Category: Characters

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Coffee with the cast: An interview with Yas and Sam

What if the stars of The Word Guardians sat down for an interview to talk about “playing” their characters? Here’s what happened…

Interviewer: Welcome, Yas and Sam! It’s great to have you both here. For readers who are meeting you for the first time, how would each of you describe yourselves, and, more importantly, how would you describe each other? Who wants to go first?

Sam gestures towards Yas. “Ladies first.”

Yas winks back. “Always the gentleman.”

Sam chuckles. “Actually, I think that’s part of who I am, doing what’s right in a given moment.”

Yas nods. “I see Sam as someone who’s always there for me. Sure, I thought he was a little unhinged at first, talking about magical worlds he’d visited and how his dad was trapped in one. But even then, I never questioned whether I could trust him. I always knew he’d have my back.”

Sam raises an eyebrow. “You thought I was unhinged?”

“Well… yes!” Yas laughs. “Wouldn’t anyone? To be fair, it was only because I thought ‘escaping into books’ was just a phrase. I didn’t realise it was actually possible to fall into one, until it happened to me.”

She pauses.

“I think that’s who I am in The Battle for the Peacekeepers, someone trying to find herself. Trying to work out who she is when the people who love her have been keeping secrets to protect her.”

Interviewer: Sam, you’ve said that doing the right thing is a big part of who you are. Was there ever a point where carrying the weight of your father’s disappearance, and knowing about these hidden worlds, felt like too much? And Yas, when did you realise there was no going back?

Yas nudges Sam. “You go first this time.”

Sam smiles.

“Yeah… I guess with my dad being a police officer, a visible role in society, and then the hidden element of being a Word Guardian, I was always conscious of being his son and living up to what he stood for. Don’t get me wrong, he never put that pressure on me. I think it was just part of growing up.”

He reflects for a moment.

“We visited a country house in one of the realms as a family. Then I lost my mom…”

Yas quietly reaches across and touches his arm.

“…but they were good memories. So, I don’t know if it was ever too much. It was just… always there.”

He turns to Yas.

“For me,” she says, “everything changed after I spoke to Sam following my first visit to the Forest Realm. That conversation made me realise he really was my best friend.”

She smiles.

“I’d spent so long wondering whether what I’d seen was real. But once I found the courage to admit Sam had been right all along, that’s when everything shifted. I believed.”

Interviewer: Friendship is rarely perfect. Have either of you ever wanted to throttle the other?

Yas and Sam exchange a knowing look.

“Oh, come on,” I laugh. “Spill.”

Yas covers her mouth as she laughs.

“I think I wanted to throttle you in The Twisting Tales when you got jealous over Eddie and thought I liked him.”

Sam sits up defensively.

“Well… he did get on my nerves a bit.”

“He was just being Eddie,” Yas replies, grinning.

“But,” she adds, “the way you came looking for me in The Shadow Readers… that showed me how much I meant to you. Working with Penn, when we didn’t even know if we could trust him…”

Sam immediately interrupts, playfully.

“That’s another interview.”

Interviewer: Has there been a moment where your character surprised you?

Yas answers without hesitation.

“I didn’t realise how determined I could be, especially when I was captured by the Controllers in The Battle for the Peacekeepers and tied to a chair. I could have been scared, frightened, but I wasn’t. I was angry. I’m glad my character is a strong young woman.”

Sam nods thoughtfully.

“For me, it was our partnership. We make a great team, and I hadn’t realised how much I’d come to rely on Yas being there with me.”

He smiles at her.

“That’s something I don’t want to end.”

“Aww,” Yas says, touching his arm again. “I feel the same way.”

Interviewer: One for fun. If you had to swap roles for a day, what would be the hardest part about playing each other?

“You go first, Sam,” Yas teases. “Ladies first.”

“Very funny.”

Sam shifts in his chair.

“I honestly don’t know if I could do it. Yas always seems to have an idea, an action plan, when everything’s falling apart. That’s when she’s at her best. I think relying on intuition under pressure would be the hardest part of being you.”

Yas bursts into laughter.

“Oh God, if you only knew. I’m usually just winging it! But… thanks.”

She turns towards Sam.

“I don’t think I could be you either. I mean, I can interpret things literally. I can try to figure out what’s right. I can even manage the occasional quip with Penn. But I can’t put all those things together the way Sam does.”

