Van Locken's Witch Character Interview...Part Two!

Last week I had such so much fun asking the characters of "Van Locken's Witch" questions posed by my beta readers, we thought we'd do it again this week! This time we'll pull questions from both my blog-readers as well as finish up the questions from my beta readers that we didn't get around to answering on my last post.

The 'Mauritius' and other East Indiamen between 1590 and 1640

Blog reader Nicole had some great questions for the crew of the Rood Draeck. Are you listening boys? Good. Then, here we go.

1. First of all, Nicole wants to know if any of you hesitated in following Wolf as your new kapitein when Rand stepped down...

2. What were your feelings on these new circumstances...

3. Did any of you feel Rand made a mistake in his quest to help Lissa...

4. And finally, did a time ever exist when you disliked Lissa or feared her abilities?

(Joris waves a hand.) I"ll answer that first question. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that not a single crewman aboard the Draeck had any reservations whatsoever in accepting Wolf as our kapitein when that moment finally arrived. Rand taught him well, and the many instances wherein Rand left him in charge of the ship, Wolf proved more than capable of the task and many times over.

(Each crewmen nods as Laurens clears his throat.) "Boarding the Witte Wieven with Wolf at the helm  seemed a natural step for all of us to take. In all reality, the only thing missing on the Witte Wieven was Rand himself, Antonis, and Hendrick. However, we drew comfort in knowing that we left our good kapitein in very good hands...very good hands.

(The crew laughs as Johannes steps forward.) "Indeed we did. Now, for question three, no one ever thought assisting Lissa in the rescue of her sister was a mistake. We were all for it and so cast our vote when Rand made the proposal. Though you couldn't possibly know it, we've taken on a number of quests that had nothing to do with capturing Spanish ships. Each of those quests presented a unique set of challenges, and in turn, gave us the laudable reputation for which we were known far and wide."

"That, they did," Pieter agreed. "As for the next question, although we didn't fear Lissa in the true sense of the word, that doesn't mean we didn't carry a healthy respect for her and the particular set of skills she possessed. And dislike? Not possible. We all loved her in our own way."

"As long as it's in a sisterly way, I don't have a problem with that," Rand interrupted. much to the delight and laughter of his men.

The Wise Women of Germanic Legend...

For the most part, the Dutch words “Witte Wieven” translates into English as “White Women.” However, in the Low German language, spoken in northern Germany and in the eastern portions of the Netherlands, the translation is “Wise Women.” No matter how you translate it, these women are known as herbalists, healers, and prophesiers. They were, and still are, highly respected in some cultures.

Cover Art by Shandra Kay

In answer to readers burning questions concerning "Van Locken's Witch," I thought I'd share some of the Germanic legends concerning these captivating women. After all, my heroine, Lissa Capoen is a direct descendent of the Witte Wieven, and has inherited all of the abilities of her revered ancestors.

According to the myths and legends of the Netherlands, dating back to at least the seventh century, mortals admired the wise women during their mortality and honored them at and after their death. Once death claimed them, their spirits remained earthbound and according to their pleasure, they could choose to help or hinder those they encountered.

Legends tell us that the ghost wieven made their homes in forests, swamps, hills, lakes, grave hills, trees, stones and any other object of nature. In Drenthe, tombs were also seen as homes of the Wise Women. Many mistook the sound carried by the breeze as the White Women busily spinning cloth and mists seen in the night, were mistaken for their ghostly forms as they went about gathering herbs, stems and leaves.