A while back, we posted an
"interview" with Herne, offering some clarity into what it means to be a nature god. This week, we're bringing you the flip side: a Q&A with Owl's Flower owner Iris Faulkner!
As an aside from us—this is a really fun way to explore the characters between books, and to offer you a little more insight that wouldn't naturally come out over the course of the story. If you have a favorite character in the books so far that you'd like to see a blog post like this for, let us know!
Q: So, how are things going at Owl's Flower?
A: Pretty good, actually! Obviously we're not as big as coffee chains or larger restaurants, but we have a respectably-sized clientele that comes through regularly. I'm always looking to expand, but we're in a pretty okay place so far.
Q: It was a little touch-and-go in the first book, I remember.
A: Oh, yeah. That was a weird one. Literal bad luck entity crashing my party? Hopefully that'll never happen again. You'd think gods and spirits would have better things to do than get in the way of someone trying to run a business.
Q: You're taking the whole "knowing deities" thing pretty calmly.
A: I date one. It's starting to verge on normal.
Q: Is it really?
A: ... okay, no, not really. There are a few things I'm getting used to, like Herne just straight up turning into an owl when he gets nervous. Or hungry. Or for fun. But I'm occasionally still surprised. There's a lot out there I still don't understand, and Herne will fill me in as much as he can, but a lot of it is still just plain weird.
Q: For instance?
A: Well, for instance, having to deal with ghosts. That was kind of a big surprise. Also now there's just this dog who comes and hangs out with us. His name's Frank. Apparently he's a friend of Herne's?
Q: Do you ever feel like maybe things are a little too weird?
A: Oh, constantly. But never too weird to give up on trying to make things work. I really love that guy. I get mad at him sometimes because he makes assumptions about how I'll react to things, or I'll get freaked out when I'm faced with something new. But he's worth it.
Q: Speaking of motivation and things being worth it, how long did it take to pick up the skills you needed to open a business?
A: You say that as though I'm done! It's a constant learning experience. Stormy has my back when it comes to social media and things like that, but the rest—business trends, management, how to survive in a brick-and-mortar when businesses are going digital—that's not something you just go to school for and you're set for life. Like I said, I'm always looking to improve, and that means learning new things.
Q: Did you already know how to bake all those amazing cookies and snacks when you started, or was that a process, too?
A: I just like baking. Honestly, if I didn't run a coffee shop, I'd probably still end up baking as much as I already do. This way, they're at least going to people who like them. Instead of, you know, right back to me.
Q: What are you proudest of when it comes to your work?
A: Lasting as long as I have when there are huge international corporations doing what I do. It makes me happy to know that we've made enough people happy that, when given the choice between the big commercial option and Owl's Flower, they'll come to us.
Q: Last question: what can we look forward to in the third book?
A: Well, it's going to be Valentine's Day! That means doing something special at the shop, but it's also Herne's and my first Valentine's Day together. I have no idea how that's going to go. But as long as nothing throws a wrench in our holiday plans at the shop, I'll be happy.
