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January 18, 2019 + Book, Characters, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Drakeas Dragons. Who are they?

So the question I received yesterday really got me thinking about the drakeas species. While I did explain a lot of their attributes in the books, I feel like a little more detail might be beneficial. We see people like J.K. Rowling and George R R Martin do it, so I’m going to throw my hat into the ring.

So, let’s start out with the background from the books. Who are the drakeas?

Well… there are actually two different groupings. Let’s start with the Prime Drakeas Dragons. These are the ones that were either born on their homeworld or are the first generation Earth-born. I should also mention that when we’re talking about generation, I’m talking about a group of dragons that were born in a decade’s timeframe.

Simply put…
Generation 1: Original dragons or the dragons born in the first 10 years on Earth.
Generation 2: Dragons born in the next ten years on Earth.
Generation 3: Born a minimum of 20 years after the dragons landed on Earth.
etc.

The drakeas are a group of extraterrestrial beings from a different solar system. Their homeworld supported two sentient species. As both species matured and evolved, competition for dominance on the planet ensued. Over time, such competition turned into bitterness and resentment which eventually became an all-out war of superiority. It is generally believed that the drakeas were the aggressors.

After countless years of bloodshed and persecution, the drakeas were conquered. By this time, their numbers had dwindled to less than a hundred. In order to preserve their species, the dragon council agreed to surrender the planet if they were allowed to survive. A deal was struck and the remaining drakeas were loaded into interstellar time capsules and launched towards worlds that were comparable to their own. One of those worlds was, regrettably, Earth.

The capsule heading here drifted for thousands of years in space with the drakeas council in stasis until they reached our planet. Upon crash landing in New York, the few dragons onboard were awakened to find that the promised world was already inhabited by a primitive race that was slowing destroying the world… aka humans.

That’s where the Red War begins. Now at this point, the drakeas number less than ten, so they disappear into the mountains in both the Western United States and Siberia to replenish their numbers. Because one female drakeas can birth roughly three litters every five months, they were able to replenish their numbers very quickly. It wasn’t long before they had sufficient numbers to begin their takeover of the planet.

Because humans referred to them as dragons, the drakeas took that to mean that this was the English translation of their species’ name and adopted it as their own.

So let’s move on to their physical attributes…

Prime Drakeas Dragons are huge and extremely long-lived. Their skin is protected by solid scales that are impenetrable by almost all weaponry. Standard bullets and missiles don’t harm them. A nuclear blast could, but most world governments viewed that as a bad idea, given the collateral damage.

They have six limbs; two wings which protrude from their shoulders, two arms or forward legs, and two back legs. Some have argued that their tail is also a limb. Their spiny main runs the length of their body from head to tail. Their snouts are elongated and their faces are rigid. Their ears are sharp and run along the side of their head. Their eyes are a bright yellowish red. Their necks are elongated, allowing them a full 360-degree view.

A hatchling prime dragon will start off the size of a Great Dane and is capable of growing incredibly large. The largest one on record was the Dread Lord, Eutherys. He was recorded as being 900 ft. (275 m.) tall, including his tail. He was roughly the size of a late-Word War 2 aircraft carrier.

They are both bipedal and quadrupedal, though they ten to favor quadrupedal motion. Often dragons only use bipedal positions for eating or addressing one another as a sign of respect.

There are also various age and size groups…

Classifications:
(These are human classifications, not Drakeas)

Dragonling- A dragon hatchling, no more than a few years old.

Wyvern-A young dragon that has just hit adolescence. They can fly and are very fast. These are typically the front line fighters, given their aggressive tendencies.

Wyrm- An adolescent dragon nearing adulthood, though still considered a child by drakeas standards. They cannot breathe fire and make up for their soft scales by being extremely fast.

Drake- A young adult class of dragon. By this age, they have mastered flight and can breathe fire, but have a harder time controlling it.

Beta– The younger adult class of dragon. Though there is little difference between Alpha and Beta class dragons, some have noted that Beta class dragons possess softer scales that can still be penetrated by conventional munitions.

Alpha- An adult class of dragon. This is a fully matured dragon, not quite at the point of elder status. By this point, a dragon’s scales would have hardened, they can breathe fire from the air, and are extremely difficult to kill.

Elder- The last stage of growth for the dragon species. Though there is no determinant size for these creatures, most are massive in scale and are roughly the size of a three-story building. Their hardened scales are almost impervious to conventional attack. During the war, they were often seen leading the Dragon Horde into combat.

Lord- Though technically not a stage of growth, this is the title given to any dragon that reaches an abnormal size, which is typical of the dragon council.

Dragon scales come in different colors, though as of yet, no one knows what causes the color differentials. These colors include brown, black, yellow, red, green, and two-toned scales (red and black, gray and silver, etc,) In the drakeas culture, having scales with two different colors is considered a sign of importance. That dragon is destined for something great.

Dragons are exceptionally long-lived. Eutherys is believed to be roughly five thousand years old, not accounting for his time in stasis. Though the exact lifespan of the drakeas was forgotten due to decades of endless warfare, it is believed that they can live up to 10,000 years.

Like their scales, their bones are nearly unbreakable and very coarse. Their mouths secret a flammable salivatic liquid in a large gland under their tongue that is somatically activated. When used, the gland will spray the liquid with the force of a firehose. A dragon will then quickly scrape their front teeth together to create a spark and throw their flame… aka breathing fire.

Their immune system is very different from that of a human. It works very similar to most Earth-bound diseases. Their white blood cells are aggressive micro-organisms that will attack any pathogen they encounter, inject their genetic material into it, and allow the pathogen to continue as a host for new white blood cells until the young cells eat the pathogen from the inside out.

This resulted in a disease amongst humans known as ‘Dragon’s Bane’. It was a rare occurrence as most humans who had blood contact with dragons, never lived to tell about it, but those that did survive, suffered a grievous fate as the dragon cells took over their bodies. This prompted human scientists to create a vaccine that would render human cells immune to the dragon attacks.

The drakeas language is almost unspeakable by humans, due to the hissing and throaty roaring that is required to get some pronunciations right. Unlike humans, the drakeas have a central language for their entire species.

The drakeas brain is far superior to that of a human. They can learn a language simply by hearing a few conjugations. It’s not perfect right off, but they pick up more as they hear it. The drakeas also possess some forms of limited telepathy, though it is not known exactly how much they are capable of doing.

Okay, let’s move onto the Terran Drakeas.

These are Gen2/3 onward, and this is subject to change as the generations continue.

