Interview of Govin and Tayla from A Rogue’s Tale

Today’s gest blogger is Saoirse O’Mara! This is a character interview. Enjoy!

 

Govin, Tayla, how did you two meet?

 

Govin: Well, our first meeting was when she tried to pickpocket me.

 

Tayla [blushing]: Yeah, you know, I was hungry….

 

Wow, that’s an interesting first meeting. But you still became friends after that, right?

 

Govin: Yes, you see, we helped each other and solved the theft together. Not everyone in our situations would have acted that way, but we did and were rewarded with a new friendship.

 

Tayla: Govin was…different from other guards. And he still is; he really cares for the people.

 

So…tell us something about your plans for the future.

 

Govin: My final evaluation is soon. If I pass, I will finally be a full guard member, so it is very important for my future career. After that, I don’t yet know.

 

Tayla: I’m working and hoping that it’ll stay that way. Living in the streets is rough and I’m really grateful for the chance I was given. I have something like a home again.

 

What is your favourite spot in Davon?

 

Govin and Tayla at the same time: Above the harbour!

 

Tayla: It’s my favourite spot, and has been since I first found it years ago. I showed it to Govin shortly after we had met.

 

Govin: It is a great spot for watching the harbour, nestled between some houses.

 

You met the High Mage, didn’t you? What’s he like?

 

Tayla: He actually seems nice, not at all like his brother. I’m glad that he’s High Mage, not Misan the Cruel.

 

Misan the Cruel?

 

Govin: That is her nickname for High Mage Tilan’s brother, Misan Dagovan.

 

Ah, I see. Okay, one more question. Are you two really just friends?

 

Govin [frowning]: What else?

 

Tayla [rolling her eyes]: You heard him. Yes, we’re just friends.

 

Thank you for this interview, and good luck with your final evaluation, Govin.

 

Saoirse O’Mara, the creator of the YA fantasy/mystery series A Rogue’s Tale featuring Govin and Tayla, lives in Germany with her husband. She loves RPGs, reading (mostly fantasy and good British crime), music, and languages, and writes children’s and YA books and an occasional short story or poem. You can find out more about her here: http://saoirseomara.wordpress.com

 

Find out more about A Rogue’s Tale (http://aroguestale.wordpress.com) or follow the series on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ARoguesTale).

 

Interview With When Stars Die’s Oliver Cromwell

I actually created new cover art that I think is much better than this.

Link to Amelia Gareth’s interview here.

I am happy to announce that I was able to bring in Oliver Cromwell to do an interview with me. He is generally so busy with his duties as a priest at Cathedral Reims that trying to get him to sit down for five minutes is almost impossible. But he is Amelia Gareth’s confidant and best friend.

Me: Tell me about your relationship with Amelia.

Oliver: We’re best friends and nothing more. We can’t be any more because I have taken my vows and Amelia will take hers when she is professed. To break these vows would mean more trouble for me than Amelia because she is a woman.

Me: Why does being a woman matter?

Oliver: It just does. It’s 1880, so ideals are very old-fashioned. Amelia would be exiled if she broke her vows. I would simply be suspended.

Me: I understand now. Tell me why you became a priest?

Oliver: My little sister Ella is a witch, and so being a priest means serving Deus, and I hope to cleanse Ella’s soul, similar to what Amelia wants to do for he brother. We both have very similar goals at Cathedral Reims.

Me: Be honest: what do you think about Cathedral Reims?

Oliver: I honestly hate it. I hate that Amelia must endure suffering to become a nun. I hate that everyone at the cathedral must suffer to take vows. We are all the children of Deus, and not once in the Vulgate does it mention we must suffer to be accepted by Deus. We just can’t be witches. So all the torture we go through is so unnecessary.

Me: What do you think you should go through then to become professed?

Oliver: A good understanding of the Vulgate is one thing, as well as Liturgy of the Hours and the inner workings of Cathedral Reims: illuminating manuscripts, caring for the plants in the green house, things of that sort. And your loyalty too through essays or prayers, but not torture.

