocent woman to an unforgivable fate, the very woman I love. My lust has cost her a dear price, and if it is the last thing I do, I will fix this.


Where do you go when you are angry? 

Do you see that cloud, touching that mountaintop? Up there. Up into the air. Control comes to me only when I fly my glider over the Andes … and well, when I have Katherine in my arms.


What is your most treasured possession? 

Of material possessions, my late mother’s bracelet, which I had engraved for Katherine. I wish to see it on her wrist always, like a delicate handcuff of platinum rose petals with diamond dewdrops and twisted thorns. After that, my collection of antique books.


What is your greatest fear? 

To endanger the life of the woman I love. I am hunted you see, with a price on my head. Because of my art, gift hunters are forever seeking to steal my power and sell it to the highest bidder. And they will use anyone to achieve this goal. My love for Katherine is my weakness. And now that the world knows of her existence, and what she means to me, my fear is my constant companion.


What is the trait you most not like about yourself?

I do not wish to be perceived as – What did Katherine call it? – (*chuckles*) an ‘arty geek’.


Do you think the author portrayed you accurately? 

She made a good job of trying. She maybe did me a favor by portraying me as less violent than what I am. In her defense, I didn’t make it easy for her to get to know me. I am an introvert, and I did not like her questions, or having her snooping around in my history. At times I ignored her, but she caught me at a vulnerable moment in my life when my guard was down.


What is your idea of a perfect day?

Ah. For the perfect moment, I would have to go back to that day when I flew Katherine out to an island in the middle of a lake. We had a picnic on the shore, and it was the first time she asked me to take our physical relationship to a higher level, to the dark level I craved.

We were both happy and carefree that day, oblivious of the future. Yes, for the perfect day, I want to go back to that patch of shade under the pine trees, on the warm sand, Katherine laying with her head in my lap, telling me that she is happy.


What is your favorite weather? 

(*Smile*) I am so glad you asked. I love to talk about the weather. Sunshine is at the top of my list. Of course I cannot manipulate it without ecological side effects, and I have taken an oath never to use my gift, unless it is for the good of mankind.

(*Checks his watch*) If you will excuse me, I do not wish to be rude, but I have some place to be. I thank you for your time, and your undivided attention.

About The Book

 

 

Title:  Aeromancist
Book 2: Seven Forbidden Arts Series
Author: Charmaine Pauls
Publisher:  Mélange Books
Publication Date: July 6, 2015
Pages: 284
ASIN: B010766W5S
Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance
Format: eBook / ePub / PDF


Preorder Book Buy Links:  Publication Date: July 6, 2015

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Aeromancist-Seven-Forbidden-Arts-Book-ebook/dp/B010766W5S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1435679181&sr=1-1&keywords=aeromancist+charmaine+pauls

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aeromancist-charmaine-pauls/1122220463?ean=2940151997492

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/554077

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25809530-aeromancist?ac=1

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE

Book Description:

Passion always comes with a price. 

All he could offer was thirty days of passion.

He condemned her to a terrible fate instead.

Now he’ll do everything in his power to save her.

He is known as the Weatherman. Lann Dréan is the last of his kind. A price on his head, chased for a power he should not possess, he can’t promise any woman forever. All he can offer Katherine White is thirty days of passion. But his uncontainable desire comes with an unforeseen price. Lann’s lust will cost Kat everything. Now he’ll do anything to save her from the fate he has brought upon her.

* This book contains adult content with explicit language and frequent, consummated love scenes, including light bondage, sex toys and breath play. Reader discretion is advised.


Book Excerpt:

Short Excerpt

From the expression on Lann’s face, Kat knew he hadn’t expected her. Alfonso hadn’t warned him of her visit. Lann sat behind his desk, very similar to the first time they had met, but this time he was in the library, and not in his office. He had probably been working on the restoration of his ancient books, because he wore his glasses. Removing them, he immediately got to his feet. The air felt lighter, as it always did in his presence. Wisps of her hair lifted as if to an invisible caress, but Lann didn’t acknowledge the subtle dance of molecules this time.

