The Guardian by Diana Knightley
Acknowledgments
Thank you so much David for your tireless notes. You are usually the first eyes on the page so you wade through a real mess, asking questions, making points, sometimes I don’t know how you can possibly understand what I’m trying to say. Somehow you do, and your notes always make the story so much stronger.
This time, because there were so many characters all in the same place in almost every scene, you were very much like an uncle as we loaded up the car, “Where's Zoe?” Or “Why isn’t Fraoch offering to fight?” Or “...surely ask now about Rebecca...” And most importantly, “Why is Lizbeth being so rude?” I fixed it, all of it, you were so right. And thank you also for naming the rooster, Buttnugget; for reminding me that Fraoch might want a ball bath; and the discussion about the drones — you’re so freaking good at this.
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Thank you to Kristen Schoenmann De Haan for your notes this go around. You started with “What a surprising ride! Especially the wildness in the 20s! Man, I loved that!” You found so many points and issues that you really helped me get some things decided. These were some of my favorites:
“I rose out of the blackness tae hear the voices, one of them, General Hammond...”
YES!!!!
“Where did you learn to do that ‘you’re both right’ nonsense?”
Hahaha
“I didn’t need help, I had killed a man...”
Hell, she’d killed 3!
“...ye might did it up and say, that there is m’shite from hundreds of years ago...”
OMG!! How has no one done this?!!?
I appreciate your notes and your enthusiasm for this story so much. Thank you.
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A huge thank you to Heather Hawkes for reading again and still being with me after all these years. You wrote, “This was another great story!!! I love all the day to day life going on at the castle. That is always my favorite stuff!”
Mine too!
And you compared Katie to Black Widow, saying, “She was a bad ass!” Which totally gained my undying gratitude (as if you didn’t have it already) and you used all the caps, and tons of exclamation points and described the end as heartbreaking, and told me you love the series. So I feel pretty good about it. Thank you.
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Thank you to Jessica Fox for all the notes. I loved them and am quoting you here:
You said, “Wow, this volume is different while still staying true to the roots of the series. I really liked the change of pace in the first half of the book, I think I needed that normalcy for a bit after so much suspense, change and adventure.”
And, “What I don't understand is why I had to wait until I was 46% into the book to ‘see’ Mookie? I may be the only one of your readers that was wondering about the pig while everything else was going on...”
And you added, “As always, I totally appreciate the comic relief throughout the story. It's healthy to get the unexpected laugh to lower some of the tension from knowing that shit could hit the fan at any moment. Example of a LOL that woke all of my pets up, ‘Do ye see we are without coffee yet we are in a family meeting? I worry about our priorities’, and, ‘So ye decided ye must talk about whose turn tis tae kick the rooster?’, and, ‘That tree, right there, is m’child.’”
Thank you for those thoughts, you weren’t the only one who would’ve been worried about Mookie, I put him in a rooting box in the Great Hall for all the kids to parade by because I got worried about him too!
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Thank you so much Cynthia Tyler, for being the final eyes on the prize, for your bountiful notes, and your proofing all the faults in the end. Thank you for noting that it would be a Scottish jig for Magnus’s dancing, not a reel, that there would be a lot of cars on Hollywood roads in 1926 not just a very few like I had at the beginning, and the discussion about the dress, the Coco Chanel number. I finally decided to put it on Kaitlyn, after we went back and forth.
From music, to food, to fashion, to architecture, and of course, your blessed ability to know when the heck to use lay vs lie, you are amazing.
And thank you for designing the six course dinner. You gave me three to choose from, included here, in your lovely handwriting.
I’m filled with gratitude that you’re so good at this, thank you.
Also, side note, Magnus’s puzzling was decided upon with you in mind.
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And a very big thank you to Keira Stevens for narrating and bringing Kaitlyn and Magnus to life. All the way up to book 12 so far, you’re amazing. I’m so proud that you’re a part of the team.
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And thank you to Shane East for voicing Magnus. He sounds exactly how I want.
