Today I have the second half of the Brain to Books Cyber Convention author
feature for Timothy Bateson. Remember, this great event for authors and readers alike is coming to
Goodreads this April, on the 8th, 9th and 10th.
Be sure to check out all the
details and pertinent links for the event here:
Now on with the main event, our Brain
to Books author feature.
Today I have one of our delightful Fireside Chats.
Please welcome, Timothy Bateson's character, the lupine shapeshifer, Richard Parsons.
A Fireside Chat With Richard Parsons
“Welcome everyone, to
another Fireside Chat. I’m Richard Dale, your host. Today, our guest is Richard
Parsons, Seattle resident and lupine shapeshifter. Welcome Mr.
Parsons.” He holds his hand out to the man sitting opposite to him.
A brief smile crosses his lips as Richard leans forward,
taking the offered hand for a light, brief handshake. “Glad to be here.”
Richard Dale smiles. “Why
don’t we begin with you telling our
audience a bit about yourself.”
Richard settles back into the seat a little, glancing down
for a moment as if trying to decide how much to say. “Well, there’s not really
that much to say about me personally. I’m an average guy, who happens to be one
of the few shapeshifters that’s somehow managed to make it into the public eye.
Most of us try to maintain a low profile, but that’s been difficult for me,
even going through childhood.”
“I see. Speaking of your
childhood, it was less than idyllic, with your father abandoning you, and you losing
your mother when you were a young teenager. How do you think those losses have
influenced your adult life?”
There is a brief flash of sadness, before Richard reigns in
the emotional response to the reminder of his losses. Wringing his hands, he
backs a little further into the chair. “It’s definitely been hard, I can’t deny
that. There’ve been no parental figures in my life since I was twelve.” He
stops, and licks his lips, “No. That’s not fair. There has been one person, and
he knows who he is.”
Richard reaches for the water glass sitting on a table
beside him, and takes a slow sip as he thinks. “I guess in some respects a lot
of what I’ve done over the years has been in an attempt to impress, or earn the
approval of those I’ve allowed close enough to call friends. It’s just
unfortunate that my actions haven’t always resulted in the best outcomes.”
Mr. Dale nods in sympathy. “The best laid plans, as they say.” He exhales slightly, and
continues. “What is your best memory? And your worst memory?”
Richard leans forward a little, that pain returning to his
eyes, but there is hint of a smile as well. “I’d have to say the two are very
closely linked. I’m a lupine, a wolf-shifter, if you will, so hunting is
something that comes naturally to me.”
There is a pause for a moment, as he looks down, and then
back up, and there is a renewed intensity in his eyes. “My fondest memory, is
the first time my mother took me hunting in the wild, and we chased down a
brace of hares. Of course, I was too young to understand how special life is,
or the responsibilities that come with taking a life. But being a city-born
lupine that didn’t know that feeling of freedom, or the rush of fresh air
through the senses… It was like a whole new world had opened up.”
Then he seems to choke up for a moment, and has to take
anther sip of water before composing himself enough to continue. “Unfortunately,
I felt many of those same things on the day I lost my mother. A rogue lupine
had been hunting the trails, and we’d been told to stay clear while the pack
handled the matter. Unfortunately, my mother hadn’t really been herself since my
father abandoned us, and had taken to drinking.”
Wiping a tear away, Richard continues slowly, “We went out
hunting, and I don’t know if it was coincidence that we ran into that group of
hunters, or if my mother knew they were out there… But she gave her life to
save me, and I couldn’t even bring her body home. I was twelve, and I lost
everything that still mattered to me.”
Another tear falls, and Richard turns from the camera for a
moment to brush them away. When he turns back to the camera, he seems somehow
smaller, less sure of himself.
Mr Dale pauses, letting the silence hang and his guest finish
composing himself. Then he asks, “What
one act in your past are you most ashamed of? What one act are you most proud
of?”
There is an anger in Richard’s voice as he answers the first
question “You want to know the one thing I’m most ashamed of? After the hunters
who killed my mother were caught for illegal hunting, the police gave her body
to a museum. They had her stuffed and mounted for display. You see, when one of
us dies, our bodies remain in whatever form we were in when we died. My mother
was in wolf form on her death, and apparently there’s so little difference
between a lupine’s wolf form, and that of a natural wolf, that no-one assumed
she was anything different”
“The exhibition traveled for a while, with my mother’s
corpse on display for all to see. Her display showing the perils of humanity
encroaching on the territory of wild animals. I had an opportunity to recover
my mother’s body when the display came back to town, and I let someone talk me
out of it…”
“I remained angry for a long time, following my mother’s
death, and I fell in with a lot people who weren’t good for me. But somehow I
managed to make friends who encouraged me to finish my education. So if you
want, let’s consider actually finishing my schooling as the one thing I’m proudest
of, until now”
Mr Dale shifts forward slightly, making direct eye contact. “You led a rather wild and slightly
criminal youth. How do you feel about now being on the other side of the law
working with the Seattle Police Department’s Supernatural
Taskforce?”
