John Houlihan.net

It’s always fun to do something a little different with your characters, something unusual, something a little bit out of the ordinary that takes them places they wouldn’t normally venture. In fact, these often make for the most intriguing passages of writing, places where you can learn something about your own creation that you hadn’t considered before.

It was a rare delight therefore to take part in The Protagonist Speaks, a fascinating site where authors are interviewed in character and answer a series of questions about their hero’s life and adventures.

Run by the estimable Assaph Mehr, whose own excellent stories of togas, daggers, and magic include Murder in Absentia, and In Numina for lovers of Ancient Rome and Urban Fantasy, this was a fascinating exercise in character building and definition, and actually resulted in some revelatory new truths about Lieutenant Colonel Gaston d’Bois and the entire Mon Dieu Cthulhu! series.

I hadn’t really considered it before, but when asked about d’Bois’ innermost secrets, I decided that the intrepid hussar would have an unusual phobia, to wit:

“D’Bois has an unusual fear, for he has never entirely trusted la chèvre —goats. Although their fromage is most palatable, there is something in those staring eyes and braying tongue which speaks of a blasphemous and unholy knowledge far beyond the limits of this earth.”

Check out the entire interview for more searing (!) insights into both d’Bois himself and the future of the Mon Dieu series, with, I’m pleased to announce, work finally commencing on the third novel, provisionally entitled Keeper of the Hidden Flame.

I’ve spent a fair time plotting and scheming about this new novel and I’ve finally broken ground on writing it this very month. I’m pretty excited about how it will turn out, because if all goes to plan it will reveal the staggering truth about the Mythos forces at play during the Napoleonic era and form a new foundation to guide the rest of the entire series.  More to come on that one, soon!