Saturday, October 4, 2014

Questions for Meghan, Cade, Fergus, and the Morrigan from Teshelle Combs' SOLE Release Bash

Hello Readers!  Oh, it has been far too long since I've posted anything here, and I do apologize for that.  In the upcoming months, I hope to share the first chapters of The Legend of Oescienne - The Ascending and Caelihn (when they are ready to go), so for now I offer you this.  These are the four questions I chose to answer for Teshelle Combs' SOLE Release Bash on Facebook.  I'm posting them here, in case you didn't get a chance to join the event and read them the other day.  I'd also like to thank Teshelle for including me, and I encourage you to go check her out on Facebook, or to take a look at her Amazon Page.  Hope these responses brighten your day a little and I'd love to hear what you think of them (or which of my characters you'd most likely behave like in these situations ;)).  Feel free to comment below, and let me know if you'd like to hear answers to these questions from some of the other characters from the Otherworld Trilogy or the Oescienne Series (again. let me know in the contacts section and I'll see if they are willing to sit down for an interview ;)).
-J.E. Johnson

1. Finally, a break! How do your characters blow off steam?

A) Meghan Elam – I like to relax in my room (the basement apartment in my parents’ house, usually blissfully free of my five little brothers) by kicking back on my bed and either reading a favorite book or listening to some soothing music and just letting my mind relax.

B) Cade MacRoich – I prefer long walks through the countryside of Eile, preferably around Luathara Castle or through the Weald.  If I’ve just gone through my riastrad (my battle fury), then holing up in Luathara and sleeping for several hours, and sometimes days, is even better.

C) Fergus (Cade’s spirit guide wolfhound) – I like to join my spirit ward, Cade, on his long walks.  Sometimes, I’ll go by myself and hunt for renegade faelah, the Morrigan’s demented creations.  It is so thrilling to run them to ground and crush them between my teeth.  Unfortunately, not too many of them are good to eat.

D) The Morrigan – being the Celtic goddess of war and strife, my rage is unfathomable and I find the need to blow off steam an everyday occurrence.  My favorite way to work out my frustration is by tormenting Cade, the Faelorehn Ehriad who is geis-bound to serve me, or by finding some stray Faelorehn or Otherworldly creature to sacrifice.  When I’m not plotting or resting, I’m working on building up my vast reserves of dark magic.

2. A stranger walks up to your characters and slaps them in the face. What do they do/say?

A) Meghan Elam – In all honesty, I would probably be too shocked to say anything.  Who would go up to someone and slap them in the face?  I would probably just grumble and curse them under my breath, and hope that my untrained glamour didn’t do anything crazy.  That happened once before, and I didn’t like it.  A mean boy at school said horrible things about me and I got so upset that I unwittingly hurled a pinecone at his head.

B) Cade MacRoich – Usually if I detect any menace pouring off of anyone, I give them a look that makes them change their mind very quickly.  If someone was unwise enough to slap me, it might just be enough to push my glamour over the edge.  I have pretty good control of my riastrad, but if I’m in a dangerous mood, and someone provokes me, the monster might just burst forth and severely injure them.

C) Fergus (Cade’s spirit guide wolfhound) – If someone slaps me in the face, I would bite them.  No question about it.

D) The Morrigan – The imbecile’s hand would never make contact.  I would use my glamour to stop the blow, then make them believe their arm was on fire as I ripped what pitifully miniscule amount of magic resided in their soul, before finally reducing their body to ash.

3. Surprise! Your characters somehow end up stuck babysitting a bunny for the weekend. What ensues?

A) Meghan Elam – I wouldn’t mind babysitting a bunny at all!  I’d just have to figure out a way to keep my brothers from tormenting it.

B) Cade MacRoich – I suppose babysitting a bunny would be far easier than my usual job of tracking down and exterminating the Morrigan’s faelah.  It might be a nice, relaxing weekend.

C) Fergus – Fantastic!  Will I be permitted to chase it and eat it when the weekend is through?

D) The Morrigan – Bunnies have very little glamour to harvest.  Thank you, ignorant mortal, for the donation of live game.  My hellhounds, the Cumorrig, need a little fresh meat mixed in with their mostly carrion diet.

4. Your characters are stranded on an island. What five things do they bring?!

A) Meghan Elam – One, my spirit guide Meridian, to keep me company.  Two, a journal to write my dreams in.  Three, the mistletoe charm Cade gave to me.  Four, can I count Cade as something to bring along?  Hmm, maybe he should be in the number one slot …  Five, a picture of my family.

B) Cade MacRoich – I would want Meghan to come with me, but just so I can make sure the Morrigan can’t hurt her.  Fergus would be a wonderful companion as well.  One of my daggers, for protection and to use as a tool.  My long bow and arrows for hunting what game might live on the island.  Finally, my good cloak in case the weather turns foul.

C) Fergus (Cade’s spirit guide wolfhound) – Cade would be my first choice (what sort of spirit guide wouldn’t want his spirit ward with him?).  Next, I would say Meghan Elam, since Cade would worry about her and miss her (he won’t admit it, but he pines after the girl).  Meridian, Meghan’s spirit guide merlin, would be a fun addition.  She likes to chase after faelah with me and is helpful in spotting things from the sky.  I would like Cade’s horse, Speirling, to come, too.  That way Meridian and I would have someone else to play with when Cade and Meghan get distracted by one another.  Finally, I think I’d like to bring along a long piece of knotted rope.  Maybe Cade or Meghan will play tug-of-war with me every now and then.  I love that game!

D) The Morrigan – I would never get stuck on an island because I would simply transform into a raven and fly away, but let’s say, for the sake of arguing, I somehow get stranded with no way to escape.  I would need my sacrificial knife, just in case I found something with glamour.  No warrior goddess can go anywhere without her spirit guide, so my white raven would be coming with me as well.  The island might be overrun by upstart peons who are beneath me, so I must bring my Cumorrig to fight off any annoying pests.  I’ll need to establish a new fortress on this island, so I’ll need the throne from my cave.  Finally, I’ll want to bring along my best dress made of black and red leather, the skirts an intricate weave of gossamer, glamour and death.  The best way to garner supplicants is through terror and intimidation, and boy do I look something fierce in that dress.