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The Protagonist Speaks

Interviews with the characters of your favourite books

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Middle Grade

Tom (of The Longest Journey, by En Hui Ye)

Dear readers, tonight wit us is a young man who was kidnapped at an early age for experimentation, and then rescued. He’s here to tell us about a world with angels and shape-shifting demons.

Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up and what was it like there?

I was born in Kiringham and lived there until I was about seven or eight. That’s about when things started to go bad—my dad died in action, my mom passed away, and then there was the experiment… Yeah, no need to dwell on that. Mr. Archibald found me—all messed up—and saved my life. He decided I wouldn’t be safe in Kiringham anymore, so he took me all the way to North Scarlot (which sits across the ocean from Kiringham).

Since then, I’ve lived with my aunt’s family in a quiet neighborhood called Aredene. It was a swell place. Well, my aunt and uncle were kind of strict, and I was annoyed by them, but my cousins and I got along well. Chris is like my best friend, my brother, and we’re there for each other. And of course, Agnes is really sweet too. As for my aunt and uncle… I don’t know, man. After everything that happened, I kind of feel… Okay, I feel that I was in the wrong, and I was the one being mean and annoying. They loved me and they cared for me, but I just didn’t understand that. I do now.

There I said it. I hope you’re happy, Chris.

You mentioned your birth parents. Do you have any cherished memories that you would like to share?

My mom was the best. What I remember best about her are her stories. Stories of angels battling demons—or Fallen, as we call them. The angels were beautiful and fierce, and even when they lost battles, they never gave up. That’s what my mom said. She made me believe in hope. I miss her.

As for my dad… I don’t remember him much. He was always gone, fighting in Orelia or whatever other country it was. He was supposed to be there when Mom got sick. Instead, he had to go off and got himself killed. Mom died almost right after.

I heard that you’ve recently been named a commander for the Missionseekers. How does that feel?

I’m honored. Mr. Archibald says I earned it after Castellum Island—fighting the Cassowary, stealing the antidote, and all that. Honestly, I’m just glad we made it out of there alive.

Now, I lead small Missionseeker squads. We’ve had a lot of new recruits—mostly the kids we rescued from the South Venez mines. But, since the Cassowary disappeared after Castellum, things have calmed down a bit. We’re mostly just tracking down leftover Sicariuses and Fallen. I love being on the move every day, fighting bad guys and demons. That’s when I’m in my element.

Continue reading “Tom (of The Longest Journey, by En Hui Ye)” →
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Beth Shoner (of The Abandoned Theater, by Dana Robertson)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a thirteen -year-old girl, here to speak of an abandoned theater and the people who disappeared there.

Welcome and thank you for joining us. Let’s begin with a little about yourself.

Thank you. My name is Beth Shoner. I’m almost thirteen years old and I go to Abigail Public School. I start grade eight in the fall.

Tell us a little about where you live.

I live with my aunt in an old Victorian home with a wraparound porch in the small town of Springvale. Our house is in one of the original neighborhoods, with big oak trees and colorful flower gardens. The smell of lavender is in the air this time of year.

My school is downtown, just before Main Street. Main Street divides the old part of town from the new end. Everything is brighter in the new end. The streetlights are always on.   

Have you always lived in Springvale?

No. I lived in Koyo City with my parents until I was about four years old; until the car accident. My parents didn’t survive it, which is why I live with my Aunt Debra now. She said it was a miracle I survived.

Then, not long after that, our house caught fire. Debra said the cause was faulty wiring. We lost all of our family photos in the fire, including every picture of my parents, except one.

After that, she decided we needed a fresh start, and we moved to Springvale. She described it as a perfect place, idyllic and peaceful. Personally, I find it more ominous, like some secret is lurking below all the quiet.

Do you have memories of your parents?

No, none, which I actually find strange. My aunt says it’s because the accident was so traumatic. I thought if she talked about them, shared her memories, it might help with mine, but she says it’s too painful. And she doesn’t want to risk me having any traumatic memories of the accident.

