Friday, September 16, 2011

Interview with a Witch

Got a question? Ask a witch tonight!

I had the chance to catch up with one of my favourite people from the Quantum Enchantment series, Kreshkali Richter. She’s not an easy woman to pin down so I took the opportunity, with her consent, to record our conversation.

KIM Kreshkali, it’s an honour to have you here in my home.

KRESHKALI Not a problem. You checked out.

KIM *clears throat* Many of our readers have asked me about your relationship to the Earth’s underground. In the first three books, you seem to be a loner, yet . . .

KRESHKALI *interrupting* It’s all about illusion. A glamour. To ASSIST, I look like a streetwise whore, scratching out a living on the edge of a ruined city. That’s the mask. After the underground was infiltrated by ASSIST, our leaders were killed. It was up to me. Pecking order, you know? I was next in line.

KIM And you’ve held it together very well indeed. But what about the magic? Did you really learn that on your own? From your mother’s grimoire?

KRESHKALI Not alone. I had Nell with me. Most of the time as kids, we studied together. Then there was the night in the sewer. Things went dark for sometime after that. But between Nell, and my mother’s books, ya, I learned the craft.

KIM And now you teach, of course. Can I ask who’s been your most challenging student?

KRESHKALI *chuckles* That would be Teg.

KIM Can you tell us a bit about him?

KRESHKALI Teg’s a Lupin. You know the term? Of course you do. He’s got wolf DNA merged with his own. A powerful shape-shifter, as all Lupins are, but Teg’s got something else. He’s a brilliant student. Drives me crazy sometimes . . .

KIM Because . . . ?

KRESHKALI *Surprised* If you met him, you wouldn’t have to ask! It’s like there’s no air in the room when he looks my way. Those eyes . . . He’s my apprentice though, so I keep it together.

KIM How do you cope with that?

KRESHKALI We train hard, fight dirty, study, debate, elude, detect and travel the many-worlds at the speed of light. It keeps me focused on the task at hand.

KIM Which is?

KRESHKALI Saving Earth and Gaela, what else?

KIM Ah yes, Gaela. How did you feel when you first woke up there?

KRESHKALI #%^@ing blown away! You can’t appreciate it, because your Earth is still healthy, but for me, waking up to see the sun shine, to see stars overhead at night and not a muddy vault, to drink water fresh from a stream and walk among trees was like opening my eyes for the first time. Fresh air that doesn’t smell like death, rain that doesn’t sting like demon’s piss, people who live and train and practice magic in the open . . . seeing that did it for me. I knew then and there. . .

KIM Knew what, Kali?

KRESHKALI I would do anything to bring Earth back to life.

KIM Beautiful. Thank you. *looks at the wall clock* Do you have time to take some questions from our readers?

KRESHKALI *winks* I thought you knew by now. I’ve got all the time in the world. Let me get my tarot cards . . .

Yo can read more about Kreshkali in the third book of Quantum Encryption, Journey by Night. Meanwhile, feel free to ask any questions here! She’s an astrologer, tarot reader and psychic, so go ahead. Want to know about $$, career, love? See what your future holds!

Kim Falconer is a Supernatural Underground author writing epic science fantasy novels. Kim’s latest series is Quantum Encryption. You can find out more about her at kim.falconer.com. She posts on the 16th of every month.

16 comments:

JDalgliesh said...

Privilege to meet you at last, Kali! I've loved reading about your experiences, courtesy of Kim. I can't think of a single question but wanted to stop by and say thanks for sharing your story!

Laura M said...

Hi Kali! Six book fan, first time caller - firstly can I say you are absolutely inspiring. My perceptions about a lot of things have changed thanks to the QE books and your adventures in Gaela and the Many aworlds - thank you for challenging me to see things differently and approach life in a whole new manner! I'm a little like Janette in that I don't quite know what to ask you... Or perhaps, I do.. Kali - I'm not sure where I'm going right now, career wise, and while I am learning to be patient with the universe, I'd dearly like to know if you have any idea where my perfect outcome lies? Maybe that's a bit broad, but I'm not sure what paths my soul is destined to take.

Thank you again and thank you to Kim for giving us this chance to meet you ;)

Much many-worldly love, Laura

Anonymous said...

JD I've seen you name around. Kim said you were 'with us'! Good to know in case any trackers start sniffing around.

If you ever do have a question, ask.

Kim knows were to find me . . .

Anonymous said...

Laura, if QE has opened your mind, it's because you were ready to remember!

Now, maybe YOU can tell me what Rosette was doing in the portal when I told her to go back to Gaela with Nell and leave finding An' Lawrence to me! Ha!

I'm pulling a tarot for you . . .

