{Character Interview} Dhara of 'The Mountain Goddess' by Shelley Schanfield
We’re thrilled to be talking to Dhara from Shelley
Schanfield’s, The Mountain Goddess.
It is a pleasure to have her with us today at Pimp That Character!
Thank you for your interview, Dhara. How old are you and what do you do for a
living?
I’m twenty six now, but I must tell you that when I was
fifteen I could already talk to tigers and vanish into thin air! You see, as a
girl I ran away from my little village to a sacred Himalayan cave to study with
a mysterious woman yogi. She promised she’d teach me yoga’s supernatural
powers. I frightened her with how gifted I was—and still am.
Can you tell us about one of your most distinguishable
features?
I’m descended from a beautiful celestial nymph who seduced
the god Himalaya, and I inherited her silky black hair
and dark, almond-shaped eyes.
What would I love the most about you?
I am passionately loyal to those I love. Like my best friend
Sakhi. Or I was loyal to her, until I ran away and became a powerful yogi and
warrior and captured Prince Siddhartha’s heart. In the years since I became his
princess, Sakhi and I have drifted apart…but it’s not all my fault! And I’ll
make it up to her, I swear…
What would I hate the most about you?
I am so good at so many things—archery and riding and yoga
and, well, everything—and I’m beautiful, too. All Prince Siddhartha’s
companions are in love with me. So the women at court hate me. You might, too,
but when you read my story, you’ll understand me. Understanding begets love.
I’m selfish, but I’m brave, too, and I want to fight for my kingdom!
What is your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is that my husband Siddhartha will give in
to his secret yearning. There was a prophecy when he was born that he would
forsake his royal duty and become a Buddha, the wisest sage to ever live. He
might slip away to become a homeless truth seeker and leave me here alone with
our newborn son. How can I be a mother, the most unselfish of all beings,
without him? If only I could talk to my beloved friend Sakhi…
Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?
It was hard work on my part to get Shelley to ignore how the
legends about the Buddha portray me.
Some of them say I was a saint, some say I was unfaithful, some hardly
mention me at all! In the end, though, I think Shelley put me on the page as I
really am.
What are three must haves when shopping at the grocery
store?
I’m a princess and I don’t shop at grocery stores; besides,
there weren’t such things in northeastern India
2500 years ago! While I was living at the sacred cave I learned to survive on
what mountain and forest had to offer. So I’m not afraid of hardship, even if
I’ve become accustomed to palace luxury, and this serves me well in these
difficult times.
(I think, though, if I were living in your day and age, I
would always have bittersweet chocolate around. Shelley always does!)
Who is your best friend?
As I’ve said, Sakhi is my best friend. She’s modest and wise
and a good mother to her five sons. I even think Siddhartha is a little in love
with her. (I’m not jealous. Really.) But she’s not perfect either. Rumor says
she’s taken a lover…
Someone is secretly in love with you. Who is it and how do you feel about that?
No one is secretly
in love with me. All Siddhartha’s companions openly adore their warrior
princess! Here’s the real secret: I love Siddhartha’s best friend, that
charming rogue Chandaka, and I don’t know what to do about it…
If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you
do today?
Everyone should ask herself this question the first thing
every morning, but who among us does? There will be a day, though, in the
sequel to The Mountain Goddess, when
its answer will truly mean life or death for me. You’ll want to read that book,
too, when it comes out in 2018.
About the Author
Shelley Schanfield’s passion for
Buddhism and yoga arose sixteen years ago, when she and her son earned black
belts in Tae Kwon Do. The links between the martial arts and Buddhist
techniques to calm and focus the mind fascinated her. By profession a
librarian, Shelley plunged into research about the time, place, and spiritual
traditions that 2500 years ago produced Prince Siddhartha, who became the
Buddha. Yoga, in some form, has a role in all of these traditions. Its
transformational teachings soon prompted Shelley to hang up her black belt and
begin a yoga practice that she follows to this day.
Because she loves historical
fiction, Shelley looked for a good novel about the Buddha. When she didn’t find
one that satisfied her, she decided to write her own novels based on the
spiritual struggles of women in the Buddha’s time. She published the first book
in the Sadhana Trilogy, The Tigress and the Yogi, in 2016 and will
publish the second, The Mountain Goddess in early 2017.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL
LINKS
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About the Book:
A beautiful warrior princess. A tormented prince. A terrible choice between love, duty, and spiritual freedom.
In ancient India, rebellious Dhara runs
away to a sacred mountain to study with the powerful yogi Mala, a mysterious
woman with a violent past. Flung by war onto an adventure-filled journey, Dhara
meets and captures the heart of Siddhartha, whose skill in the martial arts and
extraordinary mental powers equal her own.
Worldly power and pleasure seduce Dhara,
creating a chasm between her and her husband, who longs to follow a sage’s
solitary path. She takes on the warrior’s role Siddhartha does not want, and
when she returns wounded from battle court intrigue drives them further apart.
As Siddhartha’s discontent with royal life intensifies, Dhara’s guru Mala, who
has returned to her life as a ruthless outlaw, seeks her former pupil for her own
evil purposes.
Dhara’s and Siddhartha’s love keeps evil
at bay, but their son’s birth brings on a spiritual crisis for the prince. If he leaves his kingdom to seek
enlightenment, he turns his back on love and duty and risks destroying his
people. Only Dhara can convince him to stay.
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