This locket I wear around my neck is the only thing I have from my parents. It has a tiger engraved on the front and a symbol on the back. I don’t know what the symbol means, though.

Continue reading “Beth Shoner (of The Abandoned Theater, by Dana Robertson)” →
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Ed the Dimetrodon (of The Heart of Pangaea, by Lindsey Kinsella)

Dear readers, tonight we interview an imaginary friend, a precocious twelve-year-old’s companion. He’s a dinosaur, living in a fantastical pre-historic world together with other creatures, pirates, and ancient magic.

Tell us a little about where you were born. What was it like there?

Well, as an imaginary friend, I suppose I was born in my best friend’s imagination. I can’t say I remember exactly how I came to be—when did I shift from abstract thought to something… more? Am I more than that at all? What I can say is Robyn’s mind is a wild place—believe me when I say it has created more than just me!

But conceptually I was born much longer ago. You see, Robyn is a real geek for everything prehistoric, so when she concocted a friend, she modelled me on a real-life ancient creature. A Dimetrodon hailing from the Permian period, some quarter of a billion years ago and long before the first dinosaur hatched. It was a time before the rise of reptiles, when animals more similar to mammals ruled the planet.

Did you have any favourite activities as a child? Any cherished memories?

One of the downsides of being a figment of someone’s imagination is that interacting with the “real” world is… difficult. I won’t say impossible—I did once headbutt someone into a puddle, but that’s a story for another time.

So, I have to be happy to spectate. And I know that sounds boring, but I get to spectate the most interesting girl on the planet. Okay, I might be biased. She’s an incredible artist, an impressive athlete, and… a terrible singer. So, you might say my favourite activity is just being with my best friend every single day. I don’t think many people get to do that.

Of course, I’m also her emotional support—and she’s needed me for that lately. You see, her mum isn’t well. We didn’t realise until recently just how unwell. But it’s okay—we can help her.

What do you do now?

Not so long ago, Robyn and I made a discovery. It all began with the aforementioned headbutt. Look, I’m not proud of myself, but… actually I am—it was awesome and they totally deserved it. From there we came to realise that the line between what’s imaginary and what’s real is kind of vague. Under the right conditions, I can interact with the real world. And if I can, does that mean anything Robyn imagines could? Could she create real, physical things with nothing more than imagination?

One thing led to another and woosh! We find ourselves in a different world. An imaginary world, but somehow real. I can’t say I understand it myself, but I feel at home there. I can touch things, speak with people other than Robyn, I can eat. That might all sound quite pedestrian to you, but I’ve never been able to do those things before.

So now we have a job to do—a quest, if you will. Because this world, Pangaea, has a magic to it. Something more than just a tired cliché about the power of imagination. Here, we might find a cure for Robyn’s mum. If it’s here, we will find it. We have to.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Our time in Pangaea has been wild. We’ve met prehistoric creatures, dined with a king, and even been kidnapped by pirates—all in search for the Heart of Pangaea. We don’t know what it is yet, but we’ll find out soon—the king reckons it could save Robyn’s mum.

Continue reading “Ed the Dimetrodon (of The Heart of Pangaea, by Lindsey Kinsella)” →
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Glinda and Hastur (of Yellow King of Oz, by Casper Hedron)

Dear readers, tonight we reprint a school newsletter from the land of Oz, interviewing two of the main characters.

Hello dear readers, and welcome to another issue of Bullet Point, official newsletter for the Royal Military Academy of Oz! Today we have something very special lined up for you; an interview with Glinda the Good, and her former adversary, Hastur. Let՚s start with a round of introductions. I am Miss Cuttenclip, writer and publisher of Bullet Point.

Glinda: And I am Glinda, Good Witch of the South, Headmistress of the Royal Military Academy of Oz, and protagonist of Casper Hedron՚s Clockwise series. You may have also seen me in Frank Baum՚s Land of Oz series of books. He wrote fourteen of them. My name was even in the title of his last book. I՚d wager not many of you knew that.

Hastur: They՚re baby books. For babies. Don՚t read them.

Cuttenclip: Hastur, care to introduce yourself?

