Progress on the Dragon Book

I am still working on the dragon book. I have about two hundred hand-written pages so far. Lucas and Mattie (the kids) and Greenmist (the dragon kid) landed in Mongolia by accident and now are making their way back to Texas with the help of Greenmist's greatgrandmother, Auburntide, and her pet gryphon, Rupert. Oh, they have been joined by Auburntide's friend, Blackday. They will make it as far as San Francisco before meeting the villain of the series, the Orc, a dingy white dragon.

I wish I could write full time. The only time I am truly happy is when I am writing. I have had one mystery published, but it was not very successful. After that I tried to find an agent. Did find one bad one. That made me feel so terrible that I quit writing for several years. I suppose I will self-publish someday. I have a science fiction novel, two mysteries, and a screenplay completed. If I don't self-publish,the manuscripts will be thrown away by my heirs.

I hope to turn my cat blog into a book someday. I used to send out a Christmas letter every year with an illustrated cat story. Since I still have a house full of cats, I expect to have plenty of stories to come.

Dragon History

A little on dragon history, back story for my book. Dragons developed at the end of the last great age of dinosaurs from a bipedal omnivore. Their numbers grew rapidly, but dragons fought war after war and huge numbers died. One of the most pernicious practices was the killing of all relatives of an enemy. Great dragon cities were founded, then fought each other. No prisoners were ever taken. This carnage continued until about three thousand years ago when a great plague reduced the dragon population, and a female dragon came to power with the goal of ending the dragon wars. Through her lifetime and those of her daughter and granddaughter there was peace. New cities, the Dragonhomes, were founded away from humans. The Dragon Laws were promulgated. The peace did not last and fighting continued sporadically until another female dragon came to power about a thousand years ago. She was born white which is a rare color among dragons, and she possessed great powers. Now the Dragonworld waits for another white dragon to come to power. While few dragons are born white, a dragon loses color when it eats a human. If a dragon eats enough people, the dragon becomes white. Will the next ruler be a people eater?

Dragons in Mongolia

I know the arc of the story in my first dragon book now. I just have to finish writing it. I managed to send my characters to Mongolia. Now I am bringing them home, but there is that evil dragon that is out to get Greenmist, the little dragon. They have to make it home without revealing where home is. I figure the book is about half written. First drafts are always the toughest. Dragons really like high, dry places, hence the Gobi Desert. I can see a series of dragon books ending with my little dragon growing up to be the savior of dragonkind and perhaps humans as well.

Dragon Laws

First Law of Dragonkind
A dragon shall not murder a dragon.

Second Law of Dragonkind
A dragon shall not eat a human being.

Third Law of Dragonkind
A dragon shall not show itself to a human being unless that human being is clan or dragonkin.

Dragons in the Attic

I thought I would share a little of my dragon book today. Lucas is 10 years old, but a year behind in school because he had meningitis. Lucas lives in Texas. Mattie is his best friend; she is 9. Lucas can see dragons because he had meningitis. A new dragon moves into his attic - a young dragon named Greenmist. Lucas and Greenmist become friends. Greenmist is only two years old, but about as mature as Lucas. Dragons come of age at 10. Greenmist's father was murdered by evil dragons. She and her mother fled to Texas. Adult dragons cannot fly, only juveniles like Greenmist can use their wings to fly.

I attend a multi-denominational church that has recently changed its 11 am service to one designed for a "younger" audience. The 11 am service was the one I attended, now I don't attend a church service only Sunday School (a discussion group). I did try the new service several times. I heard too much repetition in the music and too much narcissitic drivel, otherwise known as praise music. My question: why have my likes become of no importance in a church that I helped start and which I have attended for thirty years? Why court youth at the expense of those over thirty? Add a service for younger members at 1:00pm, use video replay for the pastor's sermon. Oh, well, I'll just keep praying.

Dragons, etc.

I decided that I wanted a daily blog. Dragons are in the title because I have started writing a children's fantasy where dragons (invisible to most) live among us. I don't know if I will share any of the fantasy online or not. Today, I need to write so I can forget how miserable I am. Don't worry, no sob story.

I have discovered that one can survive without air conditioning if you have fans, even if the temperature is in the nineties. My cats do turn into not too flat rugs, but that's not all bad, they stay out of trouble.

My thought for today: you might win Megamillions tonight. Or more conventionally, there is always hope. You can be broke, sick and about to lose your home, but if your luck changes, you can be rich; if rich be able to go to the doctor and pay off your mortgage. I believe that, however unlikely it seems, God can change your world. (Doesn't mean He will.)