Hello from the Old World!

I’m sitting at the top of Clocher de Pierre, the gathering place of the Order of the Bell. It rained over night, so today it’s a nice brisk typical fall day out, and I am joined by some of your favorite characters from THE CARVER!

Madame Esme, Pietro Volo, Hansel, Enzo DiLegno, and Rosana Trujillo are here to celebrate this week’s Book Blitz and tell you a little bit about how their lives have changed since their most recent adventure entered print. It’s nice to put my interviewer hat on again! Let’s check in with these goofs and find out what they’ve been up to over the past two months.

Jacob: Hello everyone!

All: *a jumbled mess of “hello”s, “good day”s, and other salutations*

Jacob: It’s good to see you all sitting together! I see you all pretty much every day and put you through a lot of turmoil, but it’s pretty rare that all five of you sit in the same room. Has this ever happened?

Madame Esme: It has not yet come to pass in this reality, but it is foretold that all paths will converge on a day yet to arrive.

Pietro: So this is Madame Esme, huh? You really are as strange as they say…

Madame Esme: Madame Esme thanks you.

Jacob: Oh wow, this is your first time meeting? I’m sure the rest of you need no introduction. Hansel, how are you?

Hansel: Life is sweet as candy, Lore Master! It’s been a whirlwind, to say the least.

Jacob: Really? In what way? What’s been new for you?

Hansel: Oh, you know, before THE CARVER, I was a simple man who hardly existed outside of a brief fairy tale meant for younglings. Now, I walk down the street, and people ask if they can do selflings with me!

Jacob: Selflings? I’m a little lost, is this a Florindale thing that I haven’t written about yet? Can one of you enlighten me?

Esme: Madame Esme knows these too! People approach her with their smart phones–

Hansel: And they freak out, right? “Hey, you’re the bad guy from that book! Let us have a selfling!”

Enzo and Rosana: *together* Oh, selfie! Jinx!

Jacob: Ah, I get you now! So you’re experiencing a bit of star power, huh? That’s awesome!

Hansel: Quite. Until a fair lady sees me on the street, grabs her child, and quickly runs the other way. I hear what they whisper about me. “No, no, child, that’s the bad man!” Only a small handful of people run away. The rest do selflings and seem to be able to separate myth from reality: Hansel in the book world, and real Hansel!

Jacob: Well, it’s really interesting to hear how you’re handling your role as a fictional villain, and how people are responding to that. Pietro, what’s your experience been like?

Pietro: I feel like a movie star, man! Everywhere I go, people are like “OMG IT’S PETER PAN!” I don’t know how Violet could stand it, honestly. I’ve recently started wearing a big fake beard, a baseball cap, a giant hoodie, and aviators when I go out because the paparazzis and the mamarazzis are everywhere.

Enzo: *grinning* Don’t lie, Pietro. You like the attention.

Pietro: *shrugs* Okay, I love the attention. But not at the grocery store! That gets old real fast, because now everyone cares what I’m having for dinner, and I have to go through self check-out because the check-out guy is always commenting like, “Hmmm, Peter Pan likes extra crunchy Skippy peanut butter… why not buy the brand with your name on it?” Have you seen the Peter Pan on Peter Pan peanut butter? He looks like a freaking Christmas elf! That’s why I’m a Skippy guy. Other than that, yeah, life is super chill. I owe ya one, Jay.

Jacob: Shucks, man. Let’s talk to our teenage heroine! How are you, Rosana?

Rosana: I’m well! And can I just say that I love the cover for The Unseen? The world is gonna love it.

Jacob: Thanks! I think you’re right. We still have a long time before we can show it off, but it’ll be worth the wait. Do you wanna tell the world what it’s been like working on the sequel?

Rosana: In a word? Intense. Take all the action and adventure and the dark side of THE CARVER and double it. I’ve never felt such physical or emotional exhaustion before. You’re kind of a relentless author.

Jacob: Ha! I’ll take that as a compliment. If I’m not pushing you to your limits, I’m not doing my job.

Rosana: But it’s paying off, you know. At least, I think so. I really feel like I’m growing in a lot of different ways because of this project.

Jacob: You and I both, my friend. So, now that I have you here, there’s something everyone’s dying to know. It’s about you and our hero sitting next to you…

*Rosana and Enzo share a look*

Jacob: I’ll be blunt: are you two a thing?

 

Pietro: *leans forward and winks at Enzo, tilting his head toward Rosana*

Enzo: Sorry to disappoint, but we’re not a “thing.” How many successful relationships do you see in THE CARVER?

Jacob: Quite a few, actually. Your parents, Zack’s parents, Snow White and Prince Liam…

Enzo: Okay, let me use Batman as an example. Is Batman in a successful relationship? Or Captain America? Wolverine? We’re all trying to save the New World now. It doesn’t make sense to be in a relationship right now. All the best superheroes are single.

Rosana: Right.

Jacob: Okay, I’ll respect that answer. But this series has to come to an end at some point. Either a bunch of you will die and Queen Avoria will win, or, after a great and terrible struggle, some of you may defeat Queen Avoria and finish the series with your lives. What then? Should readers look forward to the possibility of “Rosenzo?” or “Enzana?”

Rosana: I guess readers will have to read on.

Esme: *singsong voice* I knowwwww!

Jacob: Ha! Okay, one final question for all five of you. In one word, tell me what you look forward to the most about your future in these books. Or what you hope for.

Esme: Mystery.

Pietro: Pizza.

Hansel: Possible redemption? Sorry, that’s two words.

Enzo: Home.

Rosana: Wonderland.

Jacob: Killer answers! Thank you all for–

Rosana: Wait! You have to tell us your one word now.

Jacob: Oh! Ummm… Chaos. I love complicating your lives.

There is a big sale for THE CARVER this week! Be sure to check out Amazon’s deals on paperbacks, Kindle, and audio books. Also, be on the lookout for some fun interviews and blog posts, and be sure to check out Case Maynard’s big release through Blaze this week, THE SURRENDERED!