Deby Fredericks's Blog, page 76

Vouivre

These are a variety of dragon rumored to dwell in the Alps of Switzerland and France. They were long, lean, and loved jewelry more than any other sort of treasure for their hoards. Tales say that they were always adorned with as much gold and gems as they could physically wear. They neither liked nor disliked humans — except for those who tried to steal from them.

The vouivre had a weakness, though: they were blind. As part of their finery, each one wore a splendid tiara of pearls or gold, with a blood-red jewel on its forehead. These jewels were enchanted to allow them to see. The gem’s radiance was so brilliant that the dragons seemed to be wrapped in fire. Whenever they flew by, people thought it was a shooting star coming to earth. 

Vouivre were well aware of their vulnerability. They only went out to bathe once or twice a year, since they must remove their jewelry and that would temporarily blind them. In some areas, it was said the vouivre only bathed on Christmas Eve. In other places, they thought it was on Easter Sunday. The dragons were clever, you see, and they took their baths at a time when most Christian folk would be at mass.

News of such a great treasure got around, all the same. Everyone wanted a chance at the dragon’s hoard. Tales abound of this person or that who found a vouivre’s bathing place and lay in wait to spear them while they were blind. Or they lured the dragon into an oven and killed it that way. (It would have to be quite a big oven!)

Others tried to skip the battle and just make off with the vouivre’s treasure while it was away. Woe to them if the beast returned sooner than expected! These unfortunate souls were never heard from again.

Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

The Knight Who Took All Day

Here’s another fun picture book for your young dragon lover. Author/artist James Mayhew published through Chicken House in 2003.

It seems there  is a brave and handsome knight who hopes to catch the eye of a spirited princess. Surely the best way to impress her is to defeat a dragon in single combat. The only problem? There are no dragons left in the kingdom. He sets off to search.

This book has a slightly subversive tone, as you see the knight search right by some dragons hidden in the artwork. Then, when a dragon actually does show up to threaten the kingdom, the knight won’t face it without just the right armor and sword. 

Adult readers will probably guess the outcome from the title. Kids may or may not get the point about action being more important than appearance. I personally found the book clever, although the final page irritated me. The princess randomly marries someone other than the tardy knight; why? Her marriage is irrelevant to the point of the book and perpetuates a stereotype that girls can’t be happy when independent. But at least the dragon lives happily ever after!

Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

Advertisements

Just For Fun 38

Here’s a dragon joke, courtesy of my dad. It’s an oldie-but-goodie, as they say.

Q: Where does dragon milk come from?

A: From cows with very short legs!

Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

Advertisements

Dragon Encounters 32

[image error]

As I was flying home from a Thanksgiving visit, I looked up at the ceiling of the airplane and was struck by the shapes I saw.

Doesn’t that straight line look like a backbone? And don’t those curves off the side look like ribs? 

I thought to myself, I am flying inside a dragon! Doesn’t it look like that?

No?

Guess it’s just me, then.

Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

Advertisements

The Book Dragon

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the U. S, so allow me to say how much I appreciate all of you who read this blog. Some of you comment and click my links, while others mostly lurk, but I am thankful for you!

Now, here’s another great new picture book featuring dragons. The Book Dragon is a rapacious fiend who steals the joy from a hapless village when it snatches all their books away. Can a brave young girl help the dragon learn a better way?

Again, this is a fine gift choice for the young readers in your household.

Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

Not Your Typical Dragon

This is a cute picture book I spotted in a first grade classroom recently.

Every dragon breathes fire, right? They gain this special ability when they turn seven, and a little dragon named Crispin is very excited about his coming birthday. Soon he’ll breathe fire just like his dad!

But when the big day comes, it doesn’t work out as planned. Crispin breathes… whipped cream! Dad is upset and confused. Over the following pages, he tries many strategies to make Crispin breathe fire like a proper dragon. Only when a crisis strikes does Crispin prove his alternative breathing can be a help instead of a hindrance.

