Interview with Verchiel

Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to Weekend Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo has temporarily bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. Since I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what they’re doing, where they’re going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer. 

Or maybe not. You see, today it isn’t a character from another literary universe, instead it’s-

Jorick: is this absolutely necessary?

Katelina: Yes, it is. And it’s not your turn. We already did your interview, remember?

The cover in question…

J: How could I forget? I don’t understand why he needs one.

K: If you didn’t notice, he is on the cover.

J: I noticed. Trust me. I noticed.

K: Without further interruption, today we have Verchiel – um, well, I don’t know his last name. But, anyway, he’s from the third book in the Amaranthine series, Ties of Blood.  Before he shows up I do have to ask that you not stare at his hair. I don’t know why it’s bright red or why he insists on wearing it like that.

Verchiel: Well, hello, Kately! Thanks for having me!

K: It’s Katelina, not Kately.

V: And I see our friendly neighborhood Jorick is here, looking as cheerful as ever. How have you been?

K: I’ll ask the questions here. So, Verchiel, you randomly appear in Ties of Blood. Is there-

J: Any particular reason your character exists at all?

V: To annoy you, probably. Oh, come on. I’m fun. There can’t be book after book after book of you glooming around being all macho-emo and Kately whining and Oren moaning and being depressed. It’s boring. People like humor, and I am humor.

J: you’re something all right. What makes you think anyone wants humor? These are vampire books.

V: So? People still like humor. There have been a lot of compliments about the humor in the first book. Then the second book was so emo-mushy-squishy with you two trying to get your boring relationship cemented away. The whole series could use an injection of funny.

K:  *to Jorick* I can handle this, thanks. *to Verchiel* Surely your character is more than just humor?

V: Of course. Though you may not realize it, I happen to be a driving force behind a lot of the events in the third book.  Let’s just say that without me, it would be a very different story.

J: You could say that again!

K: Why is it that you and Jorick seem to hate one another so much?

V: Oh, I don’t hate him at all! *Smiles innocently* The problem is we’re polar opposites. For his every gloomy, forethought plan I have one cheerful, seemingly slapdash spur of the moment idea. He doesn’t like that.

K: How do you and Jorick know one another?

By Joleene Naylor

V: I know Jorick by reputation, which I have to say is pretty accurate, by the way. I also know that we will be spending more time together in book four and, if that lovely author of ours really gets cracking, I believe we’ll see an especially large amount of one another in book 5.

K: There is a school of thought that feels not a lot happens in this particular book. What’s your take on that?

V: I admit, there’s a lot of setting up for the next book, but things happen. You meet a lot of new characters. There’s some fights. A few vampires get killed. You guys have sex a time or two. *heh-heh* Look, how many battles do you think one author can cram into one book before it gets ridiculous? Surely there’s a point in your lives when someone is not trying to kill you? Besides, I get introduced. What more do you need?

*crickets chirp*

J: Which we could do without.

K: I could have done without Malick.

V: What? No, no. That’s a good scene! In fact, after the meeting with Malick is one of my best scenes! Sure, it’s subtle, but you get to see that I’m not really a heartless bit of fluff. I mean, I do my best, you know. What you could have done without is Oren.

K: I get the impression you don’t like him very much.

V: I wouldn’t say “don’t like” exactly… He’s just so gloomy. Yeah, I know, I know, his wife and children and all of that, but come on. How many books can he be a ticking time bomb for? It has to end eventually, doesn’t it?

K: I dunno. You’d have to ask our author. Not that I think she’ll make an appearance.

*nothing happens*

By Joleene Naylor

J: I imagine he’ll have his war in book 4 and get killed.

K: You don’t know that he’ll get killed! Don’t say that! People take that stuff seriously.

V: Nah, the author won’t kill him off. She’s gotten too soft for something like that. We could place bets though. It could be fun. Will Oren die in book four? Yes? No?

J: I wouldn’t be so flippant if I were you. You’re not exactly a necessary character, after all.

V: Yes I am. You note *I’m* getting the interview and not Oren, even after three books. So which of us is more important?

K: It just means you suck up more.

V: Okay, there is that.

K: Can we get back to the real questions? Geeze! Anyway, are you romantically involved with anyone?

V: *winks* Are you asking because you want to know?

J: *growls*

V: Ah, relax Mr. Crabby Boots. No, not with any one girl in particular, if you get my drift. *winks meaningfully*. Eternity is too long of a time to settle down in.

K: Alright. What’s one event that changed your life?

V: Besides being turned into a vampire? I think that was the big one. I could be wrong, but I’m going to go with it, anyway.

K: Okay. What is the biggest challenge you face in-

V: These are pretty boring questions, you know. Just saying.  You do a better job with the other people.

K: They’re less annoying. Now, what is the biggest challenge –

V: Can anything really be challenging when you’re as awesome as I am?

J: That’s it. Right there. That’s why I don’t like him. He’s a clown headed ego on feet.

K: I know. I’m amazed his ego fits through the door. Moving on. If you could say one thing to our author, what would it be?

V: You’re a dear, lovely little writer. Don’t listen to all the other complaining characters. Hey! You know what would make you even cooler? If you dropped the rest of the group and did a series about me.

J: Ha! Only if she wanted to give up any hope of making a name for herself! People thought the last book was “ridiculous”. I can just imagine what they’ll say about you! I foresee a lot of one star ratings.

V: You’ll be sorry if it turns out people love me.

K: *clears throat loudly* Anything to say to your readers?

V: *waves* Hello!

K: Well, if that’s it, I think we’re out of time. A special, if reluctant, thank you to Verchiel for sort of being interviewed today.

You can find more of him in Ties of Blood, which is slated for a September 2011 release. Look for sneak peeks coming soon. And please don’t hold him against all of us. He wasn’t our idea.

If you’re an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:

https://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/character-interviews/

Posted by Joleene Naylor on August 6, 2011

https://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/interview-with-verchiel/