Interviews

Astra's Interview with the Angel City Bugler

Astra Q Phelps recently did an interview for the Angel City Bugler, during which she gives readers some wonderful insights into how she got her start as a kick-butt demon slayer and all around tough Tweener.

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Hello Astra, thank you for joining us today, we love your books and were hoping we could get to know you a little bit.

Hey! How’s it going? You got anything here that needs to be blown up or vanquished?

Uh, well, no, not really. I have an ex-husband… But no, forget I said that. I just wanted to chat with you for a few minutes.

You don’t want me to save the world?

Um, no, not right at this moment.

Oh good. Okay.

So, Astra, you certainly lead an exciting life. Vanquishing demons, fighting off devilishly handsome Royal Devil Princes, and saving the world, how does one get into this line of work?

One has to be born a Tweener, with a powerful Seraphim for a father and an equally powerful Royal Devil with witch powers as a mother. It’s not an easy gig you know.

I can imagine. Can you tell us what exactly a Tweener is?

Are you kidding me? Do you live in a cave? (shakes head) Tweeners are half angel and half devil. We’re a warrior race that helps the Big Guy out in the epic battle between good and evil. (shrugs) I thought everybody knew that.

Impressive. So how long have you been doing this? Vanquishing demons I mean?

Well, I vanquished my first one when I was five I think. He tried to steal my little red bucket in the sandbox. I loved that bucket. I’d have done anything to keep it.

You, um, (clears throat) you killed a demon for stealing a bucket?

Well yes and no. He tried to eat my sister, Darma too, but it was the bucket that really set me off.

I um, I see. Well, so you figured out you were good at vanquishing demons when you were five and decided that might be a good way to make a living?

Absolutely not! I mean, yeah, I was good at it. But saving the world is so hard…and exhausting. I probably would have just gotten a job throwing rowdy schmoes out of extra-terra nightclubs if it hadn’t been for that stupid prophesy.

Prophesy?

Yeah, the one that has me working with the great Unifer, that’s Devil Prince Dialle we think…we’re not absolutely sure at this point...to save the world.

Wow!

(Astra nods head) Yeah, wow! Except the world doesn’t stay saved. I can’t tell you how many meals and how much sleep I’ve missed over the last several months trying to keep this stupid world saved. It’s become a full time job.

(Reporter leers) Yes, but there are perks aren’t there. I mean, you get to lock lips with the gorgeous Dialle on a regular basis.

Oh yeah. I mean, he’s really yummy, and impossible to resist let me tell you…but there’s so much to do when saving the world, there just isn’t all that much time for extra-curricular activities if you know what I mean.

But I understand you manage, somehow.

(Astra grins) Yeah, we manage. Somehow.

So, what’s it like? Hanging out with the magical crowd? Are they nice?

(Astra snorts) Nice? Lady, what planet are you from? No really, what planet?

(Reporter shrugs) My ancestors came from Venus.

That explains a lot. None of them are Nice. Even the angels have an agenda. They’re good, yes, but rarely nice. Demons are just plain skuzzy, with their pretty masks that fool humans every time, and you don’t want to get yourself in a room with a lot of them when the temperatures are very high…

Dangerous huh?

What? No, they smell like last week’s steak on the windowsill. And then there are the Royals…well, they’re beautiful and everything, but they’re just like sexy walking uber-agendas, you know. And their plans are never good for yours truly or the human race. (Astra sighs) My social circle just fizzes with conflict, intrigue, and dangerous agendas.

Well, you certainly have a difficult job.

Tell me about it.

But what’s this I hear about you going to the Big House to visit the Big Guy in ‘Tween a Devil and His Hard Place?

Cool place. All light and airy and stuff. He needed to fill me in on something…I’m still not sure what…talk about agendas… Something about getting my father back. He was at the right hand of God before he fell you know.

Your father? Really?

Yup. Took over the celestial army when Michael retired. The Big Guy needs him to help keep the humans safe against a really big plot to take over control of the dark world and humankind. The demons are in an uproar and the rumor is that the Angel City witch coven is pulling the strings behind the uprising. And to make things even worse, somebody from the Big House is involved and helping the witches. A dark angel with some power apparently. Some think it’s my father.

But you don’t believe it I’m sure.

Not for a minute. But the sticker is I’ve got to prove it. No easy task while saving the world.

So what’s on your plate for the next book. Are you saving the world again?

Of course. In the third book of the series, the ratio between magic and non-magic is being altered by the dropping of a veil of twisted magic. Humans can’t survive under the veil and as it descends they get increasingly crazy and start attacking everything in sight. I of course have to find the cause and put everything right again. Meanwhile, I’ve been marked by the Serpent as one of the conduits…

Serpent? Conduits?

(Astra smiles) I guess you’ll just have to read the book.

Sounds fascinating, I can’t wait. I want to thank you for visiting with me today, Astra. It’s been very…ah…illuminating.

Yeah, sure. Hey, you haven’t seen a really small dragon running around here have you?

(Reporter picks up her feet) A dragon? Why no, did you lose one?