It was quickly discovered that Prime dragons had a difficult time surviving on our world, though similar, Earth’s atmosphere was far richer in Nitrogen than their’s was and our yellow sun resulted in a degree of radiation poisoning. Many eggs of Prime drakeas never hatched and it is believed that lifespans would be significantly reduced. Those that did survive turned out to be noticeably different on a biological level.

Terran Dragons have all but done away with the name ‘drakeas’. They barely speak the ancient drakeas language, if at all. Their scales are considerably softer, and they do not grow as tall. Their necks are shorter than those of their prime counterparts, and their manes are actual hair that reaches the end of their neck before becoming spikey again. Their snouts are not as long and their features are far less rigid.

Perhaps their most noticeable feature is their eyes. While still possessing the flare of their prime ancestors, the shape and colors more closely resemble those of a human.

Unlike their prime ancestors, they are most commonly seen on their hind legs, favoring bipedal positions. The only time they drop to all four is when they go into attack mode.

Though physically inferior to Prime dragons in both size and strength, they do have some advantages. They have an easier time speaking human languages are often seen as less aggressive. Their mental abilities are far superior to the prime dragons. They can often detect feelings and emotions in other dragons and many have learned how to manipulate human and dragon senses in order to appear physically as humans.

Their lifespans at this point are unknown as none of died of old age yet, though it is believed that they will be noticeably shorter than their prime counterparts.

So I hope that this helps give everyone a better idea of what my dragons, aka Drakeas Dragons are like. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below. I’m interested in what everyone thinks!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 18, 2019 + Book, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, literature, Religion

Destiny: Divinity’s Finale Chapter 1

by Jim

Book 1

A Simple Dream

Normandy 1601

The sound of loud church bells drove Melisande from her bed in the residence cells of Mont Saint Michel. She stood up, slid her feet into her wooden sandals and opened her window to let the sun in. This day was special for her as it was one of the few really warm days in Northern France.

The sea breeze caressed her face as the gentle sound of waves crashing on the shore filled her cell. It was high tide, which meant that the abbey was completely surrounded by water. Only a small bridge in the water connected the massive building to the mainland.

Melisande was a little disappointed as she enjoyed sneaking outside of the walls to run along the sandbars and marshes when the tide was out. It appeared that she would be stuck within the abbey’s walls at the mercy of her caretakers for the day.

Ever the optimist, she shrugged it off in the hopes of seeing a ship on the horizon. It was a common occurance to see the small sail of a fishing vessel or courior on the horizon, but every now and then, she would be treated to something larger. The height of her mornings were when she caught sight of a large merchant vessel or, every once in a while, a warship.

This would not be one of those mornings as her tranquility was quickly interrupted by a harsh knock at her door, “Melisande? Melisande, are you still in bed at this hour?”

Melisande let out a startled yelp as she raced for the robe hanging next to her bed, “I’m up, I’m awake!”

A deep sigh could be heard from the other side of the door, “Have you at least made yourself decent?”

Melisande quickly tied the sash to her robe, “Yes, you may enter.”

The door burst open revealing an old nun with her arms crossed on the other side. The nun was very heavy footed and her steps could be heard throughout the abbey when she walked. Upon seeing Melisande’s appearance, her lips formed a scowl, “Young lady, it is not becoming to stay in bed all day. You have studies and chores to perform.”

Melisande frowned, “I finished my studies yesterday and this is supposed to be my day to rest. Please Sister Mary, it has been a long time since I went exploring. Might I have a few hours to myself?”

Sister Mary rolled her eyes, “I have watched over you since you were a baby, I have taken care of you, and I have put up with your nonsense. Exploration and adventure are for soldiers and sailors. What you desire is not all it appears to be, believe me. That is the path of pain and loss. You need to learn to be a lady. Find yourself a calling and perhaps a husband. Especially since you’ve decided that you did not want to join a holy order.”

“I’m sorry Sister,” Melisande replied honestly, “I am grateful for your care… but becoming a nun never had any appeal for me. I have spent my whole life thus far behind these walls. I don’t wish to be behind them forever. Something out there calls to me, I can feel its pull.”

She looked over at the two stained swords that she had mounted over her bed, “Something bigger awaits me and I need to find out what it is.”

Sister Mary followed her gaze to the swords and shook her head, “I never wanted you to receive those things, but your father insisted, and I was not about to deny someone their dying wish.”

Her gaze then returned to Melisande, “Your path is your own to choose, though you may find yourself regretting such a decision if you go searching for answers. I hope that I don’t live to see that day.”

“You don’t know that.” Melisande replied. “These swords belonged to my family… and I don’t even know who they are. I need to find answers if I’m ever to be able to live with myself.”

The elderly nun touched one of the swords near the hilt, “A few generations of your family were protected by them, this is true, but where are they now? You are the last of your family.”

Melisande stood next to Sister Mary as she looked at the swords, “But I don’t even know them… I don’t even know what my family’s name is. Will you finally tell me about them, please? Who were they, what were they like, and what is my full name?”

The nun turned away from the swords and looked Melisande in the eyes for a few moments. She saw the stormy blue eyes that never looked the same from one moment to the next. It was as though an entire sky scene passed through her pupils as she stared.

Finally the nun sighed and turned to leave the room, “I told you that I forgot your family’s name. I did not know your family well, so I can’t provide you with any information. I only met them once when they released you into my care. I’m an old woman. My memory fails sometimes”

Melisande rolled her eyes and became angry, “You’re lying. I don’t know what you think you’re protecting me from, but I deserve to know. If you truly don’t know the answrs, then you know someone that does!”

Sister Mary stopped dead in her tracks, but did not turn around, “Two demerits for your tone. It’ll be three more if you don’t begin your chores soon.”

The door closed behind her as Melisande sat down on the bed and began to sulk. She had been confined to the abbey all of her life. Often times if a ship passed by, she would try to convince one of the soldiers on guard to let her use their looking glass. Most of the time, she was successful and Melisande spent the day watching as the ships passed.

The guards didn’t make life any easier for her as they were full of stories about wars past. Melisande loved to sit and listen to the old veterans talking about past glories from long ago, even though she knew that many of them were blatantly made up or exaggerated. It made her yearn even more to free herself from the protection of the abbey walls.

Melisande had often dreamt of a life at sea, but that life was restricted to men. However she was certain that she could make it work if only she could get away from the abbey. Such things were little more than pipe dreams as she knew that she was kept there for a reason. If she tried to escape on foot, the guards would catch her in no time.

Still, in many ways, Melisande could hear the sea calling to her. It was as though an unseen spirit of the sea was pulling at her arms, but Mont Saint Michel would not release her feet. She balled a fist and hit the stone wall as tears formed in her eyes. She could barely stand it anymore.