Hastur: Of course. I am Hastur, the King in Yellow, the Unspeakable, Magnum Innominandum, the Once and Future King of Oz. I՚m also the “antagonist” of the book Yellow King of Oz, and have appeared in adult horror novels by HP Lovecraft and RW Chambers. Not for babies.

Cuttenclip: Speaking of babies, why don՚t you both tell us a little about where you grew up?

Glinda: Certainly. I grew up in Quadling Country, the southern region of the Land of Oz. It was just me and my sister, two wandering orphans, but it wasn՚t bad by any means. Oz is a fairy land, full of magic and wonder, and the people who inhabit it are for the most part decent and kind. As children, we heard and read many stories about Zixi, the Witch Queen of Ix, and she became like an idol to us. So much so that we both resolved to become witches ourselves. At the time, Quadling Country was ruled by a beautiful sorceress named Princess Gayelette, and after several failed attempts we eventually convinced her to take us on as her apprentices.

Hastur: I grew up aeons ago, in the frozen wastes of Kadath. *sighs* I remember it fondly. My home was a simply magnificent onyx castle perched atop a mountain range, overlooking tens of thousands of subjects encased in ice, trapped in perpetual torment. You wouldn՚t think that people who were frozen solid could scream, but you՚d be wrong! I used to hang myself from one of the balconies and listen to that enchanting choir of anguish for hours every day. Good times.

Cuttenclip: Err … moving on. Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

Glinda: Lord Librasulus Tiddlywinks III. He was a stuffed white rabbit with a red waistcoat and a monocle, given to me by a fairy. I loved that rabbit. One day while we were travelling through Munchkin Country, I lost him to the man-eating plants that grow there. I was still just a child at the time, so I didn՚t know that you could pacify the plants by singing or whistling to them. So there I was, bawling my eyes out over having lost my rabbit, and what does my sister do? She lets herself get eaten by the same plant, then cuts her way out of it from the inside. Out she pops a minute later, completely caked in sticky plant goop, Lord Tiddlywinks in hand, and I hugged her so fiercely I knocked us both off our feet.

Cuttenclip: Aww, that՚s sweet. *clears throat* Hastur?

Hastur: When I was only a few thousand years old – still a toddler, basically – I destroyed a Yithian city and took one of their lightning guns as a souvenir. Afterwards I decided to pay a visit to my brother in R՚lyeh and show him my new toy. Perhaps you can see where this going?

Cuttenclip: Umm, no…?

Hastur: Oh, well, R՚lyeh is an underwater city. Water conducts electricity. *chuckles* So anyway, there I was, shooting everything in sight with my Yithian Lightning Cannon, everyone is screeching in pain and terror, and did you know that lightning can make music? I think humans call it a thoramin, or a zeusaphone, one of those Tesla Coil machines. *laughing* So all through the chaos and … and the screaming, my lightning gun is literally singing! Bweee-wooo! I … I like to think of it as my Melody of Mayhem. *wipes away imaginary tear* I guess you just had to be there.

Continue reading “Glinda and Hastur (of Yellow King of Oz, by Casper Hedron)” →
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Genie, Whit, and Mei (of Descendants of Avalon, by J. Lynn Else)

Dear readers, tonight we are joined by three friends who claim their friend was kidnapped by an evil wizard. I mean, we were supposed to be joined by three friends who are, well, I guess they’re still out looking for their friend? Wait! Something is happening. Yes! A portal is opening. It appears to be made from water. This beautiful circle is expanding on the wall, opening up to–oh my! Lo and behold, we’ve now been joined by three young women. High school ages I would guess. Behind them are lovely trees and a city up in the—no wait! The portal closed. (heavy sigh) Well, welcome guests! May I get your names?

Girl 1: Hi, I’m Genie. Sorry we’re late.

Girl 2: I’m Mei.

Girl 3: And I’m Whit. Hello!

So, portals! That’s an interesting way to travel. Tell us about why you’re here.

Whit: First of all, thanks for having us. We’re all excited for this opportunity. 

