So, here’s an excerpt from the early section of the book.

A frosty morning

When Ruskya and Kyn exited the abode the next morning, a heavy fog hung in the air so that the top of the canyon could not be seen. A thick layer of frost crunched under their feet. Each blade of grass seemed to be enlarged three times or more with tiny hairlike particles; it was as if each flake of ice built on the next to create miniature castles.

The riders went about their normal morning chores and training, but over it all hung an air of anticipation for the time when Ruskya would go to Caravan Canyon to meet with Kyle and the woman who wanted to be a dragon rider. Duskya had a bad feeling about the whole thing and tried to talk her brother out of going, but Ruskya was adamant. She opted to follow him with their mental link. Glendyn had decided that he and Kyn would wait at Meredyth’s abode. Her place was the closest to Caravan Canyon they could get without freezing or drawing unnecessary attention. They arrived just before the midday meal.

Meredyth greeted them with hugs. When she heard that Ruskya couldn’t stay but needed to go to Caravan Canyon to meet up with Kyle, she quickly set about making a snack and fixing tea that she poured into a container wrapped with skins to keep it warm. Ruskya thanked her and headed back out into the cold.

The fog had lifted, but still hung from the sky as low clouds. The frost clung to the sagebrush and grass, but the slightest wind would create a small blizzard. The cold sucked the breath away from the young rider, and he drew his furs tighter. He was glad his ma had fixed him some of her tea. He had tucked it and the snack she had given him away under his cloak where they would stay out of the cold.

Ruskya made it to Caravan Canyon in good time. He looked around for the others, but didn’t see them. He wasn’t sure if he was early or not. He waited a few minutes and then heard some voices coming up the canyon toward him. He walked toward them and found Kyle and the woman just arriving from Woolpren.

“You made it here. Good,” Kyle remarked. “I wasn’t sure if you would when I didn’t see you in Woolpren.”

“You said to meet here at the canyon,” Ruskya replied, “so that is what I did. I haven’t been here long.”

“So, where is this dragon rider of yours?” the woman inquired.

“I don’t know,” Kyle said, pulling the hood of his cloak closer around his face, while looking around as if the rider would materialize out of thin air. “He said to be here. He should be here.”

A Dragon Rider Appears

Ruskya decided to watch his companions for signs of anything amiss. Neither of them seemed to have picked up on the presence further out of the canyon. He figured that if he watched Carryl and took his cues from her, he would appear normal. A few minutes later, he noticed a sparkling frost fall upon the edge of the canyon behind them. Ruskya repositioned himself so that he could watch that side of the canyon without appearing to do so. Carryl noticed the shift and looked around. Her sharp eyes picked out the frost shift, also.

“Is someone coming?” she asked.

“Where?” Kyle asked, looking back the way he had come into the canyon.

“I don’t know,” Ruskya answered truthfully. He didn’t know if there was someone with the dragon.

An uneasy silence hung over the group as they watched around the canyon. Ruskya’s dragon senses saw the person first and flared away immediately; this was someone who would recognize dragon senses being used on him. Ruskya knew it was a man and that he was strong. He seemed different from Glendyn or any other rider Ruskya had met or felt. He immediately moved to guard his thoughts and his dragon senses.

“What was that?” Glendyn asked.

“It’s the rider,” Ruskya carefully called. “Do you think he can hear this?”

“No, Ruskya,” Wyeth answered. “No matter how strong, another rider cannot hear a dragon’s communications with his rider. Talk only to me. Glendyn can still watch through your thoughts.”

“Okay,” Ruskya answered shakily.

“Courage, young one,” Wyeth called. With his dragon’s words, Ruskya felt strength return to him as if he had just received dragon courage breathed on him.

“There,” Carryl whispered, “there’s a person coming down the ridge.”

“Where?” Kyle demanded, sounding loud compared to Carryl’s whisper.

Ruskya noticed the look of offense that Carryl sent toward the other man. She almost held him in contempt.

Before she could say anything, Ruskya replied, “She’s right. He blends in with his brown and white outfit, but there is a man coming down.”

The look Carryl sent Ruskya was the exact opposite of what she had thought of Kyle, her green eyes searched him, looking for what he was made of.