The message here is obvious: all kids may feel “different” sometimes. They may worry about their place in the world. Understanding adults can help them find their way even when they truly are different from the rest.

Not Your Typical Dragon is a great choice for anyone whose child is “different” or who wants to help children accept a peer who is “different.” What do you know, Christmas is coming soon, too!

Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

Einar, the Great and Terrible

[image error] This is part two of my blog visit from author J. Keller Ford. The subject: her wicked dragon king, Einar.

When talking with Deby the other day about my new book, Bane of the Dragon King, as well as the complete trilogy, she asked me an interesting question: Was Einar (the protagonist dragon) born into power or did he acquire his title through other means?

This question excited me as it was the first time anyone had asked the question and it is the first time I’ve been able to devote my time to just talking about Einar, which is just way too cool for words.

Einar was found as an egg by the young prince of Berg while on a hunting excursion with his father. He was forbidden to keep it, but as young children often do, he disobeyed his father and snuck the egg into the stables at the castle. Within a couple of weeks, the egg hatched, and the prince named him Einar, which means ‘alone’ and ‘warrior’. As Einar grew, he became disgruntled with the way he was treated and kept hidden. His demands on the young prince became so immense that the young man couldn’t keep up with them all, so Einar killed him and began to kill others within the kingdom who refused to serve him. By the time the dragon was two-years-old, he’d killed off everyone in the kingdom who challenged him and turned them into shadowmorths, his army of human souls transformed through the powers bestowed upon him as a Timberlake Smoothback dragon into killing shadow creatures.

Over the years, other skills and powers of a Timberlake Smoothback emerged, and Einar was able to infiltrate and take over other realms and kingdoms, thus proclaiming himself as the Dragon King. Attempts to capture him and kill him were thwarted at every turn. Now, two hundred years later, Einar the Dragon King comes face to face with the only ones who have the power to kill him once and for all. The battle for Hirth, for Fallhollow, and for all the universe has begun. I hope you take the journey to find out who wins!

[image error]J. Keller Ford is a scribbler of speculative fiction and YA tales. As an Army brat, she traveled the world and toured the halls of some of Germany’s most extraordinary castles in hopes of finding snarky dragons, chivalrous knights, and wondrous magic to permeate her imagination. What she found remains etched in her topsy-turvy mind, and oozes out in sweeping tails of courage, sacrifice, honor and everlasting love.

When not torturing her keyboard or trying to silence the voices in her head, Jenny spends time collecting seashells, bowling, screaming on roller coasters, and traveling. She is a mom of four magnificent and noble offspring, and currently lives in paradise on the west coast of Florida with a menagerie of royal pets, and her own quirky knight who was brave enough to marry her.

Jenny is the author of The Chronicles of Fallhollow series. The first two books, In the Shadow of the Dragon King, and Rage of the Dragon King, are currently available. For more information about her books and to sign up for her newsletter, please visit www.j-keller-ford.com.

Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

Dragons of Fallhollow

[image error]J. Keller Ford has been a blogging friend of mine for years now. We’ve supported and encouraged each other, and I’m always excited to hear she has a new publication. This very week, she releases Bane of the Dragon King. This is the finale of her YA fantasy series, Chronicles of Fallhollow.

Now she has kindly offered to visit Wyrmflight and tell us about the dragons she created for her stories. Take it away, Jenny!

Let’s face it. There are not enough dragons in Young Adult fiction. If I had anything to do with it, there would be one lurking about in every YA fantasy novel. I suppose that’s why I put so many different dragons in my series of books, The Chronicles of Fallhollow.

I enjoyed writing all the dragons in my books. The first ones the reader stumbles upon are the palindrakes. These are smallish green dragons, roughly the size of an eagle, and are messengers of the forest. They are kind, curious and gentle and pretty blend in well with their surroundings.

