posted every Friday
#IndieBragNovConv
to be a little different from the usual 'meet the author'
let's meet a character...
Claude de la Rue
 |
| purchased © from canstock photos |
from
A: [Touches his hat, then removes it and places it on a spare chair] Bonjour madame, 'ave you any rum? I 'ave not seen these petit chocolates in a box like this before, they look tempting [takes one, nods appreciatively] I am, 'ow you say? A 'supporting role', I am Jesamiah's quartermaster, 'is second-in-command, aboard Sea Witch. It is I who usually keeps 'im out of le difficulté.
 |
| Sea Witch |
A: Oui, je suis française, The stories, they are about my friend Jesamiah and his friends, moi aussi. We are sailors and we 'ave many adventures at sea in the early 1700s
Q: Hmm [smiles] I thought you were pirates, but we'll gloss over that small fact shall we? No spoilers, but are you a ‘goody’ or a ‘baddie’? (Or maybe you are both!)
A: [laughs - a nice rich, mellow sound] Oh we are good pirates - we are very good pirates!
Q: Tell me about another character in the novel – maybe your best friend, lover or partner … or maybe your arch enemy?
A: [Rue puffs his cheeks] Who shall I say about? Jesamiah? Captain Acorne, of course, as 'e is l'ero of the tales, or there is Miss Tiola, she knows about medicines and midwifery. She becomes 'is wife in one of the tales of our adventures, and she is the sweetest, kindest young mademoiselle I know - until I met the love of my life, Miss Pamela, but that is not until the fourth adventure, when we drop anchor in the 'arbour of Appledore in North Devon.
[Helen: thinks: of course, Rue does not know that Tiola is also a white witch, only Jesamiah knows that...]
Q: In the series, what is one of your least favourite scenes you appear in?
A: [Rue bows his head and takes a while to answer] The saddest is the day I lost my Pamela. Non, forgive me, I cannot talk of it.
[Helen refills his glass of rum and he gulps it down]
Q: Well, let's move to happier things. What is your favourite scene?
A: I 'ave several, one is when I first met Jesamiah. We were in gaol both facing the prospect of 'anging, but God was on our side - I believes you 'ave made this into a little story for your Discovering Diamonds readers' entertainment? A story inspired by a song? Non?
Helen: Oui. It is here.
Rue: A scene that still makes me laugh is one where Jesamiah 'e was in a dark place, 'e thought 'e 'ad lost everything and spent many days drowning 'is sorrows in strong liquor. I decided to kick 'is backside and sober 'im up. [laughs] Jesamiah, 'e did not appreciate my method!
A: [frowns] Jesamiah and Miss Tiola are the readers, not I, they 'ave several books in the Great Cabin aboard Sea Witch, but I 'ave often listened to the things you say, ma'am... I think those readers who do not say an énorme merci beaucoup to you by leaving a très agréable review on this Amazon Interweb thing - well, you should make them walk the plank!
Helen: Oh, I'm not sure that would be a good idea [laughs] it is worth thinking about though!
Q: Finally, Rue, before we must bid adieu, the novels you appear in have all been awarded a prestigious IndieBRAG Medallion, does that please you?
A: Oui, certainement, it is le grand 'onour, non? But I 'appen to know that you too are very pleased with these gold medallions? Gold treasure! 'Ave you, per'aps some pirate blood in you? [laughs]. Non, seriously, I also know that you 'ave an affection for Jesamiah - for us all, and your dream is that more and more readers will discover the stories and our adventures, because you want Jesamiah to be discovered by many, many people. I agree with you. To me 'e is like a son, even if 'e can be a prize idiot at times, especially where les dames are concerned. But 'ow to reach these new readers... would you like me to threaten a few with my cutlass? Encourage them to spread the word?
Helen: Thank you Rue, you are kind, but maybe using encouragement with a cutlass is not such a good idea? Readers telling other readers about good books to read is the best way to thank an author. Shall we toast Jesamiah with another glass of rum and wish the Sea Witch Voyages good fortune? Where is Jesamiah by the way?
Rue: Salute! It was 'is birthday the other day, 'e was born on 4th December 1693, so 'e is very old in your time [laughs heartily] though in 'is mid-twenties in ours. I think 'e imbibed too much liquor when 'e was celebrating, so 'e sent me to talk to you in 'is stead.
Helen: Oh he is often disappearing because of that reason... shall I find the scene you mentioned above about the cure for hangovers? I think the Novel Conversations visitors might enjoy it!
 |
| Buy on Amazon |
Excerpt Sea Witch (Voyage One)
Waking several hours into the fore noon to a thundering
headache, Jesamiah staggered to his feet. He tottered to the door, peered out,
squinting at the brightness of the morning sun. He dipped a wooden cup into the
bucket beside the door, the water warm and brackish, but sufficient to slake
his thirst. Not bothering to go into the bushes, directed his urine against the
outside wall.