“How can you tell it is a male?” she questioned.

Ruskya thought quickly; he had known it from the first contact he had. “I thought I saw his figure as he came around that small bend,” he said truthfully. The glimpse had been enough to confirm what he had known all along. Carryl nodded, satisfied, her hair bouncing like little springs.

They waited in anticipation for the next couple of minutes as the rider made his way down the canyon wall toward them. When he arrived, the rider paused before greeting his perspective riders. Even Kyle had the presence of mind to wait until he was addressed before talking.

Summary

The rider tests them and then when the sun’s all but set they await his decision.

Shocking Ending

The rider waited again. This time no one moved. The fog seemed to creep into their bones. Ruskya felt the touch on his mind again. His mind felt unclean after the rider moved on to the others. He wondered what the rider was searching for.

“I admit, there is only one more test,” the rider said, as the sound of large wings beat in the air.

“You did bring dragons with you,” Carryl said with awe in her voice. No sooner were the words out of her mouth, then an enormous turquoise dragon landed at the rider’s right side.

The dragon’s wings were larger than any Ruskya had ever seen, and the light of the torch made them glow in their iridescence. The dragon folded his wings, and Ruskya noticed the dark veins of blue streaking through the dragon. It reminded him of a large turquoise gemstone set into a cloak clasp or on a belt hook. There was something unnerving about this dragon. The dragon landed and Ruskya had barely taken in all of him, when Ruskya felt Wyeth’s scream of agony.

“Wyeth, are you okay?” he called urgently.

Before Wyeth could respond, Duskya called to him, “Ruskya, is everything okay?”

Ruskya had no time to reply to his twin, for the rider had stepped up to Kyle and with a roar, brought his hand back and slapped Kyle across the face.

“What were you thinking, you imbecile?”

Kyle went down onto his knees at the force and unexpectedness of it.

The rider drew back his hand and smote again. “How dare you bring a rider here!”

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Did you like what you read? You can download your own copy for free or purchase the paperback for a gift for someone who loves dragon books.

History of Dragon Courage

What inspired dragon courage? I’m not sure if I even know. Dragon’s Future really almost wrote itself, at least at first; later it became work as we edited it. The one thing I did want was to have a substance that would encourage the rider or person imbued with courage.

As I thought of Ruskya and Duskya’s father and a smell that would be comforting, I thought of rosemary and pine. Rosemary grows around our area almost like a weed. Depending on the variety, it can become bush-like and grow as tall as six feet or more. Yes, you heard me right, six feet! I love running my hands along the needle-like leaves and smelling the fragrance. Pine trees stand tall and majestic in Oregon. I remember returning from college in the midwest and looking up to the top of the trees that stretched taller than the skyscrapers I’d seen and thinking, “I’m at home.”

The two together, pine and rosemary, became the signature of dragon courage. With a deep breath, the rider would know she’d been sprayed with dragon courage. Glendyn continued from the quote up above to say:

“The courage is only temporary. It may last from as little as few moments up to a full glass. In rare cases, it has been known to linger on for as much as half a day. People operating under dragon courage have won battles, proposed marriage, and done necessary everyday deeds that they previously lacked the courage for.” ~Glendyn in Dragon’s Future

Science of Dragon Courage

Since Thanksgiving, I’ve been learning more and more about essential oils and their ability to help people. It was with some shock that I learned there was more reality than fantasy to dragon courage.

Pine

As I researched, I discovered there’s a reason our cleaning products smell of pine and  why you feel so wonderful when you go camping in the great outdoors. My daughter even tried to make Pine syrup, a delicacy she’d had when she lived in Finland.

According to Dr. Axe, pine kills odors and purifies the air while cleaning out some of our worst germs. The fragrance “relieves anxiety and revitalizes mind, body, and spirit. It also has an empowering. . . fragrance.” (Essential Oils Pocket Reference 7th edition from Life Science). When I read the line about relieving anxiety and revitalizing the mind, I was struck with the similarities to dragon courage.

