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Interview with Tessa E. Colby
The Varda Chronicles
First, the big question. How did someone with a background in medicine get into writing?
Medicine was not my first career, nor my second. I started out as an Interior designer. Thanks to my Fathers connections, I hit the ground running and was very successful. That career took a strange turn when I was offered an apprenticeship with a Premier Chef. I jumped at the opportunity and a few years later ended up with my own Catering Company, lucking into yet another successful venture.
For a long time I had an idea for a medical device. Since I had no medical background no one paid attention. I knew that if I wanted it done I would have to do it myself. I ended up at New College in San Francisco in a pre-med class. I didn’t want to be a doctor or put in the kind of time it took to become one but I loved the idea of working in holistic medicine, so I specialized in Kinesiology and a few years later I was living in Colorado Springs and had client list...all Olympic hopefuls, and my invention was on the market and doing well. So in actuality this is my fourth career incarnation.
What was the influence that landed you on the Fantasy side of the fence?
My mother and father were both an influence. He was in the CIA and was fifty-five years old when I was born. He semi-retired when I was six, to became a Man Hunter for the same branch of government. He had an uncanny knack for locating people that had fallen off the radar. Needless to say, we moved around a lot. I was never in the same school for an entire year and many times had to have tutors. As well, something from my father’s past earned him bodyguards. There were two inside the house and two outside at all times. As a little girl, I was surrounded by big brave dedicated protectors...men that were indeed, larger than life to me.
I remember going somewhere where I was able to go get out and go run around and play. I stumbled onto a rattlesnake and just as it was making its strike, one of them stepped right between it and me. He took the hit for me and it was not pretty. These images never leave you. They are forever a part of who you are and whom you chose to become.
When I was little, I would wait for the lights to go out at night...then I would wait ten or fifteen minutes then sneak down the hall and into my fathers bed...we would stay up till sometimes three and four in the morning with him telling me stories of his missions and explaining every detail of how people thought and how to watch people for the slightest body movements and techniques of evasion and indicators of subterfuge...I literally grew up on his stories of Machiavellian intrigue, corruption and sinister plots. My father had no concept of the concept PG13...or Rated “R”. The underground world was open to me at a very young age...
I had no idea at the time just how different our life was, or how different I was until he passed away and I had to enter the real world. Now that was culture shock.
As for my mother...she is an astrologer. She has been a professional all her beautiful and gifted long life. She was once the official astrologer to one of the gossip rags and has clients from all over the world. She is into holistic living and other worldly possibilities.
Talk about the odd couple...She was twenty-eight years younger than my father. He adored her. She is worth adorning. Both had a major influence on my belief system.
Was it the influence of your father and the bodyguards that what made you want to write about these larger than life Heroes?
That definitely influenced my choice of men. I used to love to watch our bodyguards, the way they would stand, the way they would watch and move and the postures that they would take. I had a tremendous admiration for their dedication... not to mention a crush on a couple of them. One especially...his name was Flash Pierce. No really...that was his real name. He was at least six foot-four and built solid. He looked so dark and dangerous. I would get goose bumps just looking at him. He wore two guns. I felt so safe...from what...I had no idea.
But the men that I write about are the Varda, and they have some special gifts. They are place shifters. Wherever they can ‘think’ to go...they can go. They are also shape shifters...but can only shift their shape to that of a Kirran wolf. This gives them enhanced ability to scent. They are also readers...telepaths. But they keep all of this to themselves. Their gifts are somewhat mythical to their people...some believe it, some do not. But even with all of these things, they still have their foibles.
You chose to write a Chronicle...an awesome task. Why not start with something a little simpler?
Before I wrote...I read. I was always drawn to action adventure, fantasy and sci-fi, but was always more intrigued if there was a relationship between a man and a woman in the mix, so I tried out a few romance novels. But I missed the element of the paranormal.
I also didn’t like that just when the book was getting interesting...it was over. I would become attached to the characters then boom...nothing...gone...over. I wanted more.
After a while, I saw a few women coming onto the scene that wrote in romance, in a series...and in paranormal genre, which suited me just fine. Finally I had something to read that I could look forward to. I know that there are plenty of fantasy trilogies and fantasy series...but this new element had relationships that were satisfying to me.
When I first started to write, after about the first couple thousand pages I realized that in my endeavor to keep my world ongoing I was really writing a Chronicle. That was when I broke it up into the first five installments in the series and it officially became The Varda Chronicles.
