Entry #6: An Interview with Jack O’Connor

October 18, 2017

Hey, hello, sup, thanks for reading past the title. Jack O’Connor is the protagonist in my (WIP) debut novel, Jack:Rise of Faerie. He’s a somewhat twisted, sarcastic, lonely guy with an uncanny ability of always finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s tough, he’s mean, and he has no idea what level of shit storm is about to rain down upon him. I assure you, when he finally makes his debut, he will prove himself to be a character you won’t forget.

So, why should you care?

Well, I’ll tell you. My novel is all about learning to stand on your own- but with and for your friends. Jack is isolated and without companions when his story begins. This is for two main reasons: 1. Jack has done some pretty hellish things in his past that serve as a giant red beacon warning people to stay as far away from him as possible- even people he grew up with. 2. Jack pushes them away even if they manage to get over their fear of him. He doesn’t want to get close to people again, because every time he does, they end up dead, and their blood is more often than not on his hands.

Jack realizes that he’s in over his head when he starts caring about people again. It happens in the middle of a bloody, painful battle, and it paralyzes him for a critical moment when his back is against the wall and he’s about to meet a messy end. With this new fear realized Jack has stirrings of panic that used to plague him as a teenager- feelings he managed to extinguish by living alone and separate from everyone he used to know. Now that he’s back in the fray he is remembering why he cared for these people in the first place, and this brings him back fighting. He was dangerous before, but now that there are people worth fighting for, he is an even more formidable foe.

With this little preamble out of the way, I wanted to answer some fun questions about Jack in an interview sort of style. The answers are written as Jack O’Connor’s answers. I hope you enjoy!

1. “If a six year old kid came up to you on the middle of the street and asked you if Santa was real, what would you say?” I’d definitely lie my ass off and promise that Santa was real. Of course, an opportunity like this doesn’t come around very often, so I’d be a fool not to mess with the pipsqueak a little bit, right? I’d probably tell them that Santa is real, but he’s not the jolly old fat bastard that everyone thinks he is. Santa is actually a demon and the red velvet suit- is it made out of velvet? I have no freaking clue- anyways, the suit is a perfect disguise. Sugar helps him look human, which is why kids have always been told to leave cookies out. I don’t know. I could go on forever with this shit.

2. “If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could only bring 3 things, what would they be?” What a predictable question. Probably a knife, mouthwash… and hard liquor. Any kind would do. I could figure out the rest on my own.

3. “What is your occupation?” Erm. I’m a Warden. I work at night, usually right around midnight to sunrise. I keep to the more deserted parts around Vancouver. That’s where I can find the trouble, you see. The Unseelie. The things that are waiting in the shadows in hopes that some poor soul might cross their path and give them a nice warm, gooey meal. TMI? Sorry.

4. “Where did you go to school? Did you enjoy it?” I went to The Academy. You wouldn’t have heard of it. It wasn’t a good time. It’s probably not appropriate for me to talk about here.

5. “Did you have any role models growing up?” Yes. Her name was Geneva. She was a badass. She taught me everything I know. She kept me alive while I was at The Academy. I owe her my life a thousand times over.

6. “Where is Geneva now?” Dead. Very dead.

7. “Let’s switch gears a bit here… what is the most evil thing you have ever done?” I can only pick one? ”Yes.” Right. I let a friend die for me. I’ve let a lot of friends die for me.

8. “Do you trust anyone enough to protect you?” No. I used to, but not anymore.

9. “Name 3 things you consider yourself to be very good at, and 3 things you’re terrible at.” That counts as a question? Okay. Three things I’m good at are killing Unseelie, killing anything other than Unseelie, and teaching my Defensive Classes at The Academy. Three things I’m not so good at… listening to authority, staying out of trouble, and keeping my mouth shut.

10. “Last question Jack. What is the one thing you would most likely be remembered for after your death?” Murdering seven Wardens when I was seventeen, probably. It’s the first thing people think when they see me now. They don’t understand, they probably never will. But fuck them. Those assholes deserved what they got, and I wouldn’t change it if I could. Does that answer make you uncomfortable?

Well, this was a fun little writing project! My intentions were to shed a bit of light on Jack’s personality- he’s kind of an asshole, but there’s more to him than the moody brooding, trust me. Check out Chapter One posted under Excerpts on my site if you want to get a little closer to Jack O’Connor!

Until next time, XOXO, Rebecca