Interview with Me'ira Ranz from Randy C. Dockens' Darkness in the Light from his STELE PROPHECY PENTALOGY Series
Thank you for your interview, Me’ira. How old are you and what do you do for a living?
Well, thank you for the question, but let me answer the second part of your question first and that may help you to understand my answer to the first part of your question.
You see, my father is called The Prince and leads our world in the acts of worship of our King. Being his daughter makes me a princess. Now, that may sound wonderful, and don’t get me wrong, it really is. But it comes with great responsibility. Almost every action I do reflects how people perceive my
father. It really is quite a burden to bear. I must consider everything I wear, say, and do to ensure my dress is the right one in style and color for the occasion, my words are always uplifting and never harsh, and always be on my best behavior because, right or wrong, people have expectations of how royals should look, behave, and speak. While many may think I am privileged and don’t really do anything, they do not really understand the pressures that come with being a princess. Just being present at an event carries great weight and a statement. Therefore, I am scrutinized by my appearance, what I say, and everything I do—or don’t do, like my every move is making a statement. The stress can be quite taxing, for sure.
Now, about my age, that is something I rarely divulge. I need to keep that somewhat mysterious so I can’t give others something else to criticize me for. You can understand that, can’t you? Let’s just say I’m in my twenties. That’s close enough for an answer, isn’t it? Yet, age is something we rarely think about because it doesn’t mean a lot for many in our day and age. You see, when our King came to reign, at least as I’m told (I was born many, many years later) he came with many others who were his subjects of all time. From what I understand, I am told that our King had all those who worshipped him in the time in which they lived and died, were resurrected when he came to power. Now, I can’t really prove that, but that is what I’m told, and I have no reason not to believe my father or my King. Today, death is not something we even think about. Only those who rebel against our beloved king die. Or that is what we are told. I mean, our king deals with rebellion in a quick manner. Those who rebel are never seen again. I am told they go to the place of lost souls. That is a place no one wants to go as they never return.
Can you tell us about one of your most distinguishable features?
I’m not sure if this is what you would consider a distinguishable feature, but I am the youngest of all my siblings. My three brothers and two sisters were basically grown and married by the time I was born. At the time of my birth, my father was a little over five hundred years old. Don’t think that uncommon. Since the king has abolished death for his subjects, there are people even older than my father who have had children. So, as you can see, two people who look the same age may be drastically different in age. Those who came with the King when he began to rule all look to be in their twenties or thirties and never seem to age. However, those of us born after the King set up his kingdom still age but, at least from what I’ve been told, age much more slowly than those who were born prior to the King’s kingdom. The beginning of his kingdom became known as the time of the Refreshing. So, while there are people of all ages with some looking young and some looking old, one cannot immediately tell if they were born prior to the Refreshing or after. The only clue is that those born prior to the Refreshing have a certain glow to them (which many call glorified). Those of us born now, that is, after the start of the Refreshing, do not have that glow. I know that may sound strange, but it is just a way for life for me, so I have never really thought about it as strange. I have many within my near and extended family who are a combination of both gloried and non-glorified.
What would I love the most about you?
Oh, well, I hope everything (laughter). Although some may say I am spoiled and selfish, I don’t really consider myself as so. I really care about all my subjects. I love life and want to live life to its fullest. Maybe that’s why I’m labeled selfish by some. My family wants me to be more prim and proper so I can set the protocol-defined tone for how the world subjects perceive my father. Yet, I like to have fun and just enjoy myself with others. This endears some to me but makes others see me as being something I’m really not. I guess I defy protocol too often. I know deep down that I shouldn’t but sometimes abiding by protocol all the time can be quite suppressive—or at least makes me feel that way.
I guess in the end, I did defy protocol because I married Galen, a non-royal. To do that, I had to give up my royal title. So, I hope the inspiration I can give to people is that they should do what is the most important thing to them. There are consequences to doing so, but aren’t there consequences to doing nothing as well?
What makes you laugh out loud?
Oh, a good joke for sure. I love to banter with my brother, Liam. There is quite an age difference between us as he is the oldest and I am the youngest. He is almost like a father to me age-wise, but he treats me as a sister and his equal. We kid each other a lot—often to the chagrin of my mother. She is so prim and proper. I do envy that I can’t be like her, but I really like to be more lighthearted.