Mei: Though we can’t stay long. Beth, that’s our other friend, she’s being held captive. So yeah, Morgana gave us, like, 10 minutes to spread the word.

Genie: Sorry about that. You’ve heard of Morgana, right? AKA Morgan le Fey? Basically, one of the bad guys from Arthurian legend. While I still have my suspicions, she is helping us rescue Beth, so there’s that. She’s pretty strict about things being her way or the highway, and I thought she was going to curse us just for asking for 10 minutes.

So where are you all from? Is it where you portaled from? Oh look, I think I just made a new word. Portaled.

Mei: That is strictly classified. I mean, I’d like to tell you, but.

Whit: We’re actually just visiting there. It’s so pretty in Av–. I mean, that av-idly magical place. 

Genie: Whit is the smooth one of the group, as you can obviously tell. Ouch! Watch the elbows, Whit. Anyway. We’re not supposed to let the outside world know this land still exists.

Mei: I tried to take a selfie, and Morgana zapped my phone. So not cool. It’d better work after we find Beth and go home.

Genie: We’re actually from this small town in Northern Minnesota. Its near Hinckley, if you’ve ever been to the Casino there. The cell phone reception is the worst, but we discovered we have a portal connecting us to a magical land.

Mei: Talk about well-disguised. No way would you guess it’s secret. It’s this old, crusty fountain that we made a wish into. The waters are all orangish and gross. Like you’d never guess it was a magic fountain.

Whit: (whispering) I think they get it.

Mei: (louder) Even if you had a thousand guesses–

Genie: Anyway! We made this wish and apparently an evil wizard now wants to capture us and our wishes. His minions got to Beth. So now we’re on a quest to rescue her. We could use your help, if you could spread the word.

Why does this wizard want your wishes?

Genie: He’s using coins thrown in wishing wells to reforge Excalibur. Basically, he’ll be able to cut himself free from the bonds of his prison and take over Earth since there’s all this dormant magic we’re not using anymore.

Mei: I guess he’s got Excalibur’s hilt, but no one’s seen the blade since King Arthur died or something. That right, Genie? She’s the King Arthur expert in our group.

Genie: You know, Morgana is pretty hush-hush on the details there. Total sus.

Whit: Maybe she’s just misunderstood.

Mei: Watch out, Genie, Viviane may call you arrogant again if you keep on judging Morgana.

Genie: Don’t remind me! So embarrassing.

Whit: Viviane is the Lady of the Lake, by the way.

Genie: Yes, well, Viviane and her friend the misunderstood dark sorceress said this wizard is using people’s hopes and dreams that they imbue into their wishes to reforge the blade.

Mei: So now we’re kicking robes and taking names.

Robes?

Mei: Wizards wear robes, don’t they?

Got it. So what’s the scariest thing in your adventures so far?

Whit: Val’s sword training.

Mei: Morgana’s beady eyes always watching us.

Whit: The bruises I have from Val’s sword training.

Mei: Morgana turning into a raven. She’s like Edgar Allen Poe’s dream girl. Can you imagine what a meeting of those two would be like?

Genie: Seriously, no. It was those Betwixt creatures that attacked us. Twice.

Mei: They’re not scary at first. Stout little dudes with giant puffs of hair.

Genie: They are when they morph into different creatures to try and trick you. And when they have swords they can use effectively. Cause, we can’t use our swords.

Mei: YET. Can’t use swords yet. But okay, you win.

Continue reading “Genie, Whit, and Mei (of Descendants of Avalon, by J. Lynn Else)” →
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Harry Ferguson (of The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful, by William David Ellis)

Dear readers, tonight with me is an old man, who somehow found himself taken out of his 13th century home to ride dragons across time. He’s here to tell us about princesses and living with a dragon in East Texas.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up in Latvia, in the late 13th century. My father was a village elder and we herded pigs. It was a very prosperous vocation. Pigs are much cleaner than most people realize. I worked hard and learned to read at my mother’s knee. My Father taught me how to use a staff. We could not afford a sword. When a large will Pig got loose in the market I caught it and also met the Princess.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

My family was very loving and was one of the first Christian families in our village. My favorite events were listening to the stories of my ancestors, and learning to read. I did have a treasured possession it was a family ring my father gave me when I turned 16.

