Melanie Nilles

Welcome back for another interesting discussion with one of the many characters of the Legend of the White Dragon series. With three months to go until the first book’s release, we’re counting down with some of the best interviews yet!

Thank you for joining us, Gayleana. Would you like to tell us about yourself?

Most people call me Gayle. So much have I to say; I know not where to start. I am the daughter of Gaerwyn of the Lumathir and inherited the power from her. I was young, only a babe, when she sent me to live in Euramai across the Northern Mountains. I remember nothing of my life before but what I have been told.

We share duties to keep up the gardens of the dead city and to teach the younger acolytes. We honor the Majera, our Creators, and are honored by Tahronen’s presence to teach us the powers of the Light inherited from her through those who came before us. She is the mother of all. In my duties I also enjoy working in the kitchen and cooking for all our sisters.

You inherited these “powers of Light” and are taught to use them? What does that involve?

The Light is the core of the Majera. From this we have magic, their power. The Lumathir are the women who inherited this power. Men also have it, and all are known as the m’athêrred rî Lûmea or “children of the Light”, but the Lumathir–the shortened name–are the women trained to use magic.

Because the strongest magic is inherited through our mothers, and one parent must have it if any children will, at least one parent usually knows about the Lumathir. We are sent as children, or Tahronen knows and sends for them. One way or another, they join us.

In training, each girl starts with simple tasks taught by a mentor. When she is old enough, she joins others of her level in group lessons. Each progresses at their own pace but many will be ready at once to move to the next level of training.

What level are you and what does that mean?

I am a fourth level priestess. I’ve learned all the basic skills and control. I can maintain the use of magic for some time and listen to the most subtle of changes.

How many levels are there to advance? What is the highest?

There are six levels, the highest are the teaching priestesses. There might be seven if one included the Great Magi, Tahronen’s original children. I believe one still lives, her last. His name was Mallenor. The first was Nafea, the first mother of our kind. This history she taught us that we would know our ancestors who came between her and us.

Can you tell us more about this “Light” and magic?

They are the same, or, rather, what we think of as the Light is the source of magic. We access this power to use it to our will. It’s not easy to do. We, the magi, are the descendants of the Majera Tahronen and the Second Race. The Second Race of men was cut off from using any magic. It is a strain for us because of this limitation. We can use it for anything beyond imagination, but cannot sustain long periods of use or large tasks. With practice, we can extend it, because we learn to recognize what we need and use it for only what we wish. That control comes in time and our connection to the Light within is replenished with rest.

I’ve spoken a mess, though I hope I answered your question.

Yes, thank you. I don’t have any other questions. Thank you for sharing this with us.

And thank you, readers, for your interest in the characters of the Legend of the White Dragon fantasy series coming soon from Mundania Press.

Join us next week for our interview with Captain Lagran Fremmer, one of the regiment commanders under the leadership of General Gheorwen, who commands the legion of the southeastern region of Cavatar. And in two weeks, another dragon will join us. Mark you calendars to learn more about these magnificent creatures.

Coming soon after we will dare a visit with one of the shady creatures of the series, a demon as dark as the void that spawned it.

I love a story that pulls me in and immerses me in a new world. Every time I read my writing, I see it again, and wonder at times how I did it. Everything is seamless, as if it was there all along and the writer simply transcribed events. Those are something special to read, and even more so to write.

But how does one go about writing a story like that?

The first step is inspiration. A character, a plot idea, a world, maybe even an element from a dream…They all provide an inspirational spark to start the Big Bang cascade of events.

The next step is planning. That involves some thinking. Often the characters that need to be there to start will come with that Big Bang of ideas when the story idea sparks. They won’t be complete, however, and minor characters may actually require some thought. The world, too, needs to be developed and considered. Ask the five basic questions–How, What, Where, When, and Why. When and where are the ones most pertinent to the setting. The others come soon after. You’ve probably already figured out the what and why, but it’s the how that is the most fun and the reason for writing a story, and for reading.

By now with this kind of story idea, many scenes have already played out in thewriter’s mind and the characters have some dimension to them. I outline at this point with what I’ve already seen, so I don’t risk losing those ideas. Chances are they’ll change over the course of writing the story, but that’s okay. Ideas are fluid.

