Q1:What inspired The Dweller in Drury Lane? Are there any other related works that precede or follow this that might help further explore these legends you are creating?

 

Leone: Both Ya’el and Renee and Innocence appeared in previous stories, and I thought putting their tales (including a few new ones) side by side would make for an interesting contrast. They’re all part of my Immortal Champions setting, which starts off in my novella The Governess of Greenmere and continues in the short story collections The Hungry Dead of Yü-Ching and Other Stories, Kung Fu Antipopes and Other Strange Stories, The Third Crown and Other Weird Tales and Webs and Shadows: Strange Stories of Barsetshire.

Q1/2: So where do we first encounter Ya’el, Renee, and Innocence?

Leone: Ya’el is first mentioned in “The Holy Woman of the West” in The Third Crown, while Renee and Innocence debut in “A Ride in Barsetshire” in Webs and Shadows.

Q2: The first thing one notices when reading The Dweller is your prose. How did you develop such a magnificent prosaic style? How do you manage to completely block out all traces of modern-day euphemisms and urban jargon in your writing?

Leone: I think it’s a combination of reading (a lot) and writing (a lot). Find an author or two who write like you want to, and just immerse yourself in their works. In my case, I aimed to imitate J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing style, especially in the first half of The Return of the King. 

Q3: Who was Ya’el before becoming an Immortal Champion? How did she become an Immortal Champion?

Leone: Ya’el’s background is still a little foggy to me, but she was the daughter of a shepherd in the 2nd century BC. After an encounter with one of the night people (my general term for vampires, witches and other evil beings), she met Nimrod (then the Champion of the Holy Land) and became his student and eventual successor.

Q3/2: What exactly is a Champion and where did the idea come from?

Leone: Immortal Champions are the chosen servants and warriors of the Angels of Limbo (or Sheol, as Ya’el calls it; there’s many different names). Long ago, the ‘neutral angels’ were cast out of Heaven for not taking a side in Satan’s rebellion, and some of them have since decided to atone for their cowardice by helping humanity against the minions of the Devil. There are 72 Champions all around the world who use their powers (immortality, greater physical abilities, and what might be called ‘magic’) to protect mankind. The basic idea has been in my brain for almost 20 years – what if the Slayers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer were put into an explicitly Christian setting? – and grew until I came up with Elise from The Governess of Greenmere and then her various peers.

Q4: I personally fell in love with the character of Coem from Hibernia. She comes from a land where the Gospel hasn’t spread yet (65 AD), but she does wear her heart on her sleeve and comes off as a young girl with a strong mind. Any possible spinoffs featuring her specifically that you might bless us with in the future?

Leone: Thank you! She’s one of my favorites, too. I do have some plans for her adventures in the Roman Empire, possibly with Victoria of Alexandria, or perhaps later on in history when she meets a certain British-born evangelist in early medieval Ireland.

Q5: Renee and Innocence–are they too Immortal Champions of Sheol? And if not, how are they able to fight the forces of evil the way we see it done in the second half of The Dweller? What exactly sets them apart?

Leone: Renee and Innocence are ordinary mortals. Renee is blessed with luck, a quick wit, and being born into a wealthy family with an indulgent father. Innocence, on the other hand, is a poor country girl (and as a Puritan in Restoration England, doubly looked down on), but her devout faith gives her a power over many things they face.

Q6: As I’ve mentioned to you before, I did read another of your novellas a couple of years ago-The Governess of Greenmere-but truthfully I did not see or notice any of the amazing writing I witnessed in The Dweller. Do you think I was distracted and should go back and re-read it or has your writing changed much ever since that book?

Leone: I wrote that several years ago now and like to think I’ve improved, but I definitely recommend giving it another shot! There’s some passages in it that I’m fond of. (I’d also recommend Webs and Shadows, especially the story “Sigriđ Sigdansdohtor and the Wolf of the Lobbeweald”)

Q7: In closing, Paul I can’t stop expressing my gratitude for getting me inspired while reading your book. You embody everything I work and preach (no pun) every day both in my personal life and my social media life. I want to believe that this world, with all its evil, sin, depravity, and THE AGENDA, still hosts men and women who uphold higher standards for everything that is sacred, everything that is holy, everything that is immortal.

What’s next that we can look forward to? And needless to say, I hope this is just the beginning of having you on Virtual Pulp to promote more NEW LEGENDS IN THE MAKING!

Leone: Thank you very much! I’m very glad you hold the book in such regard. As for what’s next, I’ve got a couple more Immortal Champions short story collections coming eventually. Stay tuned and God bless.