It took Melisande an hour to get cleaned up and get ready for her chores. She brushed her long blonde hair back behind her left ear and allowed the right bangs hang down to her cheek. Her hair flowed half way down her back as she worked. When she was finished tending to her appearance, she left her room and made her way down the tower’s winding staircase. She then proceeded through the abbey to the main kitchen as the residents and clergy finished their meals and began to clear out.

Melisande was seated over in the far corner and given a small bowl of wheat. She ate it down slowly, resenting the flavorless mush. She never sat with anyone and was mostly ignored by the other people in the room. When she was certain that no one was looking in her direction, she dumped the wheat into a nearby bucket that she would later use for cleaning.

Sister Mary came over to her a few minutes later with an emotionless expression on her face, “Well Melisande, I am glad that you are finally up and about. Are you ready to begin your chores?”

Melisande nodded unenthusiastically, “Yes sister, I finished breakfast, so I’ll get started.”

“Good,” she replied, “I believe Mr. Clement could use some help in the kitchen. You’ll start there today.”

“Yes sister,” Melisande replied respectfully.

Without another word to the old nun, she obediently turned and entered the kitchen at the back of the room. The kitchen was little more than a stone closet with a single oven carved into the back wall. Two tables were the only furniture and they were covered with dirty utensils.

Amidst the chaos, the cook looked up and smiled at Melisande as she began her work, “Top of the morning to you, Messy.”

Melisande smiled as she picked up the water bucket next to the fireplace, “Good morning, Papi.”

Papi was a stout man that, despite his imposing size, held himself the way a soldier would. Though he never talked about his past, Melisande was certain that he’d been a military man at some point. She didn’t know his real name and always referred to him as Papi or Papi Clement.

Though Papi was somewhat of an enigma to her, she still looked at him as a father figure. He was also the only man who got away with calling her by the nickname ‘Messy,’ which he gave her as a joke about how she cleaned. It always seemed to get a rise out of her which was something he enjoyed greatly.

Melisande’s attachment to him went back to when she was three years old and he would set aside some dough to make a cookie for her whenever he was cooking. As the years passed, she would periodically sneak off to the kitchen to see him whenever Sister Mary’s back was turned. He always enjoyed the company.

Papi was not a priest or a clergyman, but he was the best cook in town and was often hired at the abbey. He also had a reputation for disappearing for a few months at a time. His absence was always upsetting to Melisande and each time, she wondered if she would ever see him again.

Papi watched Melisande as she got down on her knees to clean the floors and noticed the sad look on her face, “What troubles you, Messy, why the sour look?”

Melisande stopped for a moment, “Have you ever felt that you were destined for more then you are, or ever asked the question whether or not this is all that’s out there for you?”

The chef chuckled as he thought back to his younger years, “Oh when I was younger, sure. We all have those feelings at one point or another. Fortunately, in my time, I have seen much of the world and had my share of adventure. After all that, a little peace and quiet is a welcomed change.”

“That’s what I want!” She blurted out. “I’ve often thought about getting out of here and seeing the world. I want adventure, but moreover, I want to know who I am and where I come from.”

She touched her cheek right below her eyes, “I know I’m different, I just would like to know how and why.”

“Different?” Papi asked. “What would make you think so?”

Melisande chose her words carefully as she responded, not wanting to cause alarm, “Well my eyes for one. I’ve not seen another pair quite like them in my years, and…”

Melisande stopped for a moment, wondering if he should tell Papi this part. She trusted him, but it was quite personal. Still, he had never given her a reason not to believe that he would keep her words quiet, “When I close my eyes at night, I see things.”

The old cook stopped tending to the mess, “Things, Messy? What sort of things?”

“I… I don’t know…” She replied. “I think they might be angels. I close my eyes and I see these beautiful people dressed in white robes, dresses, or in silvery armored plates. They all have wings, but many are different shapes and sizes. Other times, it’s just one angel with her eyes bandaged.”

Papi looked nervously at her, “Messy, I’d be very careful about who you tell about those dreams, especially here.”

“I know,” she said with a nod, “don’t worry, I am not so naive that I don’t know what they might think.”

Papi turned back to cleaning off his table, “So what do you think these dreams mean?”

Melisande shrugged, “If only I knew, but I think it has to do with who I am. These dreams don’t feel like dreams at all. They’re more like what you’d expect from memories, if that even makes sense.”

She looked over at the small window which had been cut into the wall, “I want to find out, but I can’t do that as long as I’m stuck here.”

“You are probably better off not knowing.” Papi replied. “The world out there is a treacherous place. Even the strongest have trouble just getting by.”

Melisande glumly nodded continued her work, “Yes, that’s what everyone says. It’s too dangerous… I should just stay here and become a nun… forever… You sound like Sister Mary.”

Papi bit his lip as he looked at her, “Messy, I have some bad news for you.”

Melisande usually knew what this meant. Papi was going to be disappearing again. She closed her eyes as she responded, “You’re leaving again, aren’t you?”

Papi nodded, “Yeah, tomorrow.”

“For how long?” She asked.

“I can’t say.” Papi replied. “Hopefully not for too long.”

Melisande frowned, “I’ll miss you…”

“I’ll miss you too, little Messy,” Papi replied, “but no more frowning. I’ll be back!”

“You promise?” She demanded.

“Have I ever lied to you before?” Papi asked. “Of course I promise.”

“You better.” Melisande replied.

Melisande was meticulous in her cleaning. She made sure that no crack in the floor went unattended to. An hour went by as Papi and Melisande worked. They were just finishing wiping everything dry when Sister Mary appeared at the door and looked around.

Melisande smiled, “I’ve finished cleaning, what do you think?”

Sister Mary surveyed the room, as usual, without a hint of emotion and nodded, “Satisfactory work… ok, you have done your chores for the day.”

“Satisfactory?” Melisande scoffed with a surprised expression. “I scrubbed everything until it was spotless.”

Papi nodded, “I saw how hard she was working, madam, she scrubbed the entire kitchen down.”

Sister Mary gave Papi a stern look before turning back to Melisande, “Don’t ask one’s opinion, if you don’t honestly want it. Now be gone with you.”

An exasperated Melisande stared at her for a moment in disbelief. The nun returned her stare and clapped her hands, “Come now, move it!”

Still in disbelief, Melisande shook her head and stormed past the old nun up the stone steps, heading back to her room. She was angry, upset, and frustrated all at once. It never seemed like anything she did was good enough. Just once, a’ good job,’ or a ‘thank you for working so hard,’ would be appreciated. She thought to herself. Not from Sister Mary, no way, that would be too much to ask!