She gestures with her hands as though outlining something solid.

“That’s just… Sam.”

Interviewer: Last question. If someone is about to read The Battle for the Peacekeepers for the first time, what do you hope stays with them after they’ve finished?

Yas looks at Sam.

“What, me again?” he laughs.

She nods. “I need time to think.”

“Okay…” Sam says, turning back to me.

“I think even though there are magical worlds and extraordinary adventures, we’re still just people trying to figure out who we are while navigating relationships.”

He pauses.

“Trust. Is someone really who they say they are? Are they acting with another agenda? How do you discover who you can rely on?”

He smiles.

“So, my three words would be: Magic. Discovery. Trust.”

Yas nods appreciatively.

“For me, discovering myself is so intertwined with the first book. That’s what I hope readers carry with them.”

She glances towards Sam, then back at me.

“To everyone at home. Go and find out who you are. It can be a difficult journey, but you don’t have to do it alone.”

Sam reaches over and gently takes hold of her arm. She smiles back before turning to me.

“My three words?”

She grins.

“Discovery. Friendship. Trust.”

As the interview comes to an end, it’s impossible not to notice that beneath the banter, the jokes, and the magical adventures, the heart of The Word Guardians is something much simpler: two friends learning who they are, discovering who they can trust, and proving that the greatest adventures are rarely faced alone. To start reading the series, click the button below.

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Trust, the burden of inheriting a secret war

One of the questions at the heart of The Word Guardians and the Battle for the Peacekeepers is simple: What happens when the people you trust most refuse to tell you the truth?

For Yas, the answer is complicated.

Growing up, Yas knew there were gaps in her family’s story. Questions about her grandfather were always met with silence, quick changes of subject, or vague answers that never quite explained anything. Her parents weren’t trying to be cruel. In fact, they believed they were protecting her.

The Secret war

They knew what her grandfather had been involved in. They knew about the dangers, the conflicts, and the secret war that existed beyond the ordinary world. Most importantly, they knew that once someone became aware of that hidden reality, there was no going back.

So, they stayed silent.

The problem with secrets

Secrets rarely stay hidden. They tend to grow larger in the spaces where answers should be.

For Yas, that silence was difficult to cope with. On the one hand, books were her solace, a place where she could escape when unanswered questions became too much. She knew how the real world worked around her, but she didn’t understand why her parents wouldn’t talk about her grandfather? What had happened to him? What had he done that was so bad?

Then comes the person she trusts.

The trusted mentor

Every young person needs mentors, people who encourage curiosity, learning, and growth. But what happens when a mentor unknowingly opens a door and the tantalizing possibility of answers about her grandfather.

Or perhaps they knew exactly what they were doing?

Through her mentor and the discovery of hidden magic, Yas begins to realize that words are far more powerful than she ever imagined. Books become more than collections of stories. They become magical realms, alongside her own, with doorways between them.

Suddenly, the questions she’s been carrying her entire life start to gain answers. But every answer creates a new problem.

Trust, the inherited burden

Who can Yas trust? This is the burden of the secret war that she’s inherited.

Her parents clearly knew something, but they refused to explain it. Her mentor encourages her exploration, but for what purpose?

There’re others too that she meets along the way. They each have their own history, motivations and secrets. There’s her best friend Sam, who tells her about the existence of magical worlds before she’s ready to believe him. There’s Janine Vickers who is angry at Yas when she and Sam disobey her instructions. And there’s the mysterious Penn, who comes from old money and secrets.

And the one common thread is that when everyone claims to be protecting you, how do you know who is actually telling the truth?

This is one of the central themes explored throughout Yas’s journey. Trust is rarely simple. Sometimes the people who love us hide things because they’re afraid. Sometimes mentors make mistakes. Sometimes curiosity leads us exactly where we’re meant to go, and sometimes it leads us straight into the danger that others were trying to protect us from.

Yet despite the uncertainty, Yas keeps moving forward because some questions refuse to stay buried.

Answering the questions determines who we are

The desire to understand who we are, where we come from, and why our lives have unfolded the way they have is incredibly powerful. For Yas, that drive becomes impossible to ignore. The mystery surrounding her grandfather, the strange pull of magical books, and the growing realization that a hidden war is being fought in the realms all combine into a journey she never expected to take.

