The first book of the series.
Yes. In Book Two: The Prophecy, their story unfolds in much more detail. The reader learns about them right along with Dallan and Shona and thus experiences what they experience when they find out the Muiraran race is very different from our own. Very different indeed.
Ah, yes! Dallan and Shona. Let’s talk about them for a second. Other than the fact that Dallan MacDonald and The Muiraran Maiden are fated for each other, why are they perfect for each other?
In the study of relationships one finds a natural polarity which occurs. We each have an attraction gift that is as individual as our thumbprint. Dallan would naturally be attracted to Shona and she to him simply based on this attraction gift and simple chemistry. But the main fact is he can host her inner heart. Let’s face it, they are going to have to learn how to get along with each other just like we all do! And that will make for some interesting reading! Take away the fate element, and would Dallan go for Shona if he met her in the produce section of the grocery store? Probably...
Except that if they wouldn’t have met without the time travel element. Let’s talk about your black character, Kwaku Awahnee. He’s Dallan’s mentor. I’ll have to say that the first thing I always say when I encounter a black fantasty mentor figure in a book written by a white author is, “Oh, no! Not a magical negro!” I really wondered how you would work with this character. You did a good job. But why did you choose to make it a black character?
I wanted diversity and for the two characters of Dallan and Kwaku to be polar opposites of each other in order to make the relationship more interesting. I had an African American algebra teacher in junior high who all the kids just adored. He was really cool and did his best to teach us what we wanted to know. He was also very gruff on the one hand, but on the other hand, was very gentle. He was a sort of universal father figure to many students and we’d strive to do our best for him. He had this unique way of combining the two traits into one to teach and get his point across. He also gave the most pop quizzes of any teacher I’ve ever had! All this combined made him one of the best teachers ever. I wanted Kwaku to be able to do that, to have those traits, though exaggerated, and be able to work with them. To Dallan he is brutal. But at times extremely gentle, albeit usually when Dallan is unconscious! It is interesting that after I wrote Time Masters I actually met a couple who are much like Kwaku and Zara Awahnee. And they have become like mentors to me.
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