Melanie Hatfield Talks Up a Storm with I.B. Nosey

NOSEY: Greetings, cybernuts! This is I.B. Nosey, your official unofficial reporter. Today I’m coming to you from— *gasps* I hear something. What can it be?

*Sound of pounding hooves. Creature who is half-man in front and the rear end is…um, the rear end of not a man… gallops up to Nosey*

CREATURE: *glares* And you, a long-nosed, microphone-clutching, bargain basement blazered specimen are not classified -as the writer has just labeled me- a  ‘creature’?

NOSEY: Uhhh….

CREATURE: My name is Bcoaretypqh.

NOSEY: *scratches head* How d’ya pronounce that, pal?

CREATURE: I just did.

*Loud claps of thunder jolts the ground. Nosey shrieks* Holy Chicken Little! I gotta take cover! Is there a shelter nearby? Quick! Quick! Anything’ll do… a shed, a groundhog hole, a convertible with a gorgeous blonde driver.

CREATURE: *raises brows* Convertible?

NOSEY: Oh. Heh heh. Then again, maybe not.

CREATURE: What you can do is to… *extends hand* climb aboard.

NOSEY: Uhh… If you think this Pukelitzer Award winning reporter is gonna ride bareback on a… *gestures* bare back, I gotta tell ya ‘no way’. Yeah, see. I got my trusty atomic-battery microphone to lead the way to— *lightning sizzles, frying Nosey’s nose hair. He screams* On second thought— *he leaps atop creature-man* Giddyup!

CREATURE: *races at breakneck speed through miles and miles and miles and miles and miles of mountains, valleys, lakes and rivers and— nah, he only trots a couple of feet and comes to screeching halt. Nosey lands -- on his head -- with a loud hollow bong*

CREATURE: Enter the cave at your peril. *nods at foreboding entrance*

NOSEY: Cave? *sprints to feet and brushes down sides of tweedy-weedy blazer* Ha. This official unofficial reporter doesn’t conduct interviews in dark, damp, musty, filthy, and spidery— *chunks of hail plummet from sky* Aack! *Nosey streaks inside cave* Greetings, new little spider friends! This is I.B. Nosey, your official unofficial—

WOMAN: Stop right there! *raises arm and Nosey runs --smack!-- and lands flat on the floor* What’s wrong with you, Nosey? Can’t you stand upright in this interview?

NOSEY: What fun would that be? *leaps nimbly to feet… [he’s had lots of practice, you know]* And, remember, I am a professional.

CREATURE: A professional what?

WOMAN: *stares at Creature* Who are you?

CREATURE: Why does the writer continue to call me ‘Creature’? My name is Bcoaretypqh.

WOMAN: How do you pronounce that?

NOSEY: I already asked him. *scowls* Lady, don’t repeat my lines.

WOMAN: *blinks* Sorry, but I wasn’t present when you asked the first time.

NOSEY: Yeah, but—

WOMAN: Anyway. *takes Nosey’s arm and drags him to interior chamber* So glad you’re punctual, Nosey.

NOSEY: What’re ya talking about? Of course I’m punchable— er, um, I mean… *tugs at collar*

WOMAN: Hm. *gestures at surroundings* What do you think of my little abode?

NOSEY: I dunno. *gazes around* It’s kinda spooky.

WOMAN: Wanna go back into the storm?

NOSEY: *brightens* Actually, you’ve made it pretty cozy. Yeah, with those wall torches stretching the deep, dark shadows and… *swallows* and squeaky bats hanging off the ceiling. *nervous chuckle* It gives a real meaning to the term ‘atmosphere’.

WOMAN: Yes, I am clever, aren’t I?

NOSEY: Uhhh… but if it’s all the same to you…

WOMAN: Nosey, listen here. *drags him down length of dimmed tunnel* What kind of reporter are you, anyway? You’ve not introduced me to your listening audience. I’m tired of being written as ‘woman’.

CREATURE: And what about me? I'm not treated with respect by this idiot either.

NOSEY: What idiot? *spins around to search behind him* 

WOMAN: *glances over shoulder at Creature* Who are you? And why are you in my interview?

CREATURE: *throws up palms* I give up.

NOSEY: Heh heh. I’m sure there’s a reason he’s present, Miss, um, Miss…?

MH: Melanie Hatfield. *grins* There! I finally get to announce who I am.

NOSEY: Hatfield? *jumps away* Holy hillbilly hoedown. You hiding in here ‘cause of the feud between you and the McCoys?

MH: *giggles* Not those Hatfields, Nosey.

NOSEY: *breathes sigh of relief* Goodie. Should be a pretty safe interview. *mutters* Maybe my very first one.

MH: *clicks tongue* You think?