The next dragon the reader meets is a somewhat small dragon named Mirith. He is a mix between a mountain-dwelling, fire-breathing Timberlake Smoothback and an Opernicus, a desert dragon. He is short, and stocky with autumn colored scales, a head like a bird’s, and a mane of autumn colored feathers. He is an ice-breather and a lightning thrower. Even though he appears brutish, he really is a sweetheart, once you get to know him.

The third dragon is the villain, Einar, the Dragon King. He is an immense (think twice the size of Smaug), with scales as black as midnight dipped in liquid amethyst. He’s the epitome of evil.

The last dragons we see are the beautiful, white/silver peaceful Edryd dragons of the Silver Isles. They are wise, gentle and appear as white clouds streaking through the night sky. They are enemies of Einar and play an important role in the final novel in the trilogy, Bane of the Dragon King, releasing November 13.

And that’s it. Those are all my dragons. I hope you read the books to find out more, and please feel free to reach out to me with questions. I love talking dragons and I would love to hear from all the dragon fans out there.

Thank you for hosting me today, Deby. You’re the best. Hugs to all.

[image error]J. Keller Ford is a scribbler of speculative fiction and YA tales. As an Army brat, she traveled the world and toured the halls of some of Germany’s most extraordinary castles in hopes of finding snarky dragons, chivalrous knights, and wondrous magic to permeate her imagination. What she found remains etched in her topsy-turvy mind, and oozes out in sweeping tails of courage, sacrifice, honor and everlasting love.

When not torturing her keyboard or trying to silence the voices in her head, Jenny spends time collecting seashells, bowling, screaming on roller coasters, and traveling. She is a mom of four magnificent and noble offspring, and currently lives in paradise on the west coast of Florida with a menagerie of royal pets, and her own quirky knight who was brave enough to marry her.

Jenny is the author of The Chronicles of Fallhollow series. The first two books, In the Shadow of the Dragon King, and Rage of the Dragon King, are currently available. For more information about her books and to sign up for her newsletter, please visit www.j-keller-ford.com.

Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

Advertisements

Dungeons and Dragons Reborn!

Honestly, this headline is a little deceptive. The iconic role-playing game never really went away, although it’s had waves of popularity like all cultural touchstones do. This article from a year ago in The New Yorker does a great job detailing some of the ups and downs. D&D is now in its 5th Edition, while another popular game called Pathfinder is a spin-off based on the 3rd Edition D&D rules.

As a role-player since 1981, I can attest that doomsayers have long predicted the end of our beloved paper-and-pencil games. Video games have risen to great prominence with their fast action and colorful presentation. Yet there still is a place for the wild creativity of a role-playing game. Much as I enjoy playing video games, I’m constantly chafing at the limited options when it comes to dialogue and decision making. With a good GM, video games just can’t compare with in-person games for spontaneity and nuance.

Most interesting, writer Neima Jaromi highlights a trend I’ve personally observed in schools when I worked as a substitute. Some classes use D&D to teach social lessons. Role-playing encourages kids to imagine themselves in a different life. If they want to have fun, they have to be flexible and work with a group. Role-playing also includes rewards, both as level-ups bringing new abilities, and with treasures found. More flexibility comes into play as the group must decide who gets to keep a certain item. They learn that the entire group can benefit from one character’s success.

I know I’m preaching to the choir, so go ahead and read the article here.

Coming Up

I will be at Fall Folk Festival this weekend, reading my stories and greeting the public. That makes this a perfect time for a guest post! Author J. Keller Ford, will be talking about the role of dragons in her Chronicles of Fallhallow series. I’m looking forward to that, and I hope you are, too.

Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

Advertisements

Dragon Encounters 31

[image error]Here’s another “dragon of Hallowe’en” photo for your collection. It was an animated dragon, with wing action and roaring sound effects.

This house is right by the school where I work. The home owners set up a “Harry Potter House” that was open on Hallowe’en. It was an elaborate production, with several tents and cardboard towers, but this photo shows the dragon best.

I didn’t actually get to go, since the school isn’t close to where I live, but it was fun to see this dragon presiding over a fantastic seasonal community.

Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

Advertisements