Teens@Random

Thanks for replying to my Kel question!

I love reading aboout the Tortall Royal Family.  Thayet is one of my favourite characters - and I really liked King Jon (although Kel had issues with him).  So, in future books, will be seeing more of Thayet and Jon?  And of their kids?  I would especially love to read about Kalasin and Kadder and the challenges they face in ruling Carthak(?).  Do you have any plans to write about them in the future?

Did you face a backlash from fans over Alannna choosing George over Jon in the lioness series?  I know how passionate and dedicated fans can be over "shipping", and was wondering if fans respected your ending.  Or did they go ballistic?  I thought it was right, but I love Jon and Thayet together!

Thanks so much!!

Posted Apr 14, 2009, 07:50:33 AM

Maered, hi!

So, in future books, will be seeing more of Thayet and Jon?  And of their kids? I would especially love to read about Kalasin and Kadder and the challenges they face in ruling Carthak(?).

I don't know about the princes and princesses, but we'll see a younger Thayet and Jon in the second Numair book, when he comes to Tortall.  That one takes place not long after LIONESS RAMPANT, so we'll get an ideal of how they handled themselves in the beginning of their reign.

We don't see Kally, but we do see a bit of Kaddar in a short story that I wrote that's being published in THE DRAGON BOOK, edited by Gardner Dozois and Jack Dann, coming out in November.  My story is "The Dragon's Tale," and while Kaddar, Daine, and Numair make guest appearances, the main story revolves around Kitten and Numair's horse Spots.

Did you face a backlash from fans over Alannna choosing George over Jon in the lioness series?

Not a backlash, prezackly.  People do ask me why, and I explain that Alanna would be a disaster as queen, which is a diplomat's job, while when she enters any place where George is, she feels that she has come home.  That romantic love doesn't last, and that it's important to build up a lasting love and a lasting friendship for a relation to exist for the long term.  Sooner or later Jonathan would run out of patience with Alanna's temper and her lack of graces, and she would always feel like she couldn't put a foot right.  She can relax with George, and be herself.

The pro-Jon fan usually doesn't like that explanation, and s/he usually goes away still wishing it had been Jon, but at least s/he understands my thinking!

Posted Apr 14, 2009, 12:22:57 PM

I'm very talkative this morning arent I? ^_^  I agree that Alanna would be a disaster as queen. to much fire in her (like me). But what do you mean the romantic love doesnt' last? Like i said in the welcome thread, i'm just starting the trickster books and it seemed to me that George and Alanna still have plenty of romantic love floating around when she comes home. or is that the lasting love you mean.   personally, i think there's a companionship love, a deep comitment type love, and then the physical romantic love that all have to work together to make a good match. Jon and Alanna were missing the second completely, and a part of the first (they had the companionship, but not the unconditional companionship.)

Okay, deep moment over. sorry i'm so talkative and opinionated....I have not slept since i woke up at 1PM today (i'm homeschooled). *evil laughter*  ^_^

Posted Apr 16, 2009, 05:11:28 AM

I agree with you ^_^ 

Posted Apr 16, 2009, 03:34:42 PM

George and Alanna still have plenty of romantic love floating around when she comes home. or is that the lasting love you mean.   personally, i think there's a companionship love, a deep comitment type love, and then the physical romantic love that all have to work together to make a good match.

But it's not that swoony, hearts-and-flowers, I'll-die-if-I-don't-see-him/her, s/he-has-a-special-glow-to-her-him, fireworks kind of love, the giddy, dizzy, make-make-your-friends-yark-up-hairballs kind.  Haven't you ever been totally caught up in someone at school, and come back the next year and wondered if you weren't possibly on drugs or something the year before?  What George and Alanna have is solid.  When they fight, they don't feel like their world is ripped into shreds.  They know it will continue because at bottom, they love each other.  When people are "in love," every little spat is something that has to be mended with cement or the whole thing will go to pieces.

Thayet and Jon appreciated each other's circumstances at first, and understood they would be a good match and a good solution to each one's problems.  Then, as they got to know each other, they began to really like each other's cool dispositions, their common sense about the problems facing royalty, and the particular elegance with which each dealt with their daily lives.  They had known the other was an attractive person before, but they had their fill of attractive people at some point in their lives.  But the other was . . . restful on the eyes.  Calm, and graceful.  Energetic without being frenetic.  Appreciative of elegant things, like art, music, and dancing.  Neither of them lost their heads over a wedding, even though everyone around them was going crazy.  Both savored their wedding night, and Jonathan handled it with tact and kindness, for which Thayet was deeply grateful.  She knew few men would have behaved as well as he did, or gone to so much trouble to make her laugh.  And so it went, day by day.

Love.  It's a nice thing.

Posted Apr 16, 2009, 06:48:43 PM

haha, i do know what you mean. My friends would roll their eyes and "hock up hairballs" when i would be constantly talking to my boyfriend last year. now i get to return the favor now i'm single and they arent! hahahahahaaaaaa ^_^

Posted Apr 16, 2009, 10:02:00 PM

I prefer reading about these relationships than the Twilight, jumping off cliffs ones!

Posted Apr 17, 2009, 03:37:54 PM