FAQ

I'm going to start with the most popular questions people ask me, and then I will go into more depth, more about the world that Linda's Chronicles is in, and I'll add questions as more people ask.
Go back to Linda's Chronicles

What is this story about?

If I could, I'd put a summarization of the story up so I could yell at you for not reading it. But I won't. The story is about this princess who has to marry a king. They fall in love immediately, so it's all good. Now, this princess, now a queen, is so beautiful and intelligent and another king, who's wife has died, wants to marry her. So he attacks and imprisons her. Of course, the queen, being in love with her husband, is faithful and then a long war ensues. I'm not going to tell you what happens next.

What's with the years? 1047, 1053? I don't get this! It's not historically accurate!

I get this question a lot when I ask someone to ask a question. A long time ago, I was so much of a Trekkie that I wanted to employ '47' in my story, the number that has occured in every single movie and episode of Star Trek. 'ten forty seven' had a nice ring to it, so I used that date. And this is an IMAGINARY world, so I can do whatever I want!

Is anyone in your story named after somebody special?

Yes, but not anyone that special.
- Eric, Linda's husband, does have the same name as some real people, but he isn't named after a certain EPC whom I know of. When thinking of a name, I wanted a nice name that was popular and simple. A lot of fairy-tale princes are called Eric, because the name itself means, "princely". His middle name is Kevin, kind of for my dad, but mostly 'cause it was the first name I thought of. And 'Cranora' is his last name because it's like 'Crarina' the name of his country.
- Linda isn't named for anyone, I was looking through a baby name book and saw that 'Linda' meant 'beautiful, lovely' so I chose that.
- Leonard, Linda's brother, is named for Leonard Nimoy, the actor who plays Spock on Star Trek: TOS.
- Mae Anne, Linda's sister, is named for a petpet I had called 'May Ann' on Neopets.
- Joseph, also Linda's brother, is NOT named for anyone, although I knew one of the Josephs who wouldn't like it.
- Goldina is a name I made up for Linda's aunt, although I realized later that I know someone named Goldie.
- Ferdinand is one of the more popular 'bad guy' names, so that's what the villain is named. My sister actually suggested his character and name, so I guess I have to thank her for that. Not that I enjoy thanking D for anything.
- Paolini, the capitol of Fasoria, is named for Christopher Paolini, although I may have to get permission for that later.
- Much, much later on, there will be someone called Lena, who may not be the biggest character, but deserves a special mention.
- I have given at least two people the name "Kathryn" in honor on Kathryn Janeway. *feel the Trekkie*
Everybody else was given names I liked or that suited them. There are a lot of repetitive names, (e.g. Robert, James) and I will fix that soon.

Are there any special dates in your story?

Sure are!
- August 25, Linda's birthday, is my nicer sister's birthday.
- October 14, 1066, is the birthday of Linda's first granddaughter, and it is the Battle of Hastings.
- The year 1047 is for Star Trek in general. I guess that every year is for Star Trek!

So... what's the purpose of this story? I don't get it.

This is simply the first story I ever wrote well and went more than nineteen pages or so. I love it very much, and I consider it my most important possession. I started it in November of 2004, and I finished it during Christmas vacation of 06-07. I just love writing and this has been my most successful story so far. In that I finished it.
I want to get published and become as famous as Paolini. Almost everyone knows who he is, and that's something I would like to become. I don't write so I can get money, I don't need too much money, and I don't need to be friends with other famous people, even if I'd like to. I'm interested in becoming an author(ess) that everyone knows, so I feel like I really did something in life.
It took me a long time to think of what this is in an allegorical sense. You know, what the deeper meaning is beyond the words. This story, I realized, is actually an allegory of my world, to be exact, the world of everyone wanting to be a celebrity, making fun of celebrities, or just trying to be not fat.
- In school, being a smart person who is pretty in some ways, yet so out of place in others is tough. I don't mean stress to be smart, which I would roll my eyes at, or stress to be pretty, which I would spit at, I mean, I try to be a kind of role model, but in a way, my appearance discourages girls my age and younger. I'm not a 'cool' or 'normal' girl. I dress differently. I just try to wear modest, cheap clothing because my family can't afford the stuff at Old Navy. So the fact that I'm smart (I almost always get all A's which constitutes smart for my peers) and I don't dress cool makes girls think, "I don't want to be smart, I just want to look cool, normal, and that's all. I'll just laugh it off if I get an F." I want to scream when I hear that.
- My point is, girls (and boys too) think that there's only one way to go out of two: smart or good looking.
- NO! That's not the only way to go. You can be pretty/nice looking and smart at the same time, you just have to balance it well! Linda is very pretty. And smart. Why?
  - She gets good exercise. She probably goes walking every other day, and she loves riding her horse, Snowflake, and both of those things are good.
  - She eats right. She eats plenty of meat, as well as vegetables. Meat is popular among royalty, and she has plenty. She eats salad, though. Salad is still food, even if it doesn't taste as good as steak. (Vegetarians, sorry) She doesn't eat fast food, either. I'm not saying that we must condemn fast food, I'm saying eat sparingly. She eats cake and candy several times a year, so it's okay to pig out once in a great while but not every week. Limit it to once a month, and if you are a big holiday person, eat very healthy in November and October in preparation for your holidays.
  - She mostly gets enough sleep. I know, it's hard, and she would have partied to three in the morning once in a while, but other than that, she would have slept a good eight hours, which is minimum for teens.
  - Linda was taught to read at a young age, around three or so. And good reading was encouraged. She was also educated rigorously as a child in preparation for marrying King Eric. Crarina, King Eric's country, was renowned for it's high standard of intelligence and education, therefore, she would have to be well educated to be their queen.
  - Linda's religion, which is a religion worshipping Ewoun, the sea god, finds ignorance excepting cases of insanity a sin, therefore she had to be well educated so that she would not appear sinful to Ewoun.
- Therefore, she could be "pretty" and "smart" at the same time. Just apply this to your life and try it. No, I do not presume to have any expertise in this area, and this isn't an actual diet plan, but think about it and use common sense.
I am always going to be a writer, even if I never get published, I will always be writing stories down, whether for my enjoyment or the enjoyment of others, I don't know.