And once she takes that first step, everything changes.

If you enjoy stories filled with magical worlds, hidden histories, dangerous secrets, questions of trust, and young heroes discovering their place in a much larger conflict, then Yas’s adventure is waiting for you.

Pick up Book 1: The Word Guardians and the Battle for the Peacekeepers and discover the beginning of Yas‘s journey into a world where words hold power, secrets shape destinies, and the truth may be more dangerous than anyone imagined.

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Book 5, The Story Thief, first draft is nearly complete

This is a shorter blog this week to say that book 5, The Story Thief, is close to completion of the first draft. Then we’ll be heading into editing rounds, before sharing it with you later this year. In the meantime, I can ‘whet’ your appetite with a few details.

What is book 5 about?

The Story Thief is a mystery that involves knight lore and witches, and takes Yas, Sam and their friends into battles that they wouldn’t expect. They must find out who the thief is and return the stories to restore balance to the otherworld and the outer ‘real’ world.

It will feature many of the same characters as book 4 and start pretty much where The Lost Beginnings ended. Yas and Sam are working as interns for a news organisation while also investigating Word Guardians mysteries. There are stories of a knight in armour, riding the streets of downtown Vancouver. Parts of stories are disappearing, literally off the pages of books and the Word Guardians suspect the knight is behind it all. Finding him though proves a challenge. Yet, with the help of a mysterious ‘grey’ lady, they enter the otherworld once more. They soon discover that all is not as they remember and someone is changing the realm for a new storyline, twisting the purpose of the realm.

So, in the meantime

I can’t wait to be able to share book 5 with you, but there’s time to read (or re-read) the first four books while you wait. Click the button below to view the books in your usual Amazon store (all the books in the series are available in paperback and kindle editions).

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The beauty of innocence, introducing Eddie

Before finishing up on the theme of Who are your favourite characters in books?, I wanted to talk about the beauty of innocence. And I thought I’d do this by way of introduction to Eddie, someone I’ve not talked about before in my blogs.

The beauty of innocence

An innocent in a story is someone who is pure, honest, kind and possibly naïve in the world. They have simple beliefs at heart, are likely optimistic and have a literal understanding of right and wrong. Think of Dorothy in the Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Forrest Gump. Both of these characters have an innocence at heart that helps steer them through their respective stories, make friends, have significant life changes thrust upon them and enables them to achieve their goals (in Dorothy’s case to return home, for Forrest Gump to live a simple and authentic life).

Introducing Eddie

Eddie, in the Word Guardians series, is very much an innocent. When we meet him, he’s in magical disguise as Wesley, having had this thrust upon him because of the misguided actions of his father, Detective Wheeler. Eddie’s under some form of control by Penn and, later, Orfeo, and the relationship seems to be very much that of villains controlling an innocent. I’ll leave it to you to decide though, after you’ve read Book 1. All I’ll say is that it’s not quite as it seems (see previous blog Who is the mysterious Penn for more insight).

Later in the story, Eddie becomes free of the magic and helps Yas, becoming friends. In Book 2, that friendship becomes a source of jealousy for Sam, who thinks that Yas is more interested in Eddie than him. The innocence that Eddie portrays doesn’t enable him to recognise or understand that dynamic, so he becomes wary of Sam for a time. At the end of Book 2, we see that Eddie has found an unorthodox friend in Akoni, Yas’s stepbrother who helped the Controllers at the expense of his adopted grandfather and himself. The relationship continues into Book 3 (again, I can’t say more without plot spoiling), but the two of them help each other. Akoni’s darkness and previous problems become lighter with Eddie around, and Akoni helps Eddie see the naivety in some of his world view.

So, is Eddie an innocent?

Yes, Eddie is a gentle character who certainly starts out with the beauty of innocence. He’s caught up in life circumstances that he didn’t ask for and his innocence helps him remain true to his authenticity, no matter the situation. He also learns a lot about himself and others along the way, arguably moving him away from the classic definition of that role.

So, who is he? Ultimately, I’ll leave it up to you to decide. To find out more, read the story of Eddie woven through the first three books of the series. Click the button below to view the books in your usual Amazon store (all the books in the series are available in paperback and kindle editions).

