Character Name
Johnny Lupul, although I was McPherson most of my life. Lupul is my birth name before I was adopted in Romania and brought to the US.
Which book/world do you live in?
The Werewolf PI series. Book 1 is Johnny Lycan and the Anubis Disk. Book 2 (December 2022) is Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker
Tell us about yourself:
I’m just an average 30- year-old mook from Chicago. I grew up in the burbs, then kicked around for a few years working construction and collecting debts for a bookie. Now I’m trying to get my own Location and Retrieval business going. Oh, and I’m a werewolf. Have been my whole life. That can make things a little tricky.
I spent my life thinking being a Lycan was like a learning disability—they kept me on Ritalin and thought I was just hyperactive. That led to a lack of self-esteem and a major problem with authority. Until lately, I was convinced the world was completely sane and I was the weirdest thing out there. I’m finding out that’s not true, and being a werewolf may be the most normal thing I have to deal with.
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
You’d think that having a slobbering rage monster trapped inside you is a pretty big weakness and it can be. I’ve learned to tap into Shaggy—the other side of me—to sense danger and help me physically when I need it. It turns out I may be smarter than I’ve been led to believe, but my mouth keeps getting me in trouble. Also, I’m not the brightest bulb on the tree but God knows I try my best.
Name three important people/creatures/institutions in your world (such as lovers, pets, government institutions, leaders, gods etc).
I’m not much for institutions. Schools, religion, even my adoptive parents have left me feeling adrift.
I have an adopted family—my best friend Bill and his Romani grandmother—that mean the world to me. Bill is gay but smarter than me and keeps me grounded. Gramma is a dirty old lady with more secrets than I’ve got.
I rely on my main client for steady employment I suppose. Oliver Cromwell is a creepy rich guy with a habit of collecting arcane relics and making me feel like an idiot most of the time. He’s not warm and fuzzy, but the checks don’t bounce.
The only relationship in my life that’s lasted or really helps is Shaggy. The Lycan inside me keeps me out of trouble or gets me into it depending on the time of the month and the stage of the moon.
What does ‘heroism’ mean to you?
Heroism? Hell, I don’t know. I guess it’s doing the right thing even when it can get you killed. Heroes are famous, good looking, morally upright people who defy the odds. I’m not heroic, I’m just the right combination of lucky and dumb. Sometimes it works out.
What do you think of your ‘creator’?
Wayne Turmel is okay for an old, cis-het, white guy. He cusses less than I do, and keeps inventing messed-up situations I have to get out of, which makes me wish he had less faith in me. He used to live in Chicago, where I’m based, but left for Vegas. How do people live there? Chicago’s a pretty good place to be if you’re a werewolf. Half the year the weather’s perfect for wearing a fur coat and there’s plenty of green space, even in town. You can find a deer when you need to kill something in a hurry to take the edge off.
Give us your favourite piece of advice:
Not a lot of 30-year-olds listen to classic rock, and people make fun of me for it, but I think Mick had it right… you can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.
Oh, and no matter how bad things get, never let Shaggy run the show.
Links to book
Johnny Lycan and the Anubis Disk https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KQHJQ7D
Wayne Turmel’s website www.WayneTurmel.com
Wayne’s Twitter @Wturmel
Library of Erana 