The best part is to write, and if the story ideas are strong and unfaded, the passion will carry it through. The characters’ behaviors and dialogue is simply there, because you’re in their heads.  When I find that place, I see the surroundings and actions as clearly as if I’m standing there. I am immersed in that world. It is simply a matter of putting to words what I see and making sure nothing important is left out. It’s easier to delete than to fill in, at least for me.

At this stage, you have to turn off the internal editor, or at least turn it down. Fall in love with the story and dive into it. Because if you can, it will write itself. After the story is complete is the time to edit. And editing is where you’ll polish the prose, but at this point, there should be a definite voice, a style all your own, which suits the type of story you’ve written.

These are the most fascinating stories to write and to read.

I recall a discussion on one of the forums I frequent about so many famous writers having been depressed.  I believe Poe was one of the worst, or perhaps Hemingway.  In any case, the question posed asked if writers had to be depressed to write interesting stories.

I can say for a fact, probably not.  Depression–serious depression–is a chemical imbalance.  It takes different forms for different people.  Sometimes it’s a monster chasing out all happy thoughts, so why even try.  Sometimes it’s a cloud through which you see the world so everything looks dull and lifeless and you feel like an automaton without emotions.  Other times, it’s the worry and fear that everything around you is falling apart.  In another incarnation it can be fatigue and exhaustion.

Worse yet, it can be all those at once.  Some forms of the monster can inspire creativity, but mostly it’s the opposite in true depression.

Yes, I believe a temporary case of the blues can give one a special insight into what it’s like, but you don’t know true depression until you’ve experienced it.

Some of us live with it in varying degrees and without help it can sap your will to write.  It alters your perspective so nothing is satisfying, so why try?  But for a writer not to write can just fuel the depression into a downward spiral.

There is help, but you have to seek it.  The creativity does come back with the right treatment.  And it’s great to feel like yourself again!

So, NO, I don’t believe a depressed person can truly write effectively.  You can’t hold onto a train of thought.  But let in some sunshine and all the colors become vivid again!

Welcome! It’s another week–and a day delayed–and we’re back for an interview with Vahrik, son of the warlord, Tyrkam, from the Legend of the White Dragon series.

Thank you for joining us today. We’ve heard from several others that your father has taken over parts of the large continent of Ayrule and has caused hardship for much of the people. How do you feel about this?

He does what he will for reasons only he can say. While I understand none of the truth he avoids, this war is nothing. They make their own suffering. My *father* is more than fair in his dealings…far more than the people deserve.

I see…You’re, what, about eighteen-nineteen? You were not raised in Wynmere. Where did you live before?

We traveled in my youth. I remember time in different halls in my youth, when my father first built his army with fierce men–criminals, I believe now–and convinced the smaller lords of Larenthan to support him.

Not long ago, with the large army loyal to us, we conquered Wynmere Castle. We’ve lived there since.

When you say “convinced the smaller lords”, I assume–from what we’ve heard about Tyrkam–you mean threatened?

He did what he had to. But it was that Lusiradrol woman who did much of the threatening. My lord and father had only to say her name and they obeyed him. The king’s cousin, however, would not yield. The Isolders sent two regiments to defend the territory of the Wynmere. It fell in little more than a moon cycle. That was our doing; nothing of Lusiradrol’s.

Who is this Lusiradrol you mention?

A woman of magic. I’ve heard their talk and her threats, but nothing more than political meddling. Tyrkam would do well enough without her.

Without her, but you said the mention of her name could make some cower.

Not all men fear her.

Do you?

*Scoffs* Never. I’ve seen nothing of her to prove she is any more powerful than me. Any wench can be conquered, including her.

Well, let’s move on. Do you expect Tyrkam will conquer Cavatar?

I do. He is ambitious and a great leader, and the kingdom is ripe and ready to fall. In fact, I’d say it’s wilting. The king is only a figurehead. He has no real authority. The provincial governors bicker and dispute. They’re ready for a real leader with the strength to force them into agreement.

The kingdom will fall, and we will be there to unite all the lands into one.

You say that as if you expect a position in his new vision.