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What makes a villain a villain? Who is Orfeo?

Continuing the theme of Who are your favourite characters in books? and What makes a hero?, it’s time to look at what makes a villain a villain.

What is it that sets a villain apart from an antagonist?

Who are the villains in the Word Guardians series?

Well, the villains of the series are the Controllers. They want to influence the minds of readers so that they can achieve their goal, control. To avoid plot spoilers, you’ll have to read the books to identify and understand all the villains in the series. There are some characters that act as antagonists but aren’t, and vice versa. And they seem to be this way because they are either protecting themselves while they figure out who they can trust or just acting out an agenda and haven’t yet revealed their cards. I can however share the name of one of the major villains of the series though, and that’s Orfeo, the vampire with a grand plan.

Who is Orfeo?

When you first meet Orfeo, he’s busy manipulating Detective Wheeler (who I’ve talked about in Waking up to core values in a time of crisis. Wheeler tells him what is going on within the police force, so that Orfeo can gain control of the Police Commissioner, as we see in Book 2.

Why does he want to do this? Like all good villains he wants control the story, in this case both inside and out of the magical realms. He uses a form of telepathic control, and uses some readers to incite all sorts of outcomes, none of which are pleasant.  Orfeo claims all the trouble is from a small faction of insurgents called the Word Guardians. And he does this to justify a crackdown from the police.  Ultimately, he wants the Word Guardians captured.

Villain or just antagonist?

So, knowing a little more about him, is Orfeo a villain or just an antagonist? To answer the question, we need to look at definitions of each.

A dictionary definition of an antagonist is that of someone opposing another. This doesn’t necessarily have to be evil or criminal in nature, but typically is someone opposing a protagonist within a story.

In contrast, the dictionary definition of a villain is that of someone blamed for evil or difficulty. It’s antagonistic in nature, but it indicates a deeper level. It’s likely criminal, wants to see the downfall or deposing of protagonists and is often dishonest and immoral in nature.

Based on these, Orfeo doesn’t sound like just an antagonist, does he? He’s wanting to expose the Word Guardians and while doing that he’s seeding and growing hatred of their cause, for his gain. It’s immoral and points to a wider evil, that of control of people’s imaginations so that they can do his bidding.

But who prevails?

Be honest, you want to know who wins, right? The Word Guardians or Orfeo?

And of course, I can’t tell you here. You’re going to have to read books 1 and 2 to find out. What I can tell you though is that you’ll also learn a little more about his background, his relationship with his number one, Raelinn, (who I’ve also talked about in The good and bad sides of loyalty), and some of his motivations for his dastardly deeds.

So, click the button below to view the books in your usual Amazon store (all the books in the series are available in paperback and kindle editions).

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What makes a hero? Is Yas one, or just a protagonist?

In ‘Who are your favourite characters’ Who are your favourite characters in books? , I shared some character types and who represents each within the Word Guardians series. I thought I’d delve into some of these a little in this and upcoming blogs. So, to start us off, what makes a hero?

How is a hero different from a protagonist?

Heros are generally protagonists, but not all protagonists are heroes. What do I mean?

A protagonist is the leading character, involved in a struggle for a good cause.

By contrast, a hero’s definition (e.g. HERO Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com) includes qualities that sets them out as a role model. They operate from a strong moral compass and perform acts that puts others before themselves.

Heros typically also become, rather than always being. The Hero’s journey outlines that a hero will be confronted by personal challenges and overcome them in order to return home as a changed person, the hero.

So, a hero is likely to be a protagonist, but it’s possible also for a protagonist to not be considered a hero.

For Yas then, the ‘heroine’ character of the Word Guardians, is she really a hero, or just a protagonist?

Yas’s journey

In Book 1, The Battle For the Peacekeepers, remember that Yas starts out oblivious to realms and word magic. She’s even dismissive of them when her friend, Sam, talks about how it’s possible to visit them and that he believes his Dad is missing in one. Then, Yas literally falls into a realm and finds that what she thought was true about the world and how it worked was a blinkered view. It’s the start of a set of challenges to her beliefs, her friendship and her relationship with her parents.

