I loved The Land Before Time as a kid, and I particularly loved Cera–the triceratops character. Yellow was always my favorite color, and not only is Cera golden in hue–I’ll be honest, that’s probably why I originally liked her–but she’s colorful in character.

It struck me out of the blue this morning that one of the characters I’ve heard most feedback from in The Crimson League: The Fight for Hope might well have been unconsciously influenced by Cera.

If you’re read the book and seen The Land Before Time, you know I mean Kansten.

Yes, Kansten, who one of my sisters from the monastery described as a “lovable badger.”

That’s Cera to a tee!

Kansten is brash, prickly, and difficult, never shy to speak her mind, and never slow to act. Yet she’s also courageous. She has some deep wounds, I think, that she never talks directly about to anyone. She means well, and I do think she has a heart of gold.

Both Cera and Kansten are funny in their way. They tend to mangle their own plans and make things more difficult than they need to be, which can be a good source of humor.

It really is fascinating all the different things that influence an author’s writing, both consciously and unconsciously. I had never made this connection before!

Read more about Kansten at the link above, and check out my novel on Amazon if you feel in the mood for a fun, sword and sorcery/dystopian crossover.