What is your most treasured possession?
My treasured possessions have changed over time. Currently, it is the small bouquet of flowers my then boyfriend Galen (now my husband) left me after he came to visit my parents for the first time. While he was there with me, he and I would spend a lot of time together in the royal gardens, one of my most favorite spots. We, of course, could not be totally alone. I always had to have a chaperone with me at all times. I had to be proper, you know. Protocol demanded it. Even though I complained to my mother, she told me that it wasn’t that she did not trust me, but royals had to live by a higher standard and emulate that standard to everyone so they would respect my father and come to love the King even more. So, you can see that just existing as a royal generated great scrutiny. I was very appreciative that Galen took all of this in stride. That made me adore him all the more. When he left after that first visit, he left me a small bouquet of flowers from the garden (it was a good thing our gardener didn’t see him picking the flowers) as a token of his love and adoration for me. I thought it so sweet, I had them dried and then pressed so I could keep them as a memento of that moment in my life. Every time I see them now reminds me of that time when our love for each other was just beginning to bloom and mature.
Are you a loner or do you prefer to be surrounded by friends?
Oh, I am definitely a people person. I find being around people very energizing. I always loved to dress up in my best dresses or gowns and go to parties. Being with my girlfriends where we would laugh, joke, and just have a good time was so much fun. Today, I still enjoy such, but am now just as content to have a night alone with Galen.
What is in your refrigerator right now?
My refrigerator? Oh, my goodness! I have no idea. Sorry. When I was younger, that was not something I even thought about. I don’t mean to sound uppity, but we had staff that stocked the kitchen for us. Most of our meals were prepared for us by a chef. If I wanted a late snack when the chef was off duty, what I wanted was typically always there. Hmm. Did that make me spoiled? I don’t think so, but to be honest, I never even thought about this until your question here.
Now, today, I don’t have a chef, but we have replicators which is almost like having a chef. There is a company that supplies the raw ingredients that replicators use, so it is not something I really think about. However, we do have fresh vegetables and fruit quite often, and I enjoy cooking those. We’re more apt to stop by the local market and pick something up than we are to store food for later consumption.
What is your greatest fear?
I think my greatest fear is not being significant. I know that may sound strange coming from someone who seems to have everything. But being the daughter of the prince makes responsibility such a significant focus for me. While on one hand, I sort of rebel and want to do things my way and go against protocol, deep down I want to please my father and make him proud. (chuckles) I’m not sure I would tell him that though.
The main fear I had was when I had to choose between staying with my father and mother or choose Galen, as he wasn’t of royal birth. It was a very hard choice. I know my decision hurt my father emotionally as well as that of my mother. It saddened me to see them so distraught by my decision to marry Galen. Yet, looking back today, I don’t regret my decision. Does it hurt. Yes, sometimes. That is, until I gaze into the eyes of Galen and see such love looking back at me. That gives me comfort and makes me content. He makes me feel very significant.
If you could change one physical thing about yourself, what would that be?
Hmm. That’s a hard question to answer. Although this is not a physical thing about me, I sometimes would wish to just be a normal person without all the pressures of being a royal. I think that is one thing that attracted me to Galen so readily (besides him being so handsome with those adorable dimples). (Laughter) Seriously, though. Often suitors placate because of your royalty so they often are more concerned with increasing their status by being with you rather than just being with you. It’s more about them than it is about you.
I did not get that vibe with Galen. Even from the very beginning of us getting to know each other, I felt he was looking at me. The real me, if you know what I mean. He is still that way. Despite all we have been through, he still sees me—the real me. I can’t express how wonderful that makes me feel.
Who is your best friend?
Oh, that would most definitely be Lydia, my attendant. I say “attendant,” which she is, of course. That’s her job title anyway. But she is so much more to me than that. Like I stated, my brothers and sisters were so much older than I when I was born so I had no one my age to play with. Mother employed her as my attendant when I was very young. Actually, Lydia is only a year or so older than I. We became very close—almost like sisters, but not, if you know what I mean. She learned to read me like a book. That was annoying at times, but we always made up—just like sisters do. She was my anchor and helped me to keep a level head. (chuckles) At least most of the time. When I would somewhat rebel against protocol, she always helped me to see what Mother was trying to teach me.
