I is for Indiya

I know, it’s been a while for one of these posts, but here, at last, is the next post in my A-Z Makilien series.

Indiya (pronounced like “India”) is the only female dragon in Truth. She was the first of the dragons I created and the first one to make an appearance in Makilien. I never had dragons in the original story, nor had I ever written about dragons before. I never realized how much I loved dragons until I started writing about them. They are definitely one of my favorite fantasy creatures, whether they are portrayed as good or evil.

It was great fun to figure out the certain characteristics and appearances for my dragons. The biggest thing I knew from the start was that I wanted them to be realistic. I didn’t want giant, fire-breathing, indestructible beasts. I wanted them to be vulnerable. So first, I made them smaller than a lot of fantasy dragons, only the size of a draft horse. I also limited their fire-breathing ability by making it so they can only use their fire for short amounts of time before it builds inside them again. It’s these types of little world-building things that make it so much fun to be a fantasy writer.

Once I’d figured out the characteristics of my dragons, I got into their personalities. Indiya was a fun character to get to know. I think from the start I had a cat in mind when it came to both her movement and personality—the graceful, independent, playful, and slightly mischievous nature. She’s lovely, feminine, and kind, yet can instantly become a deadly adversary when the occasion calls for it. Both Indiya and her mate, Emaril, are young dragons, just a bit over one-hundred years old. I chose indigo blue for her color not only because it suited her, but blue is also my favorite color. It was only natural for my first dragon to be that color.

H is for Halandor

Of all the characters in Makilien, Halandor is one of people I love most. I love his story and just who he is. He is probably one of the very first characters I ever created for Makilien way back in the original, and he really hasn’t changed much. Unfortunately, it was so long ago, I don’t remember much about his creation process. At this point, he feels like an old friend who’s been around forever. When I really sit and think about it, he’s almost like the anchor for the whole story. The one unchanging, familiar thing in all the revisions the trilogy has gone through.

And, in a way, that is exactly what he is in the story as well. He is an anchor for Makilien as she grows and experiences a life she’s never known before. Through his gentle guiding, she is allowed to learn and discover things on her own, both the good and the evil, and at times, reap the consequences of that. You can obviously pin the mentor tag on Halandor in this story, but unlike a lot of others, he’s definitely not the tough love sort of mentor. He is a loving father, and having lost his own daughter so recently in the story, it was only natural for his fatherly instincts to take over with Makilien.

Halandor is also the second piece Elohim put into play in Makilien’s journey. After Torick’s unexpected arrival, which led to Makilien leaving her home, she was left facing something that was completely unknown. Where would she go? How would she survive? How would she find the truth she so desperately searched for? Then Halandor came along and undoubtedly saved her life. He not only protects her and takes care of her through her journey, but he lives his own life in such a way that influences her to be more, consider more, and make the right decisions. Even though Makilien’s life becomes filled with close friends, I think Halandor would have to be recognized as the one who made the most difference and impact.

G is for God

 

God really is the center of the books I write. The characters, their struggles, their triumphs—they all display how God works in the lives of His people. I love to show how He can take trials and horrible situations and use them for good. I equally love showing how He can take weak, imperfect individuals and use them to accomplish amazing things. That’s really the main theme in Truth.

 

At the beginning of the book, there is Makilien, young, inexperienced, miserable, and entirely too bold for her own good. She wants freedom, and she wants to know the truth. She’ll do pretty much anything to find it, though she has no idea what the real truth actually is. Once outside of Reylaun, she wants to depend on what she can see and has no desire to trust anything that isn’t right in front of her. She continually shoves aside anything to do with Elohim (God) with the excuse that it’s too confusing and difficult to understand in the midst of all she is experiencing. For most of the book, she turns her back on Him.

 

But does Elohim give up on her? No. Just think, if God gave up on everyone who resisted Him and shoved Him aside, where would we be? Every one of us has ignored Him at some point in our lives. But He never gives up on us. And that is part of the message in Truth. Despite Makilien’s prideful stubbornness, Elohim continued to call to her, and when the time was right, when she came to realize she was completely and utterly helpless on her own, she turned to Him. And even though she was the weakest and most incapable person out of all those He could have chosen, He used her to show His power.

 

It is stories like that I love to tell. God can use any one of us, even the weakest, most imperfect, and incapable. Why? Because He loves us, even when we don’t love Him.

 

Photo by +) Revelations (+

F is for Friendship

Friendship is one of the biggest themes in the whole Makilien Trilogy. So many of my characters would have been injured or worse if not for the aid of a friend. There is nothing like a friend who understands you and would do anything for you. It’s friendship like that I wanted at the center of Makilien. So for this post, I’m going to focus on a few of my favorite friendships from Truth.

 

Makilien and Aedan—I love their sibling-like bond and how Aedan is always there to sympathize with Makilien. I’m not sure how Makilien would have been able to bear the years of questions and frustration with life without him. Though Aedan hated their situation just as much as she did, he could always offer some encouragement and comfort.