I am his only heir. If anything happens to him, I am destined to step forward, and I am prepared for that day.

What about his lieutenant, Dorjan?

Darkness take him! He is an advisor. He will not live long beyond Tyrkam’s death.

Very well. I see we’re out of time.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.

And thank you, readers, for joining us for another interview with one of the many characters in the fantasy series, Legend of the White Dragon.

Come back next week, when we’ll sit with Gayleana, one of the Lumathir women and sister to Damaera Isolder.

(Want to catch up on the previous 13 character interviews?  Download the PDF with all interviews to date.)

I wrote earlier in the year about how to get young babies to sleep through the night (If I had known then…). However, sometimes that doesn’t last. If your baby is like ours, around the time they start moving (rolling, crawling, etc.) and become more aware of their surroundings, that is around the 5-7 month age, all that work can go right out the window, along with your peace of mind.

No matter what you do, it’s going to happen. Relax! It’s normal. Give it some time. Your baby needs the reassurance that you don’t disappear when they go to sleep and that life can go on without them. Your patience may wear thin from lack of sleep, but hold on, because it will pass. It’s very important that if you find yourself losing control, set your child down in their crib and retreat to a room where you can’t hear them for a few minutes, or until you regain your calm. NEVER shake a baby or yell at them. They cry for a reason at this age. It will all pass in time. In time. Remember that nothing lasts forever. With a lack of sleep, your temper will be shorter and your thoughts scrambled. You’re not alone. We have all been through this, so take several deep breaths and count to ten.

Now, some babies pass through this stage quickly, like our first did. After a couple weeks of off and on sleeping through the night, she would wake up once a night until she was almost 18 months old. From that point, she mostly slept through the night. That’s not unusual.

However, our second hasn’t slept through the night since she was about 5 1/2 months old. Imagine how I felt! I don’t like to let infants go more than a few hours without eating, so I would feed her about 3 times a night. I thought I was done with that. I paid for my giving nature with lack of sleep, which led to being cranky and not enjoying my kids during the day.

This last weekend, after going through a horrible stomach bug, I decided it was time to cut her off. It’s been three months, more than long enough for her to adjust back to sleeping through the night. At her age, it won’t hurt her to cry for a while. I’ve already tried giving her what she wants and it only made the matter worse with her. Every child’s personality is different. What works for one may not be right for another. Well, in no mood to tolerate getting up with her several times, I let her cry herself back to sleep. The first night she cried for three hours (two of those hours after I fed her)! My husband and I finally had to sleep in other rooms, where we didn’t hear her (she’s in our bedroom). She finally went to sleep and stayed asleep for about 3 1/2 hours, the longest stretch she’s done in three months.

Last night she cried for no more than thirty minutes at one stretch and went to sleep. Another time, I fed her once and she went to sleep within ten minutes after being laid in her bed. She put in two 3 1/2 hours stretches of sleep, and I feel much better this morning. I will continue to enforce this new cry-it-out policy. At her age, it isn’t cruel. I don’t like to let young infants cry-it-out, because the younger they are, the more important it is to reassure them that their needs will be met immediately. Our youngest is 8 1/2 months old, more than old enough to begin learning to deal with frustration (when she’s playing and doesn’t get her way), and letting her cry-it-out when she doesn’t get her way at night because she doesn’t want to sleep but should be settling herself is not going to cause any mental issues.

While we’re still not to sleeping through the night, I’ll take a once-a-night feeding wake up over waking every hour anytime.

If you’re wondering what to do for your older infant, here are some notes:

1. Consider their age and developmental stage. Has the recent reversion to waking in the night coincided with reaching a new stage or level of activity? If so, continue your routine for a while, because it may pass on its own. (Give it a month or two)

2. If they are waking up frequently after they start crawling, take a look at what you’re doing. Are you rushing immediately to their bed, picking them up, feeding them? DON’T! Let them fuss for a while and they put themselves to sleep again. It is so hard to do, and that was partly my problem.

3. If their sleep hasn’t improved soon after they start crawling and you’re at wits end, try a different routine and have someone to help you. Do not give in to the temptation to rock your baby every time they wake, but lay them to sleep again after taking care of their needs while they are drowsy but not yet asleep.

