The following is part of my Publisher’s author interview for the short story “Bel Nemeton.” The template for my upcoming novel of the same name, “Bel Nemeton” can be found in the anthology After Avalon, from 18th Wall Productions.

Q) Merlin is one of the most influential and long-standing of Arthurian
characters. What inspired you to use him–and send your heroes on a
globetrotting quest to find his tomb?,

Of all Arthuriana’s characters, I felt Merlin had the widest potential for an “After Avalon” story. I envision him as a Dark Ages proto-Renaissance Man, with a whole world of possibilities open to him. Taking that sentiment literally, I imagined Merlin wandering the length of the known world seeking to fill the void left by the fall of Camelot with new experiences and encounters.

Initially, I conceived of Vivian and Jake primarily as a lens to reveal Merlin’s travels as they searched for what would be the archeological discovery of the century. As I began writing “Bel Nemeton,” however, they quickly assumed a life and agency of their own.

Drop in on Wednesday for another question from the interview and check out earlier answers in previous blog posts.

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