“Honestly? I guess it’s okay. It pays the bills, and keeps
me from getting into more trouble with the law than I was already in. It’s like
a lot of jobs working in law enforcement. You’ve got your usual mix of people
you like, and hate. And jerks who’ll never accept you as part of the team, for
whatever reasons they might have. At the moment, I’m just a consultant for the
taskforce, but when they need my skills, they bring me in to help hunt down
particular suspects. Thankfully I’ve not had to go up against any pack members
yet. We lupines still prefer to deal with our own kind between ourselves. If I
were to join the taskforce as a full team member, I’d have no choice in the
assignments, and I’d be the only supernatural actually on their side. As a
consultant, I get a certain amount of deniability, and I’m one of several
supernaturals working with the STF.”
“Well—Oh, wait. I’m
afraid I must hold that thought. I
believe it’s time for some refreshment.” They are interrupted by the
arrival of a gentleman carrying a tray with shot glasses and a decanter. “I see Jenkins has decided on whiskey for us.”
Richard Dale smiles as Jenkins sets the tray down and waits. “Care for a nip? It’s an excellent Irish
whiskey. Jameson I believe.”
Richard’s eyes light up as he spots the decanter, and
glasses. His grip on the glass of water tightens noticeably, as his eyes follow
the whiskey, before he forces himself to look away. The glass in his hand comes
up and he takes a long gulp from the glass, before setting it down on his knee.
“I’d better not. I’ve got a meeting after this one, and it
wouldn’t look good If I arrived smelling of even such a fine whiskey”. His tone
might be even and measured, but there is a very strong hint that it’s a
practiced response, and he seems very much on edge with the drinks sitting
there.
“Ah well, a shame. I’ll
have a glass, Jenkins.” The butler nods and pours a whiskey before retreating,
leaving the decanter behind. Mr. Dale leans back in his chair, sips his drink, and
asks, “As a paranormal being, do you
consider yourself an outsider, or are you a part of a community?”
“Um...” His eyes are watching the glass in the interviewer’s
hand, and keep darting back to the tray. He blinks before looking up, dragging
his eyes away from the amber liquid, and his gaze is off to one side as he answers.
“I guess we all feel a little distanced from the mortals, though we try to form
friendships and such with them. I mean, the number of supernaturals in the city
I small compared to the number of mortals, but yeah, we kind of have our own
communities too. Lupines tend to form packs, because of the wolf in us.
Vampires are either loners, or part of small groups that build mutual havens
for themselves. But we all try and keep a low profile among the mortals. The
witch hunts are just one example of what can happen when too many mortals
become aware of us.”
“So yeah, I guess I’d have to say I’m an outsider, even
though I have mortal friends, and work with mortals every day. There are far
too few make the attempt to really understand the supernatural world, and how
different we are. But then there are even fewer who can accept our similarities
too, and keep the secrets that prevent news of our existence getting out, and
leading to another Salem.”
“Excellent insight,
Mr. Parsons.” Mr. Dale smiles. “Is
there anything you would change about yourself?”
“Sure, isn’t there something you’d change about yourself,
given the chance?” His eyes glance back over to the decanter on the table, and
he sips at his water, hands noticeably shaking as he sets it down on the tray.
“Take this for example.” His hand is inches from the
decanter at this point, and seems to drift closer as he talks “More than
anything, right now, I want to reach out and pour myself a double shot. But if
I did, I wouldn’t stop there.” Whatever else is on his mind remains unvoiced,
as he pulls himself back under control “Let’s move on, shall we?”
“Of course. What would you consider to be the best
quality of human nature?”
“Wow. We’re getting to the tough ones. If by human nature,
you mean that which is in all of us, supernaturals and mortals alike, then I’d
have to say perseverance. It’s what keeps us getting up every morning, even if
we already know the day ahead is going to suck. It’s what pushes us onward,
despite whatever boundaries are ahead. But it’s also the one thing that keeps
us making the same mistakes over and over again. We keep doing the same things,
and insanely expect different outcomes. But it’s also the one thing that
actually DOES result in those changes, once we find a way to break the cycle of
repetitious behaviors. Perseverance is what keeps the visionaries from giving
up on their dreams, no matter the odds against them.”
“One last question.
What do you find relaxing? Are you fond of reading, listening to music, or some
other leisure activity?”
Richard seems to finally settle back into a more natural
tone, and leans forward just a little to answer “Honestly? Despite the wolf in
me, I have to say that I love exploring the city. I mean, I grew up here, and
the streets were pretty much my home for a long time. But, everything’s always
changing, and I find that exciting. I love taking my morning runs through the
streets, finding new routes that push my limits; exploring ways that I can
shave a little time off my distance runs; seeing the city waking up, and
preparing for a new day. When I can beat
my best times, or find something new… It’s like the rush you get when the prey
is ahead of you, and you can all but taste the kill. Just be glad I’m not
allowed to bite the prey I have to chase though the streets.” There’s a flash
in his eyes, and Richard settles back into the chair, smiling as if imagining
what would happen if he were allowed to bite.
Mr. Dale shivers a touch, before giving him another smile. “Well thank you Mr. Parsons, for agreeing
to this interview. It was an enlightening treat.”
For more on Timothy Bateson and his character Richard
Parsons check out his website:
And be sure to check out his virtual booth at the convention this
April.
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