(Astra shrugs) Maybe. Oh well, I’ll just follow the char marks…

 

Astra's interview with EM Sky of Mindunbound.com

EM: Welcome back to The Cobblestone Café! Joining me today is Astra Q Phelps, star of Sam Cheever's new release, 'Tween Heaven and Hell. Welcome, Astra!

Astra: How’s it goin’ EM. Glad to be here.

EM: So, Astra, how has the premier circuit been treating you? 'Tween Heaven and Hell just came out four days ago... Have you been enjoying the publicity?

Astra: Sure, it’s great to be out there among my fans. People really seem to be taking to Astra Q. Phelps, Demon hunter extraordinaire. I think they like the idea of a woman who can hold her own with the bad guy and still be feminine enough to attract the hottie leading man.

EM: Hey, who wouldn't like that? Speaking of the leading man, how has that been going for you? Do you enjoy working with Dialle? Is he a lot of fun on the set, or would you say he's more the serious type?

Astra: Actually, he’s a total cut up. The other day he sent a picture of Wormhead, the demon from ‘Tween Heaven and Hell to an online dating service. They had to completely shut down the website within twenty minutes. They may never recover.

EM: And what about Emo? Are you two as close in real life as you are in the book?

Astra: He’s really cute isn’t he? We’ve been friends for a long time. His mother and my father were Angels together, before they fell. But, between you and me, I’m having trouble getting used to his new look. I’ve always thought of him as kind of a brother. Now he makes my palms sweat when I look at him. It’s not a comfortable feeling for me, you know?

EM: I'm sure it's quite the transition. But what do you think? Is there a chance for some real chemistry there?

Astra: I'm not going to rule it out completely. We're both young and recently attractive. Who knows what might happen.

EM: How about Sam Cheever? Has she been fun to work with? And do you like what she's done with your character?

Astra: Sam and I have what you might call a challenging relationship. Every once in a while she yanks my chain a little. Like, for example, she recently told me that she was writing me into a scene with a lot of rats. I hate rats. Give me a good old slavering gargoyle to deal with any day, I can handle those, but rats....[shudder].

Anyway, turns out she didn't really mean it, she was just teasing me. That kind of honked me off you know? But mostly we get along. We're both enjoying my character a lot and she lets me have fun with it. She gives me latitude as we say in the business.

EM: So tell us a bit more about you. I mean honestly... demon hunting? How does someone get into demon hunting as a profession? Is this something you always wanted to do? When you were a child, did you sit around the house thinking, "Boy, I can't wait until I'm old enough to hunt demons!"?

Astra: Well yes, of course! I mean, I have a fallen Angel for a father, a Royal Devil for a mother, a magick phobic sister who thinks she has the right to boss me around all the time, and an extremely cranky guardian Angel named Myra. That’s a lot of baggage to haul around, you know?
On top of that, I’m very short. You’ve heard of little woman syndrome haven’t you? We’re talkin’ a lot of anger type issues here. Something had to be done or I would have started turning the other little kiddies on the playground into mutants.

And let’s face it, demons are very expendable. It’s still PC to vaporize a demon. You get into lots of trouble blasting human type critters. And it’s worked out fine for me. I’ve definitely found my Chi. In fact I’m flippin’ wallowing in Chi.

EM: So how do you reconcile your profession with your personal relationship? Isn't your current romantic involvement with Dialle essentially sleeping with the enemy?

Astra: Technically that’s true but I have an out. All evidence points to Dialle being the answer to a 2000 year old prophesy which states that a devil of Royal birth will unite the light and dark worlds to save humanity. If that’s true then we’re kind of on the same side. Anyway, I’m going with that. After all, have you seen him? I mean he’s totally crashin’.
EM: If you had your way, what kinds of developments would you see up ahead for Astra Q Phelps? Besides leaving out the rats, what else do you hope Sam has in store for you?

Astra: Well…I’m hoping that I can get my Father back on the Big Guy’s payroll. He’s never been the same since he met my mother and fell.
And of course I want my career to keep on keepin’ on. I mean, dark worlders are a volatile group. Talk about anger issues…yeesh! Who knows when they’ll just take each other out and leave me without a job. In fact that’s exactly what’s about to happen in ‘Tween a Devil and His Hard Place, which Sam and I are working on right now. We have our hands full dealing with that mess let me tell you.

Also, Sam’s promised me we’ll get the love life thing worked out, which is good, ‘cause there have been some new developments in the sequel that have me seriously confused.

EM: Well, you heard it here, folks. Sam Cheever's 'Tween Heaven and Hell is now available from Cerridwen Press, with more trouble and romance on the way. So stay tuned!

And three... two... one... that's it, we're out. Thanks, you two. Good job.

EM: Hey, thanks for stopping by, Astra. It's been a pleasure to have you on the show. Drop by any time! But... um... just don't bring any pet gargoyles or anything, OK? I really don't like those things. They give me the creeps.

Astra: Thanks for inviting me EM, I’ve enjoyed it. Don’t worry about the gargoyles, I’ve got a handle on those.

Anyway, you might have bigger things to worry about. You remember Torre, the bartender from Demonica? Well…he spotted you at the premier the other night and apparently he thinks you’re a hottie. You might want to make sure you keep your holy water close for a while just in case…I’m just sayin’…