by Daryl Devoré
There is a meme going around about a conversation with a little boy and a bookstore clerk. He asks about a book, and she replies that it is a romance. He asks if the story has a dragon in it. She shakes her head. He then asks, “Then why do you even have it on the shelf?”
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I, completely, agree with the little dude. But I didn’t know that until I had written: The Last Dragon. The story itself came out of a comment years earlier. I had written my first medieval romance, and someone said, “I kept expecting a dragon to appear.”
Which took me by surprise. I had not – for a moment – considered having a dragon in the story. It doesn’t go with the plotline. I have no idea where the person who said it was going with their comment, but it stuck in the back of my mind.
Several books later, the dragon announced it was now time to write the story. Except – I had never written a fantasy before. I had to research the era – medieval times. How magic worked? Dragon lore? Swords. (I spent a whole day on just learning about swords) Speech patterns in olden days. Food. Lodging. And so on.
Most of which I utterly ignored when I started writing because I’m a panster and I just run with it when I’m writing. The characters will tell me what they need. And they did.
Also, I have a wonderful beta reader who is in a clan on a medieval gaming site, so she was able to give me some expert suggestions.
Then partway through the book, a curve ball was tossed into the mix. I teach a beginner’s writing course and I might have talked a bit about my dragon WIP because they gave me a small red dragon statue. I love it. I told them I would write it into the book. Which meant creating another dragon and more problems for the main characters. Which is always a fun thing. And I think the book is even better because of the addition of that dragon.
I am sure the little boy would agree that you can never have too many dragons.
Then came publication and all the fun of that. But was I finished? Nope. I decided to create an audio copy of The Last Dragon. I put out a request for auditions. Several narrators replied, but one had the perfect voice for Prince Hawkyns. Joseph and I worked well together, and the audio version became available. Then Amazon started a beta program for hardcover copies. So, I worked through those hoops and now have an ebook version, paperback, hardcover, and audio version.
It’s been quite the learning experience. And am I done? Nope. Totally by accident, I started another medieval fantasy romance and just the other day I had a hint of how I might – just might – have a dragon appear.
About The Last Dragon
What do dragons, knights and romance have in common? Grab a copy of multi-published author Daryl Devore’s medieval fantasy romance – The Last Dragon and discover the answer.
A sorcerer craving dominance merged with a dragon, the power overwhelmed him causing him to split into three dragons. Demora ruled thought but was lost in time. Yidithe offered protection, shining like the light of the sun. Ayrradex craved chaos, revelling in destroying souls.
Many knights died, attempting to slay the devil beast. One knight, Prince Hawkyns, did not fear death. He’d lost everything. Away on a mission when Ayrradex attacked his father’s kingdom, Penrythe, Hawkyns returned to find his noble father – feeble and defeated. His wise mother – crazed. His beautiful wife and unborn child - dead. Only a pile of ashes remained for him to bury. He knelt before his King and vowed to slay the devil-beast or be slain.
Derry was born with powers that terrified her parents. They delivered her to a nunnery to be raised in secret. Jathe, a wise sorceress, discovered the young girl and trained her to one day use the secret hidden in her soul.
Legends spoken around campfires hinted the sole way to destroy Ayrradex was when the hearts of a knight and a golden dragon became one. But after a vicious battle with Ayrradex, the golden dragon was thought to be dead.
Can Prince Hawkyns’s bravery and Derry’s powers end the reign of the devil-beast’s terror?
Buy The Last Dragon at Amazon
About the Author
Two writers in one. Daryl Devoré writes hot romances with sexy heroes and strong heroines and sweet romances with little to no heat. She has several published books available on Amazon in ebook or print, and audio. Also, available at other book retailers via Books2Read.
Daryl (@daryldevore) lives in an old farmhouse in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and 2 cats. Daryl loves to take long walks on her quiet country road or snowshoe across the back acres, and in the summer, kayak along the St. Lawrence River. She has touched a moon rock, a mammoth, and a meteorite. She’s been deep in the ocean in a submarine, flown high over Niagara Falls in a helicopter, and used the ladies room in a royal palace. Life’s an adventure and Daryl’s having fun living it.
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Thanks for letting me stop by and talk about my dragon story.
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