Meredyth dug into a pouch at her side and pulled out a small
leather bag. Gingerly, she opened it, placed two fingers in, and pulled
out a pinch of icy blue sparkling dust. She sprinkled it over Kyn then
carefully, almost reverently, closed the pouch. Carryl saw the change
immediately in both Kyn and Meredyth. Meredyth’s change was
more subtle, but it was there nonetheless. Kyn’s was radical. His
head lifted, his back straightened and his dark eyes sparkled.

“Courage, young one,” Wyeth called. With his dragon’s words,
Ruskya felt strength return to him as if he had just received dragon
courage breathed on him.

These passages show how dragon courage relieves anxiety and revitalizes the mind.

Rosemary

I’ve loved rosemary from the first afternoon I learned about it. We visited a friend who made rosemary cheese biscuits. I soon began adding it to my recipes. Then when I grew courageous enough to try growing plants outside, rosemary was one of the first ones I planted. I was so impressed to watch It grow and flurish outside my kitchen window. I loved running outside to clip a few sprigs for chicken or to throw in a tea.

Not until I read from Essential Oils Pocket Reference by Life Science did I even think of the significance of rosemary as dragon courage. The reference guide said that rosemary “helps overcome mental fatigue and improves mental clarity and focus.”

I stopped and reread that line and thought of Kyn’s father in Dragon’s Future. He had been attacked and yet kept Braidyn safe and secure and told him stories of an icy-blue dragon that would protect and help them. At the end of the book, Ruskya wonders about where the stamina and mental clarity came from.

Meredyth spoke up. “I am wondering if Wyeth himself
whispered those stories in the merchant’s ear. The night he left, I saw
that he would need courage. I used a pinch of Wyeth’s dragon courage
on him. I wondered if it is what protected him from the fire not burning
as deeply as it could have.” The riders looked at her with amazement.
“Dragon courage?” Glendyn replied. “There is much we do not
know about it. That very well could be.”

The refrence manual continued. “University of Miami scientists found that inhaling rosemary boosted alertness, eased anxiety, and amplified analytic and mental ability.” That pretty much sums up what dragon courage does.

Who would have thought that a fantasy element in a dragon story could actually have a root in reality? I’m always amazed when fantasy and reality meet. If you haven’t read Dragon’s Future, be sure to check it out. It’s free as an ebook on all outlets. If you’re interested in making your own dragon courage from pine and rosemary oils, I’d suggest Young Living’s oils because they’re held to very strict guidelines for purity from the seed to the seal.

Want to receive your own cheatsheet for dragon courage? Find it in this download.

So, I always tear up when I watch this video:

Therefore seeing the amount of people downloading and enjoying Dragon’s Future warms my heart and humbles me. (If you haven’t read it, you can purchase the ebook for free on all outlets. It’s also available on audible in an audio format.) Since Dragon’s Future released each of the other books has held it’s own charm and excitement.

It’s Place:

What’s different this time? This is the book I didn’t expect to have. I hadn’t planned on a prequel to the Dragon Courage series. However, as I read amazon reviews and chatted with readers, I learned I needed a prequel. In some ways, Dragon’s Heritage isn’t a prequel so much as a companion book to Dragon’s Future and caps the series.

• If we’re looking at the Dragon Courage time line, we start with Ruskya and Duskya as twelve-year-olds on the day of the choosing. That’s the prologue to Dragon’s Future.
• The time right after the prologue is explained in a journal Duskya kept.
• Then we have the rest of the story of Dragon’s Future with Kyanos and Kyn’s choosing.
• Ten years later, Dragon’s Heir shows us Braidyn’s maturing and finding the land of the El’shad’n.
• Four months after the ending of book 2, we travel with Kyn to the Carr in Dragon’s Revenge.
• Serena meets Mertenia and Carryn eight years after Dragon’s Revenge.
• The youngling challenge begins four summers after Serena and Carryn return to Boeskay. How the challenge came to be is explained in Dragon’s Posterity.
• Twenty-one years after the youngling challenge, Carryn brings Mere and Glen to see Grandma Duskya. She tells them the story of the rider who didn’t want to be a rider. (The in between parts of Dragon’s Cure.)
• A few months later, Carryn and Kyn discuss the kids’ reaction to the story and Kyn remembers the beginning of the youngling challenge. (Prologue to Dragon’s Posterity.)
• When Mere is sixteen (ten years later), a former friend turns into a bully. Mere runs into Grandda Cerulean who takes her to Grandma Duskya. Grandma hands Mere a journal.