She meets two Custodians, Y’in and Y’an, who tell her some truths that she can’t deny, and that sets her on a collision course with the antagonists of the story, The Controllers, who want control of the Peacekeepers. Instead of running from the truth, she wants answers, after struggling to get the truth about her grandfather’s disappearance from her parents. So, she confronts her challenges, head on. She’s told a prophecy by the Fates and then has to decide who she can really trust. Who is being genuine and who is not?

Ultimately, Yas has to decide how to defeat the Controllers and recover the Peacekeepers from her grandfather’s journal, and she’s faced with a hero’s dilemma. How does she do this without controlling their destiny, too. How does she do this without becoming a Controller?

Hero or just protagonist?

So, is Yas a hero? I believe so, yes.

She has a journey akin to a hero’s one. She has to confront her own beliefs, relationships and how she makes decisions in the heat of the moment. She takes actions in line with her own moral compass and also has regret about opponents she’s vanquished along the way.

As a person, she’s a strong female, yet compassionate. It’s a blend that creates many more challenges in future stories. How does she act around her best friend? Does she leave the strong, dangerous challenges to him? Does she try to take control of every situation to assert her own independence? Or is there some sort of balance that she’s able to maintain based on moral fibre and compassion?

You’ll have to read the series to find out how Yas’s challenges play out. Start with Book 1 The Battle of the Peacekeepers. Read Yas’s journey and find out who she returns home as. Click the button below to visit your usual Amazon store and view the series (all the books in the series are available in paperback and kindle editions).

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Who are your favourite characters in books?

The holidays are upon us so I thought I’d ask you who your favourite characters are, both from The Word Guardians series, and other stories. Please share in the comments below.

To learn more about the characters listed in the image, feel free to check out any of my previous blogs, and then, buy and read the books 🙂

To view the books on amazon (available in both paperback and kindle editions), please click on the link above (or the button below).

Wishing you all happy holidays.

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The good and bad sides of loyalty

In the previous blogs What trust is and why it is important and Waking up to core values, I’ve delved into the relationship that plays out between Detective Wheeler and the vampire, Raelinn. Loyalty, and the good and bad sides of loyalty are related, and something I thought I’d talk about here.

Loyalty can follow from trust and respect in someone’s core values, but it can also mean that we end up saying and doing things that take us away from our own values.

So, to give a little more context, here’s a snippet from Book 2 The Twisting Tales (no plot spoilers, but if you re-read the excerpt in the Trust blog post, you’ll see that Raelinn and Wheeler are at least talking here).

The good and bad sides of loyalty

“How’s the diet of blood, blood and more blood working out” asked Wheeler.

“Are you deliberately trying to rile me, Detective?” Raelinn shot back.

“No,” replied Wheeler. “I’m trying to keep the storylines at bay. They are all around us here. We have to be close to something.”

“Close to what?”

“I’m not sure. Just trust me,” he said. “We’re better off here, in tree cover. If you look through the canopy, there’s stories swirling all the way up. Do you see them?”

“No!” she replied. “Only you can see them.”

Wheeler stopped for a moment, remembering something.

“Earlier, on the train carriage, you said the same. What did you mean?”

Raelinn sighed.

“It’s part of your abilities, Detective,” she said. “You’re able to see the story lines. It’s why Orfeo wants you alive.”

Wheeler stopped and turned.

“Why do I get the feeling you didn’t want to tell me that?”

“Because while you didn’t know, Orfeo was better able to use you.” She stopped, watching for what he would do next.

“Yet, you did tell me?”

“You’re our best chance of getting out of here, Detective,” she said.

“James,” Wheeler said simply, holding out his hand in welcome. “Call me James.”

“What?” Raelinn asked.

“I’m not a detective here, and I may not have a job… or a wife… to go back to. I’m just James.”

“Very well… James,” Raelinn nodded, shaking his hand. “You’re doing a good job of keeping me focussed. I have the sense that despite your flaws, your wife has chosen well.”

“I’m sorry?” replied Wheeler. “Maybe that kiss affected you more than I thought?”

“No,” replied Raelinn. “I believe you are an honourable man.”

James was stunned for a moment. “You’re complimenting me now?”

“You may not believe me,” Raelinn continued. “But I once tried to act according to values of integrity and honour also. My history with Orfeo… well… let’s just say that my loyalty to him has stained me in this war in ways I do not like.”