4. If you’re still getting up more than once a night by eight months of age, let them cry. By eight months, your baby can learn to deal with frustration and should be settled into crawling. Granted, every child develops at their own pace, but that shouldn’t sacrifice your mood. You should enjoy your child, not resent them. I will allow a feeding once in the middle of the night but no more, simply because at this age, any normal, healthy infant may be hungry after a four-hours stretch, especially if they’re breastfed as mine is. But they should be put down after in their bed, while awake, and allowed to put themselves to sleep.

Now, get some sleep!

UPDATE:  By the third night, our infant slept for five hours and the little bit of fussing she did earlier in the night lasted no more than five minutes.  This is a child who slept eight hours by two months of age but who hasn’t slept through the night like that since she was about 5 1/2 months old.

Welcome, friends! Today we have an interview with author Mayra Calvani as one of her many stops on her virtual book tour for Dark Lullaby. Visit her website at www.mayracalvani.com for more details about Mayra and her book.

Thank you, Mayra, for stopping by today. As a fellow writer, I’m curious what generated the concept for Dark Lullaby. What inspired the idea behind the story?

Three things, actually. I lived in Turkey for almost five years, so this was a major influence in my writing. It was there that I first heard about the cin (jihnn), the supernatural beings that, in Turkish folklore, live in the woods and are similar to what we call fairies. The tales I heard both scared and fascinated me and I knew I would eventually use them as an inspiration for one of my books.

Besides that, I have always been fascinated with moral dilemmas and with the idea of a ‘higher’ good, of the end justifying the means. I incorporated this into the story to add an element of moral conflict and to make the protagonist’s dilemma more compelling.

Finally, my brother, who is an astrophysicist, was my inspiration for the protagonist. I love reading about astronomy and cosmology and it was really fun being able to add this ‘science’ ingredient to the novel.

Did you use anything in the cultures of the book as the basis for the paranormal element?

As I said, the cin exists in Turkish folklore, so I used this real aspect of the culture. The concept of the ‘melinka,’ however, and the real nature of the anti-heroine, was totally my creation. So in the end I used both, the real and the fantastic, and I mixed them to create my own mythology.

Did you actually travel to Rize, Turkey or the Middle East/Black Sea region?

I didn’t actually go to Rize, but, as I said, I lived in Turkey for a few years (Istanbul and Ankara) and had friends and relatives from the region. My husband was born there and visits often, so what better way to learn about the place? I listened to his detailed descriptions and saw dozens of photographs; I did research as well on the internet. By the time I started writing the story, I already had a crystal clear picture of the place.

Tell us something about your main characters, Kamilah and Gabriel, and your world, something not in the book. Authors develop so much material but to avoid info dumps have to leave them out.

Gabriel Diaz is a smart guy with a big heart and a grand sense of justice. He’s also a bit naïve, which together with his smarts, is somewhat unusual. But he is haunted by a dark childhood, one he would rather forget. When he meets the anti-heroine, Kamilah, she does everything in her power to bring his dark, buried feelings to the surface, leading to tragic consequences. I think readers will like his sense of goodness and justice, as well as his total loyalty to his sister Elena. At some point in the story this sense of justice somehow gets twisted inside his head… and he does a pretty terrible thing, something which readers may not agree with, but I’ve made Gabriel with plenty of faults and as real as possible, and this is really part of it all. He’s too temperamental and impulsive for his own good. Plus money simply slips from his fingers.

Kamilah is the anti-heroine, the catalyst that drives Gabriel to the extreme. I wanted Kamilah to completely mesmerize Gabriel, and to evoke both innocence and sensuality. I felt her mannerisms, voice, looks, were all very important in creating her powerful, alluring, supernatural nature. Let‘s put it this way: Kamilah is a young lady with a very serious agenda.

Which character do you relate to most and why?

Definitely with Gabriel, the protagonist. I love his profession, and I also share his views on law and justice. I admire his close relationship with his sister. It was so interesting getting into the mind of a male character. Not easy, but fascinating.

How has writing this story affected you?

Interesting question. The story has made me ponder about the concept of goodness and the higher good. It has made me realize that sometimes ideals collapse in the face of real-life situations. It also has made me wonder about abortion. I don’t want to go further because I wouldn’t want to give any spoilers.

