I am happy to present George Steger, author of Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder the first book in a series of chronicles of Sebastian’s life with Charlemagne! The depth of perception Steger is able to light aflame in his story warmed this historical girl’s heart! I have a rapt passion for wordsmiths who garnish the ability to convince us we are transporting ourselves into their time of place as though we could simply step outside the door! The 8th Century is lavishly alive in this debut novel, yet tempered with a skilled hand not to be overwhelmingly difficult to read! A daunting proposition for a man who sought to bring the life of Charlemagne’s change of heart to the fullness of life on the page! I am thankful I had not only the pleasure of reading the novel, but for being given the opportunity to interview the author whose story captured my imagination!
By which the interview commenced,
between Jorie and Mr. Steger!
I am thankful to announce I was able to interview Mr. Steger on his first tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours! I am hopeful that he will return for tour engagements for his successive books in the Sebastian Chronicles! I decided to ask questions pertinent to the context of the story as well as the man who penned the story set around Charlemagne!
Jorie,
Many thanks for your interest in Sebastian’s Way and for your kind comments about the book. I have to say, though, that you play a tough game of 20 Questions. Nevertheless, I’ll do my best.
In all the interviews I’ve read of yours, I have not seen anyone propose the question as to what drew you instinctively to focus on Sebastian? What was the impetus?
Steger responds: What drew me to focus on Sebastian? You already know that I’m a veteran. I spent half my adult life in the military, and I served in Vietnam. 58,000 of our boys were killed there and a half million were wounded. Looking back on that ten-year conflict, I just don’t see that we served our best national interests there or that we accomplished our goals. They still Communized the country, not that that matters much now. They aren’t a threat to us.
And I guess I feel the same way about Iraq and Afghanistan. We’re getting out of both of these long wars now but what was accomplished? I just think there’s a better way than this permanent war footing we’ve been on for so long. That’s part of the rationale for what I wrote in Sebastian’s Way. I also wanted to encourage my grandchildren to know that one needs to stand up for worthy ideas and that there is always another way.
What impressed you the most in your research of Sebastian? And, what did you take away with you from those readings? And is Sebastian a fictional account of another man’s life? Or, did he truly live?
Steger responds: What impressed me from the research for Sebastian? In researching for the book I was impressed by what Charlemagne accomplished during his long reign. He unified most of Europe and gave it an identity. He made Rome secure from its enemies and empowered the pope so that he could stand up to the emperor in Constantinople, who was his theological and doctrinal rival. He was the architect of the strongest breath of cultural reawakening since the fall of the Roman Empire and presided over a period of art, architecture and learning that was so impressive that it has been dubbed “the Carolingian Renaissance.” Just one little example from that renewal is the Carolingian miniscule, which featured punctuation and spaces between words, a revolutionary change that made Latin the lingua franca of Europe for centuries more and advanced literacy dramatically.
Finally, the unification of Europe under Charlemagne provided a model that is still pursued by the present-day European Union. It is why the annual EU award for the best contribution to unity in Europe is called The Charlemagne Prize.
If Sebastian did live or is a composite character of different men who dared to change the heart of Charlemagne, how probable is it that this story has not yet been told? Would history have wanted to keep it a secret? And, why? Especially if this central character is so pivotal to your story?
Steger responds: How widely known is the story of innovators like Sebastian during the time of Charlemagne? Sebastian is completely fictional, though a partial model for him was Alcuin of York, one of Charlemagne’s closest advisors, who tried to get him to think in new ways and is partly responsible forthe Carolingian Renaissance. Alcuin was not the only forward thinker who influenced the king. It was Charlemagne’s genius that he actively recruited men like Alcuin who could bring him new ideas. He surrounded himself with such innovators as Paul the Deacon, Theodulf and Einhard, Charlemagne’s biographer. The king was very proud of this ever-expanding “circle of wise men.” The existence of these men is no secret; there have been many scholarly works written about them.
After the trilogy of the Sebastian Chronicles concludes, are you going to continue in the same vein of illuminating Charlemagne’s life? Or, adventure off into a new realm of equal interest?
Steger responds: What’s next after the Sebastian Chronicles? I expect to write a prequel to be called The Horse Master, which will be the story of Attalus, the one man who was most important in Sebastian’s life. Beyond that, I have no idea. It’s already a full plate.
When queried about which historical figured you’d love to sit down with for a conversation, you mentioned it would be Charlemagne due to the breadth of what could be discussed. Which topics would you have elected to focus on if he were sitting next to you now?
Steger responds: If it were possible to have a conversation with Charlemagne, what would one want to know? What wouldn’t one want to know? But here are a few specifics: What’s the truth about the early death of Charlemagne’s brother and co-ruler? What made him marry Hildegard who was only 13 years old at the time? Why did he leave Spain in 778 after a campaign that lasted less than a year and did not result in a clear victory? Who was the real Roland? (The famous epic poem Chanson de Roland notwithstanding, and in spite of all the legends and stories about him, there’s only one official mention of Roland in primary sources.) What really made Charlemagne abandon his campaign of genocide against the Saxons? There are many more questions, but primary sources from that time are sketchy.
If you could pick three distinct eras of history (as you are a retired Professor), which are you most passionate about exploring further outside of the Middle Ages?
Steger responds: Besides the Middle Ages, what other areas of history are of interest to me? I very much like the Roman era, World War I, and the period leading up to the American Civil War.
Do you think you might explore writing about more of your historical heroes? Whom would you select? And, why?
