Character Interview: Bael
Welcome Bael From Soul Guardian: A Hellishly Cozy Fantasy. Let's get to know you.
Character Interview: Bael From Soul Guardian: A Hellishly Cozy Fantasy by Alex Karne.
Things were going great for the demon Bael-Sharoth until a little girl summoned him to open a jar of tomato sauce. Now he's trapped in the human world along with his arch nemesis the beautiful and capable Maharet Flameheart.
Life isn't easy for a demon in a small town. But at least the parks are hellhound friendly and the werewolf at the local bookshop seems nice enough.
Bael and Maharet must find a loving human family to take in this powerful young witch before time runs out or risk being stuck on earth forever.
Blending a cozy, slice-of-life story with a side of enemies to lovers, Soul Guardian delivers a wholesome romantic comedy in the style of Good Omens.
Let's get to know Bael - welcome to this interview.
Please tell me a little bit about yourself.
I’m about as old as humanity, and these days I’m definitely feeling my age. When I was a young demon, I could raise hell (or something equally as good) all night, party until the morning, then go to work and do it all again the next day. Now I get a pain in my neck if I sleep wrong.
I’d consider myself to be a self-made demon. I worked my way up from a nameless beast of the pit to a member of hell’s bureaucracy. Now that I’m a baron I mostly push paper instead of a pitchfork. It’s a special fireproof paper (because it’s hell and things are always catching on fire), but it’s a lot less physical than my old job.
Lately I’ve been taking a step back from my duties in hell to raise my daughter, Six. She’s adopted, obviously. But I love her like my own. She’s definitely special, and I’m glad I found her.
Parenthood (and learning to be a parent) is definitely a big change for me. Six keeps me on my toes (or rather, hooves). She’s actually the one who summoned me, if you can believe it. A nine year old summoning a baron of hell to open a jar of tomato sauce and do housework, how wild is that?
Do you drink coffee? If so, how do you take it? If not, what do you drink instead?
I definitely prefer tea. Maharet, my wife, is the coffee drinker in the family. I try to stay away from caffeine and stick with herbal teas, like chamomile (with lots of honey). That’s another nice thing about coming to the mortal realm, the tea is way better here. Back home all they have is Lipton.
What do you most fear losing?
I have this recurring dream that my daughter is in trouble, and I’m trying to get to her. But there’s this big door in the way, and I can’t break through it. Losing Six is my greatest fear, for sure.
Do you have pets?
Do hellhounds count? I’m sure Titan would object to being called a pet, but he’s having a lot of fun pretending to be a normal dog. My wife’s hellcats could be considered pets. Their names are Arson, Murder, and Robbery. But whatever you do, don’t call Arson a pet. She might set fire to your shoes.
Anything you'd like to say to your author?
Oh definitely! Hey Alex, send me more snacks. You know I love junk food, and baked goods. The Om-nom-nomicon has been really helpful in finding cool new recipes, but Lou the Cosmic Repair Creature is eventually going to want it back. Actually, can we do a bake-off arc? And can I be one of the judges? I think I’d like that.
Who doesn’t like snacks? I’m going to leave this on that high note. Make sure you check out Soul Guardian: A Hellishly Cozy Fantasy!
About the author: I loved books as a kid, and eventually I decided to start writing some of my own. It’s been a long journey, and it’s not always easy, but I love being an author.