What was your favorite scene to write? What was the toughest scene to write?

That’s an easy question. My favorite scene in the novel is when Gabriel is searching for Kamilah in the woods and he sees the faces of infants on the barks of the trees. Writing this scene was a very eerie, creepy experience. I have used this scene as your answer to [the last] question.

The toughest scene to write was the one towards the end of the novel where Gabriel is in bed at one of the Turkish village clinics. There was a lot of loose ends that I needed to connect there, and I had to give a lot of thought as to how much to explain and how much to leave to the reader’s imagination to figure out. One other scene which was hard to write is when Gabriel and the village translator are visiting an old psychic woman and the three of them get attacked by a swarm of bees. It was difficult handling such a scene while keeping it realistic and not over dramatic.

How long did it take you to write the book?

I didn’t work on this novel continuously until it was finished. I think I wrote several chapters, then for some reason put it aside for a year or two before I decided to get back to it. I tend to do that a lot with my manuscripts—not always, but often. Once I got back to it I finished it in a few months.

Along those lines, I’m sure there are aspiring writers out there who would like to know what you went through to reach this point of publication.

For Dark Lullaby it was a bumpy ride to publication. From the time I finished writing the novel to the time it was published about three years went by. The first year I spent a lot of time submitting queries to agents and publishers, without much luck. Then, during the second year, it got accepted by a reputable agent who edited it scrupulously and believed she could sell it to a big publisher. Unfortunately, it didn’t end up that way because major personal problems forced her to quit her job as agent. Once again, my novel and I were homeless. Once again, I had to start the process of composing query letters to publishers. This time, though, I concentrated on small presses. Eventually Whiskey Creek Press loved it and offered me a contract. All in all, the book has gone through many edits—maybe six or seven.

Is there an excerpt you’d like to share?

“Who’s that woman?” Gabriel demanded.

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know. I saw the way she looked at you–the way you looked at her.”

“She’s just an old woman, a silly superstitious old woman.”

Gabriel was sure Kamilah lied. He grasped her by the shoulders and turned her to him. “Why was she afraid of you?”

Kamilah laughed, her cheeks flushed. “Listen to what you’re saying. Why would she be afraid of me?”

“I don’t know. But it’s a fact that she gasped when she saw you, that she was afraid.”

She shrugged. “She must have mistaken me for somebody else.”

“But why did you look at her like that? I saw your face.”

She scowled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Obviously you misread my face.” She wrestled away from his grip. “I want to go home.”

“Home?”

“Yes, home. To the forest. To the cottage.” She stomped her foot and kept going, leaving him behind.

Craning his neck, Gabriel looked back toward the scarf stand but the old woman was gone. “Damn!” he muttered.

He trotted after Kamilah.

Kamilah started running, her shrill, childish laugh defying him. Never stopping, she ran all the way to the mountain trail. With the heavy backpack and his sore leg muscles, Gabriel had a hard time keeping up with her. People turned to stare at them. Desperate to catch up with Kamilah, Gabriel clashed into a man as he crossed the street.

Gabriel muttered a curse. He felt like strangling Kamilah. Her erratic behavior was wearing thin.

“Wait!” he shouted when he saw her going up the trail.

She glanced back over her shoulder and flashed him a feral grin, her flushed cheeks contrasting deeply with her brilliant eyes. “You cannot catch me, you cannot catch me!” She sang loudly in monotone, between gasps. “You cannot catch me, you cannot catch me!”

As Gabriel ran after her the dull pain on the right side of his ribcage came back. He halted, panting. He leaned forward with his hands on his slightly bent knees and his eyes shut to concentrate on the ache.

Massaging the painful area, he made an effort to regain his breath. When he looked again to the trail Kamilah had vanished into the woods.

The hell with her. If she thought he would run after her and play her little hunting games, she was mistaken. He would very calmly find his own way back to the cottage. He reached into his backpack for the bottle of water and took a big gulp. After resting for several minutes the pain lessened and he felt better. In the deep chambers of his brain an alarm went off–for the first time the pain in his torso began to seriously worry him. He didn’t think it had anything to do with indigestion or any exotic virus or bacteria. Words like tumor and cancer flashed through his mind but he tried to shove them away. He couldn’t think about this now. Once back in Baltimore he would go to a doctor and have a complete examination.

