Today I have the wonderful Andrew Q. Gordon on my blog sharing an interview with Farrell and Miceral from The Last Grand Master. I just picked up this title from Dreamspinner and can hardly wait to read it!
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Interview with Farrell and Miceral
Today I finally caught up with Prince Farrell of Haven and his life partner Miceral. It took a bit of doing to get these two pinned down, what with the on-going war, being newlyjoineds and the demand of ruling Haven. But I finally got to sit down with them in their apartment inside Haven.
AQG: First let me thank you both for agreeing to do this interview. I wasn’t sure you were going to agree.
Farrell: Well you’re the writer, so we felt it best to keep on your good side.
Miceral: Farrell felt it best, I don’t really worry about offending you.
AQG: Really? You know I could make you run naked into Serita’s temple if you’re not careful.
M: You could, but I doubt that would impress your readers. Having me run into a temple full of women doesn't sound like a reason for them to read. And we know that is what you’re really after.
AQG: Is he always like this?
F: Yes. Don’t feel too special. I get no respect either. No matter how many times I remind him it’s not wise to annoy your grand master wizard life partner, he seems completely unfazed by my power.
M: I know you well enough to know you won’t misuse your power like that, especially not on me.
AQG: Moving on. You two have been joined less than a year. Has anything happen in that time that surprised you?
M: Surprised me? Not really. The first night we spent together, he tricked me into staying by asking me to wash his back before he showed me to my room. Then he promptly fell asleep – naked – on the bed. After that, I knew to expect the unexpected.
AQG: Um… Is it getting hot in here?
F: No. The temperature is regulated by magic, It’s the same as when you arrived.
AQG: Never mind. Farrell, has being joined changed you at all?
F: You mean aside from being really happy for the first time since Yar-del fell to Meglar.
AQG: No that counts. Was there something else?
F: Yes. Being Miceral's life partner has helped me be a better leader. No that’s not right, it’s helped me to be a leader.
AQG: What do you mean? Weren’t you Prince of Haven before you met Miceral?
F: Yes, but one can have a title but not be able to wield the authority that comes with it. Before I met Miceral, I was content to let others make decisions that I’d okay. He’s given me the confidence to assert myself and to take on the responsibility I didn’t think I could handle.
M: He’s being modest. Farrell has always been a leader. People may have made decisions for him, but they always sought his input. If I’ve done anything it has been to show him how capable he is.
AQG: Farrell, you’ve been adopted into a Peregrine family, did that taking getting used to?
M: Let me interrupt for a moment and mention it’s not just any peregrine family, it’s the family of King Rothdin.
F: Name dropper. But to answer the question, yes it took a lot of getting used. My new brothers, Takala and Grohl, are like giant, loud, clumsy children. Miceral’s known them longer, but they’re like children despite being centuries old. There are times my adoptive father looks at me to help make them grow up.
M: Rothdin might as well accept they’ll never grow up. They feed off each other.
AQG: How so?
F: If one does something, other feels the need to try to one up them. I mean, once, when we were under attack, I tried a new form of magic with Takala. Grohl was crazy with jealousy, which made Takala preen for days.
AQG: They sound like brothers. Are they twins?
M: They’re from the same clutch, but they’re not twins.
F: Exactly, so because Takala hatched two minutes earlier, he reminds Grohl all the time of who the ‘older’ brother is. They’re incorrigible. But I love them. They take their role of older brothers very seriously and they treat me like I have feathers and a beak.
AQG: Miceral, your father is now the First Minister of Haven, but from what I’ve heard, when he first met Farrell things didn’t go so well.
M: That’s one way of putting it. Farrell dumped him on his ass after threatening to throw him into the middle of an army of chamdon. It wasn’t pretty.
F: Blame it all on me why don’t you. If you two hadn’t been fighting, things might have gone better.
AQG: Fighting? I can’t see that. You two seem to get along so well.
M: At the time my father wasn’t very happy that I preferred men. He wanted an heir and after my mother died . . . well he seemed even more opposed to me joining with a man.
AQG: I didn’t know there was such prejudice on Nendor, or among Muchari.
M: There isn’t. Same sex pairings are readily accepted. This is more of a dynastic prejudice. The ruling houses find it troublesome when the heir isn’t likely to produce an heir.
AQG: Aren’t Muchari basically immortal?
M: Pretty close to it. My grandfather is almost 5000 years old now. He returned to Primilian shortly after I was born and left my father to handle things on Ardus. I think my father forgot how long we live following my mother’s untimely death.
AQG: What happened to her? If that’s not too personal.
M: There was an accident and she died before we could reach her. My father took it very badly for a long time. To him, he needed an heir that would have an heir or else he needed to remarry and he found that idea distasteful for a long time. Now I think he’s feeling better about both issues.
AQG: I can see this isn’t a good topic, so I’ll move onto to something else.
M: Thank you.
AQG: Farrell, it’s said you and Nerti share a special bond. Tell us about that.
F: Special is an odd word for what we have, she….
AQG Something wrong?
F: Ha, no. Nerti is warning me to be good. I just gave her a chance to see I never intended to be anything but complimentary.
AQG: That sounds…um…complicated.
F: [Laughs] No, not really. Unicorns can read minds. It would take a very determined effort to keep her out of my mind given how closely we’ve worked, assuming I tried to close my mind from her in the first place.