I remember once when Galen and I were once dating (we’ll that’s another story in itself), but we’ll call it dating for lack of a better term right now, Galen called her my servant. (laughter) Lydia set him straight in a heartbeat. When Galen asked her what the difference was in being a servant versus being an attendant, I think she gave the best answer anyone could have given. She stated that being my attendant help me to reflect my father in the best light possible so people would see my father as the prince who helped them worship the King, and by doing that helped my father to represent the King in the best light for the people to see and worship the King in the best way possible. I thought that was great insight on her part. While her duties may seem small to others, it became a ripple effect which had a huge impact on the entire kingdom. I couldn’t have put her role in a better light. Worshiping our King goes so much deeper than just admiring him or praying to him.
Because Galen was not royalty, I had to give up my royalty status in order to marry him which meant I could no longer be in the presence of my father and mother. That was very hard for me. Yet, because Lydia was also not royalty but still within the attendance of my mother, I was able to keep in touch with her, and thus my family, though at a distance. Lydia has always been a great friend and confidant all my life.
Do you have children?
I’m pregnant with my first. A boy who is due in a few months. Galen and I hope to have more. I wish I would be able to share my son with my mother and father, but I made my choice and will have to live with those consequences. Yet, I’m happy with my decision, overall. I would never find anyone better for me than Galen. So, I don’t regret my choice. Don’t get me wrong. I would choose no other. Yet, I do miss not being able to see Mother and Father as I once was able to. It reminds me that we must not take anything for granted.
What is your favorite weather?
Favorite weather? What a curious question. At the time in which I live on our Earth, it is almost always the same temperature everywhere. It does vary by a few degrees here and there, but, in general, the world is temperate all over. I have heard stories from my father and some of his friends who lived before the Refreshing of how the Earth had extreme weather differences. It’s sort of hard for me to fully comprehend some of their stories about how cold and hot various places on the earth were. For me, the whole earth is just one pleasant place to be no matter where one lives. We visit other places for the pleasure of seeing friends, experiencing other cultures, foods, and activities, but not based upon weather. We can come and go frequently due to the teleporters that we have access to over all the earth. Our King has made things truly wonderful for us.
Do you like to cook? If so, what is your favorite thing to cook?
(Laughter) If you had asked me that a few years ago, I would have looked at you like you had three heads. Being raised as a royal, domestic duties were a foreign concept to me. Yet, after marrying Galen and having to step down from a position of royalty, I did learn quite quickly what domestic chores were and how hard they were. It gave me an appreciation of those who assisted us in the palace which, unfortunately, I did not even think about at the time. With the patience of my husband and mother-in-law, I learned how to cook. Yet, my definition of cooking may not be the same as yours. I have the assistance of replicators to aid in the meal preparation process. Therefore, when I say it is a “chore” it really isn’t that much of one. It’s more learning how to be creative and program the replicator in how to prepare something unique and special for those you love. Therefore, I never considered cooking as a real chore but as a creative process which I learned to enjoy doing. I’m not sure I have a special dish, but I do still remember the first Passover meal I created for Galen. It was just the two of us. It wasn’t perfect. The lamb was a little tough. Yet, after learning the replicator tips and tricks, I think I make a mean lamb dish now. At least that is what Galen tells me.
If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?
I’m sorry. Some of your terms are strange to me. Dying is not something we even think about anymore. As I said, my father and several of his friends lived before the Refreshing and have told me stories of war, famine, and how much suffering people on earth had to endure prior to our King coming and establishing his kingdom. Once he did, he took all those pains and hardships away from us forever. We no longer have to think about such things. As I said earlier, only those who rebel against the King have to think about such things as he may send them to the place of lost souls if they do not repent of their actions. Yet, the majority of us love our King and rebelling against him is the farthest thing from our minds.
