Melanie Nilles

A day late, but here’s another weekly snippet. The book is coming soon. It’s in the final stages of production. Keep watching here for updates.

Ah… The dragon sighed. Her sides expanded and contracted with a deep breath.
This one of prophetic intentions sought,
though Tyrkam knows of anything naught.

A sense of awe washed through Gaispar as she considered the matriarch’s statement. His magic I sense from her, a power greater than any other but the immortal ones. She is safe now with the Sh’lahmar, I suppose.

A low rumble rose from the depths of the dragon’s throat, passing through her body in a thoughtful “Hmm” of displeasure.
Of this that is and may yet come,
shall all lead the chosen one.
In good hands, I doubt not,
but far from harm and danger fraught.
We must her steps to that day guide,
when his spirit will abide.

Gaispar nodded, wishing the time of the return of the white dragon would come soon. Though the faeries had granted her immortality to serve the dragon’s return, they had done so to save her from death. At the time she had wished to live, but now she longed for a rest. She understood Makleor’s discomfort. When?

A deep sigh rumbled from Jêrafînas. Wisps of smoke curled from her nostrils.
Your question is at best quite bold
but never in the future told.
The lives of men have past and gone,
their futures lost and sometimes won.
Patience is the truest test.
He will choose his time, which time is best.

Stay tuned for updates on publication of Dragon Prophecy and the rest of the Legend of the White Dragon series.

And coming soon–snippets from Dark Angel.

For more about the writing life, visit my other blog at starlet97.livejournal.com.

With the upcoming release of Dragon Prophecy, I’ve been pondering the question of why I like dragons. I’ve seen fans of other books about dragons post things like “They’re cool!” or “They can breathe fire?” But I’ve never really considered how I would explain if asked why I like dragons.

I must admit that dragons are cool. What other creature of the imagination is so unique with enough interpretations across the globe that almost anything is acceptable? Not all dragons breathe fire, but it is an interesting ability. What makes dragons cool, though?

That’s what requires more thought. Dragons are mighty beasts with a varying degree of intelligence, ability, and/or magic. They can be anything we want them to be. They are not limited to what we know.

As I delve further into finding a reason why I like dragons, I wonder why I like horses. I love horses because they are noble and beautiful, graceful, and sincere. A horse will never lie about what he feels. He’s a powerful animal with feelings, likes and dislikes, but willing to learn and to accept non-equines (us) into his herd. He’s far stronger than a human, but is willing to trust and accept the leadership of the human and do things that go against his instincts as a creature of prey. Personally, horses give me something that nothing else can, and riding on the back of half a tone of muscle and sinew to direct all that energy into whatever shape I desire fulfills me and sets me free. It’s real magic.

So, how does that relate to my interest in dragons? Let’s see…Dragons are big, intelligent predators, but in my world, most have no intention of hurting humans. They’re big, noble, scary, and magical. Something in that combination fits, and I can see how controlling (writing about) a creature so big and frightening to harness it’s power into the magic of the imagination is fulfilling. It is a different type of magic.

Horses fascinate us because of their fight or flight nature as a prey beast, which they are willing to overcome to serve. Dragons, however, fascinate us because they are dangerous and beautiful at the same time. They can be creatures of our nightmares or be the beast in which the beauty lies within. They are mysterious because we don’t know which they are. That mystery and the idea of a creature that magnificent having any number of abilities piques the imagination.

It’s that never ending allure of the imagination, the limitless scope we can apply to these mythological creatures made real in fiction, that holds the key to my interest.

For your reading pleasure, a taste of what’s to come:

“A lady, as you warned.” She sighed and looked out over the valley. “I must again prove myself or risk the life I ran from. The daughter of Kaillen was not meant to stay locked within walls.”

When she looked up at him, he met her eyes and swallowed. He could fight demons and dragons but could not face the truth before him.

“A more worthy truth I’ve not heard.” Such a truth had drawn him to her in the first place and kept him at her side for this long.

She smiled and patted his chest. “You know me too well.”

“Admire is more like it.”

Calli quickly looked away without a reply. Seeing how the compliment affected her, he took the opportunity to put his hand on her shoulder in support.

“Thank you, Jayson, for all you’ve done.” When she laid her head against his shoulder, he smiled and wrapped his arms around her. The warmth of her body calmed the worries at the back of his mind.

“Stay here,” she whispered.

He buried his face in her soft locks, unsure what to say. She had read him too well.

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Visit my website for more about Dragon Prophecy, including downloads of both appendices and character interviews (available under the Series section).

The object is simple. Read this post: http://starlet97.livejournal.com/34919.html to see what one of my WIPs is about and come up with some titles. The person whose title is picked as the title for the novel in progress will win a free, autographed copy of Dark Angel. When the novel is sold to a publisher, I’ll send a copy of that one as well.

How much better is that? Two novels for nothing! Just come up with a good title I like and you’ll get free books

Reply in comments here or on my LJ.

Looking forward to seeing some good suggestions!

Read about it over at Fangs, Fur, and Fey here:

http://community.livejournal.com/fangs_fur_fey/339565.html

I’m not sure I’ve posted about it here, but if your curious about where I set Dark Angel and why, jump on over and check it out

As promised, here’s a short snippet from Dragon Prophecy…

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“No!” Darius fought the last man off him, leaving him groaning on the ground with the other two who had held him a moment ago. “Leave her alone!”

The leader signaled two more men to attack.

Magic burned inside Istaria. She recognized its build up and fought to keep it contained. Not now, she begged.

With her emotions scattered from the attack, she lost control of the power. It burst forth from her, sending the men holding her thudding into the nearest trees.

The others gasped, not daring a step toward her. Their eyes widened, their faces illuminated in a faint light.