AQG: Close your mind?
F: Just because a unicorn can read your mind, doesn’t mean they do it
M: Peregrines have the same talent…. Sorry Klissmor told me to remind you not to slight your adoptive family.
F: Right. My father’s mental abilities might be more formidable than Nerti’s, but I’m more familiar with Nerti’s touch. Anyway, back to your question. IF Nerti wanted to get into my mind against my will, she’d need to break down my defenses. And without any bravado, I’ve developed very strong barriers to protect my mind. But early on, we determined it would be beneficial to me for her to have access to my mind whenever she needed it.
AQG: That sounds frighteningly intrusive. I don’t think I’d want anyone to be able to know anything and everything in my head.
M: Why? Got some skeleton’s you don’t want us to know about.
AQG: I thought I was asking the questions.
M & F [Laugh]
AQH: Ahem, can we get back to what you were saying.
F: Yes, of course. It is invasive, so if you give someone that access you’d better trust they won’t abuse it. What you need to understand is Nerti is very old. She’s seen so much, and her knowledge of people, history, customs, is so vast that I’m just not that interesting to her. What’s history to me are memories to her. So the ability to benefit from her wisdom was too great to pass up. But she promised to keep out of my private thoughts and I trust her.
AQG: What if she decided to peek around anyway?
F: I’d know it immediately. She has better things to worry about than what I’m thinking in the privacy of my mind. Most of the time she maintains a link to my mind and only 'looks in' if I'm agitated or excited. Then she can monitor my thoughts. Nerti also has agreed to leave asked. I can also temporarily block the link if I want, but she'd know I was doing and probably ask why. I've haven't done that yet.
AQG: Basically your thoughts are background noise to her?
F: I suppose you could say that, but she also knows when to be more active. On those occasions, Nerti will actively monitor my thoughts so she can hear what's happening.
M: And so she can comment.
F: [Laughs and rolls his eyes] Yes, that too.
AQG: Now that you've defeated Meglar twice in the last year, what's next? Will you take the fight to him?
M: No. Farrell is going to meet Meglar on the Plains of Gharaha.
AQG: Why there?
F: Honorus has said that is where it will take place.
AQG: What if Meglar doesn't agree to come to Gharaha?
F: He will.
AQG: That's it? Just 'he will?'
M: If you knew Meglar, you'd know it won't be a problem. He believes he's superior to everyone else. Why would he fear to come face us?
AQG: Because he knows it's a trap?
F: When he attacked Yar-del he had to face Heminaltose and Zenora on their terms. He won. At Endor he met Sandoval and all the wizard priest of Falcron knowing they'd prepared for him. He beat them. After killing the three greatest wizards on Ardus, he doesn't fear me or anyone.
AQG: So what will you do?
F: What we've done for the last ten years; look for ways to defeat Meglar.
AQG: Mhmm, and what exactly does that mean?
F: Even if we knew the answer to that, we'd never tell you or anyone. But we need to expand our search beyond Ardus. I think it's time I paid a visit to Dumbarten and ask King Marcus for help. He was my mother's cousin so maybe I can persuade him to send help.
AQG: Can they help?
F: We don't know, but Kel was from Dumbarten and right now they are the largest strongest country on Nendor.
AQG: What if they can't or won't help?
M: You're a cheery sort, aren’t you?
AQG: It's not exactly a cheery subject.
F: You're right, it isn't. There are many other places on Nendor we can go. By now the world knows Meglar is a danger that has to be stopped. Hopefully someone will listen.
AQG: Sounds like you have a lot to do. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.
The Last Grand Master:r their very survival.
Champion of the Gods: Book One:
In a war that shook the earth, the Six gods of Nendor defeated their brother Neldin, god of evil. For the three thousand years since, Nendor and the Seven Kingdoms have known peace and prosperity.
But then a new wizard unleashes the power of Neldin. Meglar, wizard king of Zargon, uses dark magic to create an army of creatures to carry out his master's will.
One by one, the sovereign realms fall. Soon the only wizard who can stop Meglar is Grand Master Farrell, the Prince of Haven, the hidden home of refugees. An untried wizard, Farrell carries a secret that could hold the key to defeating Meglar—or it could destroy the world.
While helping Nerti, queen of the unicorns, Farrell saves Miceral, an immortal muchari warrior the Six have chosen to be Farrell's mate. But Farrell approaches love with caution, and before he can decide how to proceed, Meglar invades a neighboring kingdom. Farrell and Miceral find themselves in the middle of the battle. Farrell pushes himself to the limit as he and Miceral fight not only to stop Meglar but for their very survival.
Website:
www.andrewqgordon.com
Book page (with links to all major outlets for the book:
http://andrewqgordon.com/books/the-last-grand-master-coming-february-1-2013
Email:
andrewqgordon@gmail.com
Buy the book at:
Dreamspinner Press
Amazon
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Am I the only one who pictures the characters of a story differently than the way the cover art portrays them? Or what about when a movie is made from one of those books and they cast someone and you can't help but wonder, what the hell were they thinking? When I'm reading a story and the writer describes them a certain way, that forms an image in my mind and it sticks. That's what I see as I read and it usually doesn't match the person on the front cover and a majority of the time it definitely doesn't match who they cast for the film. 
