Lightning_Stryker Presents: An Interview with London Watkins and 103

Hello everyone! I'm Jay, though some of you may know me around here as Lightning_Stryker. I'm thrilled to say that this is the second #WattpadBlockParty that I have taken place in and I'm thrilled to be joining the line up once again! Huge thanks to KellyAnneBlount who set up the entire event!

September of last year was an absolute game changer for my writing career with the release of my dialogue story, Heartbreak Hotline. Released on September 7th, 2017 it quickly (and shockingly!) gathered much attention, allowing it to surpass the 100K mark and land a spot in the short story top five by the end of December. While I was in absolute shock of how fast it had reached these goals, I realize that none of it would've been possible without the support of my #LittleStrykers . You all have shown an endless amount of support through your reads, comments, votes, and through the inspiring words that you share with me everyday. Thank you all for inspiring and molding me into a better writer. Thank you for allowing me to do what I love every single day.

So today, the lovely Jenna Rhodes from The Lost Boy Series will be coming back to the #WattpadBlockParty stage to conduct an interview with Heartbreak Hotline's two main characters, London Watkins and 103.

And make sure you keep an eye out for the user-submitted questions that get answered later during the interview!

Without further ado, it's time to pass the mic over to our characters!

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*A beautiful strawberry blonde girl comes running out to the front smiling and waving. She stands center stage, blows a kiss to the audience and begins to speak*

Jenna: Hi everyone and welcome to the Wattpad Block Party, Spring 2018 edition! My name is Jenna Rhodes and you may know me as Laney's trusty sidekick over in The Lost Boy Series by @Lightning_Stryker. And if you haven't, well you're missing out boo boo. But anyway, both the audience and Jay loved my interviewing skills so much that they invited me back to host yet another interview, this year for a book I wasn't actually featured in.

*chuckles*

Jenna: And that book happens to be Jay's newest creation, Heartbreak Hotline! This story revolves around a boy named London who calls into the Heartbreak Hotline to get some help on how to successfully get his dream girl to notice him. There he meets the sassy Representative 103 who helps guide him in the right direction.

So let's not waste anymore time explaining all the little details. Let's jump right in and get this party started! Let's first welcome in our leading lady, our ultimate sass queen, the representative of all representatives, ladies and gentlemen let's give a warm welcome to 103!

*cheers are heard as a girl runs out from backstage with a paper bag over her face. Two eye holes are cut out so she can see, and she gives the audience a big wave with both hands as she gives a grin that no one can see. She sits down at the seat beside Jenna as Jenna raises her eyebrows.*

Jenna: 103, so nice to have you today. And um...I'm pretty sure that's not what Jay meant when she said to hide your identity. She asked that you went by your representative numbers and not your real name. You know...so you don't give spoilers for the people who haven't read the book yet. You can take that weird thing off your head.

103: You sure it's safe? I don't need Jay cutting my part out of the books for not listening.

Jenna: Psh, you're fine. Take that thing off.

103: True. Since when did I ever listen to the rules anyway? *chuckles*

Jenna: *smiles* I think we're going to be great friends.

103: *takes off her disguise as crowd screams* Same, same.

Jenna: And now that we have one half of our main crew, why don't we bring out the other half? Are you guys ready for it because I'm pretty sure Taylor Swift is. She made a whole song about it, just saying.

Well anywaaaay, I hope you are because I could honestly care less! *grins*

*103 snorts*

Jenna: Let's give it up for our leading gentleman, Mr. Shy Guy, my daddy, your daddy, everyone's daddy, London Watkins!

*The crowd cheers as London quickly makes a face at Jenna and cringes. He casually walks out, waves and smiles at the crowd, and takes a seat beside 103.*

Jenna: London, so nice of you to join us today! How are you feeling?

London: *nervously puts hands through hair* A bit overwhelmed to be honest, but in a good way! Never thought I'd make it here to the Wattpad Block Party! It's kind of exciting if you ask me!

Jenna: Well I like your thinking! Since this is the first interview for both of you, I've curated a random question for each of you to answer. Think of it as a funny kind of ice breaker.

103: *takes a glance at London* Oh boy.

London: I'm scared.