Melisande was years ahead of other people in her studies and she always did a good job on her chores. Though she credited being so far ahead in studies with the fact that she simply had nothing better to do with her time. In her heart, she would have made the trade to have experienced some of what the outside world offered.

Papi shook his head as Melisande disappeared. Sister Mary turned back to him, “You disapprove of the way I’ve raised Melisande, do you?”

“Not at all madam,” he replied, “she’s a strong-willed, but polite and hard working young woman. You’ve done as fine a job with her. As good as anyone could hope to.”

Sister Mary’s stoic expression didn’t change, “Don’t hold back. Say what’s on your mind, Mr. Clement.”

Papi looked at the stone stairs where Melisande had been standing, “However, I don’t know about how you treat her sometimes. It seems a little cold. I may not know much about her case, but she is still young. I doubt her being here is her own fault.”

Sister Mary glared at him once again, “You think I’m hard on her because I blame her for being here?”

“I can only judge based on what I’ve seen.” Papi replied. “It does look like you’re hard on her for something even she doesn’t understand.”

“Then perhaps you should watch more closely.” Sister Mary hissed. “It has been my charge to care for her since she was born. I have raised her within the church and protected her.”

“Protected her?” Papi said suspiciously, “Protected her from what?”

Sister Mary turned to leave the kitchen, “You are paid to cook, not investigate. Keep your opinions to yourself and let me decide what is best for her.”

Papi shook his head with a slight grin, “Don’t ask one’s opinion, if you don’t honestly want it.”

Sister Mary paused for a moment before turning and giving the cook an angry stare as she walked away. She didn’t appreciate her words being used against her.

Papi smiled, knowing that this was one of those rare times where he actually won an argument against her.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 17, 2019 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Jim

I think I may have posted a version of this on here before… this one is far superior. I love this as it combines metal and the traditional version of the song very well!

When to Listen: I’d say that this is another battle song. Listen to this when creating a battle scene or a major conflict in your story.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 17, 2019 + Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

A Drakin Question???

by Jim

Hi Jim,

I finished reading through Drakin: The Story of Raiya and just finished The Orphans of Haven. Throughout both books, you seem to allude to the idea of an interspecies relationship between a dragon and a human. I was just curious if you could elaborate on how that would work? Your dragons sound very similar to the dragons in most fairy tales, and I’m not sure how such a relationship would work given how biologically different humans are from dragons. I hope you don’t take this as a criticism, I’m just really getting into the story and was curious about that.

Thanks,
Neil

Thanks, Neil!

First of all, let me just say that I am absolutely humbled by the positive response that Drakin seems to be getting! I’m glad everyone likes it!

So let’s tackle your question. I think I may have addressed the issue before, but let’s go through it again as I can’t really find the original post. Well… I suppose I should have expected something like this when I crossed from straight fantasy over into Science Fiction/ Fantasy. Sci Fi fans tend to be a lot more technical and detail-oriented. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, just something I’ve observed.

Though I don’t necessarily know whether this spoils anything, I’ll put a SPOILER ALERT here just in case!

All right, well truth be told, on a physical level… it probably can’t work, at least not in the time Orphans of Haven takes place. However, there are a few things we need to consider here. First of all, these are not ‘normal’ dragons like what you’d read about in fairy tales. I wanted to make them resemble fantasy dragons, but the fact is that these are actually extra-terrestrial creatures. They don’t even call themselves dragons. Their species’ official name is ‘Drakeas’. They simply adopt the human term ‘dragon’ because people refer to them that way often.

Because of this, my dragons are not bound to the same rules as other creatures on Earth. They are reptilian, but they are very unique. In terms of their mating practices… I don’t really get into this much in the novels… or at least I haven’t yet, but essentially the biological act is similar to that of a turtle. They mate, the female is impregnated and then lays one to three eggs at a time. One copulation can usually result in 2-3 litters. Dragons also have a very quick recovery and can become fertile again in a matter of a few months, which is why the dragon population springs up on Earth so quickly.

So to be honest… while I suppose a dragon and human could have intercourse, assuming that they’re the same size, there’s no way offspring could be produced. They’re just too biologically different. Raiya was simply a genetic accident that was a completely freak occurrence.

So what about Dragon’s Bane?

That’s obviously another problem. Dragon blood, if it comes into contact with human blood, can be lethal. However, humans that have been inoculated against the infection are unlikely to be at risk so there’s little danger there.

All this being said, there are other factors we have to consider… First and foremost, Earth is not the Homeworld dragonkind. It’s been theorized by many sci fi writers, which I happen to agree with, that if a species migrates to another planet, they will eventually develop traits and features that will help them survive on that planet. As a result, it’s unlikely that they’ll resemble their homeworld or ‘prime’ brethren for long.

We begin to see the problems in Raiya’s story. Dragons are having trouble adapting to our atmosphere and our yellow sun. Our air is richer in Nitrogen than they’re used to and some do not survive.

By the time the Orphans of Haven takes place, at least eight generations exist on our planet. By the third or fourth generation, we see changes taking place. Dragons are smaller, their skin is softer, their main is actual hair instead of spines, and even their eyes look different. They’ve basically been forced to evolve to survive in what was considered a hostile environment.

Now, does this mean that they can produce offspring? I’d still say no. Will it be possible someday? Maybe…?

Now, let’s tackle the subject of physical attraction… can a human be attracted to another species that isn’t even in the same class, without it being considered bestiality. (I can’t believe I’m actually addressing this…)

Personally, I don’t consider the idea bestiality because… well dragons are sentient creatures, possessing an intelligence and awareness level that’s actually superior to humans. They also alternate between bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion. Despite being physically very different from humans, the fact that they are intellectually on our level negates it being bestiality. We see several stories where humans mate with everything from elves, centaurs, minotaurs, merfolk, demons, aliens, etc. etc. So why not dragons?

So to answer your question, it is possible for a dragon and a human to have a relationship, though it would likely be more affectionate and emotional than anything potentially physical. No offspring would be possible, at least not yet. It may be possible someday, but even when dragons have fully adapted to Earth, it would likely require genetical manipulation.

Thank you so much for your question! I hope you got the answer you wanted or at least understand a little bit better the nature of interspecies relationships in this particular universe. Please don’t hesitate to message me again or leave your thoughts below!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 17, 2019 + Book, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, literature, Religion

Destiny: Divinity’s Finale

by Jim

Hello All,

So for those of you that have read Divinity and/or Damnation, first off, THANK YOU and I hope you enjoyed it! Well… you may be interested to know that there is a third novel that’s been on the back burner for a very long time. I’ve been going back and forth on putting it through editing and publishing, but never really came to a final conclusion.