Pulled to cards for you,Laura. Don't be alarmed. The first card is Death - thin man on a white horse, black armour, rough terrain.

It means you are in transition. You don't KNOW the path because you can't see it. Most likely not looking in the right direction. The conflict is between your heart's desire and your cultural conditioning. You know what you want but it's not what you've been taught to want, so, tilt.

Not to worry. The second card is the Sun! Child on a white horse, sun flowers, lots of love and joy. While you let go of 'shoulds' and old stories, this child will emerge. That's your next path, you you're all kinds of happy about it.

Don't you know,your destiny is whatever you say it is! Just start with one wish...

Done, and well done,
xKx

Helen Lowe said...

Love the interview, Kim!

Kim Falconer said...

Thanks, Helen!

I'd love to interview Malian, if she's available.

:)

Bonnie said...

This interview was so much fun to read. I must get your books now.
Thank you
Bonnie

Anonymous said...

Glad you liked, Bonnie! :)

AA Bell said...

So Kali... Have you checked your own cards to see what the future holds?

And is it true that tarot readers can't normally foresee their own deaths?

Or if you could, would you want to know?

;)

Sharon Stogner said...

I love character interviews. I also love when a character interviews their author ;)

AA Bell asked a good question!

no specific question. just wondering what the cards say for me right now :)

Anonymous said...

Anita, I do pull a card or two from time to time but it's not about 'seeing the future' or one's 'death'.

It's about self awareness, right here, right now in this red hot moment.

Do you know my views on time? I mean, future? Really? Linear? Not hardly! It's all illusion and time a form of measurement completely within our control.

But you open some other doors, I think. Tell me about your character and what she can see with her eyes closed off from the light.

Anonymous said...

Sharon, just pulled a card for you, the 8 of Pentacles!

This says you've been thinking about developing a skill or latent talent, something you've dreamed about for a while but not pursued. It's in the back of your mind and when you think of it, it makes you smile AND it makes you nervous too.

The idea is to go step by step. Get the new training or study or experience that opens doors you didn't think you could walk through.

Very exciting times, as this develops!

Good luck!

AA Bell said...

RE: Kali said: Do you know my views on time? I mean, future? Really? Linear? Not hardly! It's all illusion and time a form of measurement completely within our control.

Sounds veeeeeeeeeeery interesting! Mirage would definitely love to know more about that! :))

RE: Tell me about your character and what she can see with her eyes closed off from the light.

For Mira in Diamond Eyes, there is always light, even with her eyes closed (thanks to light frequencies akin to xray and ultraviolet that her eyes can detect, even through her eyelids) ... and time is as straight as the world is flat. LOL... She's blind to the present (coz normal light just reflects straight back from her eyes like shattered mirrors), but different shades of sunglasses help her to filter slower light from previous time 'layers', so basically, she's blind, but she sees history -so that also means she lives in two time periods at once. The one she can see, and the one she can feel and hear.

(Imagine standing on the 5th floor of a building that wasn't there a decade ago, so it looks like you're standing in mid air even though you can still feel the floor and furniture, and then try to find the "invisible" elevator or stairs, hehe... )

So naturally, the future is the LAST thing Mira wants to hear about... not only coz she's already got enough to worry about while convincing people she's not crazy. She's also got a sociopath stalking her, who can *hear* the future (and every possible alternative). But it's a future with freedom and indepence that she's working towards, so it's everything that *will* happen that's shaping how she behaves now, and what she looks for in the past in order to help make her way forward...

So yeah, time certainly plays an unusual role for her too!

Kim Falconer said...

Okay, Diamond Eyes just got bumped to the top of my TBR list!

OMG fabulous premise!

The Introverted Yogi said...

Kreshkali- which tarot do you use? Just wondering :)also wondering what I need to focus on now. Just finished QE and they have given me a lot to think about.

Anonymous said...

Hi Belinda,

I'm using Rider Waite with the magical art work of Pamela Colman. Was going to use Crowley but Kim said it might be a bit neg. Certainly intense. She uses Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-Burke's Mythic deck. . .

I pulled two cards for you! 4 of Pentacles and 10 of swords. I'd say you are coming out of some situ that's been a bit tough. End of a job, shift in friends or relationship, something at hurts to let go of on one hand but also feels like a whole new fresh start (like through the portal to Gaela!) New adventures await!

You're 'sitting on' a bit of energy, like a small stash of funds or a pay out or a savings that's going to 'see your through' any change. It's like if you were going to study or start over in some way, the $$ and emotional support is there for you. Yes? Also your own personal power centre. Nurture that! Appreciate the qi you have building and it's going to grow. Their something you want to do but seemed to difficult to launch. NOW you'll have the energy and resources to do it!

Glad QE has been stimulating!

Good luck!!!