It’s Theme:

I wrote Dragon’s Heritage while teaching middle school students as well as high school students. The story actually was outlined on a bus while I was chaperoning a high school field trip. However, I knew I needed to cover some basic information. Within that set Ruskya would be viewed as a non-entity and yet prove his worth. (Yes, even though it’s Duskya’s story, her twin keeps getting the spotlight.) I also had to tell Duskya’s story–the why behind her attitude. With all that in mind, Dragon’s Heritage became a story of how to accept who you are, how to handle a bully, and the struggle of having friendships that drift.

You can find Dragon’s Heritage on all outlets for 99 cents through Friday, April 7. After that, it’ll be back up to $2.99. So be sure to get your copy before Friday.

I’ve waited for Dragon’s Cure to have a wider audience for ten years now. I originally wrote it at the request of my daughter, Dawnya. She wanted a story with Duskya in it. At the same time, Dawnya was fourteen years old and beginning to be interested in boys. I wanted to give her a story that would impact her thought processes and yet not preach at her or be Mom telling her what to do.

The story unfolded with the idea of a dragon rider who didn’t want to be a rider. My husband is good at asking “What if” questions. He asked what would happen if a dragon chose a rider, but the rider walked off. That inquiry created Serena, the rider who didn’t want to be a rider. To give her a realistic reason for not wanting to be a rider, I had to give her a backstory. A trust issue seemed to be the easiest. Knowing from experience that many adult survivors of childhood abuse show characteristics of needing to be in control, I chose this as the basis for Serena’s trust problem. Along with abuse often comes the problem of bitterness. I know I struggled with holding bitterness in my heart.

The two stories intertwine to create my personal favorite of the Dragon Courage series. Duskya’s daughter, Carryn, learns about growing up; while Serena struggles to find people she can trust.

Serena heads out on her own, escaping an abusive relationship, the last thing she expected was to hear voices…from a dragon.Tweet

Today, Dragon’s Cure is available. The Kindle version is on sale for $1.99 until Saturday. After that, it will be $2.99. Join me in welcoming the newest addition to the Dragon Courage series.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a week since I roamed Yellowstone Park with my 19-year-old son, Robin. Our trip was so much fun. We explored the country, had the opportunity to meet people I’d only met online, and see family. You can read about it in my last post. On that 6,496 mile trek, I learned a lot about my own writing and the Dragon Courage series.

Getting Ready

First off, as I began the process of packing and getting ready for the trip, I began to understand Duskya in Dragon’s Cure. She realizes that she needs to go on a trip without Cerulean. At first she’s ready to fight for the right to go, but Cerulean, just like my husband, readily agrees that she can go. Then she the night before she leaves, she begins to doubt herself.

Duskya did not sleep well. It wasn’t that her bed was uncomfortable, but the fact that she realized it would be the last time she would be in it for at least two moons. She curled up next to Cerulean, trying not to keep him awake. She sighed, wondering what this trip would bring. She knew she had to find Serena; she hoped that in the process Carryn would learn to truly forgive. Just before dawn, she drifted off to sleep.

I could so relate to the mixed up emotions of my character. I wanted to go. I was excited about going, but at the same time, I was nervous. I had never traveled so far completely on my own before. I always had someone else who was responsible with me–either my parents, grandparents, or even my husband. This was the first for me to drive across the US on my own.