 

Makilien and Halandor—Their friendship is just about my favorite of the whole trilogy. It’s the one friendship that completely carried over and was perfected from my original version of the story. Makilien said it herself, she didn’t know where she would be if not for Halandor. She surely wouldn’t have survived those first few days outside of Reylaun without him. He was the one to teach her all of the most important things she had to learn. He helped her gain strength, confidence, and character. He helped her become a better person, and that is the greatest thing about their friendship. In return, Halandor was able to experience being a father again in a way, something he so tragically lost.

 

Torick, Elandir, and Elmorhirian—This one just makes me laugh. The fact is, Elandir and Elmorhirian drive Torick nuts. The older he gets, the less patience he has for their mischief. However, though he’ll happily watch them take some heat for their actions, he’d never just stand by if they were truly being harmed. He may deny it, but the two of them are like family to him. And despite all the pranks and teasing, Elandir and Elmorhirian love Torick. It may be hidden behind a whole lot of practical jokes and mischief, but their friendship is just as strong as anyone’s.

 

Makilien and Sirion—I love the friendship between these two. From the moment they meet, they’re looking out for each other. Sirion is the last close friend Makilien makes in Truth, and he’s a little different than all the rest. She admires him and is inspired by him. He always has an encouraging word for her, and something about him makes her want to be more. Though she really did nothing to try, Makilien is one of the not too many people who have won a special place in Sirion’s heart, a place he usually keeps guarded for fear of loss.

 

Makilien and Meniah—And last, but certainly not least, the most important friendship in the story. This was both the most difficult and the most fulfilling relationship to write. There are so many portrayals of Christ in fiction, and for mine I wanted to focus specifically on His love. I wanted to capture His tenderness and care toward someone who really had nothing to offer and who didn’t even fully return the love with faith until everything was falling apart. That is what I hope I accomplished in this friendship.

 

Photo by AJC1

E is for Elandir and Elmorhirian

Because, really, you can’t have one without the other. It’s the two of them together that makes them so entertaining at times.

 

Elandir and Elmorhirian are Elf brothers in Makilien—sons of an Elven lord. As I have mentioned before, I love writing about sibling relationships. These two were especially fun. They are the comic relief in the story, and they love that. They love mischief, yet at the same time, they can be very serious when the situation calls for it. They’re an interesting duo, much the same in many ways, but opposites in others. Take their appearance for instance. Elandir has their mother’s golden hair and deep blue eyes, while Elmorhirian is dark-haired and brown-eyed like their father. They’re typical brothers—highly competitive, quick to throw each other under the bus in less than serious situations, but when it comes to life and death, they’d die for each other.

 

Elandir is the oldest and more of a leader than Elmorhirian. He likes to think he is more mature than his brother, though Elmorhirian is quick to dispute that. Being the oldest, he will be the next Elven lord of Elimar so his father expects him to be a part of many of the decisions affecting their city. I don’t think he always likes being dragged into mischief with Elmorhirian, but in the end, he can’t help himself, though he will pin it on his brother if he gets the chance.

 

Elmorhirian is the middle child and youngest son. He’s all for adventure and a good practical joke. He loves to make people laugh. He’s more easygoing than Elandir, and is usually the mastermind behind many of their misadventures. But despite his impish behavior, he’s very kindhearted and quick to defend his family and friends. He’s a bit more caring and patient than Elandir can be. I have a real soft spot for Elmorhirian because of this.

 

Elandir and Elmorhirian have been a part of Makilien since the beginning so I really don’t remember much about their creation process. I’ve never been the best comedic writer, but these two always take over with their scenes, especially in this final version of Makilien. One of my favorite things to come out of writing them has been their interesting relationship with Torick. It was never in the original version and was never planned for this one. It just came to be in the first scene we see Torick and Elmorhirian in together and grew from there. Since then it has had me giggling delightfully on many occasions.

D is for Dolennar

 

The world of Dolennar has been growing and developing in my mind for almost ten years. I love epic medieval and fantasy landscapes. Depending on the area, Dolennar as a mix of English countryside, New Zealand, the Northwoods where I’m from, and just random bits put together in my imagination. It started out rather small scale at first, focused on only three or four places, but as the story expanded so did Dolennar. I wanted Dolennar to be a believable and kind of familiar feeling place once you get to know it, so I didn’t go with anything wildly fantasyish and foreign.

 

The greatest tool I had in the development of Dolennar was the map. Right after we saw The Fellowship of the Ring and I began writing fantasy, my brothers and I got really into drawing maps. We’d draw them all the time. The map of Dolennar is one of the maps that came from that. At the time I was just starting my original Makilien, and really had no idea where everything was going to be, but that one map ended up being perfect. I’ve made very few changes to it over the years. I can’t imagine what I would do without it. I wouldn’t even know where to start if I had to draw it now.