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Thank you to Gill Gayle and Emily Stouffer for believing in this story and working so tirelessly to bring Kaitlyn and Magnus to a broader audience. Your championing of Kaitlyn means so much to me.
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Thank you to my daughter Isobel and her husband Joshua Waier for consulting on the big fight scenes. I called Isobel one day, asking for help with the restaurant scene, explained what I needed, and a few moments later, Isobel had thought of Kaitlyn reliving that first disaster — the YouTube video that started it all, but winning this time.
Joshua helped with the scene happening at the same time back at the castle, the storm clouds up to the heavens in two places at once and the fire.
And then a whole ‘nother phone call, Isobel helped with James’s invasion of the Dunscaith castle. Thank you for planting the seed, that’s one of my favorite things ever.
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Thank you to Jackie Malecki and Angelique Mahfood for signing on to help admin the big and growing FB group. Your energy and positivity and humor and spirit, your calm demeanor when we need it, all the things you do and say and bring to the conversation fill me with gratitude.
You’ve blown me away with a timeline of dates, new Facebook pages for the characters, Instagram pages, a rocking video, and your interest in a new book about the series, so many things. So many awesome things. Your enthusiasm is freaking amazing. Thank you.
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And thank you to Anna Spain for continuing to run the weekly book club, and for going live to answer questions about the stories. It means so much to me (and others in the group), I know it takes devotion, thank you for that.
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I have a new venture, Patreon, and thank you to those of you that followed me there whether it’s fan level or ‘I love Liam and Blakely’ tier, or both. Thank you for being a part of the magic, Tasha Sandhu, Jackie Malecki, Angelique, Paula Seeley Fairbairn, Diane Porter, and Sandy Hambrick for being the very first.
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Which brings me to a huge thank you to every single member of the FB group, Kaitlyn and the Highlander. If I could thank you individually I would, I do try. Thank you for every day, in every way, sharing your thoughts, joys, and loves with me. It’s so amazing, thank you. You inspire me to try harder.
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And for going beyond the ordinary to the most of the posts, comments, contributions and discussions, thank you Anna Shallenberger, Diane M Porter, Linda Rose Lynch, Nadeen Lough, Alicia Jay, Kathleen Fullerton, Sarah McDuffie, Sarah Bussey, Christine Todd Champeaux, Christine Ann, Carol Wossidlo Leslie, Cindy Straniero, Cally Symms, Cynthia Tyler, Kaitlyn loves Magnus, Cheryl Rushing, Tina Rox, Anna Spain, Meg Stanley, Teresa Gibbs Stout, Retha Russell Martin, Kathi Ross, Stephanie Walden, Lori Balise, Christine Cornelison, Stacey Eddings, Holly Bowlby, Irene Walker, Nancy Josey Massengill, Crislee Anderson Moreno, Lisa Duggan, Paula Fairbairn, Kathy Ann Harper, Jessica Blasek, Melissa Crockett, Mitzy Roberts, Kelly Kennie, Jennifer Brown, Sherie Myles, Amy Brautigam, Marie Smith, Karen Scott, Diane McGowan, Amanda Thomas, Dawn Underferth, Heather Schmueckle, Samantha Aishman Springs, Shannon Sellstrom, Kim Curtner-larson, David Bowlby, Lillian Llewellyn, Dee Mecklin, David Sutton, Marisa Mitchell, Sandy Hambrick, Jacqueline Modell, Jessica Pickle, Melissa Hallman, Toni Plonowski, Holly Kahn, Jeanne Mullock Bills, Fleur Garmonsway, Dorothy Hobbs, Noelle Blosser, Connie Pine, Erin Swearingen, Linda Jensen, Sharon Carr, Jenny Thomas, Barbara Snavely, Liza Gee, Tara Svenkerud, Cari Ritchey, Andrea Gavrin, Darcy Ortuso, Kari Cowley-Quigley, Tracy Drew, Pamela Barker, Sandy Burinda, Cathy Calcagno, Lorelei Scarbro, Molly Lyions, Maureen Woeller, Enza Ciaccia, Michelle Lisgaris, Mary Briarton, Susan Norman, Kate Collins, MarKaye Larson, Samantha Bowman, Michelle Lynn Cochran, Catherine Sebree, Kalynne Connell, Jessica Hufnagel, Tracy Eichler.
