Thoughts on Shalia: A Bracelet Short on Charm…and a Dramok to Match

I was sure I knew how Shalia’s Diary would finish its run by Book 6, though I had no idea how far into the future that end was. It was clear Shalia had to be prepared for what I was going to throw at her when the time came.

But meanwhile, she still had a substantial spaceflight ahead of her. What new and exciting adventures could our intrepid heroine find?

Enter one of my favorite sci-fi tropes, the episode that must show up in all the television shows: an alien takeover of the unwitting hero. Let there be alien technology our unaware protagonist comes in contact with. Let there be—jewelry. I embarked on my version of a favorite theme.

The It was another book villain that went darker than I’d anticipated. It wasn’t as bad as Finiuld in Book 4, but it still gave me the heebie-jeebies. Turning Shalia into a killer, threatening the baby, and that mindless determination to eradicate everything that was less than perfect—it brought me more than a fair share of shudders.

However, it gave Shalia the impetus to become a stronger woman in Book 7, scoring the tools for all the trouble coming her way. With baby Anrel now arrived, the ability to fend off Nang’s potential arrival became paramount. Enter Resan, false hope for all those who hoped Betra and Oses would find themselves a Dramok and be able to clan Shalia.

Yes, it was always my intention to have Resan end up with the unconventional pairing of Betra and Oses. No, I was not trying to lead readers on with the idea Shalia might find her happily-ever-after with that trio. Even when hate-sex happened between our battling pair, even when Shalia went all out to save Resan’s life, I did my best to make it clear they were never going to like each other. They might find grudging respect in the end, but that matter of a mutual aversion was not going to budge. Theirs is a match made in hell. We need to count our blessings they survived being on the same ship.

Then, at last, the Kalquorian Empire. For me, Book 8 was the long goodbye even as Shalia said hello to her new home for the first time. There were a great many firsts to cover, and I celebrated along with the gang as Katrina had her clanning ceremony, as Candy met Stidmun and realized she was more of a one-man woman, as our lovelorn Mataras landed on Kalquor, as Shalia met Clan Seot face to face.

The inevitable farewell was upon me too. I lingered over it, determined that Shalia, Betra, and Oses would have a memorable parting, one that was worthy of their ill-fated love. They deserved that. We deserved it too.

It brought us to the close of one era in Shalia’s Diary. The final stretch was left. I was convinced I knew how the rest of the story would play, how and when it would end. I wasn’t entirely right, as it turned out. Shalia wasn’t done surprising me.