The people of Leo are as vast as soil particles, but all believe in the god, Mie, and they do their best to live peacefully with one another.

At the center of Fire, is the Royal family in Leo. While writing this book, my focus was on the Swahili culture and I used Kiswahili names for the characters and the places that are the setting of the story.

I believe that the Swahili culture is rich, not only in their sayings (methali) but also in their customs regarding marriage, social norms and respect for elders and even though I was never good in Kiswahili in school, I did look into it deeply to create the backbone of this story.

Allow me to introduce you to the first half of the characters in Fire:

• Uwezo, meaning,(Might or Ability), is the King of Leo.
• Ukweli, (Truth), is the Seer and happens to be King Uwezo’s older brother.
• Pendo, (Love), is the Queen of Leo. She is Uwezo’s wife.
• Ulioko, (Present, as in what’s present, or what’s there), is the Informer. His duty is to make the King aware of everything that is happening in the kingdom.

In Africa, most cultures and customs as diverse as they are, believed in many stages of life and it began at birth with the naming ceremony.

Children were named based on seasons, after a relative or ancestor, and in some cultures this was a festive time and it involved the whole community. It’s the basis of Fire, because the desire for a legacy begins when a young Prince is born.