Author Spotlight: Anne Barwell & A Knight to Remember

Hello, everyone! Today's author spotlight is on Anne Barwell! Please be sure to let her know you stopped in by leaving a comment for her. :)

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Not your stereotypical hero...

A big thanks to JR Loveless for hosting me today J

I'm not a fan of stereotypes, and prefer to write and read about characters who don't necessarily act in a way their position in the plot, or in life, might dictate.

Heroes who run in save the day, and aren't fazed by the fact the body count is piling up don't interest me. I prefer a reluctant hero who does what needs doing either because there isn't anyone else, or it's to save someone he cares about. While banter is a good thing, as it prevents the story from being bogged down from doom and gloom and too much angst, it shouldn't come at the cost of an emotional response.

My heroes, although capable, don't always know exactly what they're doing. Aric, in A Knight to Remember, is sent by a dragon on a quest to find a sword. But he has no clue what the magical properties of the sword are, or how he's going to use it to unite his kingdom. Where would be the fun in that, let alone the fodder for sequels?  He also has a tendency to get distracted by letting his thoughts wander, but that's what makes him human.  He does, however, know how to use a sword and can hold his own in battle, and will do whatever it takes to keep others safe.

I'm also not a fan of female characters who constantly need rescuing. My female characters are more likely to end up rescuing someone else, or giving their companions a good kick up the proverbial arse. Sometimes they're also needed to make sure the heroes don't get too distracted by each other and get on with the plot.

One thing that will turn me off reading a story very quickly is an amazingly capable hero or heroine who is better than anyone else. They save the day, kill bad guys before breakfast, and hardly break a sweat. *cough*Mary/Marty Sue*cough*.  I'd much prefer someone who uses his wits to think outside the box to defeat an enemy who is stronger and faster than he is.  After killing someone for the first time, the reality of what he's done hits him in the gut and he promptly throws up.

Perfect characters are perfectly boring. Give me a hero who makes mistakes and has to deal with the consequences any day. Besides being way more interesting, they're so much more fun to angst, with perhaps a good dollop of hurt/comfort thrown in for good measure.
 

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Blurb:

"The last of your line will be in the embrace of a dragon."

Aric, Crown Prince of Astria, has been brought up to believe that all dragons are evil. But when he speaks with one, he finds himself questioning those beliefs. The dragon tells him to find a sword in Sherwin Forest to save not only his kingdom but also his sister, Georgia, who must otherwise wed the prince of a neighboring kingdom.

At the start of his quest, Aric dons a disguise and meets Denys, an archer and herbalist who lives alone at the edge of the forest. Denys agrees to guide Aric into the forest, but then Georgia appears, revealing Aric’s true identity.

However Aric learns he is not the only one keeping secrets. Denys has a few of his own that could change both of their lives forever.
 

Buy link:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3954&cPath=426

Excerpt:

 
“You said you had something to tell me.” Aric cleared his throat, not wishing to reminiscence about such things, at least not now. He was losing his mind, he must be. This was a dream, it had to be. Yet why did it feel so real? “And my name is not Brandric. It’s Aric. Brandric is what my father calls me.”

“Aric, then.” The dragon inclined its head again, lowering its voice. “Your sister is to marry the prince of a neighboring kingdom. This must not be allowed to happen. It will not unite your kingdoms, but is merely a ploy to gain your father’s trust.”

“I already know that.” Aric had heard two of King Malachite’s men talking. Once the marriage had taken place, King Malachite planned to invade Astria and claim it in the name of Logan, his own kingdom. “He… they talked about using magic.” Aric had told his father about what he’d overheard, but he hadn’t been believed. King Malachite, King Brandr assured his son, would not attempt to betray Astria by using the evil that was magic. Nor would he use their children’s marriage to gain control over Astria. He was an honorable man who had stood by Astria and its people many times, their armies united against a common foe. Together they had triumphed over those who might use magic against them, and worked to rid both their lands of the threat of dragons.

Aric had never trusted King Malachite. There was something about the man that made his skin crawl, but if asked to explain, he couldn’t. Only two people had ever believed him: Georgia and Aunt Hannah.

