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	meet Theodore Beale  Theodore Beale is an American living in Europe. He has published decidedly Christian speculative fiction with decidedly secular publishers: Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster. He works primarily in the computer game industry, where he has launched and guided a small business into a successful career. He is an entrepreneur and a musician, and, if you do a little digging, you'll find he's interesting in other ways, too.	also see...  Cover art and sample chapter from Theodore's novel, Summa Elvetica Profiles of all the Marcher Lord Press novelists
	the interview Marcher Lord Press: Tell folks a bit about yourself, Theo. Theodore Beale: I’m but an expert computer gamer who appears to have an unusual knack for creating controversy by the mere expedient of writing what I’m thinking. For whatever reason, I seem to have a talent for reaching conclusions that upset people, although that’s very seldom my intent. I’m a Christian, I’m also a libertarian, and I strongly suspect that God has far more of a sense of humor than Man tends to give Him credit for. I grew up in the U.S.A. but have long made my home in Europe. This tends to give me a somewhat different perspective than most Americans or most Europeans. Marcher Lord Press: What is your novel, in a nutshell? Theodore Beale: It’s somewhat of a reaction to the way in which most secular fantasy is typically placed in a medieval setting devoid of the most significant and powerful medieval institution, the Church. I began thinking about what would be the result of dropping the medieval Catholic Church, or something very much like it, into a conventional high fantasy world, and the consequences struck me as obvious. Summa Elvetica is an exploration of that simple concept. Marcher Lord Press: What's cool about your book? Why should I, a potential reader of your book, read it myself or buy a copy for someone I know? Theodore Beale: If you like high fantasy with a dash of medieval philosophy, then this book should hold some appeal for you. Marcher Lord Press: Why is Marcher Lord Press the ideal publisher for your novel? Theodore Beale: No other publisher was ever going to publish a fantasy novel wherein the primary action is intellectual. I’ve published a number of books with large, secular, New York publishers and I’m a member of the SFWA, so I have a fairly accurate idea of what is publishable today and what is not. I have no interest in writing about sexy wereseals and romantic vampires, which is virtually all that those publishing [secular] fantasy are interested in putting out these days. So when Jeff told me about Marcher Lord Press, I knew that it was the sort of publishing house I was looking for. The editing is more detailed than any I’ve experienced at Simon & Schuster and this also marks the first time I’ve been delighted with a cover from the very first draft. Marcher Lord Press: What do you hope to accomplish with this novel? Theodore Beale: Merely to entertain the readers and perhaps stimulate a little thought in them. Marcher Lord Press: Are there more books in you? If so, what might some of them be? Theodore Beale: Yes, of course. Well, I had this brilliant idea for a strong, independent woman who is torn between two loves, the one being an elegant vampire prince and the other a brooding werewolf chieftain… Actually, there’s already more than a novel’s worth of short stories and novellas set in the same world as Summa Elvetica, so there’s plenty of possibilities there. Marcher Lord Press: Have you written other Christian speculative fiction? If so, what? Theodore Beale: The War in Heaven, The World in Shadow, and The Wrath of Angels are all based on a fundamentally Christian worldview. They’re a bit darker than most conventional Christian fiction—I think they’re actually classified as “dark fantasy”—but the religious aspects are unmistakable. To me, it’s the worldview and setting that define a book’s Christian nature, not minor trappings such as the language or the complete avoidance of any sinful activity on the part of the characters. All are fallen short of the glory of God, but then, there’s no need to constantly wallow in the fallen natures of one’s characters, either. Marcher Lord Press: Where can folks go to read more of your stuff? Theodore Beale: There’s a fair amount of text downloadable for free at www.eternalwarriors.com. Marcher Lord Press: Finally, and most importantly, if you could travel to any time period or alternate world, what would it be and why? Theodore Beale: When I was younger, I really wanted to live on Pern and have a fire lizard, while William Gibson’s Sprawl exerted a certain fascination during my teens. But I think the relatively harmless unpredictability of Piers Anthony’s Xanth would probably be the nicest and most amusing place to visit, unless, of course, I were to discover that I was, unbeknownst to myself, a Prince of Amber. that's all from Theodore Be sure to see the cover art and sample chapters from Theo's novel, Summa Elvetica, and to visit Theodore Beale online. And don't miss the profiles of his fellow Marcher Lord Press novelists.

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