K.M. Tolan on His Latest Book KNIGHT OF THE OPEN ROAD

Champagne Books Group is happy to announce the release of K. M. Tolan's Knight of the Open Road, the third book in his Hobohemia series. 

CBG interviewed Tolan about his new book. This is what he had to say. 

 

Knight of the Open Road is book 3 in your Hobohemia series. Can you tell readers a little bit about the first two books?

I wanted to write a fantasy without the usual tropes, so I went to the railroads and hobos of the 1930’s and found plenty of untapped potential in the old tales and history around steam locomotives and those who worked or rode them. “Tracks” looks at a man trying to restore his family and “Storm Child” concerns itself with a young girl who, as a transformed steam child, must confront and conquer her own hurtful past. All of this is told using the railroad lexicon, though you don’t have to be a rail fan to both understand and enjoy both books. I can truly say that most people will never have read a fantasy quite like these.

How does Knight of the Open Road continue the series?

There are several story arcs through the other two books that deal with the conflict between steam locomotives and diesel engines. We also have the Blue Goose, a Hudson engine playing a part in the first two novels, as well as some characters whose resolution hasn’t been completely fulfilled. These stories are continued in “Knight” while exploring what it means to inherit a legacy that’s both good and bad. You can read “Knight” as a stand-alone, but having read the first two stories will enrich the experience.

What character was the most fun to write for Knight of the Open Road?

As much as I liked Alex, the protagonist, the one who got put through the hero’s journey ended up being his aunt, Chessie Hamilton. Why a villain might spare her opponent time and again opened up a whole new perspective into what drives a person to seemingly do evil. In the end, it is a matter of perspective.

What is a major theme in this book and how is it developed?

Coming to grips with guilt and a family legacy is a big part of my story.  I also wanted a final showdown between steam locomotives and diesels that touched on what actually took place – a comparison between the best of both classes. For me, that meant more than analyzing charts and graphs. I wanted a race – one with a winner-take-all consequence.

For fans of your first two books, what growth or changes in the characters can they expect to see?

Knight takes place sixty years after Storm Child, so while you won’t meet too many of the previous series characters, you will get to see a few familiar steam children in a different light. Some are darker. Others less so. A love story in Tracks ends up laying the foundation of tragedy in Knight. Alex Kiefer is saddled with an unsavory history due to what followed in Storm Child.

Was there anything particularly difficult to write when working on Knight of the Open Road? If so, how did you overcome it?

In one word. Chessie. My heavy for Knight. Conflicted doesn’t even begin to describe her sometimes erratic behavior. She wasn’t meant to be the demon she’s become, and I had to get deep into her head to see what she was or wasn’t going to do next. Sometimes you have to sit down and have a long talk with your characters, but when you see the villain seeing themselves as a hero, well things get complicated. Especially when she’s got good reason to think so.

Do you plan on continuing the series? If so, what are some things fans can expect to see in upcoming books?

Lucky for me, the books are designed as stand-alone tales for the most part, with a unique universe to play in. I’ve touched on gandy dancers, steam children, and hobo knights. There’s always room for, say, the rail barons and even the yegg. I’ve put the series aside with a satisfying closure in Knight while I work on my other Dancer universe. It doesn’t mean I can’t come back again.

Do you have any other news to share with us?

Speaking of the Dancer universe, for those who’ve read my SF series there’s some good news. I’m currently writing Dark Suria, addressing the successor to Mikial, the series protagonist from Dancer. I hope to get three books out. Here, I explore the idea of how Mikial’s species selects their rulers – and what happens when they get it wrong.

Do you have a sample of your current work you could share with us?

Here’s a familiar face from Storm Child making her re-introduction in Knight of the Open Road. We start with Cecilia Baldwin and Alex preparing to face off with her. Cecilia has the first line followed by Alex:

Her lips thinned. “This one’s very real. And very powerful, so watch what you say.”

“Good or bad?”

“Depends.”

He caught the other word formed on her lips. Bitch.

She stepped forward, her hands clenched. “Lady Midtown?”

The steam mother continued to coalesce until he could make out the purple in her blouse beneath a white lace vest. The curve of her dungarees suggested this Midtown wasn’t bothering with the little kid act, either. Her brunette hair was pulled back by a green bandanna, though the impossibly long ponytail still lent a measure of quirkiness. Either the steam mother couldn’t decide who to be or didn’t care. Alex suspected the latter.

Her fluttering voice rolled across the floor with the distant rumble of a summer storm. “Cecilia Baldwin, what are you up to?” Those baleful eyes fixed on him next. “And let me guess. Another Kiefer.” Midtown glanced at the black steel frame beneath her boots. “You dare pursue your family’s work?”

Do you have anything you want to share with the readers?

I wish I could meet more of them, but this year being, well, this year, I haven’t any conventions to rely on. So please, make yourselves comfortable at the Champagne Books website and visit my own site at www.kmtolan.com to check out my worlds.

Thank you for your time! And congratulations again on Knight of the Open Road. The book releases on Monday, June 29th. You can find it on Amazon here.