This book is one I don’t think I’ll ever publish. I just don’t think there’s enough of a market for it, so instead, I’m posting it here for all of you to enjoy!

Keep in mind, this is a very rough draft. So what you’re seeing isn’t a complete and final product like my other novels!

Thanks friends appreciate your feedback, critiques, and criticisms!

Jim

Destiny

A Novel by James Harrington

Printed and Bound in the USA

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual living persons is purely coincidental.

A note from the author:

Hello and welcome! I hope that you will enjoy your journey our characters as they embark on their adventure. Before you begin, I just wanted to clarify a few things.

You encounter many characters, both fictional and historical. The fictional characters are just that; fictional. Any resemblance they bear to real people is purely coincidental.

As for the historical figures that appear in the pages ahead, I have done the best I can to portray the historical characters as accurately as possible, based on the information availavle on each. However, please understand that I am exposing them to fictional situations. It is impossible to predict definitively how one might have actually reacted in these events, so again, this is based on what information is available.

Lastly, I would just like to note that this story in no way should be taken as a criticism of the beliefs of any denomination of Christianity. As a catholic, I acknowledge that the leaders of several denominations weren’t always the most upstanding of people and that is what is reflected in my writing, but that does not invalidate anyone’s belief in God or the teachings they follow.

I hope that you will enjoy this work of fiction for what it is; a work of fiction. Thank you and God bless!

Jim H.

Prologue

Venice 1585

Black clouds choked out all light from the sun as a dark, ominous, day turned into a black and violent night. As the remaining light vanished from the skies of Venice, the water became extremely choppy and rain hammered down on any poor fool still outside at that late hour. Boats tugged at their moorings as the wind beat down on them. It was as though the world had transformed into something malicious.

The small fishing village was no stranger to rough weather, but this night was different. The wind coming in off of the water bore ill tidings from afar. Even people possessing little to no awareness could feel the evil around them. Many instinctively closed the shutters on their windows as though the town were about to fall under attack.

Federico watched from the safety of his house near the harbor, as the waves picked up. The water poured over his private dock, and he wondered how long his boat would last. It was his livelihood and had been in the family for generations.

At the moment, however, this was the least of Federico’s worries. He knew what was approaching, and what this meant for his family. As he peered out the window, his vision was obscured by the amount of rain water pouring down the glass. It was as though he was standing behind a small waterfall trying to peer through, but he still had enough clarity to see the black carriage with lanterns on either side break through the night.

Two mighty brown horses pulled the old carriage right to the door of the house. Federico breathed a sigh of relief as the carriage stopped just outside of his door. The waterlogged driver jumped out of his seat and pulled the carriage door opened, allowing three people in black robes to step out.

The fire in the stove fought to stay alive as the door opened and a gust heavy wind penetrated the room. It was as though opening the door had allowed something evil into the house. The three cloaked figures entered the room and, once sheltered from the rain, removed the drenched cloaks that they had been wearing.

Federico fought against the heavy wind to get the door closed. Once it finally connected to the lock, he breathed a sigh of relief before turning to his guests. As the cloaks came off, they revealed two young priests and a nun. The priests wore red and black robes and each had swords sheathed on their belts.

“Welcome to my home,” Federico said with a relieved look, “I appreciate your quick response to my letter. I take it that you know what is going on?”

The nun turned to Federico and nodded. Her face had deep creases, indicative of someone who had lived a hard life. Her face was twisted into a scowl as she spoke, “We came as soon as we heard. I am Sister Mary, where is she?”

There was a sudden flash of light and a winged woman appeared behind them. Federico brushed back his light brown hair and nodded, “Lailah will take you to her.”

Sister Mary bowed, “Blessed Angel, we are here to carry out the Lord’s bidding as you commanded.”

Lailah returned the gesture with a smile, “Please follow me, Sister. It won’t be long now.”

The two women disappeared into the next room and closed the door behind them. Federico shook his head as he turned to the priests, “I had prayed that this night would never come. I was told about the prophecy from childhood, but had hoped it would pass my generation by.”

The older priest placed his hand on Federico’s shoulder, “No one who faces these dark times would choose to bring it on themselves or the ones they love, my son.”

“But how could God let this happen?” Federico asked. “If he knew… it was possible.”

The priest shook his head, “I somehow don’t think that even he foresaw this during certain events in your family’s history.”

Federico lowered his eyes and spoke in a defeated tone, “Padre… just promise me that she will be safe. Don’t let this all be for nothing.”

“On my life,” the priest replied as he touched his sword, “she will be safe and she will live comfortable life. That is our mandate and it will be carried out as long as we draw breath.”

Federico was satasfied with the priest’s promise. It appeared that everything was going according to how it had been spelled out in the prophecy. It was little comfort to him though as he could feel danger approaching.

“Padre…” Federico finally said softly with tears in his eyes, “Would you be so kind as to give me my last rights?”

The priest’s eye’s narrowed, “Of course my son, but why?”

“Please Padre,” Federico insisted, “I have a very bad feeling that our time is growing short.”

The priest didn’t understand what Federico meant, but he had not been given all the details of what was about to transpire. Sister Mary was in charge in this case, by official order of the bishop. His job was simply to see to her saftey. Having no other choice, he finally agreed, “Very well, my son.”

In the next room over, Sister Mary, led by the angel Lailah, encountered a woman lying in a small bed. She was covered in sweat and breathing rapidly. Her dark brown hair was matted to her head and she was clearly in pain. Sister Mary spoke in an emotionless voice as lighting struck outside, “It has begun.”

The woman’s stomach was bulging as Sister Mary took a seat at the edge of the bed. The old nun adjusted her robes to prevent them from being soiled and spoke in an emotionless voice, “Cecca, I’m Sister Mary. I am here to help. It is almost time, are you ready to start pushing?”

Cecca struggled to brush her matted hair back from her face and nodded. She was in so much pain that she could not move anything else. Lailah folded her wings, tied back her curly, light brown, hair and knelt down near Cecca’s head to wipe the sweat from her brow, “You can rest easy. I will be here with you to the end.”

“Bless you, angel.” Cecca forced out between breaths. “Bless you.”

Sister Mary took hold of Cecca’s legs and bent them up at the knee. She watched and waited patiently for a few minutes. Cecca’s breathing was becoming eratic as her whole body shifted.

Finally, when Sister Mary decided that the time was right, she looked up at Cecca, “It is time, pray to Almighty God and push.”

Cecca closed her eyes and screamed as she pushed with her entire body. Sister Mary nodded as the woman’s arms and legs quivered, “Good, good, again.”