“Loyalties are always difficult,” he agreed. “How you come into them generally defines how they play out.” He sighed.  “I’m not innocent either. I had poor judgement when I agreed to work with Orfeo. It was for my own gain.”

When loyalty becomes a prison

As I’ve mentioned before, Wheeler had a history with gambling and debt, driving him to take advantage of an easy way out. However, to achieve his goals, he had to be loyal to Orfeo and take actions that were against his own values. It became a prison for him, something he had to try and escape, while not hurting anyone around him.

For Raelinn, we get a glimpse here of the loyalty she was born into when she was turned into a vampire by Orfeo. His protection has been offered in return for her servitude, to carry out deeds that affected her greatly over time.

Freely given or demanded?

The dictionary definition of ‘loyal’ mentions being faithful to a person, cause or group to whom loyalty is due. To me this is talking about earning respect and trust and loyalty being given freely, willingly.

However, the flip side of loyalty is when people who want it, demand it. They use the threat of fear, uncertainty and doubt to ensure that a person’s loyal. We talk about this as loyalty, but is it really? Is it just masquerading as control?

Who and what causes and groups are you loyal to?

So, I’ll leave you with this question to reflect on… thinking about your relationships, how did that loyalty form and how does it serve you in your life?

And of course, if you’re more intrigued to learn what happens between Wheeler and Raelinn (and what that kiss was about 😊) then buy and read Book 2 The Twisting Tales (but read Book 1 The Battle for the Peacekeepers first to set the scene). Both are available on amazon in paperback and kindle editions at the link below.

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Waking up to core values in a time of crisis

I’ve been reflecting this week on personal values, how we each have differing ones and how they change dependent on other driving forces in our lives. It’s also something I wrote into the origin story of one of the characters in the books, Detective Wheeler. He starts out demonstrating one set of values and then wakes up to his own core values in a time of crisis.

So, I thought I’d share the first time we meet him, in Book 1 The Battle for the Peacekeepers…

Orfeo changes the terms of the deal

Halfway across town, in a multi-storey parking lot sat a large black SUV. The driver was visible, wearing shades even though the position of the car meant that he was not in direct sunlight. Suited, much like a nightclub bouncer, he regarded the man approaching with very little interest. His only gesture was to thumb to the man to indicate that he should get in the right-hand side. Clearly, someone else was already in the back, invisible through the privacy glass.

The man, wearing a raincoat with a suit underneath, carried a briefcase. He opened the right rear door and climbed in. The driver started the engine and the SUV moved off.

“It is done,” he said to the man sitting beside him.

“Good, Detective Wheeler. Good,” replied the other man. He was thin, rakish, and had a sinister look. There was darkness there. It was unnerving.

“I trust it went according to plan.” The SUV moved down one level of the parking lot.

“Yes,” replied Wheeler. “There was a girl too,” he added. In retrospect, he wasn’t sure why he said that.

“A girl?” questioned the rakish man. He searched Wheeler’s eyes for a moment. “You say it as if it might, . . . “, the man paused for a moment to choose his words deliberately, “. . . complicate matters?”

“No. I just don’t want any comebacks. The job was done, now you release my son.” The SUV went down another level. The driver cruised along the rows of parked cars looking for a new place to park.

“Yes,” replied the rakish man. He pulled out his phone, tapped long fingernails on the screen, opened a photograph and showed it to the man. “Was this the girl?”

“Yes,” replied Wheeler, looking confused. “I don’t understand. Where is my son?”

“He’s safe, and in disguise,” said the rakish man cruelly. “It seems he’s taken a shine to this young lady and we need his services a while longer.”

“What have you done with him, Orfeo?” asked Wheeler, angrily. He was starting to feel out of his depth. This was supposed to be a one job deal and then he was done. One job, one payment. This was getting messy.

Wheeler’s background

Wheeler is a man who has a history with gambling and is in debt, driving him to take advantage of a what he sees as an easy way out. It’s caused conflict in his marriage, and he becomes someone who can be bought. Events start to spiral though. His son is put in danger, and this ultimately becomes the wake-up call.

Switching sides

Wheeler realises he’s made some bad decisions, but understanding where it’s taken him makes him more determined for what he does next. He gets a second chance, from a friend, and this enables him to start acting more in line with a different set of values, including honesty, integrity and empathy.  He feels that he can be his authentic self and be the person he once was.