Jenna: *smirks* You should be.

So, first question I have here is for 103.

103, you are very open about your love for food. There's a certain scene in Heartbreak Hotline where you express your love for milkshakes. Now the crowd wants to know, does your milkshake bring all the boys to the yard?

*Both London and 103 die laughing*

103: *composes herself* I would say so. Especially the desperate ones.

London: *scoffs* I feel attacked.

103: Then my job is complete. *smirks*

London: Hey that's not-

Jenna: And onto our next question. And you know who this one is for!

*London stares at Jenna with a fearful expression on his face to which Jenna deviously smirks at.*

London, there was a certain scene in Heartbreak Hotline where the word daddy was jokingly thrown around. Ever since, some of your fans have dubbed you Daddy Londie. How do you feel about that?

London: Well that's honestly the most cringy word ever, as I clearly stated in the book. It's not a word used in my normal vocabulary and I was hoping it was going to stay that way. But I'm also super thrilled that I have fans who would love me enough to even give me a nickname. So I'd have to say that as cringeworthy as it is, I'm grateful that I have people who would be creative enough to get a nickname like that and make it stick.

Jenna: That's a really great answer, daddy. Which leads me to my next question.

*London playfull rolls his eyes*

Heartbreak Hotline reached success at a very fast rate. Within four months you had been added to an official Wattpad reading list on the @_ShortStory_ official account, reached 100K reads, and ranked #5 in the short story genre. How did you feel about all of this sudden attention?

103: Well honestly, I was a bit surprised to see how well a story like this could do. You know, London and I shared a story that was made mostly in dialogue format. When it comes to stories written in that kind of format, it's usually hit or miss so we really didn't expect much of anything to happen until the reads began to shoot up.

London: Yeah, I have to agree with what 103 said. But the fact that our story managed to do so much in so little time is just amazing. And the sudden attention can get a little overwhelming at times, as all things do. But it's a good feeling when you're sleeping in your bed and knowing that your bad day was relatable or that the situation you're going through can really make someone feel like they're not alone. I happen to think that's the true beauty of our story and of any story out there really.

103: Plus we never expected the immediate reaction from readers. As soon as we realized that our story was doing so well, I kinda just sat there staring at it like, 'Oh that's my story!' and London called me up.

London: I did.

103: Right! And we were just so so excited. We actually chatted about it for a while. And of course after we hung up and I let it sink in some more, I know I did a little happy dance in my room. Sometimes it's nice to know that so many people laughed and cried at the experiences you actually went through.

Jenna: Wow, those are some pretty interesting answers! It's nice to hear a little more about how you both reacted to that. And by the way, congrats on all your accomplishments! That's amazing.

London: Thank you.

103: Yeah, thanks.

Jenna: And onto our next question:

So we know how well your story did and all of those stats, but we need a little more on what your story is actually about. Now I know it's a short story and it's mainly written in dialogue format, but we need a little more than that. If you were able to describe it in three words, how would you describe it and why?

London: Oof, just three?

Jenna: *nods* Just three.

London: I would say...well suspenseful would be my first word just because there is always some kind of element of suspense lingering in there. You want to know how one character feels about the other and if they're connected in one way or another. And I know it probably sounds like a bunch of gibberish right now, but it'll make sense once you dive into the book. I promise.

As for the other two, I'd probably say lighthearted and hilarious because there are some chapters where you'll probably fall out of your seat laughing and others where you may laugh so hard, you'll cry.

Jenna: And as for you 103?

103: I would say humorous, adorable, and lowkey stress-inducing. The first one I say because Londie's right. I would say our story is pretty hilarious and a lot of readers will probably agree. Adorable because well...*blush*...Londie is so innocent that he's kind of adorable.

*London turns bright red*

And it's lowkey stress-inducing because after I read it, I realized how many dumb choices London and I actually made and sometimes I was like screaming at my phone to get one of us to make the total opposite decision. And I mean, it's our story so I can only imagine what people thought from the outside looking in.

London: *shakes his head and laughs* That's so true!

103: Right!

Jenna: Which I can absolutely understand because sometimes we all tend to make a few irrational decisions! So hopefully these next few questions aren't too stress inducing!