Federico listened desperately as his wife struggled in the other room. He wanted to be there with her, but the elderly nun would not have allowed it. This was one time that he needed to remain out of the way. An hour went by as the young man listened helplessly as his wife’s agonizing screams shot through the house. Her voice suddenly fell silent and a new one appeared.

The scream of a newborn child shattered the dark aura in the room. Federico’s faced lightened up as he turned away from the door and back to the priest, “Do you hear that? Do you, it’s clear as day!”

Both priests nodded as the older one smiled, “Congratulations my son. The baby sounds healthy.”

A short time later, Sister Mary came to the door, pale white, with a look of fear in her eyes. She stood for a moment looking at Federico, and then over to her escorts, “Our worst fears have become reality.”

The two priests stepped past Federico and into the room where Lailah was holding the child. Lailah looked at them both solemnly and nodded, “As the Most High feared, the prophecy has come true, look.”

She held the child out to them and uncovered its face. Miraculously, the newborn’s eyes were wide open. Her pupils looked almost identical to those of Lailah. She giggled as she looked up at the priests.

Cecca sighed as her eyes began to close, “Little Aralyn…”

The younger priest’s lips twisted, “I still don’t understand, blessed angel, would you not be better suited to keep her safe?”

Lailah shook her head, “That is outside of my mandate. I have already done more than I am supposed to. Priests travelling hallowed grounds will have a better chance of keeping her hidden and safe from the dark one’s eyes than a lone angel flying around. The dark ones will not be able to trace you like they can me.”

The priest sighed as Lailah handed the mystical child to them, “Very well.”

At that moment, one of the windows crashed open, shattering the glass. The wind ripped through the room like an invisible wildfire. The thunder became even louder as Federico struggled to put a plank of wood over the opening.

Sister Mary turned quickly to the preists, “The storm is getting worse, we must go now or we will be trapped here!”

At that moment, Cecca came to life on the bed, “Wait, please, just a few minutes… won’t you please let me hold her?”

Sister Mary looked at the child stoically and shook her head, “I’m sorry, there is no time.”

“Please, no, you can’t take her, please!” Cecca pleaded with the old nun as she tried to get up. “My baby!”

Federico heard Cecca’s frantic cries and ran into the room to confort her, “I’m so sorry my love…”

Cecca buried her head in Francesco’s arms, “No… It’s not fair… why us?”

Federico looked up at Sister Mary, “Is there no way?”

For the first time in years, a look of sympathy came over Sister Mary’s features as she shook her head, “If there were, I would allow it. As it stands, there is not. We must leave if there is to be any chance.”

Federico sighed and closed his eyes, “Then go, now! Leave this place… keep her safe…”

The priests obediently turned and began to leave. The older priest looked back sympathetically, “Peace be with you, my children. For what it’s worth… I am sorry.”

Federico, remembering a promise he had made to Cecca, suddenly shot to his feet, “Wait, Padre!”

“My son, we have no time!” The old priest responded sternly.

“I know,” Federico replied apologetically, “but I have something for you.”

He quickly went to the closet and came back with a staff-like object draped in a red cloth. The priest saw that the cloth was protecting two very old swords. He looked at them oddly for a moment and then back at Federico, “My son?”

“Please take them.” Federico insisted. “They belonged to my great grandparents. Make sure she receives them when she is old enough… “

“You want us to give your daughter weapons?” The priest asked in disbelief.

“I understand that it may not make much sense to you Padre,” Federico replied, “but these swords have protected my family for generations. Please take them.”

The priest eyed him oddly for a moment. Federico’s expression became despirate under the priests eyes, “Consider it the last wish of a dying man.”

The priest sighed and took the swords before turning back to his party, “Oh very well.”

Once they were ready, the group bid farewell to Federico and left him to tend to his emotionally shattered wife. The group exited the house and boarded their carriage with the child in their care. They knew that they had to move quickly in order to get her to saftey.

Lailah followed behind them, “Keep that child safe, at all costs.”

The elder priest turned back to her, “Blessed Angel, what will happen to them now?”

Lailah turned back and looked at the house. She brushed her long brown hair from her eyes and let out a defeated sigh, “I did the best I could to shield the family from the evil that is hunting them… but it proved to be too much for me. They aren’t safe anywhere now.”

She turned back to the priest with a reassuring look on her face, “Don’t worry Padre, my sister has seen to it that her kin will be taken care of. You need to focus on your own part.”

“What hope do we have against such power?” The younger priest demanded.

“Leave that to me.” Lailah replied. “Just go while you still can.”

The driver took his seat without another word and snapped the rains. The horses whinnied as they charged forward. The priest looked back as the carriage sped away, “Peace be with you, blessed Angel.”

Lailah closed her eyes for a moment and muttered a prayer under her breath. At that moment, a white aura appeared around the carriage and then vanished. She nodded, confident that they were now safe from harm.

A moment later, Federico came to the door with a look of sorrow on his face as the carriage disappeared from view. Lailah turned to him, “They will be safe now.”

When Federico’s expression didn’t change, she became worried, “Federico, what is it?”

“My wife…” Federico replied. “The stress of the pregnancy was too much for her.”

Lailah closed her eyes for a few moments. When she reopened them, a sharp pain entered her heart as tears fell down her cheeks, “Federico, I am so sorry…”

Federico’s jaw tightened up as he stepped away from the house and stood beside Lailah, “Tell me that this has all been worth it. Tell me that she’ll survive.”

Lailah nodded, “Your daughter has a long struggle ahead of her, she will not know who she is and may never know her family, but she will survive to adulthood.”

“What about after that?” Federico demanded.

Lailah closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head, “I don’t know. Her future is clouded even from my eyes.”

Suddenly, out in the distance, an unearthly moan emanated over the waves. Lailah began breathing heavily, “They are coming…”

Federico ran back inside his house, grabbed his sword from behind the door, and rejoined Lailah out front, “I’ll kill him myself.”

Lailah smiled, “You have your ancestor’s heart, but that won’t protect you this time. You are no match for this creature. I would suggest you go back inside.”

“I don’t think so.” Federico replied adamantly. “You have watched over me and my family as we waited for this day. There is no escaping now and I’ll never see the two people I love the most again. I have nothing left and you are the closest thing I still have to family. My soul is prepared Lailah. You’re not facing him alone.”

Lailah nodded, “Very well…”

The two looked at each other hopelessly as a deep moan emanated from the black water. Lailah went pale and took a step forward, “He approaches.”

There was another flash of light from the sky as a formless black entity appeared in front of them. It was little more than a cloud that quickly took the shape of a human, but had no features at all. It was little more than a silhouette in the darkness.

Two bright yellow eyes appeared on its head. It stepped forward and spoke in a dark, inhuman, voice, “So many years since we’ve been able to walk the lands of this world… Where is she?”