Me: Sounds like you should be head of the Professed Order. What does a priest at Cathedral Reims do?

Oliver: Well, we can lead sermons, teach more classes, work out in the community more, hold more leadership roles, and be involved in more decision making processes than the nuns, such as creating more disciplinary actions for novitiates and things of that nature.

Me: I hear you’re actually rather persistent with Amelia. Tell us about that.

Oliver: Well, we exchange the occasional daring affection from time to time, but we will not go beyond that. No kissing either. We will never have a relationship because that is forbidden. It is Amelia’s dream to be professed, and I share in that dream with her. I want what Amelia wants.

Me: But that sounds dreadful. Isn’t it teasing?

Oliver: We’ve kept it in control for a while, and we can keep doing it. Once Amelia becomes professed, our contact will become limited, so we know our lots in life.

Me: Anything else you’d like to say?

Oliver: Nothing that won’t reveal spoilers. But I will say this: there are more witches out there than anyone can imagine. Even your best friend could be a witch.

Me: Thank you for those final words. Well, that wraps up this interview. Stay tuned next time when I speak with Nathaniel Gareth, Amelia’s younger brother!

Interview With My Book’s Character

A sort of likeness of Amelia made in a Soulless dress-up game.

Me: Hello all! This is Amber Forbes signing in to interview When Star Die’s Amelia Gareth! We are honored to have her here, especially since she is so busy with the next book in the trilogy. So, Amelia, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Amelia: Well…um…there isn’t a whole lot to say. I’m a sister at Cathedral Reims and I desperately want to be professed.

Me: Why do you want to be professed? I hear the road to profession is unbearable.

Amelia: Is anyone important going to read this.

Me: What do you mean by important?

Amelia: Anyone who would use my words against me.

Me: Not at all!

Amelia: Good. I want to be professed because my little brother is a witch. I hope that by serving Deus, we will be forgiven for the sins my parents have placed upon him.

Me: I heard you ran away from home. Tell me a little bit about that.

Amelia: You see, when parents commit a Seven Deadly Sin for a prolonged period of time, the child born from those sins is a witch. I suppose after my birth, my parents grew careless. As far as I know, they were never careless before I was born, so I’m the lucky one. But my brother…well, I will cleanse him. He is working to become a priest, and I am working to become a nun. There is no greater gift than to serve Deus.

Me: That’s a lot for you two. Tell me what it’s like being in Cathedral Reims. I know in the book we don’t get a full view of the workings because of circumstantial matters.

Amelia: Well, when we all come in, we are simply known as sisters. We all refer to each other in that way unless we’re very close to one another, such as my best friend Colette and I. All convents do things differently, but we’re all novices until were professed, as in novitiates. When we first enter, it functions much like a finishing school: full, three course meals, classes, socialization time, more classes. But then we’re slowly weaned of things until we’re eating bland meals, being beaten into silence during classes, allowed no more socialization except to pray, and must attend all Liturgy of the Hours, which are moments of prayer with the professed. Then we must endure harsh trials to become professed. Once we’ve passed those, we are nuns and can choose vocations, such as teaching, or we can choose to pray all day for suffering to end. I want to do teaching.

Me: The inner workings of Cathedral Reims sound complex. How do you feel about all that?

Amelia: It isn’t the most ideal life for me, but I dream of becoming professed nonetheless. Witches are so hated in our world. Everyone is taught to hate them from birth for little reason other than our Vulgate tells us to. We’re fed the religious readings of the Vulgate from the time we are able to understand and onward.

Me: What about you? Do you hate witches?

Amelia: I wasn’t rabidly fed the Vulgate, so I was able to think on my own. But I can’t hate them when my brother is one.

Me: That mind of yours will get you places. Anything more you want our audience to know?

Amelia: I want them to know that while this is a paranormal romance, things are…unconventional. It won’t seem that way at first, but hopefully readers will be able to deduce early on just what is really happening. If not, there are fun surprises in store.

Me: Thank you. This is Amelia Gareth! Stay turned for more on When Stars Die! Amber signing off!