“You would ‘ave threatened us with a flogging if we
‘ad been so lazy as to do that aboard ship,” Rue observed wryly from where he
stood some yards away.
“Well we ain’t aboard,” Jesamiah grunted adjusting
his breeches. Wished the fellow would not shout so loud.
Rue stepped forward offering a pewter tankard. “Drink
this.”
Hesitant, Jesamiah took and it wrinkled his nose at
the foul looking liquid. “What is it?”
“Old French recipe. Brandy, ground garlic with ‘alf a
pint of ale. Deux œufs – fresh-laid is that cackle
fruit – a pinch of gunpowder and melted pork lard.”
Jesamiah sniffed again at the concoction, gagged at
the stench. He poked a finger into it and picked out a piece of floating eggshell.
“I don’t care for raw eggs.”
“Just drink it.”
Doubtful, Jesamiah raised it to his mouth. Changing
his mind, offered it back. “Later perhaps.”
Folding his arms, Rue ignored the tankard. “Isiah and
me we are getting the Sea Witch ready to sail. You
‘ad ‘er refitted when first you came, she ‘as cannon and swivel guns, all of it
wasted with ‘er sitting there in the ‘arbour. Isiah ‘as beached ‘er this
morning and is already scraping ‘er keel. We ’ave got a crew volunteered as
well. Très bien, good men.”
He encouraged the tankard upwards. Jesamiah was
staring at him, his expression blank. Sea Witch? To
set sail?
“Ecoute, mon gars,” Rue
said finally losing patience. “Look, my friend, you ‘ave a choice. You lead us
like the brilliant capitaine you are or we leave you
‘ere in this cursed-forgotten emptiness, with as many bottles of rum as you
please. You can drink yourself into oblivion, with only this wind for company.”
Jesamiah looked from Rue to the tankard. He hated the
wind. Hesitant, he raised the drink to his lips. “It smells foul.”
“‘The fouler the medicine, the quicker the cure,' or
so ma mère used to say.”
“What was she? The village poisoner?”
“One gulp. Straight down,” Rue advised.
Taking a deep breath Jesamiah drank, much of it
trickling down his chin into his scruffy, untrimmed beard. Rue held a finger
against the bottom forcing him to finish it.
Swearing as he pulled away, Jesamiah wiped his hand
over his mouth, grimacing, gave Rue the empty tankard then swallowed hard. One
hand went to his belly the other to his mouth. “You sodding…” He doubled over
sinking to his hands and knees, retching and vomiting up the contents of his
stomach. When nothing more was heaving from him, rolled on to his back, eyes
closed, his hands covering his face. Managed to croak, “That was bloody
disgusting.”
“Cured your ‘eadache though, non?”
Opening one eye Jesamiah glowered. “And how d’you
figure that mate? It’s still thumping away as if three ‘undred crew of
buccaneers are bouncing about in there, hankering after a Chase.”
Rue offered his hand to pull him to his feet.
Jesamiah accepted and stood, unsteady, the world wheeling past.
“You will be so busy puking your guts up this next
‘alf ‘our, you will forget about your sore ‘ead.” Rue guffawed heartily at Jesamiah’s
murderous expression.
 |
| viewBook.at/SeaWitch |
 |
| Also available in Italian |
CONNECT WITH HELEN HOLLICK:
Website: www.helenhollick.net
On Amazon: http://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick
Subscribe to newsletter: http://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick
Twitter: @HelenHollick
INDIE BRAG LINKS:
Website: https://www.bragmedallion.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Indiebrag/
Twitter: @IndieBrag
Thank you Helen - I love Rue. Solid, supportive, the old hand, just the man young Jesamiah needs by his side. Salut ....
ReplyDeleteI like Rue - as you say, the calming influence over the one who can be an idiot sometimes....
DeleteWhen I saw this was an interview with Jesamiah, well, my heart went into a flutter! Although a bit disappointed he was not "up" to the interview, I found Rue to be a great substitute. As you know, these are my very most favorite Pirate stories and I agree with Rue, those who don't read them should walk the plank! Thank you Helen this was delightful-
ReplyDeleteJes is still nursing a headache under a table somewhere .... from what he can remember of it, he enjoyed his birthday on the 4th December...
DeleteWonderful, entertaining and humorous. Jesamiah and crew are likely to give pirates a good name.
ReplyDelete*laugh* yes indeed!
DeleteEvery pirate needs a loyal sidekick to keep him out of trouble. Rue certainly fills that bill. Glad to have met him.
ReplyDeleteI might write Rue's story one day.
DeleteWhat was that recipe for a hangover again? Enjoyed meeting Rue and his - shall we say - direct way of finding new readers?
ReplyDelete*laugh* not sure that recipe is a good one, especially not the added lump of fat! (I don't think it particularly helped anyway!) Actually I agree with Rue, maybe a bit of cutlass-threatening would be worthwhile....
Delete