NOSEY: Whaddaya mean ‘do I think’?

MH: Hard question, huh?

NOSEY: Uhhh….

MH: Here. Why don’t we do this. *presents book* Read the blurb and let’s see what your audience thinks.

NOSEY: *squints* Lights are bad in here. Why don’t you call an electrician?

MH: Use the light from your atomic-battery microphone. *rolls eyes* Where would you men be without us women using our brains?

NOSEY: I dunno. Lost my roadmap a long time ago.

MH: My point exactly. But, for right now, I want you to just read, Nosey. I’m getting impatient.

CREATURE: So am I. I wanna know what your book’s about.

NOSEY: What’s your name again?

CREATURE: *gnashes teeth* Read.

NOSEY: That’s a funny name.

MH: *hoots* Say what, I.B. Nosey?

NOSEY: I just said his name—

MH: Forget it. *taps book* Shall we?

NOSEY: Oh. Sure. Let me turn on this atomic-battery microphone.  *grins at MH* You’re not dealing with an amateur, you know.

MH: *purrs* Of course not.

NOSEY: Ahem. Where were we? Oh, yeah… Title of book is: Blades of Blood - The Chronicles of Turrack Series and the blurb goes ‘How far would you go to protect the ones you love?…’ *looks at MH* Hey, that’s catchy.

MH: Thank you. Continue, please.

NOSEY: As I was saying… *raises volume of voice* ‘Princess Azedeh, heir to the throne of Turrack, slays the evil in her kingdom under the guise of Tina the Terrible, the most feared assassin in the land. When a creature of dark magic terrorizes her home, she must journey to a dangerous land to stop it at the source. As she encounters more magical beings on her quest, she must determine whom she can trust—and a wrong decision will cost the princess her life.’

NOSEY: Wait a minute! Whadda I just read? *stares at Creature* This says, ‘a creature of dark…’

CREATURE: That’s not me. *shakes head wildly* Honest. I just came in here to get out of the rain.

MH: Oh, diddly-doop. Of course it’s not you.

NOSEY: It’s not?

MH: I’m the author and if I say it’s ‘not’, then it’s ‘not’… er, don’t say that fast, dear reader.

NOSEY: Well, there’s some kind of weird or dangerous creatures in this here book, that’s for sure.

MH: Such as?

NOSEY: This Tina the Terrible, for instance. *frowns* Sounds like a brat having a tantrum.

MH: Hardly! Tina the Terrible is the guise of my heroine, Azedeh. Didn’t you pay attention to the blurb?

NOSEY: Actually, I was kinda distracted by those fat bats flying over my head. *ducks as one wings by* Dude, these things are ugly!

MH: *snaps fingers* Pay attention, Nosey. When Azedeh was eight, she was kidnapped by a group of thugs.

NOSEY: *nods* Uh huh. Okay. Then what happened?

MH: Eventually, she was rescued, but her innocence was shattered. Realizing there are evil people mucking up her kingdom, she decided to go down the path of violence - which, let’s be honest, makes things more interesting.

NOSEY: Who says?

MH: I do - and today’s TV shows.

NOSEY: Huh?

MH: *shrugs* Besides, a princess isn’t allowed to be dark and brooding for the sake of beating up bad guys, so she created an assassin’s persona of Tina the Terrible to secretly slay evil-doers who threaten her kingdom.

NOSEY: Oh, well. In that case, maybe she can set out bat traps. Ouch! *hunkers down as one furry critter zooms by, flashing shiny sharp fangs* Ms. Hatfield, this isn’t a smart place to conduct an interview!

MH: Straighten up, Nosey. Be more like Azedeh. In a way, she’s kind of like a medieval version of Batman - without the dead parents.

NOSEY: Forget Batman! *glances at ceiling* I just wanna be a Nosey man!

MH: Well, you know… *muses* They do seem somewhat attracted to your… er, unique? hair style.

NOSEY: Aw, man. *checks hair with fast hand* Gross and double gross. Look here, Ms. Hatfield. There’s only one thing to do.

MH: Yes?

NOSEY: We gotta get outta here. Gotta get rid of that evil kingdom for Tina and—

MH: How do you propose we do that?

NOSEY: Well, uh, I dunno, like, um, so - how did the evil in her kingdom get there in the first place? Couldn’t she just, ya know, sweep it out the door? *kicks at bat goo littered on floor* Like this smelly stuff oughta be.

MH: *purses lips* It would certainly make things easier if she could. A giant sandman magically appears in her kingdom and sucks people’s souls—

NOSEY: *jumps* Giant sandmen? What’re ya doing writing about old dirtbags?

MH: It’s my story, isn’t it?

