Character Interview – Ronne Donovan
Anna: Today we’re joined by Ronne Donovan, the main character of Raven Flight. Thanks for being here, Ronne.
Ronne: Thanks for having me.
A: So you’re the main character in Raven Flight.
R: That’s right.
A: What is Raven Flight about?
R: It’s about the existence of the Raven Council, which has been in existence for around eight hundred years. The founder of the Raven Council is Morgan Byrne. She was also the first one ‘recruited’ by Lady Raven into the Lady’s service. She was given a gold ring with a raven carved from a piece of meteorite, and a white diamond for the eye. She also received a raven as a lifelong companion named Cail.
A: I see you have a raven ring and a raven companion. How did you come by them?
R: Need to go back a bit in my life’s story. I am a Marine. I may have been discharged because of the injuries I received in Iraq, but in heart, mind and spirit I am still a Marine. Our Humvee hit an IED, a piece of shrapnel pierced my chest. The medic said my heart stopped for five minutes. While they worked to get me back, I found myself in a strange area. Shadows were there, some with silvery glows surrounding them. I even recognized two of them from my unit who were in the Humvee with me. They passed through an arch with a faint silvery glow surrounding it. There was another arch with a very bright silvery glow across from it.
A tall, thin woman with silvery black hair and gray eyes stood before me and asked if I wanted to live. Foolish questions, of course I wanted to live. She called herself Lady Raven and said if I entered her service, I could return to the world of the living. I agreed and she gave me the raven ring and said I would have a raven as a life long companion. She also told me I would be contacted by someone named Caitlyn Allenson who leads the Raven Council. Caitlyn would explain what my new life would entail.
A: That’s amazing. What happened then?
R: Next thing I know I’m waking up in a hospital wondering what the hell happened. The ring was on the middle finger of my right hand when I regained consciousness. Once I returned stateside and was discharged, I got a job as a security guard. A week later, Caitlyn appeared at my door and I remembered the weird thing that happened and what I promised to do. When she entered the apartment, two ravens appeared in a flash of silvery light. One perched on Caitlyn’s shoulder, the other perched on mine, introducing himself as Shado. He’s been with me for the past six years. His favorite treat is blackberries.
A: What does your family think of this?
R: When I was ten, my parents died in a car accident. My grandmother brought me up. She died when I was eighteen and I enlisted in the Marines the day after her funeral. I think I have a couple of distant cousins, somewhere. Shado is my family along with some of the members of the Raven Council.
A: What does the Raven Council do?
R: We send shadow beasts back across the Veil or to whoever summoned them. We also release spirits that have been trapped during ritual sacrifices by the Order of the Shadow Dagger. Sometimes we can prevent the shadows form entering our world, but it takes at least three members. When we do this, we’re weak and vulnerable to nightmares and becoming trapped in the Veil. Our raven companions or a loving spouse helps prevent that.
A: What is the Order of the Shadow Dagger?
R: About five hundred and fifty years ago things started to heat up with the appearance of Dmitri Basarab in Wallachia and his creation of the Order of the Shadow Dagger.
The order is supposed to be a secret organization, but enough of us know that it exists. The current leader is Evan Basarab. The order has chapters in the major countries: the United States, Australia, the UK, Russia, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, and Italy. Each chapter has one leader and they all report to Dmitri.
Members of the order want to control everything and get filthy rich in the bargain. They use the shadow beasts to assist in this. Members in high standing of the Order are shadow beast that has taken over that person. Once that happens, the original person is lost forever.
Members of the order have a tattoo of a shadow dagger on their left arm and they wear a medallion bearing a shadow dagger on it.
A: What are you currently doing for the Raven Council?
R: Avoiding the stupid politics that have arisen recently. My current assignment is gathering all the information I can about the shadows that have already crossed into our world, and looking for a missing member. Problem is, no one knows who she is or where she lives. We do know she has the ring made by Lady Raven, but Lady Raven is keeping silent about her.
A: Why don’t you tell the readers what you look like?
R: I’m five feet eight inches tall, muscular with light gray eyes, and short spiky black hair that’s starting to develop silvery highlights from passing through the Veil. I have a lot of scars from my two tours of duty in Iraq, but thanks to the Raven Ring, I no longer suffer any physical problems. PTSD, however, is another story. That’s why I prefer to live alone and not be involved in a relationship with anyone.
A: Ronne, thank you for speaking with us today. I look forward to interviewing you again.
R: I look forward to returning, Anna. Maybe next time I’ll have news about the person I’m supposed to find.