But as for simple...to me, it is easier to write in a chronicle with familiar elements around me, and people that I love. Each one of my men has a unique story and it is up to me to tell it with grace and style. Each and every one of my men are special to me and I get excited about their story unfolding in front of me. I feel honored that I am the one who gets to tell it. Other than that, the word...simple...simply does not apply. There is nothing simple about the plot, or where I intend to take my readers.
What made you decide to have this take place on another world?
Although it takes place on another world, the Varda have very strong ties to Earth...and as they are Lore...Immortals...they have walked this world for millennia...after all...they are “The Watchers”. It is their sacred trust to guard the Portals that connect their home world of Beddia, to Earth. As well, they are all required to do an apprenticeship on Earth... this is where they learn about corruption.
And Kess...the Kings daughter, loves earth...much to her fathers dismay. There has been many a time when her brothers were sent looking for her to bring her home...but she is a tricky, tricky girl...and very soon, that is going to get her into trouble big time. Even with all of the skills that the Varda possess...they will not be enough to get her out of what is coming for her...or should I say...who...is coming for her.
The Varda also have a presence on Earth. They oversee The Institute of Environmental Earth Studies. Book one starts on Earth then moves to Beddia. Almost half of Book three takes place on Earth, in Spain. Book four begins on Earth and after a quick trip to Beddia, is played out here.
I couldn’t help but notice that there were many similarities between Earth and Beddia. Not just in the environment but in evolution as well.
They are sister worlds. They are both water worlds, which are precious in the universe. With the hints and suggestions there is a question posed...Did Earth influence Beddia or did Beddia influence Earth?
I loved creating this multi-cultural world. It is steeped in tradition and there are so many beautiful ceremonies and beliefs. There is wonderful folklore and mystique. There is magic and myth and a completely different system of government. It is a very fertile playground. I hope to be playing in it for years to come.
Speaking of things to come...It looks to me like a war just might be in the brew.
It isn’t the possibility of a war that concerns them. It is the insidious undermining of their society by the same element that destroyed their world so long ago. Their old enemy has returned and has brought a way to possibly turn the tables. The Varda will do everything in their power to try to avoid this. However...they have lived in peaceful co-existence for almost six hundred years now.
So now comes the test...Are they strong enough and smart enough to keep this from happening?
Or have they gotten soft? Have they let their guard down just a little too much? There is Machiavellian intrigue, twists and turns to the plot. And Romance. It is always about the romance.
I was browsing your website and the introduction to the world that you have created is awesome. How did you come up with the idea?
I am writing an epic action fantasy in the paranormal romance genre with a sci-fi backdrop. I have literally crossed every genre boundary. It made sense to me that it had to enter the world as such. I wrote the script and envisioned each frame. I knew exactly who I wanted to help me create the trailer. And I have to say that every one of the artists that put their work into the show to bring this to fruition is an epic artist themselves. I was incredibly lucky to get them. Their help was priceless, and their generous spirits just amazed me.
I want to not only tell this story with words, but I want to tell this story visually as well. The characters and the locations will come to life on this website. This is where the reader will be able to find all of the back-stories as well. Over the next year, this site will expand considerably. I have a whole bunch of things planned for it. Right now, four of the artists from the show have signed on to help illustrate the encyclopedia...The Illustrated World of The Varda. Much of this will be seen on the site in the months to come.
So how many episodes do you have planned and on what kind of timetable?
I have sixteen story outlines on my bulletin board right now. To me, a story outline is about ten to twenty thousand words. But that does not include the first two Episodes of Vichons. After a brief absence, he will be returning as The Bounty Hunter. His story is a spin off of The Varda Chronicles and will be more action adventure and less romance oriented. I am having fun with this one. I can get really down and dirty. He has taken on a real attitude, not to mention that he has been infected with the Naiad disease, which makes him extremely dangerous...and he has been bitten by a Vodex...His series will be great fun. But these are what I have planned at this time. As I go, I might find another character with a great story to tell and he or she just might end up on my bulletin board as well.
Books one and two are out now...Book three should be on sale in the next six weeks. Book four was just uploaded to the publisher so it should be out around January or February and Book five is at around 60,000 words right now...about half finished, and will probably be uploaded by New Years or shortly thereafter.
As for the timetable, I am hoping for two per year or close to it.
In crossing the Genre lines, do you hope to get some of the hard-core Fantasy readers?
Absolutely. I think that they will be surprised just how intriguing and addicting Paranormal can be...and everyone loves a little romance. But don’t forget that this has elements of Fantasy...I even have Witches and Nimm...and a few other surprises. | 
