Wishful Wednesday: Meet Annah

“Even a girl from a distant world can dream of reaching for the stars.”

We recently had the pleasure of visiting with author Clay Gilbert and the subject of his most recent novel, Annah, available now from Rara Avis, an imprint of PDMI Publishing, during Annah's blog tour.

(Looking very comfortable as they lounged on our office sofa, we began to probe them for extremely privileged information.)
 So, Clay, what were your initial thoughts towards Annah when she approached you?

Clay: She tried to approach me when I was very young—in my early teens.  We wrote a story together called Anna, which was about a man from Earth—whose name wasn't Holder, although he was middle-aged like Holder is in the current novel—who crash lands on a planet, which didn't have a name in that version, and meets a disembodied alien being, whom he never sees, but who seems ancient.  There was no romance in it, and not much conflict.  It was kind of like a science fiction version of The Giving Tree.  But by contrast, that had a point.

(Annah interjects)
Annah: You were not ready.  You did not have the language, or the ability to understand.  You were a seed-youth, barely more than a bloomling.”

Clay: I seem to recall your parents said something like that to you.  And I thought you told Holder that age is only a number.

(Annah smiles.)
Annah: Hmmph. You are too much like him sometimes, you know.

Clay: Yeah, she says that a lot.

It sounds like that's a good thing, Annah. Is that why you choose Clay to write your story out of all Earth's possible biographers?

Annah: Yes, somewhat.  He knew someone once who reminded me of me, and in fact, together, they reminded me of Holder and myself.  And I thought, because of that, he would be someone who could tell my story—and help me to be better understood, too.

Clay, I understand Annah is impatient for her story to be told. How would she prefer you to record her story so it's done faster?  

Clay: Maybe for me to sleep less?  Not write books besides hers?  I don't know.  Maybe you should ask her.

(Annah makes herself stop laughing, clears her throat, and sits up straight, but can't resist smiling.)
Annah: Honestly.  You make me sound terrible.  It is not really that bad.  I know you have other responsibilities.  I am only excited about telling the story—but I know you are too.

Does that mean, then, that Clay has been given creative license with your biography, or are you strict on accuracy?

(Clay answers first.)
Clay: Annah herself doesn't care—any more than I think Selya, the first Shaper, and one of Annah's people's other spiritual figures, would have.  But it's important to me to get things right.  I wouldn't want someone botching my life's story, just because they thought another way of telling it sounded better.

(Annah steps in, looking somewhat annoyed.)
Annah: I am not a 'prophet.'  I am a teacher and an Elder of the path of Shaping.  I am not special—not any more than others.  The First Ones are special.

So then would your people call Selya, the first Shaper, a prophet?  Would they say she was special?

(Annah replies, in a quiet, calm voice.)
Annah: They might.  But she would not.

Annah, you mentioned the First Ones. Are they forerunners in your race, or are they a collective term you use to refer to in your telling of God?  

Annah: For one thing, I do not understand the singular language that many humans use on this subject.  My people say, and I understand many humans think in these terms as well, that the beings who brought the Sea of Stars, and all the worlds in it, into being are many, and varied themselves.  We call them the First Ones, because they came before us.  But we do not kneel before them, or consider ourselves unworthy to approach them.  We are their children, as we are the children of our world.  And we thank them for our lives, and for their love—and they are, or should be—the center of our lives, not distant and unreachable.  Not separate.  We are a part of them, if we will only open our eyes and see.

That is a very lovely vision of creation. The First Ones obviously play a large part in your culture. However, what about other phenomena like, for example, the idea of  "Sacred Geometry"?  

Annah: I believe that it is so.  I believe that the First Ones have left their fingerprints; their signatures, on all of their work, even as the Shapers of all worlds do—for Shaping is only a shadow and a symbol for the work of the First Ones.  But Holder and I are—researching--this very idea.  And there will be stories told about that, down the path a bit.

That sounds fantastic! We can't wait to hear more about following additions to your story. Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today. It's been lovely hosting you both, thank you so much for visiting.

Feel free to visit Clay and/or Annah at her website, where you can read more about Annah via her personal blog, see the entirety of her blog tour, and stay updated on future book releases in her series.