Welcome to Mackenzie's World
The Chronicles of Terah
The Chronicles of Terah
When I first started writing The Master's Chair, I had to create the world in which the story takes place. Since I was going to have to spend a lot of time there, I wanted it to be a place where I would be comfortable, a place where I could live. And Terah came into focus for me.
My first draft began the day Kevin arrived on Terah, but by the time I had written a couple of chapters, I realized that the story actually began long before that, before Kevin was even born. So I started over. Several drafts later, and after a lot of edits and rewrites, The Master's Chair was finished, but the story wasn't.
When I started writing the second book, The Dragon's Flame, I spent quite a bit of time outlining my plot to make sure I started at the right point and stayed on track. I didn't want to have to start over this time. But by the time I was about a quarter of the way through, the characters hijacked the story, threw my plot out, and wrote their own. I didn't have to start over, but I had a lot of material that no longer fit and had to be cut.
I haven't started a third book yet, but I've got a notebook full of ideas. I'll just have to wait and see which ones the characters like and where they plan to take this one when I actually begin writing.
Dec. 16, 2012 - Update on Book 3
I wrote the above text a year and a half ago, and since then I've received quite a few e-mails concerning the release date for the third book in The Chronicles of Terah. I had planned to release it last summer, but as some of you know, I've had to shelve my writing for a little over a year so that I could take on the responsibility of care-giver for my parents. Things have lightened up a little along that line, so I hope to begin writing again sometime this spring and to be ready to publish by next winter.
I'm sorry for the delay. I know how frustrating it can be to wait for the next book in a series, but some things are beyond our control. Thanks for all the support so many of you have shown over the past year. Your e-mails have meant a lot, probably more than you realize.
Main Characters
From Earth
Kevin - the main character, aka. Myron, heir to the Master's Chair
Chris - New Yorker, moved to Omaha for a change of pace
Darrell - college football player
Theresa - sophomore Journalism major
Karl and Joan - Farmers, until the economy forced them to sell, moved to Omaha to find jobs.
Steve - retired high school history teacher
From Terah
Badec - Master Sorcerer of Terah, Kevin's father
Yvonne - Kevin's mother
Laryn - Badec's sister and second in command
Kalen - Dwarf - Keeper of the Gate Between the Worlds
Pallor- Elf - aka. Paul - lives on Earth, Kevin's godfather
Duane - Elf - Pallor's cousin
Xantha - Pegasus - has a mind link with Kevin
Glendymere - grandfather of all dragons, Kevin's tutor
Rolan - Sorcerer of Brendolanth - Kevin's primary enemy
From Earth
Kevin - the main character, aka. Myron, heir to the Master's Chair
Chris - New Yorker, moved to Omaha for a change of pace
Darrell - college football player
Theresa - sophomore Journalism major
Karl and Joan - Farmers, until the economy forced them to sell, moved to Omaha to find jobs.
Steve - retired high school history teacher
From Terah
Badec - Master Sorcerer of Terah, Kevin's father
Yvonne - Kevin's mother
Laryn - Badec's sister and second in command
Kalen - Dwarf - Keeper of the Gate Between the Worlds
Pallor- Elf - aka. Paul - lives on Earth, Kevin's godfather
Duane - Elf - Pallor's cousin
Xantha - Pegasus - has a mind link with Kevin
Glendymere - grandfather of all dragons, Kevin's tutor
Rolan - Sorcerer of Brendolanth - Kevin's primary enemy
In The Master's Chair, Kevin and his companions explore the new world that is going to become their home. The first thing they'll have to get used to is magic. Not only do sorcerers exist, so do dragons, pegasi, unicorns, elves, dwarves, and a lot of other animals and races that have been relegated to myths and fairy tales on Earth.
There are other differences too. For one thing, there's no electricity, so they'll have to learn to get along without all the things that are an integral part of everyday life on Earth, like refrigerators, microwaves, TV's, hair dryers, even electric lights. Internal combustion engines don't work on Terah, so there are no cars, tractors, or motors of any kind. Batteries don't work either, so neither will their wristwatches. And the list goes on.
Everyday life resembles that of the early pioneers. Rural families are pretty much self-sufficient and business is based more on the barter system than on currency. There's very little news other than the backyard gossip of small communities. No one knows what's happening in the next town, much less on the other side of the world, and no one really cares. Life is simpler, but that doesn't mean easier, and Terah is far from a utopia. Bandits and slavers roam the countryside, murders are committed, and sometimes sorcerers use their power to terrorize.
As Kevin and his friends make their way to Glendymere's canyon and then on to Badec's castle, they see both sides of life on Terah, the good and the bad. And every time they think they have a handle on things, something else pops up to remind them that they're not in Nebraska any more.
Available at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Drive Thru Fiction.
The Master's Chair is also available in print at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and CreateSpace.
Although The Master's Chair is only available in English, it is offered for sale at Amazon stores in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Canada, and Brazil.
In The Dragon's Flame, Kevin and his companions adjust to their new roles on Terah. Magic takes a back seat to administrative duties as Kevin fills requests for transfers from his district sorcerers, investigates complaints about misuse of power, organizes a competition for a new district sorcerer, chairs the Council of Sorcerers, and represents humans at the Federation of Terah meetings.
While Kevin wrestles with his new responsibilities, the others do what they can to help as they come to terms with their own roles. As Kevin's assistant, Chris has his hands full keeping as many things as possible off of Kevin's desk. As Governor, Karl,and his assistant, Joan, organize and host the annual Minister's Conference and handle most of the internal business of Camden. Darrell, as Captain of the Guard, supervises the castle guard and tries to ensure Kevin's personal safety. Steve, as advisor to both Kevin and Karl, delves into the court records to formulate some kind of legal code. Theresa's role as a Sister of Healing takes her into the heart of the Sisterhood, where her duties keep bumping into Kevin's.
Meanwhile, back in Trendon, Rolan continues planning and plotting as his determination to see Kevin dead intensifies.
Available at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Drive Thru Fiction.
The Dragon's Flame is also available in print at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and CreateSpace.
Although The Dragon's Flame is only available in English, it is offered for sale at Amazon stores in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Canada, and Brazil.