“The only way to fight magic is with magic.” The dragon looked around, then cocked its head to the side as though listening to something Aric could not hear. “You must seek the Sword of Sherwin, Aric. The quest will not only save your kingdom, but also your sister.”

“I….” Aric stared at the dragon. He’d heard of the sword, of course he had. It was an old tale told to him by both his aunt and his mother. The sword was a thing of power. “It doesn’t exist. It’s just a story. Or if it did, it was lost generations ago.” He shook his head. Surely the dragon couldn’t be serious?

“Then it is time it was found again, isn’t it?”

“You make it sound simple. It’s not.” Aric looked up at the dragon. Its eyes were the same color as its scales. They seemed to bore into his own, searching his heart, and his soul. There was something ageless about it, powerful yet lonely. He shivered, and averted his gaze.

“You see what others don’t, young Aric.” The dragon opened its wings. Aric gasped. They were the length of several men, black cobwebs of fine leather and scale. “Follow your heart, and trust your instincts.”

“But I don’t know where to look.” Aric wanted to believe the dragon, he truly did. Georgia couldn’t be allowed to marry Prince Thorold, and Aric could not stand by and let his kingdom fall. Killing dragons had only been part of the oath he’d taken. He might not intend to keep that part of it, but he certainly would keep the other.

The dragon had already begun to flap its wings. It was preparing to leave, and Aric knew once it took flight he’d never be able to stop it. “Follow your heart, Aric. Do what is right.”

Aric stumbled back, his sword falling to the ground. He couldn’t kill the dragon, but more than that, he didn’t want to. “I don’t know where to look,” he yelled after it. The dragon did not reply but instead took to the air, gliding, hovering above him, its movement graceful, majestic. Something about it called to him, touched him.

He wiped at his eyes. They were wet.

When he looked up again, the dragon was gone.

Bio:

Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand.  She shares her home with two cats who are convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing "discussion," and to date it appears as though the cats may be winning.

In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.

She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as "too many." These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of "spare time" is really just a myth.

Links:

http://anne-barwell.livejournal.com/

http://annebarwell.wordpress.com/

http://coffeeunicorns.wordpress.com/

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_426

 

 

Author Spotlight: Lex Chase on Her Novel Pawn Takes Rook

Hello Earthlings! I’m Lex Chase taking over JR’s blog today. So thanks for having me JR! I’m the author of superhero romantic comedy Pawn Takes Rook, the first installment in the Checkmate series. There are some things about authors that you may have never known, or may delight you. So today, I am talking about the five facts/quirks/oddities about yours truly.

1.      Tabletop Roleplaying Games Got Me Into Writing

In my much younger days, I was a pen and paper gamer. Rolling up characters, creating their backstories and skills all got me thinking about worldbuilding and storytelling. I wasn’t into AD&D so much because of the sheer amount of math and dice rolling involved. But Cyberpunk 2020 by R. Talisorian really got me into creating stories taking place in the world of Cyberpunk’s Night City. At 13, and inspired by this, I created my first original world of cyborgs, genetic experiments, and gene splicing, and asking the question of What Is It To Be Human. Very complicated stuff for a 13 year old. But as an adult, I’m back to trying to find an answer to that very question in a new Cyberpunk novel.

2.      Speaking Of The Math In AD&D, I Have A Learning Disability In Math

Math. Ugh. Math. I didn’t learn I was math disabled until college algebra and had to be tested to prove it. My mom used to tell me stories of how when I was little and had math worksheets from grade school, I’d just sit and cry and couldn’t explain why. It wasn’t until much later I realized that numbers read like gibberish to me. I can hardly add and subtract and frequently have to check my work on a calculator. I can’t tell time on an analogue clock. At all. 

3.      Before I Was A Writer, I Was An Artist

I had always been telling stories and making up characters since I was young, but I was always drawing the characters over writing their epic tales. I had dreamed of being a comic book artist, even attended Savannah College of Art and Design to hone my craft, but when I realized I was hopelessly outgunned in how to ‘play the game’ I left. Something had to give. My sanity was sadly the thing that gave. One of my professors who I stayed in touch with always said in class, “Have a Plan B.” Writing became my Plan B. I don’t have a Plan C.