 

My favorite places in Dolennar are Elimar and the plains of Eldor. I love Elimar for two reasons. First, I love the idea of a small peaceful city where everyone knows each other and is welcoming to strangers. And secondly, I love the forest. I always imagine it as one of my favorite places on earth with huge maple trees and evergreens. As for the Eldorian plains, I just love the idea of rolling hills with lush green grass and mountains towering in the background.

C is for Carmine

Today’s A-Z post is about the stunning and majestic dragon named Carmine. I hardly know where to begin. In writing through Makilien, Carmine has become one of my most favorite characters, even more so than I ever expected when I first created him. He is one of those characters you begin writing with a fairly basic idea and before you know it, the more they grow in your mind and on paper (or computer screen) the bigger their role becomes in the story.

 

His name, his character, I love everything about him. I love the sense of deep wisdom about him and his nobility. Carmine is the oldest character in the story—around 300 years old (a dragon’s average lifespan is about 500)—so he’s seen a lot. He is a guardian, a protector to the people of Eldor. He knows this is the reason Elohim created dragons, to be helpers and companions to the Humans and Elves, and he takes this responsibility seriously. Despite his intimidating appearance and being a fierce warrior, he is also very kind.

 

Part of what makes Carmine so interesting is that he is from a very different era than you see in Makilien. He is only one of three known dragons who still live and fight for Eldor. Generations ago, evil men would hunt down dragons for their scales, teeth, claws, and spines. The dragons became so disgusted that all but five left Eldor. Carmine is the only one left of the original five, and the only one who still remembers that time. His steadfast loyalty to the people of Eldor proves not only his honor, but his faith.

 

And how can I not mention his name? Carmine is another word for “red.” I always planned for Carmine to be a red dragon and thought it would be interesting to name my dragons after the color of their scales. In looking up synonyms for red, I found the word carmine and it was an instantly perfect fit.

 

Though Carmine doesn’t have a big role in Truth, expect him to show up quite a bit more in Courage. :)

 

 

Carmine Painting:

B is for Baltar

 

Today’s A-Z post is about a character who is not an active part of Makilien, but you do hear mention of him scattered throughout the trilogy. As is touched on briefly in Truth, Baltar is very important to the history of Eldor, the main country in the trilogy. He was the leader of seven people who left an oppressed country in the south, journeying north to find a place to settle and serve Elohim (God) in peace.

 

That story has always been interesting for me to imagine—to think of a man living with his family in oppression and one day finally deciding he would rather face the unknown than conform to the standards of the rest of his people. And so with his family and a couple friends, he set out north toward countries he had no knowledge of. They passed through plains, deserts, mountains, and forests, and after months of travel, finally came upon beautiful and fertile plains unlike any they’d seen. I’m sure they felt the promise of this new country.

 

Through Baltar’s desire to remain steadfast and true to his faith came the country of Eldor. Founded on Baltar’s principles, it has remained a country of strength, courage, and faith. Always its leaders are reminded that their strength is not their own, but Elohim’s. And because of this, the country is blessed, and has, in a way, become a shield against evil, protecting the lesser countries it is allied with. It is important to the people of Eldor to pass down that sense of honor and nobility that started with Baltar.

 

Photo by flaivoloka

A is for Aedan

Over the last few months, I’ve noticed the A-Z posts on other blogs and how fun they looked. I thought it would be an interesting way to promote the release of Truth by writing A-Z posts pertaining to Makilien. I won’t completely follow the rules because I will space my posts out instead of posting every day, but it will be an interesting way to share some “behind the scenes” information about the book.

 

So for this first post, I chose Aedan. I have a couple of A’s in Makilien, but none I love as much as I love Aedan. Though Aedan’s character is only in 4 out of the 27 chapters in Truth, he is one of my most favorite characters and has much more involvement in the next book. Actually, Courage is almost as much about him and his story as it is about Makilien. He has some very big things ahead of him as the trilogy progresses.

 

At the start of the trilogy, Aedan is Makilien’s closest and truest friend. They share the same questions and desires to know what is beyond the little village they call home. Though not truly family, they are as close as any brother and sister would be. Two years older than Makilien and very mature, Aedan has been looking out for her since they were small children. Aedan is the one who tended to caution and kept Makilien from doing anything too rash as a result of her rather spirited nature.

 

The majority of my characters in Makilien have carried over from the original version I wrote when I was 13, but Aedan is a new addition. Makilien needed someone to share her burdens with who completely understood how she felt. I love sibling or sibling-like bonds, and I’ve always thought it would be nice to have a protective older brother, so Aedan fit into that role for Makilien.

 

What I love about Aedan is his maturity and how he has fully stepped up to perform the role as protector and provider as a result of his father’s death even though he is still a young man. Though I hated to leave him behind in chapter 3 as much as Makilien did, his choice to stay and take care of his family rather than give in to his longing to escape with Makilien perfectly shows who Aedan is as a person, and that was important in developing his character.

 

Though it isn’t obvious in this first book, Aedan has a lot of questions, and there are a few mysteries surrounding him. Truth is only just the beginning of his journey.