He’d been hiking for about an hour when a sound came from deep within the woods.

Gabriel stopped, his head turning to the source.

The sound was familiar… the distant shrill murmur of children playing.

As suddenly as the sound had appeared, it vanished.

Goose bumps rose on his arms. Had he imagined it? He massaged the sides of his head while drops of sweat trickled down his back. The burning sun and the humidity didn’t help clear his mind.

After taking a few deep breaths, he continued his way up the trail.

About a quarter of an hour later he heard the sound again. This time it appeared closer.

Gabriel stopped and peered into the woods. He closed his eyes and concentrated on identifying the sound. Yes… the shrill murmur of small children playing. Ridiculous but true.

Gabriel decided to investigate.

Once under the canopy of the trees, moist coolness and shadows enveloped him. He welcomed the feeling and continued deeper into the woods, the ground soft and mushy under his boots.

After a few minutes it struck him the sound wasn’t getting closer or farther. Even though it was distant, it seemed to be everywhere, all around him.

Tilting back his head, he stared at the dense canopy of trees. Soft beams of light filtered down. He turned around slowly, light-headed and somewhat dizzy. For an instant he felt himself floating as the distant murmur of children caressed his mind.

He stopped turning and stood immobile, listening to his own heavy breathing, to his thudding heart.

“Kamilah, I know you’re here somewhere! Stop playing games!”

He scanned the surroundings. Something about the tree trunks caught his eye. Their surface wasn’t smooth as normal tree trunks. Lines marred the surface, natural lines which seemed to come from within the bark itself.

The lines, as if carved by a human hand, appeared to be forming something.

As realization dawned on Gabriel he gasped and stumbled back, nearly falling on the ground. He looked around him, terrified. Each tree trunk portrayed a different face… a baby face, crying, the mouth wide open in anguished misery.

The shrill murmur of children became louder than ever.

And then Gabriel understood it, heard it clearly. This wasn’t the murmur of children playing.

This was the sorrowful crying of infants.

He ran back toward the trail as fast as his legs would allow him.

*For a blurb, excerpt and reviews, visit www.mayracalvani.com. To view the trailer, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZgbg5wk5Ug

Thank you, Mayra, for visiting us today! It’s been an honor to have you.

Okay, I’m not going to hide it under some clever guise. We’re talking about sex in books, particularly science fiction and fantasy. I’ve started reading George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones and am so far unimpressed. Since he uses sex so much (and I can’t say I wasn’t forewarned, but this is just hard on the eyes), and turning me off the book (which at a hundred pages in I still don’t see why so many people like it), the topic is on my mind. Is detailed sex necessary? The answer is “it depends.”

Depends on what? The simple answer is that it depends on whether it adds to the characters involved.

I’ve seen it argued on forums from here to eternity in every way possible for and against sex scenes.

I come in the against category. And my reasons are my own. Take what you will and leave the rest. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, I know many readers who skip sex scenes. Many writers don’t write them well. In my not so humble opinion, they are there only for the titillation factor. I don’t need that. I have a husband.

I’ve never enjoyed reading sex scenes, which is partly what has turned me off of authors who have something in every book they write or authors whose stories seem to be simply to show the characters having sex a lot. Sex scenes feel awkward, because it’s an open door into voyeurism that should be closed, and more often than not, they don’t add anything to the characters that can’t be demonstrated in scenes that actually advance the plot. Okay, some people like that, but they probably read erotica anyway. Don’t put it in fantasy and science fiction. I want characterization and plot. Put the sex behind closed doors, please! There are much better ways to show characterization than sex scenes, unless the characters really are focused on sex; but in that case, the story belongs in erotica.

I’m no prude. In fact, I know character are going to look for pleasure. Just don’t describe the act. I like the build up and then close the door or gloss over the act. It should not be there to titillate but to show the involvement of the characters’ emotions. Otherwise it deflates the tension that should have built to that point.

