The Lost Seigneur
(A Chateau Laux Odyssey, Book #2)
By David Loux
(A Chateau Laux Odyssey, Book #2)
By David Loux
The Lost Seigneur is a sequel to the award-winning Chateau Laux.
It is the story of Jean-Pierre du Laux, a nobleman in southern France, who was wrongly imprisoned during a time of religious intolerance and subsequently endeavors to return to his family. Many years have passed since he saw them, and his long incarceration has broken his health.
Any reunion would clearly have been impossible, without the unlikely help of a youthful companion that he meets along the way.
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Publisher: Wire Gate Press
Pages: 226
Genre: Historical Fiction / Literary Fiction
An interview with David Loux
What inspired you to start writing?
I became a reader at an early age, when my grandmother on the farm took me to a bookcase and told me to pick out a book, read it and report back to her. The book I picked was The Call of the Wild by Jack London. The words took my breath away and I quickly read London’s other books, followed by every fiction book in my elementary school library.
In due time, I started to write poetry, and it wasn’t always an easy process. I had a seventh grade English teacher who questioned my use of words that he thought were beyond my grade level. Additionally, I had a ninth-grade teacher who thought I should be publishing my poems in literary journals. She didn’t seem to understand what a big step this would have been for a farm boy from rural Pennsylvania. I hope that wherever she is, she has been able to read Chateau Laux or The Lost Seigneur and see that, while not books of poetry, they hold literary merit.
It wasn’t until I was in college that I wrote my first short story. It was for a creative writing class taught by Leonard Rubenstein. He singled out my story and read it in front of the class, after which he humbly thanked me and I was hooked.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
As the sequel to Chateau Laux, The Lost Seigneur had some challenges. First and foremost, I wanted it to be able to stand alone, as not everyone who chanced upon it would have already read its predecessor. Writing a stand-alone sequel is not as easy as it might sound, as one can get trapped in the house that the prequel built, so to speak. It took several drafts and, frankly, a good editor. Secondly, I wanted a thematic handoff that would enhance earlier development without compromising it. It took me several drafts to succeed in both endeavors.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
The main characters of The Lost Seigneur are Magdalena Laux Kraymer, who lives in a château on the edge of the frontier in the American colony of Penn’s Woods, and her grandfather, Jean-Pierre du Laux, a Protestant nobleman, who was wrongfully imprisoned for many years, during a time of religious intolerance in southern France. I love these characters. I am even more drawn, however, to the youthful companion that helps Jean-Pierre to finally reunite with his family. This character is complex and compelling. Her courage is a rare and staggering thing. Her resilience is breathtaking. While she may have had a fictional existence three hundred years ago, she lives in my heart today.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
Time has its way with us all, and celebrities that stand out today might not be around for future casting. That said, The Lost Seigneur has some of the qualities of the film News of the World, and Tom Hanks would be a standout. A young Jodie Foster would be marvelous, as well, for my seigneur’s tough and resilient youthful companion. Whatever actors ended up being cast in whatever roles would need enough heart to illustrate the point that the past still lives within us, and that the courage and resourcefulness that enabled our ancestors to survive is a boon to us as well.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
What I hope my readers will take away is that while life may be fragile and cruel at times, it nevertheless offers opportunities that we might not have anticipated and which may take courage to grasp, but which can yield blessings we once would have considered unimaginable.
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David Loux
He lives in the Eastern Sierra with his wife, Lynn.
Thank you for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting David Loux today, with such a fabulous chat about his compelling novel, The Lost Seigneur.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club