A Dragonologist's Journal

Dragonologist: June 14, 2014 (First publication of this dragonologist's search for a live dragon and the revealing of the red dragon, Keensight.)


I did not see a dragon at all today even though I am in an area where there was a reported sighting.  I did find some burn marks that might indicate this is a hunting area of a dragon with a breath of flame. However, I am unable to verify at this time.  This area is rife with mosquitoes and other irritating pests.  While this would not deter a dragon, I am finding myself quite uncomfortable and smelling of a great deal of bug spray.  Fortunately I thought to pack my mosquito net and will be able to sleep without such irritations.

Dragonologist:  June 16, 2014

I have entered more dangerous terrain. There is more evidence of flaming here even among the rocks. I think I am getting close and will proceed with caution.  A soot test revealed that some of the marks were as recent as within the month.

An Imaginary Friend with a Twist!

A Wizard of Dreams by Robin Chambers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This tale is told with a perspective I would have never considered. At first I was a little surprised to find the tale told when Gordon was just a small baby, but as the time passed, an exquisite tale began to unfold that has the power to capture both the young and adult reader. Gordon's unique view of the world is one that many of us could learn from.

Who can not find a smile when a bully has his comeuppance? Who would not wish for an imaginary friend who could really stand between you and the harm a world full of inadequacies a child may experience. By his pre-school year, I was hooked. The plot matures with the protagonist, sucking you into a well built world with subtle plots and well-developed characters.

The writing is superb and makes for an easy afternoon of reading. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy tale that is outside the canned fiction that many authors are putting out these days. Mr. Chambers' unique style of writing, his imaginative twist of a world where fairies, ghosts and wizards are real, and his use of time snapshots leads to a spectacular novel for any fantasy genre fan.


View all my reviews

A Wondrous Journey of an Independent Writer!

Fear - That is the word that drives home.  I have never sent my books to a publisher due to straight out fear.  However, I had read an article out of Woman's Day Magazine about a woman who worked from home writing books.  She had put her kids through college, bought a house all through Createspace and Amazon.

I thought, wow, my mom has this little story she has always told. We should try that.  So my friend, Rebecca Hunt who drew dragons that would appeal to a child's eye, agreed to illustrate and the two of us set about creating How the Dragons Got Their Colors.  A rework of my mom's bedside story.  It was mildly successful.   We immediately got to work on a second book about the angst an older child goes through when mom is expecting and Not An Egg! was born. Later we converted them for Kindle download as well and made them part of Amazon's Kindle Select Program. 

This gave me the confidence to go ahead and tentatively put out my first Novel - Outcast.  I figured I had nothing to lose, if it did not do well, the only thing I lost was some time. There is no upfront outlay to Createspace.  I followed the forums on how to self promote as an independent author.  I got another friend to do my cover, Heather Scoggins.  I think she will be a bit surprised when she gets April's percentage that she and I agreed upon. I think she didn't expect it to really go anywhere.

Yesterday, for a time, Outcast was in the top 30 in the US in coming of age, it was #25 in the UK and had crawled it's way up to #16 in Epic Fantasy in Australia.  As I sit in amazement and wonder, the downloads of the ebook just keep rising.  I have been furiously working on the sequel per reader request.   My editor, yes I have one, pushes me constantly to re-describe and to re-work. I have him to thank in the success of Outcast as well as my own creativity and the support of good friends!

No, not all my reviews are good.  Either you love the way I describe the slow journey into adulthood and the details of culture and the intertwining of the characters or you hate it. There has been little in the way of middle of the road reviews.  Another writer told me not to sweat that, everyone has a taste for the type of books that they like to read.  If you want a frantic tale of battle and climax and a sweet ending, well I am not the writer for you.  The Blue Dragon's Geas books each have a minor climax but the main story is spread out over them.  We don't grow up over night, so I refuse to have Alador do so.

I guess the most wondrous part for me was at my day job, someone was telling me I needed to knuckle under because I "need this job."  I stood there for a moment and slow smiled.  Then I responded. "No.. actually.. no I don't." I am going to make it as a writer.  Maybe not every book will get the accolades of Outcast. Maybe not everyone will love my style.  But today, I realized Ms. McDonald, my English teacher in High School was correct.

 I was born to WRITE!

My First Author Interview

Today, I got my copy of my first online interview.  I didn't think I was nervous as I was typing back my answers but it definitely is very wooden.   I will have to realize that in an online interview, you have to let who you are show through and not just answer the questions.  It is currently posted with my book at:
http://www.indieauthorland.com/  

It is a great site for promoting independent author's that gives you a little more insight into the books than just the allowed descriptions on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  I will post you a teaser here, but you need to go to the site if you want the rest of the interview.  They took the time to post it up, lets support them in looking at a few books. 

I love you all and I appreciate the messages I get.  Yes, I am writing the sequel and am in Chapter 14.  No it will not be out next week. *smiles*  I am shooting for a June release by the time we are done editing.  If I am lucky, might be done in May but as many of you pointed out.  I need to proof it one more time.  

Interview Teaser:

Why you must read

Cheryl Matthynssens’ Outcast

Alador is a half breed caught between two cultures. It is the story of teenage angst at growing up. The rage of dealing with bullies. The criticism and judgments that many of mixed races face.

In Alador’s case, he is combating racial prejudice, magic and a cruel bully trying to fit in and win the love of his best friend. It is a lot to overcome for just one young man. Then we add to all that, the fantasy element of a dragon’s geas.

A dragon’s what?

I am often asked, what the heck is an geas. It can be either a magically imposed act that must be fulfilled or a prohibition. In Alador’s case, it is a imposed quest, a task that he is pressured by magic to complete.