The Metatronic Chronicles by Kathleen Esther

An Interview with Kathleen Esther, author of
The Metatronic Chronicles

By Karen Wilson

What can you tell us about yourself?

Well, I'm married, have a great husband, an old labrador retriever, two cats and three parrots. We all live together in an old haunted farmhouse in rural Wisconsin, not too far from Oshkosh. I graduated from Portage (WI) High School back in mmmmmm....a long time ago.

Have you always been interested in writing?

Absolutely, ever since I was old enough to read. I actually got started in writing when I was around fifteen or so and began writing what would ultimately morph into "The Metatronic Chronicles".

What inspired you to write about angels?

I've always been fascinated by the idea of angels, though I've never actually seen a real one. I suppose some people think they have seen angels, but not me. My idea of a real angel is a human being who somehow finds a way to make things right. I've known several angels like that. But the angels in my book are so different than what you might find in churches or other literature. I began to actually write about them when I was stuck at home a lot and felt like the only escape was to grow wings and fly away. In a manner of speaking, writing about angels was a way of doing that.

Did your religion play a part in the way you envision angels to be?

Not really, although I've seen some pretty spectacular artistic expressions depicting angels in both my church and elsewhere. I grew up Catholic, so my religious indoctrination does have some affect on my writing but I try not to let religion overwhelm the story. The angels in my writing are just like people when it comes to religions, some believe, some don't and some are waiting for more proof.

In your story summary, you state that in the Metatronic Universe, there is no single deity? What do you mean by that?

Well, that's a statement that has some fluidity as far as I'm concerned. Is there a God in Metatron's universe? Well, yes and no. The real question and a part of the story is just who is God? Is God the way he is taught in Judeo-Christian beliefs or is there something else? I leave it to the reader to decide. Remember, it's just a story.

So then, is there a God as far as your personal beliefs are concerned?

I see, this is a trap. Well I will just say that my personal view of God is very different from the way I was raised and leave it at that.

Are there any religious overtones in your stories? It seems natural that a book about angels would have a lot of religion in it.

Not at all. I only talk about religion in the sense that the Wilder family is religious, but as I mentioned before, everyone has their own belief system, or non-belief as the case may be. I'm not out to convert anyone from one religion to another and keep the religious discussions to a minimum. My story is more about family relationships and what it's like to be different than everyone else. It's also about a family that always sticks together no matter what.

You have a very straightforward and easy to read style. Who are your influences?

In writing, I would call myself a blend of Louisa May Alcott, Robert E. Howard and Erma Bombeck! Before you start laughing, I just want to extricate myself from that mess by stating I love the "slice of life" style of Alcott's Little Women, the brutish, sword-chopping, mystical prose of Howard's Conan adventures and the "hausfrau" humor of Erma Bombeck. All three elements and more turn up in my writing.

Let's talk a little bit about the Wilder family? Are they modelled after anyone you know?

In some ways they are. Obviously I don't really know any families of angels personally, but I certainly know people like the Wilders. They are just ordinary folks who happen to be very extraordinary in other ways. But they try to lead normal lives as much as possible, which is my favorite part of writing about them. Imagine being an angel with incredible powers who still has to go to classes, help out at home and after high school, figure out what you want to do with your life. After all, you still have a life, you are just living it a little differently than the rest of us.

Do you have any Daniels or Michaels in your life?

Yes, I do. Aspects of both of them are modeled on a number of people I've known in my life, so they have some very real personalities. And don't we all have Daniels and Michaels anyway? There is some of me in there too, some of my knowledge, experiences, ambitions and missed opportunities. Like anyone else, I have regrets in life and sometimes use Daniel or Michael to re-enact them or explore them in new ways.

A lot of books about angels, magic and swordplay are intended for children and young adults. Is that your target audience?

Definitely not! As there are adult situations, some quite risque, and also some very violent, gory action sequences, I do not recommend my books for children or teenagers. I write for adults and use a lot of adult themes, so if you want a kid's book with a lot of swords and magic, there are plenty of other books out there. But that sort of writing bores me so I don't do it.

Tell us a bit about the setting. You seem to keep them grounded in rural Wisconsin? Why is that?

I grew up in rural Wisconsin and I just try to write what I know. Besides, having a group of most unusual people in what could be construed as a very ordinary setting makes some fun interactions to write about. Most of the places that I mention in the book are places I have lived or at least visited. In the case of the University of Wisconsin, I spent over twenty five years working on that campus, some of which was during the period about which I write. It is strange how much I remember after so many years! People who were on that campus during those times will recognize quite a bit.

So are there plans for any more books about the Wilder family?
You had to ask! Of course there are! Right now The Metatronic Chronicles: a family affair is in editing, which is taking a while. I am also well along on the third book of the series, which has a working title of The Metatronic Chronicles: teenage confidential. You can probably guess who will be more prominently featured in the third book.

That reminds me, the first book is actually called The Metatronic Chronicles: a minor inconvenience. What does the subtitle refer to?

When you read the book, you will notice a number of minors being inconvenienced! Also, ultimately, the arrival of a new minor in baby Metatron is definitely an inconvenience. It just seemed like a natural reference to me.

Can you give us a more of a hint of what is to come?

I don't want to give too much away, but I can tell you that the next book takes Michael and Daniel through college and beyond. We also get to see Daniel finally get a girlfriend and see what it's like for Michael and Alice to raise a little angel named Dennis. For those who think they know my style of writing and how I feel about the family, I think the ending may hold quite a surprise. The third book skips us along a few years and brings us closer to Metatron, but that's about all I will tell you right now.

Are you doing any illustrations for future books?

Well, I'm looking into it. You will find some of my prototype character illustrations on the Metatronic Chronicles website at http://www.metatronicchronicles.com. Also, I am thinking of reissuing the first book with a better cover, now that I'm learning how to make illustrations, so pick up the first issuance soon! It will be a collector's item, even with the ugly cover!

Where can we buy The Metatronic Chronicles: a minor inconvenience?

You can pick it up at http://www.lulu.com/metatron or search for it on Amazon.com under my name. I should let you know, it's cheaper at lulu.

Thank you for consenting to be interviewed, Ms. Esther. I would like to conclude by encouraging our readers to pick up a copy of The Metatronic Chronicles: a minor inconvenience and reading it for themselves to see what we are talking about today. This is Karen Wilson, signing off.

Thank you, Karen.