103: Jenna girl, where are you going with this?

Jenna: *smirks* You'll see.

So rumor has it that there is not going to be just one spinoff, but TWO spinoffs. Can you spill a little about that for the readers?

*London and 103 search each other's nervous expressions*

103: Er...well technically everything's under wraps for now. We've been sworn to secrecy.

Jenna: But even you said that you like to break rules!

103: Yeah, but this is completely different.

Jenna: How so?

103: It just is...

London: The only thing we can really say is that it's true, there is going to be one spinoff and one continuation. The continuation picks up right where Heartbreak Hotline left off and it will be adapted into a full Teen Fiction novel. I can't give the title here because it contains a spoiler itself, but there is more information available in the bonus chapters at the end of Heartbreak Hotline.

103: Yeah, what he said.

London: And as for the other story, Damsel in Despair, you will definitely see a familiar face as the lead role. This one is going to be in dialogue format just like Heartbreak Hotline so expect lots of sarcasm and giggles, but just from some different characters! As always, there is more info over on the bonus chapters of Heartbreak Hotline. And I can tell you that Jay has been working on Damsel in Despair, so it is getting done. The other Teen Fiction novel is looking more like a summer or fall release.

Jenna: And there's this crazy rumor floating around that Jay is working on connecting ALL of her stories to one another. I heard you might have some details on that.

103: Well she's been working on this for a little while and from what I already know, there's an obvious connection between The Lost Boy Series and the continuation of Heartbreak Hotline. All I can say is you might see some familiar faces.

London: Yeah, and Jay's really been avidly thinking about this. She's been planning different places for each little part of her universe and she's been blending character timelines and stories so they will all line up and make sense. And if I'm not mistaken, there's a rumor flying around that our story will correlate to The Lost Boy Series like 103 stated, but then The Lost Boy Series is going to have a HUGE correlation with Jay's debut science fiction novel, Broken.

103: So it's pretty much like the more you know, the more it's going to make sense to you. All this blending stuff doesn't even make much sense to me, but hey if she can make it work then go for it.

London: And I also want to note that sometimes you may want to pay attention to cameos because while you may think that Jay is just doing it for promo reasons, she actually may just be testing the waters for something much bigger. But that's all I can say for now...my lips are sealed!

Jenna: Aw! And it was just getting to the juicy part!

But anyway, what can fans of Heartbreak Hotline expect from these upcoming books?

103: Well obviously, fans are going to get more description and content in the Teen Fiction novel. There will be lots of character development and growth as well as a lot more background on a specific character that I won't mention *cough cough*. And you're going to meet a lot of new faces that'll shake things up a little. So there's a ton of fun stuff coming your way. You really don't want to miss it!

And for the spinoff, you'll get to jump into another character's side of the story which will be fun.

Jenna: That sounds completely amazing! How exciting for you guys! I wish you nothing but success in the future!

Okay, so now is the part in the interview where we switch it up and ask you some questions that the fans left. Are you ready?

103: Bring it!

London: Definitely!

Jenna: Alright, here we go.

@The_Outkast asks: 103, what are your favourite traits about London?

103: I'd have to say his laugh because it's just...I don't know. There's not even a word to explain it.

*London blushes*

It's like an adorable huskiness mixed with some weird sort of power that sends calming waves in my direction. It's wonderful if you ask me.

And I also like his height because he can reach really high objects, hehe. Oh, and his sense of fashion is on point. Is this a trick question to make me talk for days?

London: *laughs* Stop being cute.

103: *blushes*

@jaasmine_16 asks: London, say the truth- did you like forest green because Delilah's eyes were green?

London: Well for those of you who don't know who Delilah is, she's the girl I called into Heartbreak Hotline for and she has these bright green eyes. But being honest, I never really correlated the fact that forest green is my favorite color to the fact that she has green eyes. Maybe that's why she seems so interesting...wow, I never really thought of that. Good observations!

*ponders on the thought*

@iloveshawny asks: London, do you have any plans to actually visit London?

London: Actually as of now, no. My main goal is to graduate high school so I can get out of that hellhole and then try to save up some money. Maybe one day I'll visit, but right now I don't have the time or money to get there. Maybe I'll visit when I'm old and retired though.

