The woman’s eyes fluttered open, and she shied away from the intruding light and heat that assaulted her fragile senses. She couldn’t place her location, and her back ached with stiffness as though she hadn’t moved in ages.
“Awake, are you? It’s about time. You’ve been sleeping for days.”
– Praetorian Rising, Chapter 1 – Lost Memory
Camille Scipio is a character I dreamt of out of no where. I woke up one day startled with this incredible character and her immense strength. Not just her abilities but also her internal emotional character, she is a fighter to the very end.
When first meeting Camille in Praetorian Rising you know little of her and I wanted to expand on that to bring the reader along with the confusion and struggle. Camille has no idea who she is, where she came from or where she is when she wakes. Panic fills her, but she soon realizes the comfort of a well kept home. She feels at peace, even if the peace is momentary.
If she was lucky, she’d wake up without recalling the smallest detail of her life before that point. It was cruel to rip away someone’s identity, but they’d had no choice. If even an inkling of her memories survived, they’d all pay for the horrible atrocities inflicted on her mind, body, and soul while she’d been locked inside LeMarc’s torture chamber.
– Praetorian Rising, Chapter 1 – Lost Memory
Writing this character with a history in darkness allowed me as the writer to keep the reader side by side with Camille, learning about who she was as Camille did. It reminded me a bit of how Harry Potter knew nothing of magical world and as a reader you were able to learn with him what everything was, revealing the world to you like a present to your hungry eyes. The idea to start Camille in a stat of amnesia came from the very first moment of writing. I knew I wanted her abilities to shine through, but without the knowledge of where those skills came from would make her history that much more intriguing it would also outline her as slightly dangerous; though to whom it remains to be seen.
Her instincts told her to act first and think on her feet, and that innate, animalistic sense of battle preparation still startled her. How did she know these things?
– Praetorian Rising, Chapter 2 – Hide and Seek
Camille’s red hair and physical appearance came straight out of my dream, and yet you see a photo of me and you might smile because I too have red hair and green eyes. It wasn’t really purposeful by any means, but it rings honest in how I see myself reflected in the struggles Camille experiences throughout this series.
For me, Camille is young looking but also a bit on the adult side. She has a woman’s face, a childs exuberance, and the eyes of a person that you know has been through something horrific. Sometimes you can see the demons within a person through the windows into their soul. With Camille, her dark history is scribbled all over her features and yet she has no idea what that history is.
My intention for Camille Scipio is to be the spark of a story as she was the ignition to this book series for me as a writer. It was her that I found so intriguing as a character and someone I couldn’t seem to ignore, nor forget. After the dream I’d had of her kicking serious ass and being a warrior, I had to know more. What made her like that, how had she come to be, where had she come from, and what made her…her? I had so many questions and it was then I knew and understood how to play out her story much like most of experience our own stories. I wanted to share a character that you can understand, accept as a possible friend, and defend as family. Camille isn’t just a special character to me, she is the entire reason Praetorian Rising was born into existence.
Stay tuned for more information about Praetorian Rising, Aspera, and the characters within this incredible new series. I can’t wait to share more with you! If you can’t contain your excitement and you want to know more, reach out! I am MORE than down to talk to my readers about the story and the characters. If you are interested in getting an authors copy, I am always happy to discuss options with you 🙂 Praetorian Rising to me is my heart and soul on the page, and I want to share this with everyone.