4.      I Got A Degree In Journalism For Novel Research

This December I’m graduating with a bachelor’s in journalism. How the hell did that work? At SCAD, I worked on the school paper there and was rather fond of the journalism process. And in hindsight, as art students we pretty much got away with murder. When I left, I had started a novel and one of the characters was a war correspondent. Seeing as I needed to finish college with some kind of degree, and I wanted to get a better view of the inner workings of a journalist… Off I went.

5.      I Name My Cats After Famous Artists

Fact: I’m a cat person. Pathetic Fact: I work the weird things my cats do into casual conversation daily. Honest to God Truth: I love my furbabies more than anything.

It all started thirteen years ago when I adopted a female grey and white ragamuffin kitten with a peculiar vacant stare that I ended up naming Dali Salvador Rorschach. Because she was an ink blot test in the style of a Dali painting, makes sense right? Just go with it. Dali was the best cat ever. She was very docile, friendly, and was quite clever despite her vacant stare. We called it her “Duh Face” because she always looked like she was going “Duuuuuuh…” Dali sadly passed away three years ago, but my family remembers her fondly and knows there will never be another one like her. Now, we have a tuxedo girl named Rembrandt, or Remmi for short. I secretly think she’s the devil. She is really cute, but she’s smart, insanely clever, and can be quite the creep. She’ll sit across the room and stare at you like she’s pondering killing you in your sleep.

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 Pawn Takes Rook: Blurb

The first time Hogarth Dawson sees superhero Memphis Rook, he comes to Hogarth’s rescue by cracking the heads of two thugs like eggs into a skillet. Hogarth is utterly smitten, but he soon discovers the superhero Power Alliance has ejected Rook for failing to protect a civilian.

Hogarth devises a plan that will reinstate Rook and might even earn Hogarth a place in Power Alliance roster. But what he expects to be a simple few missions rescuing kittens and helping little old ladies cross the street turns into a shocking reality of citywide chases, foiling robberies, and facing his ex. Then Hogarth discovers the beating Rook saved him from wasn’t a chance attack. It’s possible Hogarth is just a pawn in Rook’s game….

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Pawn Takes Rook: Excerpt

When I first saw Rook, he was cracking the skulls of two goons like eggs into a skillet. I sat there like a freaked out choir boy on my butt between the trash cans lining the alley behind Ted’s TV Tabernacle, gazing in awe and wonder. Rook had hands that could mold steel like Dollar General Play-Doh. He did just that by wadding up Random Thug Number One’s Louisville Slugger into a sadistic snowball and beaned the guy right in the ear. Getting snow in your ear has to be the most excruciating sensation in existence. I can’t imagine getting Kentucky’s finest steel shoved into your noggin. 

I don’t remember if I screamed. I likely did. Totally did.

Random Thug Number Two went flying past me in an expert over-the-shoulder throw, his open mouth smacking wetly into the bricks. Broken teeth bounced over the sidewalk. Random Thug Number Three ducked behind the trash cans opposite me. He popped up once in a while, hidden behind the mound of bags and cans. His alligator eyes inched over the unfolding scene from the safe vantage point of the trash bag swamp.

Rook surveyed the alley, making sure he had gotten them all. He snorted a puff of steam with menacing satisfaction at seeing one guy out cold and another on the fast track for full dentures before sixty. Then he came to me. Now, when I say he was smoldering, that’s totally what he was doing. Smoke rose off his tattered trench coat in ethereal coils. Rook’s smoking frame could have been caused by the chill of the oncoming winter and the steam of sweat, but it definitely added to the sexy first impression.

His eyes, oh my Christ on a cracker…. They were not quite blue, not quite green, but like that girl on the National Geographic cover. Those haunting Afghan eyes.

“Are you okay?” Rook rumbled in a perfect antiheroic growl while reaching for my hand. His fingers, broad, callused, and strong, hung there long enough to cue the musical montage in my head. I couldn’t believe it. The one and only Memphis Rook had swaggered into my mugging, ready to bust heads. It was like he planned it, really. Or our universes collided in some awesome poetic way that I can’t think straight at the moment because holy crap, those hands are huge!

