The meaning behind the title for my next book and a little about the previous books in the trilogy.
In
Greek mythology, King Gordius of Phrygia tied a knot that defied all who tried
to untie it. An oracle prophesised that
anyone who could undo this Gordian Knot would rule Asia. Alexander the Great simply cut the knot with
one stroke of his sword, hence the saying ‘to cut the Gordian Knot’, meaning to
solve a difficult problem by a simple, bold and effective action.
When
I began writing The Gordian Knot, the second book in the trilogy, I already had an idea for the title of the
next book. Cutting the Gordian Knot
became my working title which I thought very apt because of the intractable
problems facing my characters.
This
final book is the story that concludes everything. Like Alexander the Great, my characters will
have to solve all the problems by a simple, bold and effective action.
I
was a little worried that this title would be too close to that of the previous
book so I decided on a change and it became Cutting the Gordian Knot (the final
solution).
With
book one, The Belgae Torc, I tried to establish a sense of history that would
remain throughout the trilogy. The
mysterious torc and the powers surrounding it is a reminder of just how
significant symbols like this once were.
I used this novel to establish the main characters and to get a feeling
for their individual personalities. I
also set in motion a relationship between Orlagh and Jerry that would develop
through each novel.
Book
two, The Gordian Knot continues with the historical references but I wanted to
bring these closer to home. By
introducing Harald and Freya, a direct connection could be made between the
events of 1940s Germany and the Phoenix Legion.
I wanted to do this using the human element; this was also the first
step in drawing many of the characters together.
We are all influenced in some way by our
pasts and history has a habit of repeating itself.