NOSEY: Sure, but—

MH: But, unfortunately, our heroine lives in a medieval time so it’s not as though she can go to Target and pick up a Dyson.

NOSEY: But—

MH: But the only way to get rid of the… *points* bat goo, and the sandy threat is to venture into the desert where he came from and to destroy him at the source.

NOSEY: Uh huh. Right. The dangerous land you mentioned?

MH: Hey, the grass isn’t always greener. Stay on your side of the fence if you want to survive in Turrack.

NOSEY: I’ll tell ya how to survive. Yeah. Stay at Gum Drop Island, that’s how.

MH: Oh, you think so, hm? *bites lip* Oops. My bad. Guess I shouldn’t ought to ask what you think.

NOSEY: Ha. *snorts* Nothing to think about, gal. Use a box of those delish chocolates as a bargaining chip, and there you go. No wrong decision with that.

MH: For your information, I wouldn’t recommend bribing this kid with candy.

NOSEY: And why not?

MH: Because to her, she’ll assume it’s poisoned and kill you for threatening her life.

NOSEY: No way!

MH: Way, Nosey. Big way. *sniffs* Death by chocolate is not as fun as it sounds. 

NOSEY: I’m beginning to think there’s no fun at all in your ‘chronicles’ book, which… *flails arms at swooping bats* sounds like a ding-dong medieval calendar. Whoa, whoa, batsies, shoo! Shoo!

MH: A calendar of events, you mean? *laughs* Yes! With a Farmer’s Market every Wednesday!

NOSEY: Hey! *screeches* These bats aren’t funny, Ms. Hayfield! Ooh, ouch, help! *swats with microphone* You! Yo, Creature! Stop sucking your thumb - do something to help this long-nosed reporter. Ow, ouch, eek!

CREATURE: Who? Me? *shoves thumbed fist behind back* I’m - waiting - for my cue.

NOSEY: *yells* I just gave it to ya!

MH: Be quiet, Nosey. A woman’s gotta think. *takes on considering expression* Actually, did you know that the Chronicles is a spin-off of my comedy-fantasy series Kingdom of the Snark?

NOSEY: *screams and runs to other end*

CREATURE: I didn't know that, Ms. Hatfield. Tell me more.

MH: Well, Turrack started out as a random joke in the first book, but as I expanded upon the kingdom while writing the series, I realized there’s another world I wanted to explore.

NOSEY: Ooh, ooh, little batty beasties. *speeds to other end* In case you didn’t hear, my name is Nosey, not Dracula!

CREATURE: *watches Nosey bounce off walls like a ricocheting bullet* Uh huh, Ms. Hatfield, and— ?

MH: And it’s a realm that isolated itself from the others, so I don’t have to follow the same rules, and can make it darker than Snark.

NOSEY: Ms. Hatfield!!!

MH: What, Nosey? *taps foot* What’s your problem?

NOSEY: You gotta ask??? *races back to other end*

CREATURE: That’s my cue. *unzips ‘creature’ skin and lets it fall to bat floor. No, dear reader, you do NOT have to shield your eyes. This is a G-rated interview, after all*

MH: *gasps* Why, you deceiver! You’re nothing but a giant sandman in that cheap skin rug!

NEWLY REVEALED DIRTBAG: Yes! *evil laugh* And since the bats-in-belfry-haired reporter is too busy to help, I am going to suck out your soul, Ms. Hatfield!

MH: Nosey! *rushes over* My hero, my darling Nosey man. Save me, quick!

NOSEY: Save you? Why don't you save me? *dodges bat-gooey bat-lips of hungry batty beastie babes*

MH: I know! We need a vacuum! *bites nails* Um, doesn’t your atomic-battery microphone come equipped in such emergencies?

NOSEY: *brakes* Whaddaya know. Come to think of it… *flips switch and aims it toward ‘dirtbag’

NEWLY REVEALED DIRTBAG: Ugh, no, noooo… *in a tornado of dust, he spins around toward cave exit and disappears in downpour-drenching thunderstorm where his name becomes… what else? …Mudd*

NOSEY: Whoa! Whoa, wait! *gets knocked off feet* What’s happening?

MH: Flip the switch. You have it in reverse! *watches as ‘swoosh’ of wind slams against Nosey and rockets him past cave roof* Nosey, turn the mike off! You’re being propelled into infinity and beyond!

NOSEY: Don’t worry, Ms. Hatfield... *streaking like a comet, he disappears into the stars, his voice fading in the distance* …I’m a professionalllllll……

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Available at Amazon

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Visit Melanie's Website

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Special Notice: Ms. Hatfield is offering a freebie, "The Quest for the Sword", for your reading enjoyment. Go to this Amazon link!

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