Shadows of Asphodel Blog Tour: Character Interview with Wendel + Giveaway

I'm so pleased today to be a part of the blog tour organized by CBB Book Promotions for Karen Kincy's new dieselpunk novel, Shadows of Asphodel. Necromancer Wendel was nice enough to answer a few questions for me about his abilities, his love interest Ardis, and the mysterious Order of Asphodel, so I hope you all enjoy the interview. Be sure and check the bottom of the post for the details on a tour-wide giveaway and don't forget to look at the full list of participating blogs for more reviews, interviews and guest posts!

Welcome to Supernatural Snark Wendel!

Necromancers have a tendency to elicit either fear or revulsion from those they encounter. If you could tell the world one thing about necromancers they don’t already know or assume, what would it be?

Let me tell you a secret. Nobody thinks of this except for a few clever historians, but necromancers can recover the memories of the dead. When I touch a bone in a catacomb, for instance, I feel an echo of that person’s life. Sometimes these echoes are strong enough for me to know names or remember lost secrets. A professor with a particular interest in Ancient Egypt once asked me if I would touch a mummy, though I never had the chance. The Order of the Asphodel sent me to the university on an unpleasant mission, though that’s another story.

If you suddenly found yourself without your necromancy and free of the Order, what’s the first thing you would do?

Without my necromancy? I hadn’t thought of that. Though I will confess that when I was a boy, I had a violin and aspirations of performing in concert halls. My sister told me that my violin playing sounded like a cat being skinned alive, so there is the slight possibility that my only talent lies in necromancy. Sadly. I still love music.
   
What’s one question you would ask Ardis if you weren’t scared of the answer you might get?

I would ask Ardis if she really wants to run away to Switzerland and start a chocolate shop. She doesn’t know that I’m a horrible cook, so don’t tell her, and especially don’t tell her that I have the suspicion she also couldn’t make chocolates to save her life. But I would still sell the world’s worst chocolates if I could spend my days with Ardis.

Many say their biggest fear is coming face to face with someone who has your gift. What would you say is your biggest fear?

I’m not sure I should answer this question. It’s the kind of thing your enemies can and will use against you. Let me say that I’m the most afraid of dead bodies, since that should give me something to work with if my enemies come knocking.

If you could take Ardis and jump ship from the world of Shadows of Asphodel, what other fictional world would you like to live in?

I would take Ardis to one of Jules Verne’s worlds. Maybe we could journey to the center of the earth together. She would like that, I think. Plenty of things for her to hack at with her sword. Though I might be more interested in exploring the prehistoric forest.

If someone were to tell you that you’d been cast as the romantic lead in an upcoming story, what would your first reaction be?

I’m intrigued. Would I be guaranteed a happy ending? Was I offered this position based on my undeniable charm and unbelievably good looks? I’m joking, I’m joking. But here’s my card.

Do you have any parting words for the Order of Asphodel knowing they could read this interview?

My parting words for the Order of the Asphodel would be unprintable. Along the lines of hope we never meet again, rot in hell, and so on. Truthfully, I would love it if nobody in the Order could hear me, which would involve all of them in prison or in the grave. Is that too morbid?

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SHADOWS OF ASPHODEL

When Ardis discovers a man bleeding to death on the battlefield, she knows she has to walk away.

1913. In her work as a mercenary for Austria-Hungary, Ardis has killed many men without hesitation. One more man shouldn’t matter, even if he manages to be a charming bastard while he stands dying in the snow.

But when he raises the dead to fight for him, she realizes she must save his life.

If a necromancer like Wendel dies, he will return as a monster—or so the rumors say. Ardis decides to play it safe and rescues him. What she doesn’t expect is Wendel falling to one knee and swearing fealty. Ardis never asked for the undying loyalty of a necromancer, but it’s too late now.

Ardis and Wendel forge an uneasy alliance underscored with sexual tension. Together, they confront rebels, assassins, and a conspiracy involving a military secret: robotically-enhanced soldiers for a world on the brink of war. But as Ardis starts to fall for Wendel, she realizes the scars from his past run more deeply than she ever imagined. Can Ardis stop Wendel before his thirst for revenge destroys him and everyone else around him?

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KAREN KINCY

Karen Kincy (Redmond, Washington) can be found lurking in her writing cave, though sunshine will lure her outside. When not writing, she stays busy gardening, tinkering with aquariums, or running just one more mile. Karen has a BA in Linguistics and Literature from The Evergreen State College.

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