Steger responds: What other historical figures are of interest?Harun al Rashid, Caliph of Baghdad; the Radhanite Jewish traders of the Middle Ages; Clovis I, first king of all the Franks; Catherine of Sienna, medieval saint; Sandro Botticelli, early Renaissance painter; St. Boniface, English missionary to the Germans; Attila the Hun; King Alfred of England; Alexander the Great; Alexander I, Czar of Russia; Marco Polo—to name a few.
What are your feelings on Charlemagne’s military tactics, having been in the army yourself for 16 years?
Steger responds: Charlemagne believed that more was better. He liked using overwhelming force, so he usually didn’t go into battle unless he had a big numbers advantage. He was not afraid to split his forces, however, and approach his enemy from multiple directions, a tactic which often caused panic in his opponent. And he was pretty good at doing the surprising thing, like crossing the Alps in winter to invade Italy.
What is your earliest memory in picking up the pen in regards to creating the intensive world-building as displayed throughout Sebastian’s Way?
Steger responds: Eight years ago, my wife fell ill with Stage Four cancer. I quit my job to be with her, but it was a lingering illness. So I started to write the book just for something to do and to keep my mind busy.
Which writers influenced you to write and share your own stories?
Steger responds: Ken Follett (Pillars of the Earth); Bernard Cornwell (The Saxon Tales); Mark Halperin (A Soldier of the Great War); Sebastian Faulks (Birdsong); Umberto Eco (Name of the Rose); Feodor Dostoevsky (Brothers Karamazov); Rudyard Kipling (poems and stories); Cormack McCarthy (All the Pretty Horses); Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove); and anything Dickens wrote.
What tools and materials do you use to write? And, where do you write the most? Time of Day?
Steger responds: I walked in the woods and fields a lot to conjure up the story and then hurried home if an idea or a piece of dialogue came up and sat down at the computer to type it out before I lost it. Other than that, there were many resource books by scholars on this era, particularly RosamundMcKitterick and Pierre Riche.
In your extensive travels (around the world), which cultural heritage impressed you the most? And, why?
Steger responds: Besides my own American culture, I am an Anglophile. I guess that comes from all the British literature I’ve read over time.
What part of the world would you live in, if given the chance?
Steger responds: Europe, in general; England in particular. But I like living where I am. Newsong is the name of my house and I live in rural Kansas.
Writers are generally dedicated readers, what do you enjoy reading for both pleasure and serious study? Or, do you focus primarily on historical facts?
Steger responds: Easy.Historical fiction, mostly European but I like American westerns and stories of the Civil War era.I’m familiar with most of the classics of English literature.
What was your favourite book(s) as a child?
Steger responds: Believe it or not, I liked The Last of the Mohicans.
What do you feel is the hardest to convey as a writer? The historical backdrop inside the story or the narrative voice of the historical figure?
Steger responds: The historical background, by far. That takes a lot of research. As long as you’re very familiar with the facts about the historical figure, you can imagine how he or she might be.
How do you draw a balance between making history drinkable to the everyday reader and for the historical scholar?
Steger responds: Not easy. But historical scholars like a good story too. So you make it as entertaining as you can and just make sure you don’t abuse the facts.
Was it difficult making the transition from military serviceman to History Professor?
Steger responds: Being a soldier taught me a lot about life, and it broadened what I know about the world immensely. It taught me discipline and determination. It was a hard life at times, but a worthy one. And what is not so commonly known is that modern soldiers have to go to school during much of their careers. It’s not just running up and down hills. There’s way too much technology. Most of the officers I know had at least a Masters Degree and many had a Ph.D. by the time they finished their careers. The War College and Command and General Staff College here in Leavenworth is no joke and not for dummies.
There’s a lot more freedom, however, in being a teacher, and it’s great to live in peace, which is equally satisfying and broadening. You just have to approach finding solutions to problems in a different way.
What is your greatest everyday joy?
Steger responds: That’s a very personal thing. And I guess that changes every day. But in general it’s just a great thing to be able to savor a new day and be grateful for it.
What do you hope readers will embrace the most about Sebastian and Charlemagne?
Steger responds: Well, I hope, first of all, that they will be entertained. And I would like it if they came to admire Charlemagne and at least like Sebastian. The pitch of the book, however, was to send the message that the most difficult thing in the world is to be different from those around us. Being different needs courage and a very good reason, and one needs to be prepared to pay the price.
Thank you, Mr. Steger for being open to my questions and for giving my readers & I a lot to muse about in regards of Sebastian and Charlemagne! I had a sinking feeling that Sebastian was a composite character based on the lives of the men who directly influenced Chalemagne! For me, it doesn’t alter my appeal or love of the story, because it’s the way in which you wrote the story which stays with the reader long after the book is put down! And, I was ‘hinting’ at Attalus’s prequel in my book review! I was attempting not to spoilt it in case no one else was drawing the conclusion! I appreciate your time in generating your response and I am most delighted that this is going to be an on-going series! I cannot wait to see the next installment drop in other words! Please leave a note for the author if you have anything you’d like to say or ask!
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This Author Interview is courtesy of:
The first half of this showcase is:
my review of “Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder”!
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Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.
{SOURCES: George Steger photograph, and the logo badge for HFVBT were all provided by HFVBT (Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours) and used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Author Interview badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. I requested an Author Interview in which I submitted the Questions for Steger through HFVBT and received his answers in response through Ms. Bruno.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.
Author Biography: 
Ruth Hull Chatlien has been a writer and editor of educational materials for twenty-five years. Her specialty is U.S. and world history. She is the author of Modern American Indian Leaders and has published several short stories and poems in literary magazines. The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte (2013) is her first published novel.