That’s when Random Thug Number Three opposite me decided to ruin the amazing moment, popping up like a spring-loaded Halloween skeleton and launched at Rook.

Rook turned in a smooth whoosh of muscle and fabric, and I shrieked as the knife skewered into his gut. He latched onto his killer’s knife hand in surprise.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God!” I screamed. I knew in that infinitesimally dark moment, I was going to die alongside the guy who fought in vain to save my life.

Confused, the thug glared at him, then to his captured wrist, and back again. “W-what are you?” he stammered as courage ran down his pants leg.

Rook released him. The thug held up the knife with the blade crumpled onto itself like a bullet impacting a Kevlar plate. The thug backpedaled, falling backward over a black plastic trash can after slipping on a greasy Five Guys burger wrapper. He screeched, twisting in an about face, and ran like a kid who had spilled orange juice on his dad’s vintage Playboys.

Then Rook turned those Afghan eyes on me, and the musical montage returned. The sleepy, sultry lyrics to “Dream Weaver” crooned in my head along with the accompanying halo of sparkles. His hand, those powerful, thick fingers, reached for mine….

And then he flat fuck fell over in my lap like a Buick dropped from low earth orbit. Steam rose from his body in the not so sexy eau de parfum of burned rubber and gasoline. He lay there, crushing my pancreas while out cold.

And that’s how Memphis Rook fucked up my life.

By coming into it.

Where To Buy:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3643

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17404975-pawn-takes-rook

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Lex Chase

Lex Chase is a journalist by day and a writer by night. Either way you slice it, she makes things up for a living. Her style of storytelling is action, adventure, and a dollop of steamy romance. She loves tales of men who kiss as much as they kick ass. She believes it’s never a party until something explodes in a magnificent fashion, be it a rolling fireball of a car or two guys screaming out their love for one another in the freezing rain.

Lex is a pop culture diva, an urbanite trapped in a country bumpkin’s body, and wouldn’t last five minutes without technology in the event of the apocalypse. She has learned that when all else fails, hug the cat.

She is a Damned Yankee hailing from the frozen backwoods of Maine residing in the ‘burbs of Northwest Florida where it could be 80F and she’d have a sweatshirt on because she’s freezing.

You can find her on those Facebook and Twitter things at:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LXChase
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Lex_Chase

And her blog at http://lexchase.com.

Author Spotlight: An Interview with Pinkie Parker

 Today's Author Spotlight is on Pinkie Parker! Please sit back and enjoy the interview, read the blurb for her upcoming release and make sure to comment to let her know you stopped by. :) 

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Welcome Pinkie, can you tell us a little bit about your background?
I was born in the southern United States, and I “inherited” the nickname “Pinkie” from my paternal female relatives (the oldest female child is always “Pinkie”). No one is quite sure how that tradition got started, but I also have cousins named Bootsie and Newtsie, so we are a slightly eclectic bunch.

I had my first short story published in 2004 through a college literary magazine, and Dreamspinner Press published my first m/m short story this year with two more on the way.

When did you start writing m/m romance and why were you drawn to it?
I first started writing m/m romance at age twelve. It began with fanfiction for the Japanese animation Sailor Moon. I had been watching the American dub of the show when a friend showed me the original Japanese version. In the original, two of the main villains in the first season were male lovers. However, the show had been censored for American audiences by the U.S. distribution company, and one of the males had been airbrushed to have breasts and was given a female voice actor in order to make the romance “acceptable.” Watching the original, I realized that the love between the two characters was the same, regardless of gender. As I began writing, I wanted to explore that, and I have never really stopped.

Do you write full time?

 The simple answer is yes, but, sadly, I am not always writing fiction. Usually, I am being crushed beneath archival material for research.

How long did it take you to get published? Was your book/novella accepted on the first submission or did you have to submit to more than one place before it was accepted? 

I have been trying to get published in starts and stops since I was about eighteen years old. After getting a lot of rejections, my college’s literary magazine published a short story of mine in 2004. After that, I gave up the idea of being an author while I was getting my undergraduate degree. In 2011, while doing some thesis research, I began to write again, and, after nine months of submitting to a dozen or more  publishers, Dreamspinner Press published my short story “Curtain Calls” in their Snow on the Roof anthology.