She stood trembling from the surge of power and looked up to the ghostly figure looming over her.

Darius took the opportunity to act, subduing the soldiers before they could flee.

Alone and staring into the eyes of a monstrous white dragon, the leader of the group ran off into the woods.

Istaria’s legs weakened with the fading of the power inside her.
Darius reached her before her knees buckled. “My lady!”
She looked up to the blue eyes of the dragon gazing down on her and could have sworn he smiled. The flow of emotions from the dragon spirit warmed her.

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Stay tuned for weekly snippets from Dragon Prophecy, coming soon from Mundania Press. For more, check out the series at http://melanienilles.com/books/series.htm .

Here we are with one final installment of the appendices you’ll find included in Dragon Prophecy, the first book of Legend of the White Dragon. I’ve posted about the dragons and the Red Clan. This week we have the Drakin, the last type of dragon introduced in the series, although as those of you who have read the character interviews are aware, they aren’t really dragons. I’ll leave you to read below, but remember that this is copyrighted information and any use must be credited to the author, Melanie Nilles. Please link back to my website if you post any portion, melanienilles.com. Thank you!

Drakin (Drake Kin)

The drakin are not dragons but winged reptiles. They reside in what is known as the Second Realm, or Eyr Droc by the dragons residing there, to escape the Second Race of humans when they turned on them. That is the place of the drakins’ origination.

Drakin earned their name because of their similarity to dragons, or more accurately, the Red Clan. They look like they could be drake kin, thus the source of their name for their kind. They have two hind limbs, long tails, and wings but no separate forelimbs and are all a shade of green that allows them to hide among the foliage of trees. Their scales are like those of reptiles, however, and almost more of a heavy skin.

That is where the similarity ends. Where Dragons have sharp, tearing teeth for ripping meat, Drakin have jaws full of flat, grinding teeth. Drakin primarily eat insects and berries but also enjoy occasional soft fruits. They also are not very intelligent and have a short lifespan of only about thirty years.

Drakin have none of the cares of the dragons. They would rather play all day, chasing each other through intricate acrobatics.

Ever since the Unnamed Majera gave them the ability of mindspeech, their only magical skill, they enjoy speaking. They can, however, talk nonstop for hours, which is likely because drakin easily get sidetracked when telling stories. Those who know them have learned that they must interrupt a drakin in order to keep it on the same subject.

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What’s next?  I’ve posted Appendix A: Basics of Gairdra and Appendix B: Dragons and interviews with more than two dozen characters.  How about weekly snippets from Dragon Prophecy?  Or is there a better suggestion?  email me!

After some reformatting, I’ve added some info to Appendix A of Dragon Prophecy.  For those interested, you can download it here.  You’re getting a sneak peak of more world history, more facts that will aid in understanding some of the terms and the world a little better.

And don’t forget to buy Dragon Prophecy in a few weeks!

Dear Readers, apparently there is some push to do away with the Reading Is Fundamental program.  As a writer, mother, and daycare provider, I MUST protest.  If you like books, show your support.  It’s easy and quick.  Follow this link–http://capwiz.com/rif/home/ –and fill in a few blanks.  They’ll do the rest.

RIF is a program encouraging kids to read.  It’s already proven that young people read fewer books than previous generations.  Reading comprehension is important, and that takes practice.  Practice means reading, for enjoyment, for information, and for FUN.  This program promotes literacy.  Please show your support.

Another week, another post. Today we have the section of Appendix B: Dragons about the infamous Red Clan from the Legend of the White Dragon series, and image on the cover of Dragon Prophecy.

Please remember that this is copyrighted material and any use must be credited to the author, Melanie Nilles. Please link back to my website if you post any portion, melanienilles.com. Thank you! Now, on with the show…

Dragons of Darkness:

The Red Clan

The dragons known as the Red Clan are related to the firedrakes and are also classified as firedrakes but are not usually referred to by that name.

The Red Clan was created by the Darklord. He commanded his demons to steal eight eggs from the firedrakes. He then took the eggs and immersed them in the dark forces, which mutated the embryos inside. They hatched red, and forelimbs that were separate from the wings on the Dragons of Light, or true dragons, had merged with the wings so that a three-fingered claw appeared on the fore of the wings. The only separate limbs are the hind limbs, which had grown thicker in the mutation.

Because the true dragons consider the Red Clan an abomination, they are not called “dragons” by anyone except their master and his minions. Others refer to them as the Red Clan or as wyverns, which is a slur they will not tolerate.

The Red Clan are as immortal as the true dragons. However, the Darklord took away a level of intelligence and lessened their magic. Fearing the possibility that the Red Clan would not stay loyal to him, he wished to ensure that they could not overpower him as the true dragons had shown they could do in several confrontations.

The Red Clan mature faster than true dragons but reach a peak size around fifteen to seventeen years of age that is smaller than the true dragons. By two years of age, they can take down a horse with ease. By twelve years, they can breed, although only one female breeds. That female becomes known as the queen. Normally the queen lays a clutch of eggs once every eight to twelve moon cycles. Eggs in a clutch usually number five to eight.

Due to the violent nature of the Red Clan and the status of the queen, competition is fierce among breeding females for dominance. While the other females settle to serving their queen, occasional fights will arise when one wishes to challenge the current queen.

Most of the Red Clan are female. Males are rare and usually for breeding purposes only.

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Next week, come back for the segment on the drakin, those fun-loving little reptiles featured in the interview with Jaren.

This information is also available in a PDF file with updates posted with each informational blog post. This is from Appendix B for Dragon Prophecy (Mundania Press, March 2008). To learn more, you can read the opening chapters, download a PDF of all the character interviews posted to my blog, and download Appendix A from Dragon Prophecy. Thank you for reading!