Prophecy Versus Choice--Rhews on Tour

First of all, THANK YOU to Natasha for hosting me on the blog today! And a big hello to her followers! <waves>

So, Natasha asked me to come on the blog today and discuss Prophecy versus Choice—a theme which my characters explore in my trilogy, The Fulfillment Series.

It’s interesting; this topic of “free will” versus “destiny” has been discussed and pondered by humans for quite a long time. My husband and I are watching Vikings on Amazon Prime, and they often discuss “the will of the gods” (meaning the Norse gods—Odin, Thor, etc.). But some “dissenters” in the group say they believe they can outwit or defy the gods and blaze their own trail. In the Christian religion, there’s the notion of “free will” and “election” (being chosen). So, it’s clearly something we wonder about and something that spans both time and place.

In the very beginning of The Prophecy, my main character Layla is pronounced the Fulfillment of an ancient peace prophecy dating back centuries. The proclamation is vague, as they usually are: In a time of war, when the land is divided amongst the two, she, with raven black hair, purple eyes, and a special blessing from the First Ones shall bring peace.  She, from one side, shall marry royalty on the other, and peace shall reign from that day forth. Layla has always known she may one day be discovered by the Ecclesiastics, a group of religious zealots on a mission to find the Fulfillment, and she’s taken steps to prevent being discovered, like hiding her hair color and changing the color of her eyes. And yet, she’s discovered by the Ecclesiastics, whisked away from her family, and forced to live with her greatest enemy.

Throughout the novels, Layla explores this notion of destiny, while fighting battles, falling in love, and keeping two nations at bay. Is she really the Fulfillment because some ancient people decreed it hundreds of years before? Or will she become the Fulfillment if she chooses to become it? Did the First Ones (the ancient people who made this prophecy) know she would be the Fulfillment because she was endowed with special gifts or because they knew she would choose it if the path were laid before her? It’s mind boggling stuff if you sit there and ponder it. It’s as brain twisting as “if John Conner hasn’t sent his father back in time in Terminator, he would never even have been born.” LOL! 

My tagline for The Prophecy is: One often finds destiny on the road taken to avoid it. It’s an old proverb, but it can tangle you up if you sit there and think about it. Let’s take Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” poem and consider it for a moment.

If a person stands before two roads and chooses to go down the right one, did someone or something know that person would take the right path? Did that something or someone will it? Or did the person make the choice because they wanted to, without any real outside assistance?

I’m a thinker, a pondered, and a student of life. I like to watch the world and the people in it and try to figure out the motivations and passions behind why people do the things they do. My Shakespeare professor in college once said that Shakespeare constantly observed and studied human nature, and it’s part of what made his characters and plays both timeless and relatable. And that’s what endeavor to be. I want to create stories that are entertaining, with characters that are engaging, but also ask questions to feed the mind.

And that’s my choice. Or is it?

Thanks for hosting me today, Natasha! I hope your readers will join Layla in her quest to discover her true self while she also tries to stop a centuries old war from destroying three kingdoms.

Rhews on Tour Extravaganza!