Lailah stared into the creature’s malice-filled yellow eyes, “Safe.”

The creature’s eyes began burning bright as they took a menacing shape, “We are giving you one chance to give us what we want. Do this, and we’ll let you live… for now.”

Lailah shook her head, “The Most High won’t negotiate with the likes of you.”

“The Most High is a part of us!” The creature shot back.

“Why resist us?” It asked. “We only wish to take back what is rightfully ours from that deceptor, Lucifer.”

“Because Lucifer isn’t a threat to us,” Lailah replied, “you are.”

The yellow eyes narrowed, “If you won’t help us willingly, then we will rip the answer from your corpse!”

“Never!” Federico shouted as he stepped forward. “You will die first!”

Before he could say anything else, a sharp object burst through Federico’s chest and he was elevated off of the ground. A small imp appeared behind Federico as his body fell limp. Lailah was unable to react in time, “No!”

The entity cackled, “We think not. We did not wait eons to be stopped by a child race.”

The imp pulled the blade from Federico’s back as he fell to the ground. Blood mixed with the puddles of water that had pooled on the beach. Federico lay on his side as his eyes began to flutter. He looked up at the sky and reached out with all his strength, “Cecca…”

Within moments, Federico’s body went limp and his eyes closed. Lailah spoke through a clenched jaw, “Federico was an innocent! He never hurt anyone and he was of no threat to you! If you want to retake the underworld, then by all means do so, but leave these people out of…”

Lailah stopped mid-sentence and found herself unable to draw breath. She grabbed her neck as the entity raised a clenched fist from its side. Lailah’s body began to levitate off the ground as though she were being hanged.

The entity moved even closer until Lailah could feel its hot breath on her face. Its eyes suddenly went from yellow to red, “We do not take orders from you! Be gone, pathetic insect!”

The creature flicked its wrist and released its grip on Lailah. In response to its hand motion, the helpless angel shot backwards through a window. The glass shattered all around her, ripping into her skin as she landed in Federico’s kitchen. The entity began laughing hysterically as it waved its arm.

At that moment, the entire house burst into flame as though obeying his command. The flames filled the dark sky and lit up the town like it was daylight. The heat inside was so intense that any human would have been horribly burned had they been too close.

Inside, Lailah tried to protect herself from the inferno by covering herself with her wings. When the flame hit her, it incinerated her feathers. She screamed out in pain as the skin of her wings seared and began to blister.

There was nothing Lailah could do now. Knowing that she was near death, she closed her eyes and began to pray, “Oh Lord Most High, let this fate pass me by. Take me into thy loving hands. Spare your loyal servant this pain…”

Lailah received no answer as the skin of her wings began to turn black. She clenched her eyes shut and tried to fight the pain, but she was losing control of her mind as the agony took over. Looking at her wings, she knew she wouldn’t be able to fly again, if she survived.

Outside, the entity raised its hand again and squeezed its fist. Lailah was elevated by her neck once more and tossed through another window. Her clothing was scorched and all but burned away, her skin was badly scarred, and her wings were completely crippled. She landed on the beach away from the burning house.

Steam poured off her skin and the agony was destroying her mental stability. She trembled as her memories and reason gave way to madness. She rolled on her back as the remains of her clothing disintegrated.

The entity slowly made its way down to her to avoid being seen by the crowd of people coming out to fight the flame. Lailah saw it coming and didn’t even bother to try to cover herself. Her mind was almost gone and she barely even knew who she was.

The creature looked down at her, “You are now powerless and no one is coming to save you. There is no escape, tell us what we want to know and we’ll grant you a quick death!”

Lailah breathed in as deeply as she could, but refused to speak. Even in her state, she was not about to give the creature any satasfaction. The entity saw this and nodded, “We understand… despite the fate which lies ahead of you, you still protect such pitiful creatures. We admit that we did not think his servants had such iron.”

From her hands and knees, Lailah looked up at the entity with a defiant yet fearful look in her eyes. Her mind was scrambled and she had a hard time just putting words together, “Wh… what you go… do with me?”

The entity laughed at her broken speech, “Nothing I can do to you would compare to the horror that awaits you at the hands of these creatures… or your own mind. We are going to leave you here for them to find. What happens to you will be up to them.”

Lailah gasped as the entity turned away from her. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the cold sand as her sight left her. The rain and the damp ground were her only comfort as she waited for death. The imp that had accompanied the entity landed nearby, “I live to serve you my lord!”

The entity clenched its fist, barely paying attention to the small creature, “Where did they take the child?”

“I don’t know my lord.” The Imp responded nervously. “The humans appear to have been protected from our site, we couldn’t track them.”

The entity clenched its fists as it turned away, “It would appear that even in her weakened state, the angel’s powers were more than enough to help them evade you… you’ve failed us yet again… We want you and your minions to begin searching everywhere! Search for a lifetime if you have to, but we want that child found! Fail, and it will be your last!”

The imp bowed, “My life is to server you, Legion.”

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 16, 2019 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Jim

I know… I know, I’m not supposed to like Episode 1… well I do, so deal with it.

When to Listen: This is some of the best fight music I’ve ever heard. Seriously, use this when writing a climactic combat scene.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 15, 2019 + Book, Characters, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Character Interviews: Qira

by Jim

Host: Hello everyone and welcome back to character interviews! Today we’ve got a very special guest with us! Straight out of Jefferson County, Idaho. Please give a warm welcome to the leading lady of her own recently-published story, Drakin: The Orphans of Haven. Qira, it is an absolute pleasure to have you with us.

Qira: Thanks for having me… it’s nice to have a break from the wastelands.

Host: Wastelands? In Idaho?

Qira: Yes… it’s all that remains of the civilization there now that the Red War is over.

Host: Yes, we actually had Raiya as a guest on here a while back. She was quite the fiery one. I heard she’s now considered the ‘Hero of the Red War’.

Qira: She may have ended the war… but I have a feeling that her actions may have only postponed the inevitable.

Host: Oh? What do you mean?

Qira: Don’t you see it? Haven’t you been outside recently?

Host: Well… that’s a little complicated. Let’s pretend I’ve been living on another planet. Humor me, okay?

Qira: (sigh) Dragons are hunted throughout the land. We’re taken from our homes, our caves, and where ever else we try to nest. We’re then sent to a barren wasteland set up for us on the Western Coast of what used to be known as the United States. Dragons are not allowed to be among regular people. It’s called the Exclusion Zone.

Host: Why not?

Qira: They say it’s for our own protection… that because of the bad feelings from the war, we’d likely have to deal with mob justice. I’m starting to wonder if it was a good idea for any of us to remain on Earth after the war ended.