*chuckles*

@-stxrlust asks: London, how did you find out about Heartbreak Hotline?

London: Oh man, I'm scared to tell this story. It's going to make me look like a total loser, but anyway here I go. I was browsing on the internet when I found it. If you read the book then you can tell by the time I called into Heartbreak Hotline, I was already frustrated that I couldn't capture Delilah's attention. And so, *nervously chuckles and puts hand through hair* I kinda was looking up ways to catch a girl's attention. And I can't believe I just told the whole world that because now I feel like a total idiot, but if you must know the real story then I'm gonna tell you the truth.

So I was looking up tips and trick on how to approach the girl you like because every time I would try to talk to her, I would start to shake or I would get tongue tied. Plus it doesn't help that I really don't know how to keep a conversation. So after studying some tips and tricks and realizing I still sucked at talking to girls, I went to the internet again. Except this time- and I don't remember where exactly I saw it- but the number to Heartbreak Hotline came up and I figured that talking to a real person might help me to build the social skills and confidence I needed to approach Delilah.

Yeah, pitiful. I know...

*103 puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder*

@CoordinatorIza asks: 103, What are your some of your future goals/dreams? Career or personal wise.

103: Ooo I love this question! Well I love love love to read so I would absolutely love to be a librarian- but I refuse to be a boring one. I want to own my own library and run it and have a coffee shop connected where readers and writers alike could just come and chill. I want a stress free atmosphere for people who enjoy books as much as I do. Or maybe I'll just own a bookstore. Now that I think about it, a bookstore sounds more my style.

And if that doesn't work out, then maybe own a restaurant. My friend Nemo works at a locally owned pizza shop in my hometown and the pizza is just delicious. The crunchy crust, the thick but not-too-thick layer of cheese with the layered pepperoni. Yum.

London: Can you stop making me hungry?

103: Sorry. We should so get some pizza later though, huh?

London: *grins* Yeah, why not?

103: Yay!

Oh, but getting back to the point, if I owned a restaurant I would want to sell a variety of different things, not just pizza. Or maybe I just do want to sell pizza...hmm. Only time will tell!

@Fandom_Sister asks: 103, when you first got the call from London what were your first thoughts?

103: Oh gosh. Well first I thought he was really desperate. Then I started contemplating if he was a teenage boy with raging testosterone.

London: ...

*103 shrugs*

@Azzah_Taekook_BTS asks: 103, can we please be friends? You're awesome!

103: Um, of course! I'm pretty sure you're more awesome than I am anyway!

@ahhimissyouahh2 asks: 103, how tall are you? What's the height difference between you and London?

103: I'm 5'2". So I'm a little shrimp. And I'm not sure how tall London is, but he's tall enough for me to have to stand on a bench to reach his height. But I like his height because it suits him, hehe.

*she gives London heart eyes*

@carol-martins asks: London, what are your dreams? I mean, do you want to go to college or something like that?

London: Yeah, college is definitely in my future and I've been applying to schools and for scholarships. But I haven't decided on my major yet and being honest, all of this college talk can be stressful. I'm not so sure you can have a clear path of what you want to do for the rest of your life at eighteen years old.

If I could get into anything, I'd love to learn more about graphic design and animation. It would be awesome to maybe find a job in the video game or movie animation fields, but I also have to be realistic with myself. I don't want to get a degree in something where it would be hard for me to find a job in the future.

@_Stars_Ocean_Music_ asks: 103 and London, what is your fav subject you had/have in school?

103: English obviously! Unless lunch counts. Then it would definitely be lunch.

*Jenna and London laugh, while London almost accidentally slips off his chair*

London: *picks himself back up* Oh, that could've ended real badly for me. Yikes. Uh but getting back on track, I've always liked science and any kind of computer geared classes. I like subjects that require critical thinking, so there's that.

@HeyItsLibby asks: Are you watching any new shows lately? Have you watched Dynasty?

103: I have not watched Dynasty yet, but I'm going too soon. I've heard great things about it! Right now, I'm into Riverdale because those storylines are soooo good. Well I liked the first season a lot more than the second because the whole Black Hood thing kind of bored me but eh...guess you've gotta take the good with the bad. But I've also been watching The Four because I live for singing competitions!