       As always he looked impeccable in tailored pants and a white dress shirt. He stood immobile, exerting calm, waiting for her to make the first move. Kat had never been fooled about the latent danger that lurked under his quiet sophistication and intellectual air. There was a raw energy about Lann that hinted at his wildness, even as his exterior was polished civility.

       “Alfonso showed me in,” she said.

       “Katherine.” His lips lifted in the corner, exposing his dimple.

       Her heart broke at his smile. It was the one he reserved for other people. Never for her. It was automatic, a practiced social stance, and she hated it.

       Hers was faint in return. She glanced at the employees who were handling his books with protective gloves. “May we speak in private, please?”

       He frowned. “Let’s go to my office.”

       He led the way. At least he hadn’t thrown her out on sight. She was walking the familiar path she believed she’d never walk again. The air gathered around his ankles as he moved, lapping at her feet as she followed in his wake. She had never felt it stronger, and yet, it should have been the reverse. She was supposed to be cutting the tie, not strengthening it, dammit.

       Inside his office he almost took a military stance, his shoulders straight, his arms behind his back, as if keeping them there would prevent him from touching her. But his eyes were filled with warmth and concern.

       “Katherine, I didn’t tell you I was back because I didn’t want to make it harder on you.”

       He didn’t owe her an explanation. She agreed to his terms. With her eyes wide open.

       “I came back to take care of the money,” he continued. “When Alfonso told me you returned everything–”

       “I don’t want your money.”

       “You can live in comfort. Why struggle, if I have enough to share?”

       “Because it wasn’t part of our agreement,” she snapped. She took a calming breath. “Because it’ll make me feel like a prostitute.”

       His expression was incredulous as he considered the statement, but after a moment he inclined his head. “Of course. I respect your decision.”

       “Lann…” She chewed her lip, thinking of the best way to tell him. Hadn’t she practiced her line a million times? “I wouldn’t have broken our agreement if it wasn’t necessary.”

       He stared at her expectantly. There was no easy way to break the news.

       “I’m pregnant.”

       He froze. The heat evaporated from his gaze. His upper arms flexed as he clasped his hands behind his back. She couldn’t tell if he was mad or disappointed. Either way, neither was the reaction she was hoping for.

       The silence stretched between them. For a while he seemed incapable of speaking or moving. Only his eyes lowered and rested on her abdomen.

       “It’s impossible,” he finally said.

       She opened her handbag, retrieved the blood test results and offered it to him shakily. Lann lifted one hand from behind his back and took the piece of paper. Kat watched him closely as he read it. His eyes widened and narrowed again. She presumed he was looking at the age of the child growing inside of her, doing the calculation in his mind. Emotions she couldn’t place played across his face. Was it sadness, envy, anger that made him press his lips so tightly together? Finally, he lifted his head. She didn’t like the way he looked at her.

            He handed her back the report. “Congratulations.” His voice was impersonal. “Who’s the father?”

       The words punched the air from Kat’s lungs with the same ferocity as when he had cut her airflow during lovemaking. Then it had given her an earth-shattering orgasm. Now it caused her pain, with the same intensity. She couldn’t believe he said that. Hurt and anger blurred her vision. She drew back her hand, and before she could stop herself, she slapped him. She took a step away from him, biting back the tears. The trace of her fingers lay red across his pale cheek. Lann accepted her abuse with a stoic expression, without uttering a word.

       “You bastard,” she whispered. “You needn’t feign your innocence by insulting me. Are you afraid I’ll ask you for child support? Do you think I expect you to play an unwilling role in this baby’s life? Maybe you think I’ll try to emotionally blackmail you into marrying me.” She clutched her bag to her chest like a shield. “I didn’t come here expecting anything from you. I want nothing. I only came because you had a right to know.” She took a ragged breath. “And to ask why you lied to me.”

