Talking to The Time Mistress

Recently, I interviewed Geralyn Beauchamp through email. Geralyn has written Time Masters Book One: The Call, which was recently released and has been featured this past week by the CFRB at cfrblog.blogspot.com.


Geralyn, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions and chat with me. I know you’re really busy right now, what with Time Masters just recently released and this blog tour by CFRB. First of all, I want to tell you that I really enjoyed the book, but it gave me a big headache and Reader’s Hangover! That’s because I had to keep on reading and couldn’t stop to sleep!

Yes, I'm into everybody for Advil!! I owe bottles! Two readers had to go see their chiropractor! One still claims I owe her fifty bucks! She even mentions the visit in her comment in the first part of the book. Figures Cold Tree would pick THAT one to go in! Sorry you succumbed to the Call of the book as well and lost sleep. I'm glad you enjoyed the book not to mention survived it!! At least you only suffered a headache and were not threatened with divorce like Laura, my one reader!!!

Divorce?? Can you explain, please?

The funniest story I've heard is from one of my test readers who fell asleep with the manuscript cradled in the crook of her arm. Her husband told her the next morning that if he catches her sleeping with Dallan MacDonald one more time, he was getting a divorce!!!

Too funny! So maybe you should have a warning label: Caution; this book may be hazardous to your health or marriage.
All right, time to get down to business. First of all, could you tell us a little bit about yourself, like where you come from and your family?

Well, I went to college as an opera major with a flute minor. Hey, it was artistic even if it wasn't writing though I've written for fun all of my life. My dad is a retired homicide detective so you can imagine what it was like growing up! Our mother died when I was 19. My little sister is a professional race horse jockey, my big brother a fire chief and my older sister has one of the meanest green thumbs I've ever seen. That woman can grow anything! Gads, I'd probably manage to kill a Chia Pet!

I have three kids, Troy age 27, Kyle age 21 and Hannah age 17. We have a family homestead that belongs to all of us and basically whomever is living in it is in charge of all the family holidays, as they are mostly held there, taking care of the place, though we all pitch in, and of course, looking after our father when he is home as he winters about six months or so down in southern California. When our father IS home for the summer, he rules the roost and we all cater to him! Hey, he'll be 85 in April. Let him rule what ever he wants!

What are some of the things that interest you besides writing?

Music obviously. I still teach and play flute and sing when I can. I also have a hankering for history, especially Victorian history among other things. I also love architecture, again, old. 1930's and back.

As I read through the official information on your website, I see you have had a lot of interesting jobs. Book reviewer, producer, now a wellness and relationship coach? Just what is a relationship coach? What have been some of the high points of your careers?

As to jobs and things, I'm pretty much a jack of all trades, or, what's the word, renaissance person. I've always been involved in singing, playing flute, writing, and acting in some form or another. After I wrote Time Masters and stuck it in that trunk, I met Jim Layes who was looking to produce a comedy western. I created and wrote "Faith" or what we also call The Town of Faith. I got to write it, and even direct a little of the tech reel that was shot. I was still a book reviewer at the time as well. I met quite a few folks in the arts during those years. Actors, models, authors, singers. All kinds of folks. Some very well known, and some not so well known too.

Relationships have always fascinated me and I have a knack for connecting deeply with people. That apparently comes out in my writing I am told. At any rate, I got into the coaching for the formal educational end of things, and because I wanted a different day job so I could get back to doing some writing. It's fun but I'm finding that working with other authors and teaching them how to market their books is becoming just as rewarding. I'm basically a natural coach. Whether for life purpose, relationship, wellness or writing and marketing books. I just love coaching!

Have you had anything published other than Time Masters?

Nonfiction type stuff. Classes for the company I work for. (Rules of writing, never give up your day job!) and a marketing manual I created for my own publisher, exclusively for their authors. I also write workshops and seminars for other coaches. And of course, I've written for the screen and have a project along those lines here and there. Usually for small independent producers. In fact, there is a clip of a tech reel of which I wrote the script on line right now. A tech reel is simply done by throwing a bunch of folks together, rehearse the script a few times then shoot the thing! The people don't have to be professionals, and most of these folks weren't. In fact most of them we pulled from the church I went to at the time. Here is the link. There is a Heinz ketchup commercial they shot and then a clip from The Town of Faith which is an episodic; they are raising money right now to produce it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEptRcv2Ooc.

