Dragons Are Among Us - A Stop on the Tour

Dragons - the word evokes large beasts with unfurled wings and spouting flame. The word can also the Oriental dragons; sinuous snake-like beings riding among the clouds, treasuring pearls and bringing the rain. Dragons, or the tales of such beasts, are found throughout the world. Personally, I have always been on the side of the dragon in most stories. Looking at pictures of Saint George slaying the dragon, it was always the dragon that evoked my pity. It gave me great pleasure to submit a story to Untold Press for their short story collection, Dragonthology.

My story, "Dragon Seeks a Wife", takes the format of a traditional fairy tale similar to those spoken in verbal storytelling traditions world-wide for centuries. The storyteller, in this case an elder of the tribe, tells the tale of a feathered green dragon whose blood had been joined with an ancestor of the King of their land while Dragon searched for the wife he had to have. Because I wanted a different spin than standard European or Oriental dragons, I placed my dragon's tale in the highlands of Central America, a land of pyramids, blood sacrifice and witchcraft and the home of yet another dragon type - the feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl. It was an occasion of great joy for me when my story was accepted and I am proud to join the six other authors and stories in the pages of Dragonthology. I invite those reading my blog to purchase the book (available in e-book format from Amazon) and to register to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card which will be awarded on January 25th.

Here's a breakdown of the seven stories appearing in Dragonthology. Please visit Amazon, log in and click the "Like" button for the book, and spend $3.99 for a day of wonder wandering through the world of winged creatures of legend as interpreted by myself and six other talented authors.

Enter the pages of the Dragonthology. No single story has ever been great enough to contain the mystical, wondrous creature known as the dragon. We assembled the greatest draconian tales and put them between the covers of a single tome to satisfy your hunger for everything dragon. Seven magnificent stories, ranging from science fiction to mystery, await you within.

The Case of the Bloodstone Dragon by G.L. Jackson

A washed up has been, Private Investigator Clark is down to his last $100. That is, until the night a mysterious femme fatale walks through his door weaving a tale of intrigue in hope of recovering an artifact steeped in mystery and danger. What follows is a raucous ride through a little known human and dragon history, played out on the streets of New York City.

Unto the Breach by Jason Andrew

Jonathan Heller uncovers an unusual secret during one of the bloodiest campaigns of World War One in the middle of horrific trench warfare. Can he convince an ancient dragon that humanity is worthy of life during their darkest hour?

The Dragon of Sullivan Hall by Marian Allen

A dormitory full of fun loving female students, an angry red dragon with a litter full of hungry whelps, and a particular student of Irish descent. This won’t end well for the dragon.

Egg Hunt by Jay Wilburn

A lonely smuggler must make decisions he never dreamt possible in the darkness of space to elude capture and protect his precious cargo of dragon eggs. When one of them hatches, it threatens to damage his ship. Can a person change enough to save a ship, a dragon, and himself?

The Clan by Troy Lambert

Dragons return to the earth and humanity enslaves them with the last remnants of technology of their dying race. Now the technology of old is fading. Will the dragons be able to rise again? Will the humans declare war, or will a peaceful solution be found? It all rests in the hands of an ancient dragon, and a lowly shepherd and his clan.

Dragon Seeks a Wife by Sandra Graves

What happens when a dragon falls ill and is told he will die in a year and a day unless he finds his one true love? The only thing a dragon can do. He sets out on a quest to win the hand of the perfect mate for a dragon–the daughter of the king. Aided by a Quetzal bird sorcerer, he begins his quest. An old fashioned fairy tale with a Meso-American twist.

Darkness Taken by J.A. Campbell

In a land where children are warriors and the only adults are mythical creatures, all are called to fight the Darkness. Til and her dragon partner, Heliodor, complete the perfect Welcome Ceremony, but their joy is short lived. The Dark has slain a unicorn and taken her foal back to the Darklands. Can Til and Heliodor venture where none go and rescue the young unicorn?

Now it's time for me to get back to writing the novel I've been working on for the past few months. I hope to meet all of you again when that one gets published within the next year or so. Now...treat yourself to reading these wonderful seven stories and don't forget to register for the Amazon gift card. Something for nothing is always a plus!