~*~*~
Dragons have been a fascination of mine for a very long
time. It has always enthralled me that
the same mythos crossed the globe and then became unique to each culture and
society the dragons encountered. I've
researched and learned as much as I could and that time and effort has gone
directly into every dragon I've ever written about. The dragons in my Dragon's Hoard Series are a
combination of many different types of dragons from across the world. I tried my hardest as an author to make my
dragons unique while still honoring the history and power that generations
before me have put into the dragons of myth.
I've always found the European dragon to be a series of
paradoxes. Fierce and violent, these
dragons were always portrayed as huge, lizard-like creatures flying through the
sky and lighting up the air with brilliant blasts of fire. These dragons were also depicted as fiercely
protective despite their destructive nature.
They collected treasure and land and hoarded what they possessed despite
the knights and princesses who constantly disturbed them. St. George the Dragon Slayer was known to
have fought and prevailed over a marauding dragon, just as Smaug caused extreme
strife for the dwarves of Tolkien's brilliance by coveting treasure and gold.
The Asian dragons were as opposite the European vision as
humanly possible. Snakelike, without
wings and only the smallest of arms and legs, these dragons were often
elemental in nature and were protectors of the lakes and streams they
inhabited. These dragons were often seen
as gods, revered and honored, but also feared for their powers. The dragon in Miyazaki's Spirited Away exactly personifies what these dragons represented
for the people of Asia.
There are dozens of other dragon myths that I don't have the
space to list here. The dragons living
closest to home are the feathered serpents belonging to the South American
legends about the god Quetzalcoatl and one day I would love to write about
them. The dragons in my Dragon's Hoard
Series are mostly a combination of the European and Asian versions. My dragons have scales and large wings, they
breathe fire and they hoard gems, and they are very protective of the things
most important to them. At the same time, they safeguard the people they have
taken responsibility over with equal intensity and are treated with respect for
their power in return.
Stealing the Dragon
is the newest book in the series and Tori, the dragon who this story revolves
around, is as far from violent as any European style dragon could be. Nyle, from Finding the Wolf, was naïve and innocent, but he still had an edge
to him. He fought for Leon and against
the magi as best as he was able. Tori
doesn't even have that edge. Instead he
has an exuberance and love of life that stands out among the rest of his dragon
family. The humans respect Nyle, but he
is also greatly feared, as are the other dragons. Tori, on the other hand, is loved and cared
for by everyone he encounters. It
defines who he is and how he reacts to the events surrounding him. Here is one of my favorite Tori moments from Stealing the Dragon:
*~*
Jerney looked down at what An'tatori was holding and gasped.
It was a silver necklace with a delicate blue teardrop topaz hanging suspended
in an intricate silver net. The topaz itself was such a clear light blue color
that Jerney could see An'tatori's hand through the stone. It was beautiful.
"I can't accept this," Jerney said with a shake of
his head. "It's beautiful, but I don't want to take a part of your hoard."
An'tatori held up the gem near Jerney's face. "It
matches your eyes," the dragon said softly. "I want you to have it
because I want you to be my friend."
"Your friend?" Jerney asked, incredulous.
An'tatori wanted to be his friend after his spells had allowed for the hatching
gem to be stolen? Jerney was a thief and a witch, which wasn't exactly friend
material for a baby dragon.
"My big brother Nyle is friends with a wolf, so why can't
I be friends with a witch?"
Jerney swallowed at the casual reminder that lovers Dragon
Lord An'nanyle and Prince Leon were related to An'tatori. He thought An'tatori's
logic was a bit off, but he was insistent.
"My name is Tori and I want you to be my friend," An'tatori
said firmly, holding the necklace out again.
"My name is Jerney," he said softly as he reached
out and took the necklace from Tori, "and I would be honored to be your
friend."
"Good," Tori said with a happy smile. "Now
put the spells on that necklace so you won't lose it!" Tori grabbed Jerney's
hands and led him over to his bed. Jerney sat down across from Tori and set the
necklace onto the blanket in front of them.
Tori was watching the necklace intently, one hand still
clutching the ruby gem around his neck, as Jerney studied how serious the
dragon really was. There was no indication that Tori was at all upset about how
the night had gone—the tear tracks had all vanished from his cheeks and his
gold eyes glinted with a child-like excitement that reminded Jerney again of
his siblings when they were young and had found some new and exciting toy.
Jerney reminded himself that children could be fickle. There
was every possibility that in a few days Tori would be at his door asking for
the necklace back. But at that moment, Tori wanted his new friend to have it,
so Jerney would oblige Tori for as long as the excitement would last.
Jerney prepared the spells in his mind, envisioning clearly
the potion ingredients and the steps to brew it. Once he had a picture of the
bottled potion in his mind, he lifted his hand and passed it over the necklace.
A glance up at the dragon showed that Tori was biting his lip and wiggling in
place in excitement, so Jerney added some sparkle and a flash of light to his
spell.
The dragon jumped and giggled before reaching out to touch
the necklace. "No one will steal it from you now?" he asked as he
pushed the necklace towards Jerney.
"No one," Jerney affirmed. He picked the necklace
up and clasped it around his neck. It settled there comfortably, with the
teardrop landing just below the hollow of his throat.
"Good," Tori said with a nod. Tori yawned and
shook his head. "We'll have to play more later," he said as Jerney
got up off his bed.
Stealing the Dragon
arrived in stores on February 6th, so if you want to read more about
my dragons and about Tori in particular, here is where you can buy the book:
I am also hosting a free giveaway to celebrate the release
of Stealing the Dragon. All the information is posted on my blog:
Please enter and tell me about your favorite dragon!
If you want to know more about the Dragon's Hoard Series—Stealing the Dragon or the upcoming
fourth book in the series, Melting the
Ice Witch—or about any of my other works please check out my website:
Thank you so much to K-Lee Klein and to dragon lovers
everywhere for giving me this opportunity to show you my hard work. I hope you enjoy Stealing the Dragon and The Dragon's Hoard!
Sincerely,
Mell Eight
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