Chef Sheng, The Bishop's Nod, Witherleigh 

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The world of Witherleigh is filled with the most unusual minor characters. While they are not as important as the major characters, they still have a considerable impact on the story.  Many of my minor characters are based on people I have met in my travels throughout the south-west but with their characters and mannerisms heightened to the extreme. 
     The auxiliary characters are recognisable characters you may meet if you are either lucky or very unlucky when coming to Devon.  One of my characters is the redoubtable Chef Sheng. He is based on an actor I met in the many comic cons I have attended. Some people might recognise him from this physical description. 

     ‘You want help?’ a quiet voice queried.
     ‘Get me out of here!’ Richard shouted.
     Chef Sheng leant over the pit. His long, white ponytail dangled into the hole as he pulled on the root. The Chef’s small stature belied massive upper body strength, attained through years of chopping through carcases with his meat cleaver. The cook hauled in the root and helped Richard onto the grassy mound adjacent to the tree. 
     ‘Watch out for my truffles!’ Sheng commanded.

     Chef Sheng is a very interesting character. He is first-generation BBC (British Born Chinese) and has had to find his way between the two cultures – the culture of his parents and the culture he has grown up in. It is important that books, even dark paranormal books, realistically represent the diversity of the society they create for the reader. However, as with all characters they need to be well-rounded and interesting first and foremost, not just stereotypical cardboard cut-outs. 
     Chef Sheng is rather enigmatic character. He saves the protagonist Richard Radcliffe from being dragged into the Abyss, while at the same time working for the secret antagonist of the story. Therefore, he is a grey character whereby the reader must work out those side he is actually on. From character reveals and information about Sheng which has been dropped into the story such as, 

     ‘Richard swallowed a wave of nausea as the chef decapitated a scrawny looking chicken. The head was thrown into a bowl on the opposite side of the table. Its juice splattered across the table, as he fished out another jaundiced chicken. The chef looked up and stared at the intruders, cleaver in one hand, limp chicken in the other. Richard nodded to the chef. The chef growled something which sounded Cantonese, spoken in a such a way that it did not seem to be a welcome greeting, but Richard could not be sure. He nodded to the chef and quickly followed Bethany from the kitchen. The sound of the hatchet followed them into the corridor.
     ‘Don’t mind Chef Sheng,’ Bethany stated. ‘He’s a bit sensitive today. A customer complained that his beef Wellington was chewy.’
     It is not until the final chapters of ‘Welcome To Witherleigh,’ when Chef Shengs true allegiance and character is revealed.