       When he still didn’t speak, she nodded slowly, the unwelcome tears threatening to find their way to her cheeks. He wasn’t going to offer any explanation, any solace, any excuse.

       “I see,” she said. “Then we have nothing more to say to each other.”

       She turned for the door, but Lann’s voice halted her. “Please stay. You’re upset. I’ll take you home when you feel calmer.”

       To her dismay, a small gasp escaped her. Did he honestly think she’d stay after what he just said? Not looking back, she ran downstairs, not caring that Lann was calling after her loud enough for the building to hear, or that his employees were staring at her from the library window.

Long Excerpt

“You made your bed, you sleep in it,” my mother always said.

       I made this bed, with Lann Dréan in it. Only, he wasn’t anymore, not after thirty days of the best sex of my life. What remained were crumpled sheets and consequences.

       How could I not be attracted to him? I had a thing for intellectual guys, especially damaged ones. And Lann was damaged, alright. His father abandoned him at birth, never forgiving him for his mother’s death. It took some time before Lann told me how he grew up in the streets of Moscow, stealing and cheating his way to survival. He never revealed what he did for a living, how he became a self-made millionaire. He had pulled himself from the gutter and built a life. From the guards surrounding us, I knew he was involved in something dangerous, maybe illegal, but I told myself it didn’t matter because ours wasn’t a permanent relationship. It was a thirty-day contract.

       When I first met Lann it was in his privately owned library of ancient books. He had just bought the Santiago convent. The plan was to spend a month of holiday there before going home to New York. I had been rewarded a scholarship for an exchange program in Chile to conduct my thesis on daemon lovers. His handwritten books were invaluable to my research. He spotted me from his office balcony and when everyone else left, kept me behind.

       Lann was reserved, to the point of being recluse. Few photos existed of him, even as the paparazzi hunted and stalked him. Nothing could have prepared me for the tall Russian. He was lean, well defined, minus the bulging muscles I hated. His long, blond hair was mostly braided down his back. I preferred it to when he wore it loose, because that way I could admire his ears. He had perfect ears–beautifully proportioned, slightly elongated–but I never said as much because he was sensitive about them. A silver ring was pierced through the top left one. His dark Prada glasses gave him an academic look in a sexy kind of way. His most unusual feature was his eyes. In the dark they seemed yellow. In daylight I could see they were a mix of amber and brown flecks. And when he opened his mouth and spoke to me in his thick Russian accent, telling me I moved the air for him, my knees went weak.

       So, when he asked me to give my body to him for thirty days, exclusively, I signed my name on the dotted line. Although I had given him carte blanche, he took his time to lure me, to teach me what he liked. It was never a seduction. Unless I gave him permission, he didn’t move on. But I wanted it. All of it. All of him. Lann woke a dark side in me, a part I didn’t know lurked in the shadows of my desire. Only when I was comfortable with him did he tie me up, blindfolded and gagged me, and he didn’t introduce me to breath play until I trusted him. In those naked moments I made myself vulnerable, gave him control of my body, and he rewarded me with pleasure that wracked my mind and left me craving more.

       One day, he flew me in a water plane to a private lake for a picnic. It was the most perfect day of my life.

       We were sitting on the shore.

       “Lann, this is incredible,” I said.

       His palm smoothed over my shoulder. “You’ve been studying too hard. Been cooped up in my convent for too long.”

       “So this is my reward?”

       “No. I think your reward will come later.”

       “What a lucky girl I am.”

       “The luck is all mine, bella.”

       “Are you hungry?”

       “For food?” he drawled.

       “You’re impossible.” I gave him stern look and brought a piece of cheese to his lips. “Open.”

       He obeyed. He took the cheese, and sucked my fingers into his mouth. I could feel the atmosphere shift in a second. Lann had a hundred different moods a day, and I took pleasure in the knowledge that I started to understand how to navigate them. He allowed me to feed him some more, and after I had eaten, he got to his feet and started removing his clothes.