Dragon’s Future in Eastern Oregon

Photo by Eric Wyatt Photography

As we passed through Eastern Oregon along I-84, I listened to Robin chat about his world. He has a very intricate fantasy world that he’s written about. I expect at some point in time he’ll get them published. A sign pulled me out of his world and into the realm of Dragon Courage. I saw the turn off for Wyeth, Oregon. As those who’ve read Dragon’s Future will know, Wyeth is Ruskya’s dragon. He had his start from this very sign six and a half years ago. About an hour later, we passed Philippi and Blalock Canyons and then Woelpern Rd. All of which triggered memories of places in Dragon’s Future. Twenty miles further on Robin’s story telling was interrupted as he noticed Three Mile Canyon and asked if that was where Three Spans Canyon came from. I smiled as I thought of the dragon riders from the north. The next day, we drove along US Highway 395. As we wove our way through the canyons of Eastern Oregon, I wanted to go back to Three Spans Canyon and Woelpren and tell another story. Who knows, maybe a story will surface from that area. For now, I had to focus back on the road as my son took on his first mountain pass as a newly permitted driver.

Pushing to Make It Home

Several times along the way, my leg and foot cramped up as I drove not wanting to waste time in stopping. In so doing, I was reminded of Kyn, in Dragon’s Revenge. After his trip to the El’Shad’n and then to the Carr, he finally returns home. As I stumbled out of a vehicle to be greeted by Heather Huffman Bodendieck, her son, and four dogs, I felt much like Kyn. When I finally made it to my birthtown, my sister’s home, and finally my own house, I understood Kyn’s eagerness to make it home.

The day was uneventful, and by the time his legs were cramping, they were almost within hailing range of Three Spans Canyon.

“You really should take a break,” Wylen scolded Kyn. “You will not be able to walk when we get there.”

“Then you can land outside the door, and I will crawl inside. We are too close to stop now.”

Wylen huffed a puff of smoke. “You are stubborn today, little one. Why is that?”

“Because, I see those clouds. They are ready to spit snow. If they do, we will be caught out here. I don’t want that.”

Wylen nodded. “Fine. We’ll get home.”

Awhile later, Ruskya was mentally calling him. “Youngling, it is good to have you home. Why not come here for a meal?”

“What if this storm turns into a bad one? Do you really want me there for a day or so?”

“Youngling, you know nothing of the love of a family if you have to ask that. Of course we want you. We’ve missed you like crazy since Braidyn’s wedding. Besides, we’ll probably stay up all night talking anyway. It’d be like it was when you were a newly chosen youngling.”

Kyn smiled. He was home. Ruskya wanted him; Ma and Da needed him. He belonged.

“All right, then, but I’ll warn you, you may have to help carry me inside. I haven’t had a break all day. I flew straight here once I saw the clouds.”

“Younglings!” Ruskya said with exasperation and yet affection in his voice. “I’ll have Carryl make you a tea. Just land in one piece.”

Kyn laughed. “Make it a large pot. I ran out of tea several days ago. I had to actually drink that brew they make where Braidyn lives. It was disgusting!”

When Kyn landed, the wind had picked up and snow was spitting at them. Ruskya met him and helped him off of Wylen.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you wouldn’t be able to walk, youngling.”

Kyn grinned. “What can I say? I just wanted to get home.”

“Well, you are home,” Ruskya agreed.

Where Dragons Live

As our journey took us across fifteen states, Robin and I discussed the possibilities of our dragons living in the various areas. In the hills east of Grand Teton National Park, his dragons could hide as a whole hill. Whereas the dragons of the world of Dragon Courage would rather live in the rugged peaks of Colorado Springs or the Grand Tetons themselves. I wondered if there was room for these kinds of mountains on my map of the Dragon Courage lands.

I, also, realized that even though I had a specific set of canyons and hills in mind when I wrote Dragon’s Future, there are a number of states that have similar places. I added Kansas, Wyoming, and Missouri to the list of places that would understand what I had in mind when I created Philippi and Three Spans Canyons.

Through Wyoming, I saw numerous horse ranches. The wide open plains call out to be riden. As I drove, my mind began to wander. We have tales of cowboys and horse tamers. What about a world where dragons are a nusance and steal livestock and harrass ranchers. Wouldn’t a dragon whisperer come in handy? What would it look like? Who would be the hero or heroine? Any ideas? I’d love to hear them. It’s the side comments of “What if?” or “Hey, you should write a story about…” that often tickle my imagination and then end up growing into a story.

