Morning all,
Lou Berger was nearly unknown when he was asked to write a short story for the Rogue Mage anthologies. But his is a star sure to rise.
- Lou, What was it like to play in the Rogue Mage world?
It was exhilarating! I was a Faith Hunter fan even BEFORE she asked me to write a story, and I’m an even bigger fan now that I’ve had the opportunity to work with her directly!
She has spent a ton of time thinking through the Rogue Mage world, and her insights are encyclopedic. As a mostly-SF guy, she was very patient with all my attempts at quantifying the mage capabilities.
- Was it hard to develop your character within the confines of the Rogue Mage world?
A bit, yes. I have an engineering mindset and struggle with the ephemeral nature of mage powers. I tried to validate them as electricity-like, and Faith encouraged me in my thinking. Together, we crafted a means by which a stone mage could channel creation energy, use it to her purposes, and NOT die.
- Tell us about your character. What species, etc.
Epena Kawai, which literally translates to “Stone Water,” is a mage who was born just before her own mother was killed. She dislikes going barefoot, since contact with stone tickles her feet, and she finds that unpleasant. It’s a complete surprise, therefore, when her grandmother explains her powers.
- When your story was finished, how did you feel about your character and story?
Oh, I *love* Epena! I like her spunk, her style, her willingness to stare death…or a dark seraph…right in the face without flinching! She’s a great nurturer, deeply passionate, and she treats her little cousin with the tenderness you frequently only find in moms.
- Lou, Tell us about your other projects.
I have a couple other short stories coming out soon, including one set in Bordeaux, France, during World War II, and a steampunk story set in the Old West, with an automaton that struggles with completing his master’s last order, so is left carrying his desiccated corpse through town over, and over, and over again.
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