Will you make a character for me?

No, not unless you are one of my friends. I have named characters for most of my friends, although they aren't all in Book One, that is, the original Linda's Chronicles.

Does this mean that there's more than one book?

Yes!
- There's eight books in all. Not all of the titles are clear in my head now, and I've only started three, and worked on five in all.
  - Book One: Linda's Chronicles
  - Book Two: The Queen's Heir
  - Book Three: ??? The Strategist ???
  - Book Four: The Great Destitution ???
  - Book Five: ???
  - Book Six: ???
  - Book Seven: ???
  - Book Eight: The Legacy's End
- As you can see, I haven't finished with all the details. I'm just trying to work on Book One, and a little on Book Two. I plan on publishing Book One before 2012, earlier if possible. After that, there should be one each year or every two years.
- And no, I don't have any contracts or anything yet. So don't plan on anything right now. I'll be putting a BIG message if and when I am going to be published. Don't hold your breath, but you'll know it if I'm accepted.

This planet they're on... Oceanus?

Yes, it's called Oceanus. I called it that because it's not Earth. We have about 70% water on earth, or somewhere around that, and they have closer to 80%. I used to mix it up between Oceania and Oceanus, but Oceania is a real place on Earth, and I can't have that! Oceanus is a name, but that's okay with me.

Wait... this isn't Earth? Where are they, then? Is this fantasy?

They aren't on Earth, and I doubt that they are even in our solar system. But they might be on Mars, it's just that it's a long, long time ago, and I'm not going to say any more. If I told you what I think it might be, the book would be considered sci-fi. Let's just say that they are most likely our ancestors...
Yes, I suppose it is fantasy, but I have developed an aversion to dragons and that stuff in books. I'm tired of dragons and magic. I'm not going to write about dragons right now, even if I read about them. There are no mystical creatures, although I may have invented a couple animals, and there's no magic, although there's a strong sense of faith.

Faith? Like religion? Like that Ewoun thing?

Yes. Linda, at the beginning, is stuggling with her faith. Her country is torn because of a dreadful plague that Ewoun, their god, seemingly failed to cure. One man found an herb that healed the plague, and then there was conflict. Did the man find that herb of his free will? Did it happen by chance? Was Ewoun there? Did Ewoun guide the man to the herb? Those were questions that no one could answer. Linda was unsure, being of a curious mind and of a seeking nature. She didn't know what to believe. Lots of us go through that, although some of us are fortunate and know what we want to do right away. Later, she figures out the truth.
Ewoun has His own page, which you can visit here, and then you can learn all about Him.

Is the worship of Ewoun a real religion? Do you believe in Ewoun? What's your faith?

I will keep that private, but no, I don't believe in Ewoun. He's not real in real life. No one believes in him, unless something has gone terribly wrong. The question is if he's real in Oceanus...

Leonard? Linda? Richard? I'm confused! Do you have any family tree thing to show me?

Yup! Here it is!
Happy?

How old are you, and how long have you been working on this story?

Good question! I'm a teen, that's all. I started working on this story when I was ten, one November some years ago.

Are you going to try to make this into a movie?

Yes. *eyes are shiny* I really want this to be a movie. I hope that I will be involved with the casting. I would also like to be involved with the costumes, writing, directing, and the choreography. But casting is the one thing I really want to do. I want to see my book portrayed in film, because I think it belongs there. It's a book, but it would make a great movie, too.

Is any of Linda's Chronicles based on other books?

Not really. I read the Royal Diaries Marie Antoinette, (Kathy Lasky is very good) and I liked the idea. But almost immediately, it's different from her story. Marie didn't really like her betrothed, and she didn't meet him until the wedding, really, and the marriage wasn't too happy. And we all know what happened to Marie in the end... But Linda meets King Eric at a party in her own country, before the marriage is set, and they have love at first sight. So right away, it branches off from Marie Antoinette's story.
I got some inspiration from the movie The Princess and the Pauper. The Barbie movie. I liked some of the plot. This princess has to marry a rich king because their country is too poor. And believe it or not, I got the King Dominick doll and he is renamed Eric for the Eric in my story. I used a Rapunzel doll for Linda. And I don't play with them anymore, but if I'm bored I'll dress them up and make up little episodes of something that happened, things that will never go into the book. ;)
Other than that, I pretty much only drew upon my own imagination. My sister suggested the antagonist, Ferdinand, and I admit that Ferdinand and Frederick are overused names for antagonists, but I think that Ferdinand is a fine name. I might change it if I find a better one, though. If you want to suggest one, you can leave a comment in my guestbook on the main page. You can get there by clicking on the blue button up there.

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