How long have you been working on Time Masters? When did you first come up with the ideas for it? Was there anything in particular that triggered the story?

I wrote Time Masters back in 1994. I've had ideas for it since the mid 1980's and wrote a few things but then put them away and didn't pull them out and get serious with it until later. Once I did get around to really working on it the research is what took so long. That and character creation. I'd have to say I worked on that over a year. The actual writing took about three or four months once it got going. But then there was the editing, ahem ?

Where did the name Dallan come from? Any particular reason for any other names in the novel?

Dallan is actually an Irish name. I didn't find out its meaning until after I'd written most of the story. The name actually means blind. I picked it because it sound solid and strong. Shona is the female Scottish form of John and her middle and last names, Elsey Whittard, have Elf meanings. I believe one means pretty while the other one means victorious. I'd have to go on an archeological dig to find my notes that have the exact meanings of them! Kwaku is the Azurti name for Wednesday. And if Wednesday's child is full of woe, then Kwaku wanted to make sure he didn't have any!

Kwaku is an interesting character, but I don’t understand why he has to be so mean. I imagine other readers are going to wonder about him also.

Kwaku has his own story, some of which is revealed in TM2. But suffice to say, he is good. Along the lines of "Is he a tame lion?"
"No, but he's good."
And the further into the book you go, the more you get to know him. (Wink and a smile)

Something I enjoyed but wonder about is the Scottish brogue that you write for Dallan’s speech. It sounds great to me, but I wonder what a real Scot would think. You must have had to do a good bit of research for that.

The book was a lot of work as far as preparation went. I attended as many Highland games as I could to listen to Scots accents and dialects and bought a Scot's dialect book and studied it. A book I can't seem to find anywhere dagnabit! So I had to go out and buy another one just last week. I moved back in 8/98 back home to Oregon so it may have been misplaced then. I dunno. And the ladies at Portland's Scottish Country Shop have been very helpful with hooking me up with different folks. Including a gent who will read the book at book events if I want. :) Ahhhh the Scots! Ya gotta love em!

I know my line of questioning is a little unusual. I know everyone asks for your summary of the book, so I guess I should, too, just in case the readers don’t know yet.

The year is 3698 and the threat of civil war is not only brewing, but near boiling. Kwaku Awahnee, Time Master of Muirara, must pass on his Time Mastership to his pre-chosen successor, Dallan MacDonald, to prevent the inevitable. Councilor John Eaton must tell the unsuspecting Scot of his new office and all it entails. There are, however, a few slight problems. To become a Time Master, the Highlander has to willingly join with a Muiraran Maiden, who, stolen as an infant, hidden in another time, and now grown, must mate or die. Dallan's job of convincing her that she is Muiraran, not human, and persuading her to fall in love with him is a small task compared to their impossible race against time. John's job is to make sure the Scot is ready to listen. And then, of course, talk him into it along the way!!

Now one last question... What, above all else, would you want readers to come away with after they have finished Time Masters?

To know that purity is not linked with weakness, that instead it is linked with virtue. Virtue that can lead to great power when used properly and the way God intended. With that in mind, I am writing a workbook for the Christian audience that goes deeper. This way, groups of adults or youth groups can use the workbook to better understand things like relational bonding, something kids are losing their ability to do. (Not to mention some adults). Purity, the sanctity of marriage and so on. I'm supposed to have the workbook turned in the first part of January and it will be available only from Cold Tree Press.

Thanks so much for opening up with us. I enjoyed the book, and I have enjoyed getting to know you better.

It’s been my pleasure, Cathi. Blessings!


Featured at her own site Welcome to Time Masters
You can find it at Barnes and Noble
As well as at Amazon
And of course at Cold Tree Press