Guest Post by C. Michael Powers author of Mirror Images

Hey everybody,

My name's C. Michael Powers, and I'm the author of Mirror Images Book 1: The Darkness of Man. Today, I'm going to be spending some time with two of the characters from my book, Gabe and Cutter. So that you understand the animosity between these two, it's probably a good idea that I fill you in on what this story is about.

When an average Joe's reflection in the mirror switches places with him, he finds himself trapped in a strange mirror world, battling his way back to the other side so that he can stop his reflection from destroying the life he knows.

“Have you ever wondered why so many people in prison claim to be innocent? It’s ‘cause most of ‘em are,” Dozier whispered.

On the other side of the mirror, lies a horrific world where each of us has an image, our violent replica, capable of fulfilling our darkest desires, and only released into our world when we’re unable to follow through with an evil deed. Gabe Cutter, an average paper pusher, has his life ripped out from under him when his image switches places with him, hell bent on destroying the life Gabe knows, and killing his cheating fiance’. Now, stuck on the other side of the mirror, Gabe must join together with a band of stranded survivors and find a way to get back to his world before his image destroys it. Along the way he battles his way through maniacs, monsters, and ultimately his own heart, as he realizes that the woman he’s been trying to save...wasn’t worth the price of admission.

So, I've got Gabe sitting here on the couch in front of me, and I have Cutter, his image (or reflection) live via satellite from the dark side of the mirror. Let's get this interview started.

Me:  Cutter, I have to apologize, but it looks like we're having some technical difficulties with the feed.

Cutter: That's why you should have had me there in person, ya dick!

Me: I understand your hostility, but as you know, having you and Gabe in the same room isn't a good idea. In fact, having you in the same room with anyone is an all around bad idea.

Cutter just shrugs his shoulders and picks at his teeth with his pinky finger. Gabe watches, shakes his head and laughs under his breath.

Cutter: The fuck you laughin' at pretty boy?

Me: Calm down. So, the point of this interview is to introduce you guys to the readers and maybe help them understand the mindset of the image. Gabe, let's start with you. When you crossed through the mirror, you must've been shocked, I mean, that's a pretty wild journey. How did you feel?

Gabe: I was confused, for sure. I had a beautiful woman in my bed, just got up to take a leak, and suddenly I'm being yanked through the mirror. Scared the hell out of me at first. Then I was just confused.

Me: And Cutter, how did you feel?

Cutter: I felt great. I tossed his sorry ass onto the floor and climbed through the mirror. Like he said, he had a beautiful woman in his bed. It was great.

Me: Gabe, what was the dark side like? When you first fell through the mirror.

Gabe: Dirty and violent. Holy shit, bro. I had people trying to kill me left and right. I wasn't even fully dressed for cryin' out loud.

He turns to Cutter.

Gabe: Do me a favor, pal. Next time you decide to invade my life and pull me through a mirror, can you at least wait 'till I have more on than a pair of sweat pants?

Cutter: That's what you get for wearin' sweat pants. Who the fuck wears sweat pants? If I'd been bangin' that broad in the other room and needed to take a piss, I woulda got up naked, dick swingin', pissed, and been back in bed in a jiffy. There you go, C. Michael, you wanna know the difference between me and this douche on your couch? One word—sweatpants.

Gabe shakes his head and turns back to face me.

Gabe: So I was barefoot in a pair of sweatpants, getting my ass kicked by the locals. Apparently, Cutter pissed off some maniac named Goody Bones, so he and his followers were all over me.

Me: I can imagine how crazy that was for you. Cutter, you had a much easier time adjusting.

Cutter laughs out loud.

Cutter: Yeah, you can say that. Your world is all sunshine and flowered shower curtains. It's sickening. Nobody on your side was a threat. Hell, I was the threat. I was killin' folks left and right. It was a fuckin' riot. Never had so much fun in my life. 

Me: You both realized all sorts of differences between the worlds. Let's do this. I'll say one word. You guys tell me the first thing that comes to mind.

They both laugh and agree.

Me: Food.

Gabe: I don't even remember eating. Seems like it was mostly soup over there. Weird animals and roots tossed into dirty water.

Cutter: You guys have the weirdest shit. Packaged stuff. I was on the road most of the time on your side. I remember the first time I walked into one of your shops. Packaged beef, the dried stuff, jerkey...amazing.

Me: Action

Cutter: There was none. Late night TV? People running around with full body pads holding a ball? Your life is lame as hell. All that action on your news stations? You know, the murders and thefts and blazing fires? All that shit is done by people like me, from my side of the mirror, who've crossed over into yours. We're the party. We're the fuckin' game changers, the ones who bring some excitement into your world.

Gabe: There was a lot of action on the dark side. I barely had time to breathe, man. It was nuts. Monsters like you wouldn't believe. Little creatures, big ones, underwater ones, dry land ones...seemed like everything tried to kill me. Just once I hoped a freakin' regular ol' dog would just walk up and beg to be petted.

Me: Women

Gabe: Wild. Ivy was a firecracker. And Alleycat, gorgeous. They definitely don't hold back. See, the images are the darkest versions of us.  If your dark side is a murderer, then your image is a murder. If you're a pyromaniac, your image will be setting fires all over the place. But not everyone has an evil dark side. Some are just sexual fiends. It's all they think about.

Cutter: You're given me a hard on over here. Shit's not like that on your side. I had to take what I wanted.

 

Gabe: You're a fucking animal.

Cutter: Fuckin' right I am.

Me: It's hard to tell you guys apart sometimes. Physically, you're nearly identical.

Cutter: I'm better looking. He looks like a college kid or some shit. Pathetic. I'm what you'd call ruggedly handsome.

Gabe: Your dirty and greasy. An animal.

Cutter: You're lucky I'm on satellite you little bitch, or I'd cut your fuckin' throat.

Gabe: How did that work out for you last time?

Cutter loses it and starts flipping out. He's cursing up a storm.

Me: Ok, last one. Gabe, you go ahead and answer while he throws his temper tantrum.

Cutter: Fuck that, I heard you. What's the question?

Me: Friends

Cutter spits.

Cutter: Friends? I don't have any damned friends. Well...Ivy...no, I don't have any damned friends. Who needs ém?

Gabe has his head down and seems to be in deep thought.

Gabe: I made friends over there. I met some great people. I wasn't the only one stranded on the dark side. People risked their life for me, all because they heard I was the Haissem and that I'd make things right, for both sides of the mirror. A lot of good people died...for me. Can we stop this now?

Cutter: Like I said, a fuckin' puss.

At that point, I stopped the interview as Gabe no longer wanted to participate. To find out more about Gabe and Cutter and all the other bad ass characters in my book, check out Mirror Images Book 1: The Darkness of Man, now available at Amazon, for Kindle and paperback at:

 http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Images-Book-Darkness-ebook/dp/B007V9GQ7Y

You can also find it for the B&N Nook at: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mirror-images-c-michael-powers/1116009479?ean=2940148122722

Check out my website at www.cmichaelpowers.com

Follow me on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CMichaelPowers

On Twitter at: https://twitter.com/CMichaelPowers

And on Goodreads at:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6585488.C_Michael_Powers