What event(s) in your life helped you to decide to become a writer? 

 I think that I have spent most of my life alone with my own imagination. I do not have any siblings, and I have always been a bit of a loner. Writing my characters having social lives became a lot easier than having one of my own.

Are you the type of writer who edits as they go along or do you finish and then go back to the beginning to start the 'polishing' process?

I do edit as I go, but it slows me down terribly.

Do you write from experience or are you the type who researches a subject until you feel you know it inside and out?

As a cultural historian, my brain will not leave me alone unless I have thoroughly researched everything I want to write about. In my upcoming short story “Joie de Vivre,” I had to research several French locations along with recipes. I even tried cooking a few of the dishes that I wrote about to limited success.

How do you come up with the title of your works? Is it during the writing process, before, after? Do you outline or fly by the seat of your pants when you start a new piece?

I would have to say that most of the titles do come about during the writing process, usually when I am doing an overall outline of the story.

How much of yourself do  you incorporate in your characters? Is it intentional or does it come out subconsciously? Do you ever use people in your life for inspiration?

I do not see much of myself in my characters, but I am told that many of my characters speak like me. I have a tendency to overuse the word “indeed” in my regular speech, and my characters do it as well, so I have to be mindful of that. It is probably more common for me to use people in my life for inspiration. When I spot a quirk or a unique mannerism in my colleagues, sometimes that gets thrown into the mix during my character creation process. In “Joie de Vivre,” the character Henri has a lot of mannerisms that come from a close friend of mine, particularly the weird way he eats bread.

 What do you hope your reader feels or experiences as they read your work?

I hope that my reader feels like that they are truly experiencing a vignette in someone else’s life. I hope the atmosphere is tangible, and the emotions relatable. I try to strive for a sense of genuineness in my work.

Since your first publication, has there been any surprises or funny/interesting stories you'd like to share?

When I visited my family for Christmas, my  grandmother kept asking to see my story that was published in the Snow on the Roof anthology. While there are members of my family that know that I write romance fiction, my grandmother does not, and it made for a very awkward holiday.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently writing a fantasy novel set in medieval England, so I am doing a lot of research into the fourteenth century.

How do you overcome writer's block?

I start working on my academic writing. Imagining all those far off places and time periods I will never get to experience usually recharges the old inspiration batteries.

Do you like to read as well as write? What types of books do you enjoy? Do you ever find yourself incorporating pieces of books you've read into your stories?

I love to read, but I am normally stuck reading economic records from the eighteenth century. For pleasure, I enjoy fantasy novels, such as Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files or George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. I think that enjoying those books inspired me to write a fantasy novel myself, and I adore the world-building process.

Where does your inspiration come from?

History inspires me most of all, both for fiction and nonfiction writing. Reading the letters of Katharine of Aragon or even the records of the menagerie at Versailles under Louis XIV gives you glimpses into a different world. You can become attached to people and places in ways that are hard to describe.

Any special projects coming out soon that we should watch for?

“Joie de Vivre” will be featured in Dreamspinner Press’s Closet Capers anthology, coming out on April 22nd, and another short story, “Luck of the Dice” will be published in DPS’s 2012 Daily Dose anthology.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I spend an inordinate amount of time on the Internet, watching video game reviews. I also love to draw comics and make delicious baked goods.

Please tell everyone where to find you  on the internet.

https://www.facebook.com/PinkieRaeParker

http://pinkieparker.tumblr.com/

http://pinkieraeparker.wordpress.com/

 

My story "Joie de Vivre" will be featured in the upcoming Dreamspinner Press anthology, Closet Capers, which will be released on April 22nd.

Story Blurb:

Aspiring restaurateur Jules hopes to honor his aunt’s memory by placing one of her recipes on his menu. However, while visiting the farmhouse he inherited from her, he discovers her treasured recipe box has disappeared and encounters a host of needed repairs that make staying in the house impossible. When a childhood antagonist, Henri, reappears, can Jules take him up on his offer of help… and maybe more?