Host: So why did you decide to stick around?

Qira: I was born here. I don’t know our old homeworld. However, many dragons asked to stay because they were weary of constant violence and war. We just wanted to live peacefully.

Host: So what is life like for you in the Exclusion Zone?

Qira: I’ve never actually been there, but I’ve heard stories. It’s a wasteland where very little grows. Dragons have a hard time feeding themselves and constantly find themselves at odds with the canbans that have made the area their home.

Host: Canbans?

Qira: Feral humans. People who have either lost their minds and turned wild. They’re often religious fanatics and have taken to engaging in cannibalism.

Host: Goodness… but you say you’ve never been there?

Qira: No, my family went far north to get away from the war. We were pacifists. We didn’t want to exterminate humanity. We thought we could share the planet, but Eutherys wanted nothing of it. After the war ended, we slowly made our way back down through Canada to the Western Coalition Territory. Within a few years, the Western Coalition expanded its territory and invaded my home. My father and I fled and… well… we got separated. I’ve spent the last year looking for him.

Host: The last year? What do you think happened to him?

Qira: I… I think he’s dead.

Host: Oh no, are you sure?

Qira: (Sobbing) He would have found me by now. If he was still out there, he would have found me.

Host: He may just be lost, or maybe he went to the Exclusion Zone?

Qira: No… he would have found a way to break out. I’ve heard rumors of what happens when dragons are captured outside of their designated areas. Often they’re just put back, but…

Host: What is it?

Qira: Let’s just say that a lot of the people working with the relocation division of internal security are Red War Veterans… and many of them are holding a grudge.

Host: I imagine that must be difficult.

Qira: I sleep in ruins, try to stay in the shadows during the day… Nearly get caught about once a week… I’m lucky if I get to eat every day.

Host: That’s awful.

Qira: It’s not different than what my people suffer in the Exclusion Zone.

Host: So when you leave here, what are you going to do?

Qira: I don’t know… I’m getting sick… I’m running out of energy. I’m going to try to take refuge somewhere… anywhere. Hopefully, I can find someone that’s willing to help me or at least give me a place to rest for a while.

Host: Well for what it’s worth, I have a feeling you’re going to find exactly what you’re hoping for, but we’ll see. Thank you for joining us today, Qira.

Qira: Thanks… it’s nice to have someone to talk to.

Host: That’s it for us, check out Qira’s story in her new book, Drakin: The Orphans of Haven. Here’s hoping Qira finds someone that can help her.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 15, 2019 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

Cover Creation?

by Jim

Hi Jim,

I just started reading Drakin. I have to admit, your cover designs are what drew me in. The first cover on Raiya is badass! I’m just curious how you come up with yours and where you go to get yours done. I’m just about ready to publish my book, but all I have available is the generic covers on places like createspace. Do you think I should use those or pay one of their people to create a cover for me?

Thanks,
LaToya

Hi LaToya

At the risk of sounding elitist, I would absolutely NEVER go with, what many in the industry refer to as ‘clip art covers’. Those generic covers have been used over and over again and are, IMHO very plain. You just stated that the cover of Drakin is what drew you in, so let me ask you this; would you have given the book a second glance if I’d gone with one of the covers you’re looking at? I highly doubt it.

The fact is, especially in this day and age, most people are visual learners. We take in more from what we see in pictures and video, and hear in audio, than what we read on paper. This is part of the reason why things like audio books are so popular now.

There is an old saying that goes ‘you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover’. To an extent, that’s true, but it’s also not true. The cover is the first thing someone is going to see. It’s going to be the first deciding factor as to whether or not they want to read further. If they don’t like what they see on the cover, chances are, they’re not going to read on.

Personally, I would find yourself a good artist/illustrator/graphic designer. Usually, a cover will run you between $300-$700. Trust me, it’s worth it. For my covers, I go with three people…

A Photographer: Rick Chandler

A model. (Multiple)

An artist: Brett Warniers

From there, I pick a character and/or a scene from my stories to have created into a cover and have the artist recreate it. Sometimes, I’ll even just tell the artist what my story is about and let them go nuts creating a cover that they think will work. I’ve actually gotten some really good results that way.

Long story short, a good cover is going to cost you a lot of time and money, but it’s worth it. I don’t think you’re ready to publish just yet, honestly. Find a good artist, and for the love of God, do not short change them. Be up front with whatever budgetary restrictions you have, most will work within a reasonable budget to create something great but pay them what they ask for.

Readers, what do you think? Would you ever go with a generic cover?

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 15, 2019 + Cartoon, fantasy, Movies, Science Fiction, Star Wars, TV, Uncategorized

Darth Vader, Shards of the Past

by Jim

Wanted to share this as I am a HUGE fan of the Star Wars Theory Channel! They do amazing stuff on there and are really high-level storytellers in their own right!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 15, 2019 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Jim

This is a nice low key song. I love the vocals and the harmony. Nothing else much to say about it… other than it’s somewhat unusual for Van Canto to use this much instrumentation.

When to Listen: Use this song to wind down. When you’re finishing up your writing or at the end of your story, this is the song to listen to.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 14, 2019 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

Linear Writing Rule?

by Jim

Hi Jim,

I was actually hoping you could help me out with a problem I was having. I’m currently writing a book that will be part of an established series. It’s been a pretty good run so far, but I’m worried because this next book actually takes place before the one I just published. I got this idea fairly late in the game, but want to include it. I’m just worried about publishing my books out of order. What should I do?

Thanks,
Randy

Hi Randy

Prequels and bridging stories are always tough. The hardest thing about them is creating an engaging story, despite people already knowing the outcome. In many cases, unless you’re writing a series where each novel surrounds a different cast in the same universe, I’d recommend avoiding it altogether. However, if you can find a way to tell a story within a story, you may have something there. My advice to you is to look at your story outline and then go back and read the other book. Is too much already revealed? Is everyone going to know what’s going on the moment they open the cover? If your answer is yes, you may want to consider abandoning it or releasing it as sort of a free addendum to the book you already have out. That one is really up to you.

However, if you think that you can make a good story out of the in-between years, then by all means, go for it. The space between one story and the next could easily be a story of its own. Don’t worry about writing out of order. Though it may be slightly confusing for some readers, I think most will pick up on what’s going on. There’s no rule saying that series have to be written in order… look at Lucasfilms!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

January 14, 2019 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Jim

The video is kind of… weird, but the song is awesome! I stumbled on this a few days ago and wanted to make sure to give it a shoutout as part of my playlist now!

When to Listen: This is a relationship building song. Use this when creating a connection between two characters.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim