More of Warrior Thorne, by Caris Roane

            The fifth book of my Guardians of Ascension series, OBSIDIAN FLAME, launched on Tuesday and features Warrior Thorne, the tortured leader of the Warriors of the Blood.

Almost from the beginning, I looked forward to telling his story.  He was wrecked starting out in book 1, ASCENSION.  His eyes were red-rimmed from drinking too much Ketel One.  He claimed he was celibate but in reality he’d been getting it on with a devotiate in a local Convent and the guilt was killing him.  And finally he served as second-in-command to the ruler of Second Earth, one of the most powerful and difficult women on the planet.

He played a role in every book.  He was always present.  He kept the uber-powerful Warriors of the Blood in line.  He was obeyed, respected and loved.

So, when it came time to write his story, I only knew that I wanted his story to be BIG.  But his life was already big.  How do you make big, BIGGER?

It was the most amazing challenge to create a new role on the world stage just for Thorne.  And it was also amazing how that new role unfolded for me as the author.  I didn’t see it at first, not even a little.  And even through all those books, when I thought I knew Thorne so well, I didn’t have any idea he would become so much more.

The process involved taking him down to nothing at the beginning of the book, then rebuilding both his relationship with his breh (vampire bond-mate) and with Endelle, the aforementioned woman aka the scorpion queen.  By rebuilding, I saw new, unexpected possibilities for him, foreshadowed by the heroine’s vision of him early in the story, which I posted recently on Facebook.

Thorne had his long hair pulled back in the cadroen so that the sharp lines of his cheekbones stood out. He had a strong face, a warrior’s face, a way of holding his head and putting his gaze on another person that commanded attention. He was stripped down to just his kilt and battle sandals. Sweat glistened on his golden skin, his ridiculously broad shoulders, the breadth of his back and as he turned to face the cabin, his nipples were hard pebbles.
…

He was magnificent, like something Biblical that would ride in with enormous wings, his flaming sword held aloft, his hair flowing back in long waves, gilded by the sun. Marguerite had the strangest sensation that she had just seen exactly who he was and this vision of him thrilled her, striking a chord deep within.

Creating characters over time is a phenomenal experience.  Thorne has become an old friend and someone for whom it was a tremendous pleasure to give his long-deserved HEA.

All blessings,

Caris