Buy Links:

Paperback- http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3770&cPath=55_767

E-book- http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3769&cPath=55_767
 

Author Spotlight: Jessica Davies & Sins of Another Giveaway Contest

Today's author spotlight is on Jessica Davies! She is stopping by to blog about her upcoming release Sins of Another and to begin a blog tour giveaway contest! Be sure to follow along to win! 

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First off, let me thank JR Loveless for inviting me here today and for being the first stop in my Sins of Another release blog tour.  

At the time of this posting, Sins of Another is available for pre-order here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3787&cPath=399

And here’s the blurb so you have some idea of what I’m talking about:

One morning Padrig Kennedy comes home to find his partner, Nick Glenfielding, in bed with another man. Shocked, hurt, and vulnerable, Padrig flees and meets a stranger who seems to offer comfort—but he force-feeds Padrig a steady diet of drugs and prostitution instead. When he finally surfaces from his hell, it’s to another system shock: he’s now HIV positive.

Nick descends into darkness as well. Devastated by losing Padrig, he finds no consolation in the legal career he doesn’t love and tries to find solace in alcohol, spending his days in an ever-deepening haze.

Padrig and Nick find each other again, but their relationship can never be the same. If they’re to stand any chance of a future together, they must do the improbable: make sense of the past and learn to cope with new burdens they’ll bear for life. 

Today I’m talking titles.  One thing writers get asked a lot is “how do you come up with your titles?”  I wish I could say it was a grand and closely guarded mystery.  Generally I go with something obvious and hope it’s got a little deeper layer to it.  For instance, my novella Possession.  It’s about a possessed doorstop – a possessed possession, if you will.  

The original working title for Sins of Another was Innocent Wisdom, the idea being that wisdom doesn’t usually come with innocence but Padrig, though innocent, ends up in a situation from which he gains a lot of life wisdom, and unfortunately not in a very constructive way.  I found that title rather annoying, though, and scrapped it before the end.  

Instead, I took the title from a line in the story: “There comes a time when one has seen such suffering one begins to understand, in this world, even the innocent may be forced to bear the sins of another.”

The phrase is intentionally similar to “punishing the children for the sin of the fathers” – a line from Exodus – the idea being that someone who has no connection to a particular wrong-doing being the one to bear the punishment.  This applies to both Padrig and Nick, who have had their lives turned upside-down by someone else’s wrongdoing.  They are each essentially crippled without their “other half.”  

Later, toward the end, Padrig uses the same phrase in giving some advice: “But more than anything, love yourself.  No matter how much others love you, no matter how they would do anything for you, there may be times when through no fault of yours, you might be the only person you can rely on when you are faced with bearing the sins of another.”

Basically, Padrig means that you’ve got to value yourself, love yourself, and be willing to encourage yourself at times.  One cannot rely solely on others for their esteem and emotional needs, because no matter how much others may love you, there may come a time when they can’t be there for whatever reason.  That’s not to advise caution when it comes to love, but to always remember to love yourself as well as others.

Like Her Royal Highness, RuPaul, says, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else!  Can I get an amen?”

Sins of Another giveaway contest

Between now and May 29, 2013 I’ll be including clues in my blog tour stops and my own blog entries to references made within Sins of Another.  

Here’s how it works: You get the clue from the blog posts and keep track of the answers on your own.  After the last clue has been posted (May 29, 2013), email me at jessicaskyedavies@gmail.com

Make sure you follow the blog tour over the next couple months as I’ll be giving away swag bags, a goodie hamper, and a copy of Sins of Another.

Jessica Skye Davies’ blog: http://jessicaskyedavies.blogspot.com/

This week’s clue: 

Padrig’s introductory line in the foreword of Sins of Another is: “HELLO. My name is Padrig Kennedy. Padrig, not Patrick. I’m thirty-two now and have lived in East London all my life.”

He is then quick to let us know that he is not cockney, unlike a certain blossoming denizen of Covent Garden after whom is named an early computer program that mimicked natural language.  Who does Padrig refer to?

Remember, keep track of your answers on your own and check regularly to “collect” more clues!