       “What are you doing?” I said with a laugh, looking around, even if I knew we were alone.

       “Come swim with me.”

       “The water will be freezing.”

       “Are you a pussy?”

       “You didn’t just call me that.”

       “Oh yes, I did.”

       I jumped up and discarded my clothes faster than him. Before he was out of his pants, I was running to the water, stark naked. I gritted my teeth when I felt the iciness around my feet. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Lann making his way to the water, a huge grin on his face. I held my breath and charged. It was so cold it felt as if it would stop my heart. I let out a yelp, and heard Lann’s laugh echo behind me. I dove in and swam furiously for a few strokes to warm up my limbs. When I turned, Lann still stood on the beach.

       “Come on!” I beckoned him with a curled finger. “Or are you a pussy?”

       He made big eyes at me. “What did you just call me?”

       “I said–”

       Before I could complete the sentence, he was storming me. I managed to splash him before he got wet, and heard his curse before he dove underwater to resurface in front of me. Laughing, I tried to swim away from him, but he grabbed me around the waist.

       “Not so fast, bella.”

       He turned me to face him and jerked me against him. His body was warm in the coldness of the water. I wrapped my arms and legs around him, pressing close. His erection strained against my pelvis. Lann wasn’t laughing any longer. He groaned, and his eyes turned a darker shade of gold. His hands went to my bottom, gripping me firmly. He lifted me slightly so that his hardness pressed against my folds. The water contracted my skin, and when he lifted me higher with one hand, spreading my opening with the other, an onslaught of cold water assaulted my swollen clit. Immediately the sensation was replaced with the warmth of his body as he lowered me onto his erection, sliding effortlessly into my lubricated depth. I arched my back, gasping as he claimed me with every inch he had.

       “God, Katherine, I’m buried so deep inside of you,” he said against my neck.

       He kissed me feverishly, sucking my skin into his mouth, making me scream as he bit down gently.

       “You drive me wild, krasota.” His tongue moved down my neck to the hollow of my throat, trailing a path to my breasts. He licked each upper curve, before he took a cold, hard nipple in his warm mouth. I moaned loudly. He started suckling me, moving me up and down on him.

       “Is this good, bella?”

       I whimpered. “Lann…”

       “Tell me, Katherine. Tell me what you want.”

       “Everything. I want everything.”

       “You don’t know what you’re asking,” he said darkly.

       “Then show me.”

       His mouth claimed mine with hard approval, his tongue sweeping over my lips before he drank the very breath from me. I struggled to draw air through my nose while he claimed my mouth like that. He kissed and kissed me until I felt the urge to shove away from him to draw air, but when I pushed with my palms on his chest, he only sealed his lips tighter over mine, at the same time increasing the pace with which he was penetrating me. My clit rubbed against his pelvis. One hand closed around my throat, applying gentle pressure, while the other spread the cheeks of my ass. Sensations slammed into me. His fingers around my neck tightened, cutting off my oxygen. I felt a finger rubbing down my cleft, and then I felt it there. I jerked when Lann pushed on that forbidden entrance. It was hard to think with my body craving air, craving him, and craving release. Already my orgasm was a tightly coiled cord, a second away from snapping. Just when I thought I was going to black out from the lack of air, he released my throat, at the same time pushing his finger inside my rear. As oxygen reached my brain, my orgasm exploded in me with an intensity I had never felt before. I clung to him, filled by his cock and his finger, as the waves crushed over me and continued to ripple long after he had spurted all of his seed inside of me. My strength gone, all I could manage was to lean my head on his shoulder, and to trust him to take care of me.          

       Lann kissed my hair and my cheek. He said gentle things to me in Russian, while he slowly pulled his finger from my slightly burning backside. I moaned, and he kissed my forehead. I felt like fainting from the aftershocks of pleasure. I tried to lower my legs, but Lann prevented me with his hands on my ankles.