Okay, let’s back up six years ago. I was in the process of writing what would become the Dragon Courage series. My husband asked the question, “What would happen if a dragon rider didn’t want to become a rider?” As I mulled over the question, a story formed. As the plot line moved along, a group of people came into it seemingly of their own accord. Slave traders. At the time, I hadn’t heard a thing about modern day slavery. It didn’t seem to even be an issue. However, my heart said it was a story worth pursuing.

This last Saturday, I began preparing for a Facebook party for the release of a book through Gravity Imprint of Booktrope called The Sad Girl. It deals with human trafficking. As I created my resources, I began to mull over the consequences of human trafficking and the reality of it. Sunday rolled around, and I went to church. While there, the song Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) was sung as special music. As the haunting words of the old hymn took on new words from the artists, I began to think of the original writer. He was a human trafficker. His life was drastically changed when he came to know Jesus Christ. After returning to London, he wrote the lyrics to the song, Amazing Grace. As I heard the new rendition, I wondered what a song would sound like from a modern day human trafficker who had been saved by grace.

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

Monday came and I participated in the Facebook event. It was a fundraiser for Operation Underground Railroad. As I waited for my turn to present information, I was staggered by the following graphic.

It struck me to the core. I believe people have been created in the image of God. They have intrinsic value because of that. Therefore, to use something created to be loved is just wrong. I sat staring at the computer screen with tears in my eyes.

I continued on my way, feeling the issue, but not knowing what to do about it. Then I saw that Bob Mueller was donating a part of the proceeds of his new book sales to Operation Underground Railroad. I decided I could do that as well. I figured one day would work. I was wrong.

I continued to work my way through the event. I shared how the different characters in book four respond to the human trafficking. Duskya and Kyn become angry. When they witness a slave auction, Duskya’s righteous indignation gets the better of her.

“I’d like to take down the whole system!. Wing, tail, and horns. From the sellers to the traders to the buyers.”

The riders took action. But what could I do? Not much. Another graphic caught my attention.

Did I care enough to do something? I considered it as Monday turned into Tuesday. I was asked if I would keep donating part of the proceeds of The One Who Sees Me to the fundraiser. By then, my heart was softened enough to do something. I said yes.

That evening, I received another punch to my gut. I participated in a Twitter chat with authors Jenna Zark and Joe Yeager. Joe wrote a book Digital Parenting and warns parents of the online dangers to children. The connection came knowing that 76% of transactions for sex with underage girls is conducted over the internet! It made me sick to think about it. I learned that even I should be more careful about my internet friends and what all I share. I came away from the event slightly nervous.

Yesterday as I surfed Facebook, I came upon another graphic. This one with a statistic that turned my stomach and made me angry enough to say something. “The average age of a human trafficking victim is 12 years old.” Pictures flashed through my mind of my students. Precious twelve-year-olds! Then it dawned on me this is the average! That means there are children younger yet! This has to stop! But I felt like the characters in Dragon’s Cure. What could I do?

“No, we have never seen anything like it,” Kyn agreed. “It is awful, but there is nothing we can do. We do not have enough money to buy her, and then what about the next one? What would you do then?”

I decided, I could use my small voice to shout like one of my dragon rider characters, “I won’t have humans treated like this on my watch.” I could give to organizations that help trafficked people, and to those who help keep kids off the streets so they aren’t trafficked. I could also let others know what is going on. You see, if we sit back and don’t say anything, then the world goes on blindly unaware, or ignoring what is happening. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” I choose to not be silent. What about you? 

Share how you will speak up in the comments.

I’m also excited to announce a contest from now until January 4.  I will be giving away five Ty Beanie Babies. As I hear feedback on Dragon’s Future, I hear that it is hard to keep the dragons separate. How is Wyn different than Wryn? What about Wylen and Wyden? So, here’s your chance to win a Ty Beanie Baby named Scorch. He’s a discontinued baby with tag still attached. He has been slightly loved and is still in good condition. I have five to give away–one for each dragon in Dragon’s Future. How do you get him? You draw a dragon, submit it to me via email kandijowyatt at gmail dot com, and then get your friends to vote on my Facebook page for your dragon. It’s really that simple. Don’t know what the dragons look like? Grab a Kindle version for $2.99 or check out my dragons page for the descriptions. Either works. May your dragon fly true!

