Issue3

1. Dennis R. Reiner, Katherine Lazo, Linda Stuckenschneider-Epstein and P.M Poggiani and possibly one or two more fans ALL ask variations on: Will the Childe Morgan Trilogy be written, and if so, may we ask when?

Katherine Says: Yes! Probably next! (That was easy!)

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2. Jeff Meyers asks: asks: I realize this is a very personal question, and I hope I don’t offend you, but does the Christian faith as expressed by Joram, Camber, Duncan and Kelson and your other protagonists reflect your own religious beliefs? As a devout Christian myself, Camber's, Joram's, Duncan's, and Kelson's Christianity made them, to me, more personally heroic. By contrast, in your Adept series, Occult, New Age, and Wiccan philosophies have replaced what previously I saw as orthodox Christianity, specifically Roman Catholic. I don’t wish to imply any disrespect for any other person’s faith or to take away the validity of these beliefs, at all. I am just curious as to know how this trend developed. Would you mind discussing your personal religious beliefs? I do believe it is an interesting topic, and could lead to some excellent discussions on the spirituality of the Deryni.

Katherine Says: It’s just another way of looking at relationships with Deity, Jeff—and I would hope that you see Adam as a fairly orthodox Christian in the important things, even if he sometimes works within the context of other faith systems. (Just as it was my intention to show, in Lammas Night, that there are more points in common between Christianity and various occult "takes" on religion than one might first suspect.) "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio…."

So I would label Adam something of a pragmatist; he uses what works, in what he has to do—and is on cordial terms with his bishop. (His statement about treating past life "memories" "as if" they were real resonates with the way I feel about such things.) Me (to answer your question about my own beliefs)—I’m "officially" Anglican/Church of Ireland, or non-Roman Catholic, or Old Catholic, or an eclectic mixture of all these and other things. Labels can be precarious at best, and are dangerous at worst….

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3. John Kirkman, who was very indignant over Conall’s interference with Kelson and Rothana’s love affair and who is eagerly looking forward to King Kelson’s Bride asks: Has any thought ever been given to turning the Deryni books into movies? Have any producers or anyone ever expressed interest in the Deryni novels?

Katherine Says: Lots of thought on my part, and on the part of my fans. Nibbles, but no bites, thus far—alas! (I particularly would like to see Lammas Night or The Adept done as films. The Deryni ones would be more difficult.)

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4. Colin M. Burchfield asks: In Dagger Magic, there is a reference during Peregrine and Julia's wedding to a painting of the meeting of Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora MacDonald by Alexander Johnstone. I have attempted to find out more about both the painter and this painting without success. Can you tell me which sources you used, or was Alexander Johnstone invented for the novel?

Katherine Says : Oh, Alexander Johnstone was quite real, and the painting is quite charming. The original, which is captioned "the first meeting of Prince Charles with Flora MacDonald at Ormaclett on the Isle of South Uist," hangs in The Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. The most readily available print I have of it is in one of those Jarrold Colour Publications booklets called "The Bonnie Prince Charlie Country and the 1745 Jacobite Rising." (Its cover has a detail from the stunning painting by Pettie that we also described, of Prince Charles Edward Stuart with Lochiel and Pitsligo, Chiefs of Clan Cameron and Clan Forbes. If Adam were in this painting, he’d be Lochiel. The original is property of H.M. The Queen.)

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5. Jess McKinnon asks: Where did you come up with the name Kelson? I chose it for my SCA persona and haven't had much luck finding it in period as a first name. I've found it as a last name meaning "of or from Kelsey". Could you give me a direction in which to look or should I just give up and pick a new name?

Katherine Says: As I recall—remember, it’s been more than thirty years ago!—Kelson comes from Keel-son, referring to the keel of a boat, and I think it may have been Viking in origin. That said, I very much doubt that you’ll be able to get any SCA herald to approve the name, simply because it’s so uniquely identifiable in fantasy literature. But it was a historical first name.

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