What do you do now?

That’s a good question. I am a Dragon Rider. It is my job to police the time streams. I find events and people who are disturbing the time streams and I stop them. Sometimes it is easy. Most of the time it is not. Recently I stopped the Nazi’s from conjuring a fallen angel they intended to use as a means of energizing their elite soldiers. I died and found myself on the backside of that critter as it tried to force its way through the hole my death had caused in the wall that held it back. I literally grabbed it by the tail and hauled it back through the portal.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Well, it started as a story…

…but a mysterious little girl changed everything.

Then a dragon  came to East Texas and they need a hero.

At the time I was an  old man and thought my glory days were over but I was wrong. My life had just started…again.

There was  princess Sarah back in my life again,  and a bossy know it all  sword and the  evil dragon I thought I had killed and a library full of  snaggled-tooth crayon eating munchkins.

Something had risen from my past and it was  coming for the people I loved.

Continue reading “Harry Ferguson (of The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful, by William David Ellis)” →
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Benji Fisher (of Mermaids Are Real, by Bo Wu)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a young boy who grew up by the sea. Used to surfing with dolphins and some odd things encountered underwater, he’s come here to tell us about how his life changes following a recruitment speech from an octopus the night before his thirteenth birthday.

What was it like growing up in Beech Mill?

I liked the town much more than the growing up part. It’s hard when you stick out and all everyone else is trying to do is conform. I think no matter where you are in the world, that’s a problem for kids.

Having said that, Beech Mill was a great place to grow up. I was in or on the water whenever I wanted for as long as I wanted. My dad had a boat. What else can you ask for, right?

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

I wasn’t a toy kid. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just gravitated toward the outdoors. A part of me always knew I belonged outdoors and, more specifically, in the water. I just didn’t know how much I really did belong until Octavius showed up and told me about my real home in Sanjowqua.

But, I guess my surfboard could be considered a toy. I had plenty of fun on it. That’s for sure. It was on my surfboard that I had my first run-in with Eeke, Zeeke, and Mai, the dolphins that kept watch over me.

What do you do now?

I’m still thirteen, so no matter what, I get to still be a kid, but now I get to be a merman kid with an ocean full of creatures to play with and unexplored territory, at least for me, that I get to call my home.

I think for the meantime, I’m going to be helping prepare for the next full moon party in a few weeks which, by the way, is the first one Sanjowqua has celebrated in thirteen years. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have my hands full for the foreseeable future.

I’ll spend my free time working on honing my Mystiq powers. I see another visit to my dad’s lair again pretty soon, as well. Continue reading “Benji Fisher (of Mermaids Are Real, by Bo Wu)” →

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Cerys (of The Forgotten Princess of Mona by Guy Donovan)

guy-donovan

Dear readers, tonight with us is an eleven year-old girl who was born a princess, but was then forced to grow up in the wilds of 5th century Britannia, fighting not only the barbarous Picts, but also a malevolent spirit bent on taking away everything she had left. She is here to tell us about her adventures, including the most remarkable friend a child could ever want!

 

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I was born in the Kingdom of Môna, which is made up of two islands. I really don’t remember it well, because I was born…well, Domie always said “simpleminded,” but most people said I was either “stupid,” a “moron,” or even worse.

Oh, I’m sorry. Who is “Domie?”

His real name is Domelch, but I always called him Domie…once I could call him anything, I mean.

You couldn’t talk?

Not very well. It was all part of being stupid, I guess. Domie raised me and took care of me after my father…went away. Everyone always says it that way to me, but they really mean he died.

What about your mother?

She died too—when I was born.

Sooo…you were a princess, but you’re not anymore?

My mother and father were the King and Queen of Môna, but with them gone, my stepmother, the new queen, just wanted me out of the way so my half-brother, Elian, could grow up to be the king. Continue reading “Cerys (of The Forgotten Princess of Mona by Guy Donovan)” →

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