As I’ve grown, family and friends have stayed the mainstay for the holidays. Last year, I wanted to have a relaxing Thanksgiving. So I talked with each of my kids as to what made Thanksgiving for them. We came up with a list of foods and I fixed them. When we went to sit down, the boys were upset. I tried to figure out the frustration and found that it wasn’t food that made the holiday but people coming over. Fortunately for us, my parents and our oldest son and his girlfriend showed up early for dessert and were there while we had our meal.

The first of the series will be on sale Black Friday through Cyber Monday.

It was this strong basis of family and friends that I drew from when I wrote the Dragon Courage series. I wanted to give my kids a taste of normalcy and put it in a different place. The interactions of the characters throughout the series come from interactions I’ve had with my own kids and my own family. The scenes around the dinner table are straight from my own dinner table. The toddler complaining while mom fixes a meal is exactly what happened with my young ones. Only at meal time did they need mom. They were fine until I walked into the kitchen. Then they were clinging to my legs. It’s rather difficult to fix a meal with a two and a three year old attached to either leg.

So, as you go about your holiday season this year. Remember your family and friends. Spend time with them. Make memories that will last. Play a game together, read them a book, watch a fun movie together. Whatever you do, enjoy them. If you were like me growing up and your family is miles away, find friends or others who need family and be their family. There is always someone who needs some family.

Dragon’s Future released sixteen days ago. It doesn’t seem possible that it was that long ago. On Saturday, I had the privilege to hold my first book in my hand. The place in life for Dragon’s Future is the first born. He will have four siblings and their story will intertwine–same author and back story, same editor, cover artist and proofreader. So, sit back and watch the cycle of Dragon’s Future.

Just before I was able to hold Dragon’s Future in my hands, I took another step in the publishing world–I hit submit to layout of another book. This book has its own story, a different section of the publishing company, and in essence is the child or even grandchild of Dragon’s Future. This new book will be published under Booktrope’s Vox Dei imprint. Say hello to The One Who Sees Me.

My fascination with the story of The One Who Sees Me goes back to 1998 when I was struggling with a shadowed memory of abuse when I was a child. I was trying to heal from the shock of realizing I had hidden all those memories. I reached out to a friend, who suggested I read Kay Arthur’s Lord, Heal My Hurts. Kay loves to look into the names of God. She shared the name The One Who Sees Me. God reveals this name for Himself when a young servant girl finds herself in a very unenviable position. She runs away and meets The One Who Sees Me. She realizes that God sees everything! This was such a comfort at that time in my life. It helped me realize that although God didn’t plan the abuse, He had a plan for it to be turned into good if I would let Him.

Fast forward to 2007. I had finished writing what would become The Dragon Courage series and was dabbling in drawing. I had joined the artists’ social media site DeviantArt and made some virtual friends. One of whom was a missionary and pastor’s kid based in Asia. She created a challenge. She wanted to see how many of the women of the Bible she could write poetry about. She challenged other artists to apply their talents to do the same. I submitted my Christmas play from the point of view of Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the foot of the cross looking back on his life, and a monologue by Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus. I wanted to add The One Who Sees Me as a drawing of an eye with a silhouette of a pregnant woman. I never got around to drawing it. However, in November of 2014 I wrote the story. It will be available for purchase on October 3, 2015, less than a year from its writing.

Hence, the circle of life has been closed. I know that many more books may yet grace my family, but the firstborns will be the ones that will be held in awe and wonder. The story teller will say, “Gather round as I tell you the tale of a book.”

I will also give away a large swag (that’s book related merchandise) package:

Besides all of this, I get to keep up with Facebook congratulations, Twitter tweets, and other miscellaneous social media contacts of well wishes and trying to get the word out to the world that Dragon’s Future is a real book!

The problem is that besides being an author I am a wife, mom of five (three of whom are still at home), and a teacher. That means that I also have housework that needs to be done, organizing kids so they don’t run a muck, and picking up a van from the school for a leadership conference that starts tomorrow. I think I have my work cut out for me and I had better go make breakfast, wake up the kids, and get started! Thanks everyone for the support you’ve shown me so far and “may your dragon fly true!”