We have a special treat for you today! Scarlett Night (from Court of Nightfall, book 1 of The Nightfall Chronicles) is hanging out with Tess, star of Anyone? by Angela Scott, and they are exchanging some questions with each other. You can check out our review of Anyone? here, and see what Scarlett had to say to Tess’s questions over at Angela Scott’s blog.
We think you’ll enjoy getting to know Tess better, and we know you’ll love Anyone? Grab your copy wherever books are sold online, or check out the buy links here. And don’t forget to enter our massive giveaway at the end of this post!
Scarlett Night interviews Tess from Anyone?
Tess
Name: Tess
Age: 17
Hi Tess! It’s so nice to meet someone about my age who knows what it’s like to go through some seriously intense stuff. First of all, we both have parents who felt it was critical to build underground bunkers. Looks like they weren’t as crazy as we thought, all things considered.
What was it like growing up with a dad who always wanted you trained and prepared for doomsday scenarios?
Odd. Definitely odd. No one likes to have a parent ridiculed and made fun of, and even though I never once thought any of his doomsday preparation was normal—I mean, what little girl wants a gun for her eleventh birthday instead of an American Girl Doll?—but I did understand where he was coming from. I didn’t have to like it, but because I loved my dad, I let him do what he had to and I defended it every chance I could.
Did you ever get to hang out in your bunker? I was never allowed in mine, even when we had the Nephilim Wars.
I’d never hung out in our bunker. It wasn’t a play thing and my dad was pretty serious about letting us know it. I don’t know if I ever really wanted to hang out inside of it either simply because of what it represented—the loss of my mom. Even though you wouldn’t think of a bunker and your mother’s death being in any way related, they very much were.
Did you ever find out why your dad built yours? I know it happened the night your mom died (I’m really sorry about that, by the way. I feel your pain, honestly.). What about her death made him think a bunker was in order? Any thoughts?
My dad has always been a man’s kind of man—tough, dependable, strong, and determined to do right by his family. He and my mom were very much in love, and for him to be told of her murder just wasn’t something I think my dad could handle. In his mind, he should have been there to stop her death. He couldn’t have—no one could have—but it’s what he thought. Because he couldn’t protect her, he became determined to make sure nothing else would happen to me or my brother. He’d do whatever he had to even if it meant digging up our suburban backyard and building an underground bunker. Which, as it turns out, I’m extremely glad he did. Who knew I’d need it?
You must have been terrified trapped in there alone with your kitten for three months. I’m not sure I could have stayed still that long just waiting. What did you do to keep from going crazy for so long?
Oh, I went crazy plenty of times! I will say that I am really glad I had my cat—yes, she’s a pain in the behind—but without her I don’t think I would have stepped out of that bunker sane at all. It was really hard being in an underground vegetable can for that long. Seriously! I was so bored I actually colored in a coloring book. A coloring book! All you can do to keep from losing your mind is to take it one day at a time. That was all I could do, especially since my imagination got the best of me and made me think that coming out of the bunker might not be such a good idea. Ever hear about zombies? Of course, there were no zombies (thank goodness), but how was I to know that? Imaginations can be evil that way.
When you finally left the bunker, your whole world was turned upside down. Did you have any theories about what happened? Any clues about why? Or how?
I had no clue. My dad dragged me across the yard and shoved in the bunker when my house nearly fell in on itself, so I had maybe… what?… two minutes to take in what was happening before I disappeared underground for three months. I say mushroom-like clouds and flashes of fire in the sky, but beyond that, I had no idea. I just knew that whatever it was it was bad. Real bad.
We both have guys in our lives who are… let’s say, stubborn about returning our affection. I feel ya, sister. I thought I knew Jax, but I didn’t. And it sounds like Cole is his own mystery. What’s your take on him? What do you think he’s hiding? Do you think you’ll see him again?
Cole is a big ol’ pain in my butt! He can be so infuriating! But I also know I 
couldn’t have survived without him. He saved me when I couldn’t save myself, and I owe him everything. Would I have liked him to return my feelings? Yes… and no. In an apocalypse-type situation, what does age difference have to do with anything, right? We’re going to die, so why not love the one you’re with! But also, it’s an apocalypse-type situation and we can tend to get carried away, so maybe it’s not the best time to start a relationship with a guy who is much older, even if he doesn’t act like the adult he is. Do I love him? Am I in love with him? I don’t know. Do I think I’ll see him again? I don’t know. But I sure do hope so.
As different as we are in some of the ways we respond to high stress situations, I’ve got to say I admire that you saved your kitten and protected her through all this. Did you ever wonder if it would be easier to survive without a kitten to take care of? What motivated you to work so hard to keep her safe and alive?
As big of pain in the butt as Cole was, Callie was ten times worse! Would it have been easier leaving her behind? HECK YEAH! And believe me, there were times I wondered if I had made a mistake, but if I didn’t have her, I’m pretty certain I wouldn’t have lasted long on my own. She was all in the world I had left—my only family—and I needed her, even if she could have done without me (she seemed to let me know this all the time…cats, right). Would I grab her again if given the choice? I would. I would do it every time.
I know everyone who has read Anyone? Is wondering this, so I’m just going to ask… will we get to find out more about what happened and what’s going to happen? Can you give us any hints about what’s really going on with your world?
Well, I haven’t really found my place in this new world yet, and even though I have an idea of what happened to cause so much destruction, there is still so much I just don’t know. I really suck at this whole survivor thing (totally, unlike you Scarlett), and as much as I hate to admit it, I’m thinking I still have a whole lot of surviving still left to do, unfortunately. I shudder at the thought, but where there is a will there is a way—a certain someone keeps telling me that—and as long as I have my bracelet to remind me of this, then I guess what other choice do I have.
I just hope I don’t have to do it alone.
