Interview with
MAJOR SULLYAN
Questions posed by Joseph Picard,
Sullyan's answers provided by her creator, Cas Peace.
Also check out the book blast for the series, which has a cool giveaway contest with a ton of books up as prizes, both paper and ebooks, including the ebooks of the Lifehack series!
Also check out the book blast for the series, which has a cool giveaway contest with a ton of books up as prizes, both paper and ebooks, including the ebooks of the Lifehack series!
JP- Greetings, Major Sullyan, is that the
correct way to address you? I'm not military, myself, so I'm not sure
about protocol.
S- And my greetings to you. As my name is
Sullyan, and I am a Major in High King Elias's forces, you have used
the correct form of address. Well done!
JP- I've heard some people calling you a bit of
a role model of young women. Would you encourage them to pursue a
career in the military?
S- It would certainly please me to be perceived
as a role model for Albian women. It would please me more to be a
role model for all those who are born with the Artesan gift but do
not currently use it, male or female! Too long has there been a tide
of mistrust against Artesans, and I would do all I can to turn that
tide and encourage those so gifted to nurture their talents.
We are fortunate to have the support of High
King Elias in this. As for women entering Albia's military, I am,
unfortunately, still unique in my choice of career and likely to
remain so, unless the people radically change their ideas. My
acceptance by General Blaine and Elias was unprecedented, and due
purely to my unusual circumstances. I have had to fight every step of
the way to gain the trust and recognition of those in positions of
power, and there are many who still believe my presence at the Manor
to be a travesty. I have learned to live with that.
Albia's military has given me what I never had
as a child - a sense of belonging, friends, and success - and I would
deny no one, be they woman or man, the chance to experience such
security. But I doubt I could convince many Albian women to join me!
JP- What kind of advice would you give youth
who are headed for a military career?
S- Be prepared for some very hard work! Make
sure you are able to listen to and accept orders, without
questioning. Be aware that you may well be required to lay down your
life, whether for your comrades, your officers, or your king. You
must put loyalty at the heart of your being, and be prepared to
forsake the comforts of home and hearth. But if you have the courage
to embrace all that a military life brings, you will find comradeship
like you have never known, loyalty so deep it takes your breath away,
and the undying gratitude of the High King himself.
JP- So, forgive me if I pry, but is there a
special someone out there?
S- All of my friends are special and dear to
my heart. I owe my life to General Blaine, and also to my aide,
Bulldog, whom I love. But I think you speak of romance, yes? In which
case, I am blessed in my Captain and life mate, Robin Tamsen.
I understand there are those who think that a
close romantic liaison between a Major and her Captain is unworkable,
and at first, so did the General. But Robin and I are as dedicated to
serving our king as we are to each other - we always put duty before
love. I admit, we did not have the best of starts, and the General
was on the verge of transferring Robin away on several occasions. But
our love was forged and annealed in fire and tribulation, and we
emerged the stronger for it. I believe we are now a formidable team.
JP- Now, there's also been talk about these
“Artesan” abilities. Is this something you can speak on? How does
one get these kinds of skills? Training? Born with them? Bitten by a
magic spider?
S- Bitten by a magic spider? You are so droll!
No, my friend, to become an Artesan, you must be born with the talent
within you. Yet having innate abilities is not enough. First, you
must accept the gift. In some people, it manifests early, as in my
own life. In others, it emerges at puberty, or even sometimes in
adulthood. Children find it easier, more natural, to accept what they
are able to do, while those who realize the gift later in life can
find the phenomenon frightening.
Prejudiced parents who discover that their
offspring are talented often force these children to suppress their
gifts, and this can lead to disorders of the mind. Yet those who
embrace their Artesan abilities learn, through rigorous training, how
glorious such powers can be.
We, here at the Manor, are constantly working
to educate the people of Albia, to convince them that their fears and
prejudices are unfounded. Sadly, renegades and raiders from the other
realms often undo our labors.
JP- Sounds dangerous, but I suppose that's to be expected. After
meeting with you, I have confidence you'll be doing your best.
Doubtless you're very busy, so thank you for your time. Stay safe out
there, Major!
~~~
Cas Peace's links:
Book Sales US: King's Envoy, King's Champion, and King's Artesan,
available in print and digital format on www.amazon.com
Book Sales UK: King's Envoy, King's Champion, and King's Artesan,
available in print and digital format on www.amazon.co.uk
Find Cas Peace on www.caspeace.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cas.peace
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CasPeace1
Her Blog: http://peacewrites.blogspot.co.uk/
Don't forget to check out the music accompanying each of Cas's
fantasy novels. All are available for FREE download from her website.
Joseph Picard's links:
For his sci-fi print and e-books at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002LPT7VA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ozerobook
His main page: http://www.ozero.ca
1 comment:
Sullyan really enjoyed answering your questions, Joseph! Many thanks for posting!
xx
Cas
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