Why core values are important

I’m sharing this because I believe that values are important in being able to trust someone. If you start to gain an understanding of what values someone else demonstrates when they speak and act, you can figure out how they’re likely to act in future scenarios.

However, as the book demonstrates with Wheeler, someone’s values may change and influence a new pattern of behaviour. The question is, which is more inline with who their authentic self is? And if you believe their values are not their core ones, then what other things in their lives might be driving the way that they act?

Read more about Wheeler

While you’re reflecting about the values demonstrated by people in your life, buy Book 1 to learn more about Wheeler and how he turns his life around. His story also continues in Book 2 and Book 3, with Book 2 delving into the story of him and Raelinn. All three are available On Amazon at the link below in paperback and kindle editions.

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What trust is and why it is important to us

Welcome to this week’s blog.  I thought, this time I’d raise the question of what trust is and why it is important.

How do we trust someone else? What impact does it have on us when we do or do not have it?

And by way of example, I thought I’d share an excerpt from Book 2 The Twisting Tales…

Detective Wheeler and Raelinn in The Void

“What are you doing?” shouted Raelinn from the end of the carriage. She started to make her way down and was incensed. “Just let me go!”

“No!” he said, exhausted. “We’re just going in circles, repeating the same story!”

“You’re lying!”

The train was accelerating out of the station. The lights of the station moved behind them and it was pitch black outside. The windows reflected the interior of the carriage.

“Why would I?” retorted Wheeler. “Don’t you see? It’s the Void?”

‘The Void,’ Raelinn thought in her mind. That rang a bell. A distant memory of a battle. Then it faded and she saw the face of the man that had tricked her and brought her here. He needed to pay.

“Orfeo told me to keep an eye on you!” she seethed. “For Index! He said you were not to be trusted!”

“So, why don’t you hit me some more then. Fly at me in rage, like you usually do about now!”

Raelinn flew down the carriageway, arms extended, with her fangs bared. Wheeler knew what to do. He dropped down, catching her and rolling her over his head. He got back on his feet quickly.

“You said I was important,” Wheeler said, watching Raelinn and playing along with what he remembered having happened before, to see if it jogged her memory.

“Yes,” she replied, hissing. Then she stopped for the merest of moments and looked confused. “This?” she asked. “I remember something.”

“Yes,” Wheeler replied. “It’s taken you a while, but what do I know? As you said at the Battle for the Peacekeepers, I’m just a simpleton!”

His words seemed to jog a memory for Raelinn. She observed him for a moment.

“You’re messing with my head!” Raelinn shouted. She moved towards him firing word arrows.

Wheeler sighed and created a shield, deflecting the word arrows. They penetrated the walls of the carriage and it started to unknit.”

What happens when we don’t trust someone

The excerpt shows that when trust is missing in a relationship, pretty much everything that’s said or done is questioned. Why is the other person saying or doing that? What are they hoping to achieve? Does it also benefit me and others?

It also underpins what we take as read or not from other sources in our lives, and I touched on this in In Life, who decides what’s the right news?

In stressful moments if the trust is not there it can lead to disaster, as Raelinn and Wheeler found out. They are literally at each other’s throats, and it takes effort for Wheeler to convince Raelinn that they need to work together to escape The Void.

The flipside. How trust forms

Conversely, when we do trust someone, we are much happier to take what is said and done as read. We know from experience that the person will speak and act in line with a particular pattern of behaviour and over time we come to rely on that behaviour.

The Mirriam Webster dictionary definition of trust includes the phrase ‘reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something’. It also mentions ‘one in which confidence is placed’, so trust is an ability to rely on someone else to make decisions and take actions in line with a particular direction.

Turning it over to you

I’m conscious I’m no expert in this topic, but I wanted to prompt the questions as I think trust and how we build it is a valuable concept to reflect on. So, for you, what does trust mean and what does someone else have to show to earn yours?

And while you’re thinking about that, if you want to learn more about what happens to Raelinn and Wheeler’s opposition in The Void, buy and read Book 2 The Twisting Tales (you’ll have to read book 1 first to set the scene 😊). Both are available in paperback and kindle editions.

Happy reading.

The Word Guardians book series

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