Here it is just like I promised, the questions I asked Desiree. The first one I asked was why she liked to watch the U.F.C.
Desiree: It's not like I want to see broken bones or blood, I want to see two people in a straight fight use their brains and their bodies to win. Sometimes when I watch, I can tell who is a really good fighter. I mostly watch for the skills of the fighters.
Drake: What skills are you looking for?
Desiree: Well, for example, I look at someone like Dan Severn and I see a lot of wrestling, and strength. Yet I look for his thinking abilities, and any signs of knowledge of the martial arts. I see only a few dimensions to his skills.
Drake: I'm not here to put you on the spot about fighters, but examples are okay. What kinds of dimensions do you favor?
Desiree: I like when someone can think on their feet, can know where their body should be in opposed to their opponent. I think another dimension is to look at what your opponents can do. (in the ufc) If you can study them and utilize it to your advantage, then you'll be doing yourself a favor.
Drake: What about skills?
Desiree: Skills are important for many reasons, and each one has to be ideal for each persons size, and stature. It also depends on how you take your skill mentally, if you favor a Chinese method and you're learning a Japanese style then you're less likely to be as interested. For example, I like a lot of the hand techniques used in Kenpo and if I learned I would be inclined to train in those areas harder, than the kicks...I'm not much of a kicker. I prefer Thai boxing's style more than the others.
Drake:So do I, but Shotkan is my thing.As I always say there's an art to everything, and I know you have a talent drawing because we've put those drawings up. What do you think about that skill?
Desiree:Drawing takes a lot of talent, mine is a hobby, but I wanted my characters to have a face to their names. Eric is very special because he is a fighter, and teaches in his own dojo. It was hard to find a face to meet his character, but you need to study that face, and get it exact on paper...very tough to do.
Drake:How do you study a person to get the image you want portrayed on paper?
Desiree: It's funny because I'm not that great at it, yet, I got some kind of a resemblance. What I try to do is look at features, eyes, nose, mouth, and go from there. It's similar to studying people you see daily. The way they walk how they move. You know about that.
Drake: I do, and now what all has been waiting for, questions about yourself. As to our prior agreement you know these questions.
Drake:What are your hobbies?
Desiree: I play the saxophone, keyboards, and listen to my cd's. I read, draw, and use my computer a lot. Out doors, I walk, ice skate, and rollerblade. I like katas, and pracise at home.
Drake:We're both from the same city, but where are you from?
Desiree:Toronto, Ontario
Drake:Do you like movies?
Desiree: yes all kinds, but mostly action. I like scary movies too, but I think some are too far fetched to take seriously.
Drake:What's the funniest thing you've done?
Desiree:Well I don't know if you'd consider it funny, but one day I was walking home alone from a night school class. I went inside my house, and just finished tossing my books, jacket and keys on the sofa when I heard keys at the door. My mom was talking on the phone, in the kitchen. For some reason, I thought it was my dad at the door, so I literally unlocked the door and opened it to find a strange man standing there. We were both surprised, but he moved first off the front steps and burned it out of there, leaving me standing there looking for something to throw at his departing figure.
Drake:What about gym stories?
Desiree: I almost tipped a leg press machine over onto a barrell chested man standing in front of it...and then there was yappy. He was talking to his friend on the lift machine and I was waiting so long I became irritated. Finally after a half hour I stood behind him and his friend waiting. When I got on the machine I was so distracted, I just started lifting the weight. Being irritated I did the reps and paused. The two were staring at me, which kind of bugged me more. So I did these reps, until I noticed it was getting pretty tough. Finally I glanced at where the weight was and realized I was doing 185! I realized then they were staring at me because I was cranking them off faster than the guy was himself plus doing his weight.
Drake:What about your books? Any comments?
Desiree:Most of them have action in them. The first one has martial arts. The second one is about a terrorist taking over a plane. The third is about two feuding drug dealers. I also have a lot of other stuff that I've tossed around a bit. Writing is my outlet away from the world. I get to create and kill off characters, when I finished the first story, I felt like I'd be leaving old friends forever. I miss writing about these characters. The first one I renamed Fear No Man. The second is called Flight Of Terror...it's a little different.
Drake:Who's your favorite character and why?
Desiree:I liked Huila Sanchez from Flight Of Terror she had this nut following her, and the terrorist leader likes her honesty and innocence from the start. Yet she gets really pissed off because the nut is on the flight bugging her. She really blasts him...kind of like me when I'm bugged.
Drake: Can you compare any other characters to people?
Desiree:I could, but I don't want to name, names. However I will be honest, with you, I used some of the personality of Carlos Santiego from someone in a film. I've been waiting to see about how that will effect the story if it does.
Drake:Final question...if you could do anything what would it be?
Desiree:Hands down, writing...I love it as much as I love the fighting world.