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When I am writing and I get to a spot that needs research, or there is a detail I can't remember, I go to Facebook, ask, and my loyal readers step up to help. You find answers to my questions, fill in my memory lapses, and come up with so many new and clever ideas... I am forever grateful.
This time I forgot what I had asked before, thank you Chrystal Hicks for reminding me!
Thank you to Angelique for your record keeping, the family tree/timeline you’ve created. More than once I had to ask for help and you were quick to tell me when Katie was born!
I couldn’t remember if Quentin was a Colonel or a General. Thank you to everyone who knew: Margo Machnik, Amy Kehler, MarKaye Larson, Angelique Mahfood, Diane M Porter, Cally Symms, Holly Bowlby, Cheryl Rushing, Carol Wossidlo Leslie, Rachael Temaat, Maria Sidoli, Meg Stanley, Melanie Gilbert, Dee Mecklin, Nancy Josey Massengill, Alicia Jay, Sylvia Guasch, Toni Escudier Plonowski, KaitlynlovesMagnus, Susan Colette Johnston, Sarah Bussey, Cristen Killay, and Stephanie Ferrero!
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I was offered help on a Facebook Live video too, but I took it down because of tech difficulties. I’m very sorry if I missed your suggestion, but thank you all so much for your help.
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And when I ask ‘research questions’ you give such great answers…
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I asked:
So the gang have some day to day living to do in Kilchurn in 1705.
What is a moment you think they should have? For instance, a harvest festival…or a kid birthday party...
I got so many great ideas, many I had already thought of and had written into the story, but I especially loved the idea of the American gang celebrating Fourth of July, playing kickball, and feasting for Thanksgiving.
Thanks to Meg Stanley, Leah Krakowski, Sheila Maxey, Jenniffer Vasiento, Shirley Carlyle, Gabrielle Joles, Jessica Reiter Cruz, Christine Ann, Stacey Eddings, Melissa Russell Hallman, Sara Bacher, Jessica Pickle, Mikaela Bogard, Deeanne McKenzie Pugh, Michelle Lynn Cochran, Anna Spain, Debby Casey, Julia Lane Dunne, and Azucena Uctum for those ideas!
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I asked:
The gang are at Kilchurn Castle and lo and behold, a Young Widow comes to dinner as a guest.
What is her name?
And name a characteristic about her. (looks, speech, or manner)
There were so many imaginative wonderful answers.
First I picked Tori Smith for her answer: Lady Rebecca... she has auburn hair, freckles and bright green eyes.
Then I changed her name to Mariposa Flatts’s answer: Sophie - perhaps a doctor or scientist.
I included both because Rebecca is also there...
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I also asked about Agnie MacLeod (though I kept ‘who’ as a secret):
There is a new character, a female. She has access to the time vessels and has been intricately involved in some of the story.
I already have ideas, but I thought it might be fun to ask this one...
Where and when is her lair?
It can be anywhere in the world, any time 1552 and up... though, maybe the trailblazer has been used?
Wee don't know, so maybe she is even farther back. what i'm saying is: There are no wrong answers.
Have fun!
I got so many great answers, but unfortunately didn’t pick a place yet, perhaps in the next book it will reveal itself...
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At one point Lady Mairead asked her own question, in the form of a poll, here is your answers... The Upper East Side wins!
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If I have somehow forgotten to add your name, or didn’t remember your contribution, please forgive me. I am living in the world of Magnus and Kaitlyn and it is hard some days to come up for air.
I mean to always say truthfully, thank you. Thank you.
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Thank you to Kevin Dowdee for being there for me in the real world as I submerge into this world to write these stories of Magnus and Kaitlyn. I appreciate you so much.
Thank you to my kids, Ean, Gwynnie, Fiona, and Isobel, for listening to me go on and on about these characters, advising me whenever you can, and accepting them as real parts of our lives. I love you.