"Good night, everyone. Tonight we're going to talk with world famous writer Sarah Williams!"
The audience clapped and cheered making Sarah blush. She knew that it would show on TV sets all over the State. It wad the downside of her pale skin.
"It's a pleasure to be here, Martha. I love your show."
"Now, dear, your newest release is the tenth book on The Goblin King series, called 'The Castle beyond the Goblin City'. Is it true that is the last one?"
The older woman had teeth so white that almost look like the Cheshire Cat. Sarah blinked and looked at her with large green eyes.
"After fifteen years and ten books, I think is time to let Jareth, Sir Didimus, Ambrosius, Ludo and Hoggle rest a little. I'm thirty-three years old and need to address new questions as a writer. I loved writing about then, their stories came from my heart but now I will focus in other characters and settings."
"I must say that my favorite character is Jareth. He's insanely hot! I never thought I would be hot for a fictional man. Who did inspire the Goblin King?"
It was a permanent question that luckily Sarah learned to answer in her first interviews.
"Oh, I think it's quit obvious that Jareth got his look from David Bowie, mismatched eyes and everything. His personality came from everything a fairytale prince shouldn't be."
The interviewer laughed again and continued with the same old questions about inspiration and sales and tours. Her personal life didn't enter the conversation, as previously agreed. It was a stern condition that Sarah made for being interviewed.
She preserved her father, her step-mother and her baby brother. They meant the world for her and she wished to make them invisible to the turmoil she was in.
"And what's different for the readers in the new book?"
"For the first time, Jareth will confront an enemy from AboveGround. A reckless and stubborn girl that end up in the Labyrinth…"
"Hum, a little romance for our Goblin King? Is Jareth finally falling in love?"
"I don't want to spoil the fun of it, so let's say that he has strong feelings for this girl."
Again, the older woman laughed. Sarah laughed with her, trying hard to not sound as nervous as she was feeling. It wasn't easy to talk about love and passion when you never felt like this. When the interview was over, Sarah signed a few books for the TV crew until her editor came and rescued her. The small chubby blonde was merry, talkative and her best friend. She discovered Sarah in a writing contest and took the risk to publish a 18 year old's first book. It was worth it and Sarah was the most successful writers of her publishing house.
In the car, Elenor started talking.
"So, my dear, how was the interview? Martha was kind with you?"
"Oh, yes, she was as sweet as a talk show hostess could be. No personal questions, no offensive remarks and she seemed to be a true Jareth fan."
"Aren't we all, darling? Your anti-hero is the hottest man in all literature."
They both laughed. It was a running joke between then.
"And you didn't read the fanfics I saw the other day. I was mortified to read how well endowed my Goblin King is. And how unstoppable."
"I can imagine. Talking about sex and love made me remember the Thanksgiving Party. Will you go, Sarah? There's this artist who made the cover for Annabel & Sarah, he's such a handsome guy…"
Sarah sighed.
"Elenor, we went through this a thousand times. I am not looking for a date or a special someone. Right now, I only care about my family and my next book. That's all."
"Sarah, you kept saying this to me for the last fifteen years. I never saw you with anyone. Guy or gal! You're a beautiful woman, and a fun and smart one as well. I can't understand why you insist in this loneliness…"
She tried to smile.
"Think of it as my artistic soul and its eccentricities. I'm fine as I am, I swear."
Elenor gave up for the moment and the rest of the voyage was filled with small talk and giggles. The editor knew everyone in the book business and loved talking about who was sleeping with who and who betrayed someone to get a more important position.
When Sarah finally reached her hotel room was almost midnight. She was tired and relieved that it was the last stop on the book launching tour. One more night and she would sleep in her own bed.
She was almost packed, only her travel clothes left out. She caressed her 'The Castle beyond the Goblin City' copy and smiled at the cover. A David Bowie's clone dressed in fake medieval style was looking to a multi-towered castle. She had insisted to put a labyrinth between him and the building, but Elenor didn't agree. She turned the book to see a little fox mounted in a sheepdog besides a red haired and blue eyed young girl. She almost described Ruth, the antagonist, as a young version of herself, a tribute to her teenage dreams that inspired The Goblin King series. But the comments about her obsession with the British singer were trouble enough without her in the book.
She sat on her bed and the tension in her neck almost made her scream. She tried self-massaging it, but was worthless.
All of a sudden, a sweet smell of vanilla and cinnamon surrounded her. A voice she thought impossible sounded in the room.
"Need help with that, Sarah?"