Meet the Character: Jana

Character art by HSJ Williams

Today I am pleased to introduce you to the Summer Princess. Some of you may remember that for a long time, the place-holder title for this book was “Summer Princess” but as much fun as that was, I knew it wasn’t right for this book. Mostly because Jana is not actually the main character of the story. All my earliest beta readers told me in no uncertain terms, “We like the story, but you have to change the title.”

But Jana, the Summer Princess and daughter of King Oberon and Queen Titania, is an important element in this story, and she was an absolutely delightful character to write.

I don’t know if I’ve ever written a character I felt was more immediately and eminently likable than Jana.

Jana, like Echo, is 12 years old and swiftly approaching her thirteenth birthday (which occurs on the summer solstice… as is only appropriate for the princess of the summer fae). She has a feisty, impetuous personality as irrepressible as the flame-color of her extremely long hair. She is known throughout the court as a prankster, but her tricks are always harmless and humorous, never malicious or unkind.

However, the entire court is troubled because recently their beautiful, spunky princess has fallen prey to a mysterious illness that nobody can identify or cure. She is growing weaker by the day, and her nights are troubled by nightmares. The nightmares have caused her to begin sleepwalking.

Worried for her safety, the King and Queen have secured Jana at the top of a tall tower where they are confident she will be protected from sleepwalking into any dangerous situations. She is guarded by two fae dragons, the older, crotchety Nevyk and the younger Drayeth who has been her own dearest friend and closest companion since her christening.