I love a little sexual tension. However, sexual tension does not mean the characters will have sex. It simply gives a tantalizing lure of suspense about how the relationship between the characters will change. Will they or won’t they? And the longer you can keep that going, the more effective it is. The problem is dragging it out too far. A good writer knows when enough is enough and gives their readers the satisfaction of an answer one way or another, usually by bringing the characters together in the end. The catch there is that it doesn’t always mean a happily ever after.

Now, what about rape and torture that might happen to a character? Those may be necessary, but those aren’t the kinds of books I read anyways. Real life is unpleasant enough. Why would I want to read about something that would depress me?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the safe bet with writing sex is to exclude the physical sexual details. If, as a writer, you feel such scenes are necessary, they better be important to the growth of the characters. And then you’d do best to focus on the emotional effects.

Oh, and unless something interesting actually happens by the end of AGOT, I won’t be reading the next in the Song of Ice and Fire series.

Welcome back for lucky thirteen! Today we have Haiberuk, one of the immortal Majera, the beings that created the world of Gairdra and the creatures that inhabit it.

We’re very honored you could join us. Creator is an impressive role. How did you conceive such a world?

For too long we had nothing for which to explore our part, the Darkness and the Light. We were one being then, at the beginning; one Majera. Darkness bore its own and together we shared control, each infantile and curious.

Something happened, a stage of development perhaps. Majera and Darklord both desired ultimate control. I suppose a disagreement, sibling rivalry, of a sorts. It escalated. Each battled the other.

I remember nothing of why but I remember when I gained my own consciousness. I found my sister–if you will–next to me, as confused as I was. A third part took no form. We chose names, myself Haiberuk and she Tahronen. The other took none as it had no form, but has come to be the Unnamed One in time.

We had some memory of who we were, now left alone and longing to unite, but unable to merge again. The day will come. I am only part of the whole. Each of us separate has some memory of before, but not enough to answer your question.

When you were split, how did you become a man and Tahronen a woman?

*shrugs and smiles* That I could not say. It was chosen for us. But as we had been given these forms as an alternate to what we are, so too we developed creatures of the world into two forms, always seeking each other.

So, you just–poof!–a little magic and you made the dragons and humans?

Nothing like that. We started at the smallest, learning as we went and developing each from what the universe had provided. This was all new to us, but we were determined to explore our power and to find a way to reunite and fight the darkness. It took time to perfect each, but when we knew we had them, we left the lesser beings to their own. Most died off as the stronger beings took over.

You’re talking evolution.

Yes, if that’s what you call it, but we guided life on the world into what we needed. We had a hand in every being until we found the combinations that worked.

Not until we made the First Race of men did we realize we could have done better. In developing the Second Race, we gave them the ability to reproduce far more rapidly than the First Race. However, the Darklord interfered and added his own twist to taint our creation into destroying itself with greed and lust and selfishness. We discovered his touch in time to remove all connection to magic and, thus, limited their ability to destroy one another and the world.

Do you regret anything you’ve done?

That is a tough question, but no. I believe everything we have made has served a larger purpose, the same purpose for which we were split into separate consciousnesses. We have grown and learned as we would not have otherwise. And we have given this world something of ourselves which will live on to eternity with us.

Do you think you, Tahronen, and the Unnamed One will ever be reunited as one Majera?

I believe it will happen. The universe has a purpose for us which has not yet been fulfilled. When it is, I believe then we will be one again. That will be an interesting day for the world of Gairdra.

Thank you for sharing this with us. It has been enlightening.

I would also like to thank everyone who continues to join us every week and those who are joining us for the first time. If you wish to learn more, check out the upcoming books of the Legend of the White Dragon series (Mundania Press). Dragon Prophecy will be available in January 2008.

And come again next week. We will have the son of the man many fear and loathe. Vahrik, son of Tyrkam, will join us. See you then!

I keep playing with blog themes, since I can’t make up my mind what I like.  I’m no programmer, but I have been able to do some customizations by copying and pasting things I like from one theme into another.

What will it be?  I don’t even know that.  Keep checking back to see!

I posted the video a week or two ago. Here’s the link with the lyrics:

http://www.squidoo.com/anitarenfroelyrics/

Enjoy!