London: Is Dynasty that one with all the drama and the girls always fighting?

103: That can be Keeping Up With the Kardashians for all we know.

London: Well at least I gave it a shot. I've been watching this new show called 9-1-1 and it's really good. It's only a few episodes in but it has me so hooked! I hated this week's cliffhanger though! Gah, these good screenwriters are always teasing!

103: Psh, what a drama king.

@Pizzaloverdude asks: 103, what are your hobbies?

103: Oh, that's easy! I love reading! And does watching movies count, because it should.

@AuroraFrostbite asks 103, did you get to chose which number you were? And if so why did you pick 103?

103: I didn't get to choose it. When the hotline hires you they automatically assign a number to your name and whatever you get, you get. It's kind of a random draw, but I wasn't able to choose it.

Jenna: Well I think that's all the questions we have from the fans! I do have a few more for you guys though!

London: Okay!

103: Hit me with your best shot chica!

Jenna: I gotchu fam.

What kind of reader would you say Heartbreak Hotline is for?

London: *laughs* Ones with short attention spans. It's a pretty short read which is good for people who want to finish a book in one setting and it's especially good for reading on the road.

103: And just to add to that, I think this book is highly suited for people who love a good laugh mixed with a bit of romance. It's filled with tons of jokes and humorous scenarios, plus I think there are certain parts of it that are also relatable. I mean, who hasn't felt nervous to speak to their crush?

Jenna: Yeah, you definitely have a point there.

London: ...

Jenna: But anyway, here's my last and final question for you two. Brace yourselves.

103: Please don't make me admit to anything crazy.

London: Can this just be a normal question? *looks like a deer in headlights*

Jenna: This is the question of all questions, the head honcho, the super duper humongous question we've all been waiting to be answered.

How much do you love your readers?

103: Oh, phew! I thought you were going to ask me to reveal my identity. That'd be scary.

London: How is that even scary? I thought it was something pertaining to the word 'daddy'. Guess I was wrong.

Jenna: Wow, you guys really think I'm that horrible?

London: Well...if you want me to be honest I think-

*103 puts her hands over London's mouth*

103: If you want me to be honest, I love my readers so so so so much that I would probably rent out a giant concert arena just to throw them a giant pizza party. That would be so much fun! I would rent a dj and a-

London: Wow, creative much?

103: *shrugs* Hey, what can I say? I like adventure.

London: *smiles* Well I love my readers so so much. We literally would've never gotten this far if it weren't for your infinite amount of love and support. You all believed in the story so much that it surpassed 100K reads and I just have a never-ending amount of gratitude toward you all. I'm overflowing with love for all of you! Thank you so much for being so amazing!

103: Yeah, you guys totally rock! And you deserve all the pizza in the world!

London: Really? Again with the food?

103: You know it, daddy.

London: *glares and grumbles*

Jenna: Well anyway, that concludes today's interview! Thank you so much to London and 103 for taking the time out to sit with me. On behalf of all of your fans, I'd like to say that you guys are both really cool and I wish you great success in the future.

London: Thank you for having us.

103: Yeah, thank you so much! And don't be a stranger Jenna!

Jenna: Oh, I won't! I hope to see you both again sometime in the future! Thanks again for stopping by!

And hey! Yeah you there! If you liked this little snippet and want to experience tons of laughs and giggles, then I highly recommend you check out Heartbreak Hotline! It's a short read and will definitely put you through all the feels. And if you've already read it, then make sure that you follow @Lightning_Stryker for updates on her new projects including both the continuation and spinoff to Heartbreak Hotline! Hope to see you there!

Oh and before I forget to mention it, don't forget to enter Jay's giveaway! She'll be giving away 5 shoutouts on her Twitter, Instagram, and Wattpad account- all which can be seen at the picture below! Make sure to connect with her on her social media outlets! She's very chatty!

Once again, thank you so much for tuning into this interview! I hope to see you over at the story! And all reads, votes, and comments are greatly appreciated! :)

And on my final closing note, remember that you can accomplish absolutely anything you put your mind to. My name is Jenna Rhodes and thank you so much for having me. 

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