The nearest equivalent I can think of would be me giving up my royal title. Now, I know that is nowhere near the tragedy to which you are referring, but that is the closest concept for me at present to relate to such a thing, as it caused me to not be able to see Father and Mother any longer. So, I would say one should not take anything for granted, love those who are close to you, because you have no idea if you’ll see them again or not.
Me’ira discovers the man for whom she has romantic feelings is tied to a prophecy that may put her father, the Prince who leads the world in worship of the King, in grave danger. Her father forbids her to marry the man of her dreams. Me’ira tries to circumvent the demand by devising a plan of her own to both protect her father as well as preserve her happiness. Yet, she finds her plan becomes harder to implement than she envisioned. Will it accomplish what she wants for both herself and her father, or will it just enhance the fulfillment of the prophecy she is trying so desperately to prevent? And can heartache be avoided, or will it consume them all?
Darkness in the Light, the third prequel to Mercy of the Iron Scepter, is the fourth book of a new biblical end times prophecy series entitled Stele Prophecy Pentalogy by futuristic fiction author Randy C Dockens. This is not your typical speculative fiction in a biblical end times novel as, above all, it is a love story. This unique speculative fiction story combines biblical end times events of prophetic worship under the leadership of one called the Prince with advances in science to produce a future home that is technologically advanced while at the same time yielding a romantic read unlike any other Christian romance story you may have read. This book links many story threads together for that special aha moment.
Darkness in the Light is available at Amazon.
Dr. Randy C. Dockens has a fascination with science and with the Bible, holds Ph.D. degrees in both areas, and is a man not only of faith and science, but also of creativity. He believes that faith and science go hand in hand without being enemies of each other.
After completing his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University he went on to graduate
school at Auburn and completed his first doctorate degree in Pharmaceutics. He began his scientific career as a pharmacokinetic reviewer for the Food and Drug Administration and later joined a leading pharmaceutical company as a pharmacokineticist, which is a scientist who analyzes how the human body affects drugs after they have been administered (i.e, absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted).
Through the years, he has worked on potential medicines within several disease areas, including cardiovascular, fibrosis, and immunoscience to seek and develop new and novel medicines in these therapy areas.
He has also had his attention on the academic study of the Bible. He earned a second doctorate in Biblical Prophecy from Louisiana Baptist University after receiving a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Internet Bible Institute under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Congdon.
Randy has recently retired from his pharmaceutical career and is spending even more time on his writing efforts. He has written several books that span dystopian (The Coded Message Trilogy), end-time prophecy (Stele Prophecy Pentalogy), science fiction (Erabon Prophecy Trilogy), and uniquely told Bible stories (The Adversary Chronicles). All his books, while fun to read, are futuristic, filled with science to give them an authentic feel, have a science fiction feel to them, and allows one to learn some aspect of Biblical truth one may not have thought about before. This is all done in a fast-paced action format that is both entertaining and provides a fun read for his readers.
He has also written some nonfiction books as well. One is to show how all humans are connected from God’s viewpoint by looking at biblical prophecy (Why is a Gentile World Tied to a Jewish Timeline?: The Question Everyone Should Ask). This book shows how all scripture is connected and inclusive of everyone. In addition, he and his editor have written two books about writing. The first is on writing techniques themselves and is entitled Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Writing: Creating Vivid and Colorful Stories that Readers Want to Read. This book not only addresses the techniques of writing, but what makes writing unique to each author. It conveys not only how to better hone one’s craft of writing but also the brand an author wants to portray. This helps an author make their writing unique as well as captivating for his/her audience. The second is a companion book to this one entitled Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Self-Editing: Framing Your Colorful Masterpiece to Keep Readers Engaged in Your Story. This is best used in conjunction with the first one. Yet, self-editing, though intricately connected to writing, is a distinct event. The better the quality of a writer’s draft manuscript when it is delivered to one’s editor, the higher the final quality of the manuscript will be for readers, and that is extremely important.
Dr Dockens is still not done. He has other creative ideas he is bringing forward as he is currently working on two new futuristic series. So, stay turned!
Website ➜ https://www.randydockens.com/
X ➜ https://x.com/RandyCDockens
Facebook ➜ www.facebook.com/Randy.C.Dockens
Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/randydockens
Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16453941
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