       “Hold on, krasavitsa,” he said against my ear. “Don’t try to walk.”

       He gently cleaned me in the water, washing his semen from me, before carrying me to the shore. I had never felt more depleted in my entire life. It was worse than the time I had a few drinks too many at the student bar and my friend had to drive me home and put me to bed.

       I started shivering as Lann lowered me onto our picnic blanket. He stretched out on top of me and folded the blanket around our bodies. He kissed my neck and shoulder until I felt his heat penetrating my skin, and my body once more relaxed. When the shivering stopped, he lifted himself to look down at me.

       “The sun will warm you. I’m going to get off you now. At first it’ll feel cold with the breeze, but you’ll dry in no time.”

       I whimpered when he rolled off me, exposing my skin to the air. “No, don’t.”

       “I’m too heavy.” He rubbed my arms.    

       That was the first time I felt the air move around us. It shifted down from my shoulders to my feet, a blanket of clouds pulled over a naked body. This was the dance of air Lann had tried to describe to me, what he meant when he said I moved the air for him. At first the breeze made me feel colder, but then I gradually warmed as the sun dried my skin. I felt extremely lethargic.

       “What did you do to me?” I said, trying to focus on Lann’s face and not fall asleep.

       “I cut off your ability to breathe, just for a few seconds. The surge of oxygen that follows makes you come harder.”

       “That it did,” I said, closing my eyes.

       “Katherine, look at me.” I gazed back at him. His expression seemed concerned. “Did you enjoy it?”

       “Oh, yes.” I tried to nod. “It was the best sex of my life.”

       A slow smile curved his lips. “Good.” His eyes warmed. “Your trust means everything to me.”

       He lay down next to me and pulled me into her arms. We stayed like that until I felt some of my energy return. When I tried to sit up, he shook his head.

       “Rest.”

       “I need a drink.” I reached for my glass of champagne.

       “No more alcohol,” he said. He sat up and reached inside the basket, taking out a bottle of water. He unscrewed the cap, lifted my head and brought the bottle to my mouth. After a few sips, I lay back again, studying him.

       “You’re so handsome,” I said.

       “And you’re so expressive. I can never get enough of your face when it’s contorted with pleasure, knowing it’s the pleasure I bring you.”

       “You bring me lots of pleasure,” I said, mumbling my agreement.

       “Now I’m going to feed you strawberries.” His eyes went to my breasts. “And then I’m going to fuck you softly.”

       That was the day I knew I had fallen in love with him.

       By the time Day Thirty arrived, I was addicted. To him. But I had signed a contract to walk away, and never look back. And it wasn’t as if he gave me a choice when he left me behind. What I thought would be a harmless sexual adventure had burned a hole in my existence. I had fallen in love with Lann, when I promised I wouldn’t. But there was more at stake than my heart. I never would have guessed that accepting his contract was signing my death warrant. There was only one thing left to do. To sleep in the bed I had made. And it may just cost me … everything.

 

    About The Author

Charmaine Pauls was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. She obtained a degree in Communication at the University of Potchestroom, and followed a diverse career path in journalism, public relations, advertising, communications, photography, graphic design, and brand marketing. Her writing has always been an integral part of her professions.

After relocating to France with her French husband, she fulfilled her passion to write creatively full-time. Charmaine has published six novels since 2011, as well as several short stories and articles.

When she is not writing, she likes to travel, read, and rescue cats. Charmaine currently lives in Chile with her husband and children. Their household is a linguistic mélange of Afrikaans, English, French and Spanish.

Read more about Charmaine’s romance novels and psychological short stories here on www.charmainepauls.com.


Contact Charmaine at:
Website: www.charmainepauls.com 
Blog: www.charmainepauls.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charmaine-Pauls/175738829145132 Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharmainePauls Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AuthorCharmainePauls  

Contest Giveaway

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a set of 5 antiqued silver bookmarks,

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Loving the Enemy, Pyromancist, and Aeromancist, The Beginning

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