By Lyndi Lamont (Guest Blogger)
I love dragon shifter stories and
wanted to write one, but for a long time, I didn’t have a story
idea. One night, my last thought before fall asleep was that I wanted
to write a dragon shifter story someday. That night I had a vivid
dream about a young woman running away from a lightning storm. She
found shelter in a cave where a dragon guarded its lair.
For a week, I mulled over possibilities
about turning the dream into a story. Then I had a sleepless night.
As I lay in bed in the middle of the night, trying in vain to asleep,
the story started coming to me. I knew I had to get it down, so I got
out of bed at 4AM, went into the living room, grabbed a yellow pad
and started writing. (When I tell this story to non-writers, they
look at me like I’ve lost my mind, but other writers understand.)
When I was done writing, I had the
outline for what became Tova's Dragon. The muse had gifted me
with a Norse-style legend about a young woman who was descended from
Thor and could channel lightning, if she could just get over her fear
of the power. More urgently, she had the power to save the kingdom,
but needed the help of Kane, the last dragon lord in Velosia. My
creative brain had been metaphorically struck by lightning.
But I still didn’t know much about
dragons, so it was time to delve into the research books. I learned
that most Western dragon lore is of the “dragons are dangerous, be
very, very afraid” variety. Since I write romance, not horror, I
didn’t find most of the information particularly helpful. So I
turned to Chinese dragon lore, which has a more benign view of
dragons. After all, the Chinese emperors were supposedly descended
from dragons! I discovered that the soul of a Chinese dragon is kept
safe in a pearl, a notion that plays an important part in the dark
moment of the story.
I was so enthused by the story I might
have gone a little overboard. For inspiration, I went to the local
New Age store and bought myself a dragon figurine. Isn’t he cute?
I picked up a copy of the delightful Celtic Dragon Tarot deck and
book. I love tarot cards and often find them useful for creative
work. I also read Dancing with Dragons: Invoke Their AgelessWisdom and Power
by D.J. Conway, a New Age /
Occult Magic book that proved helpful.I did not, however, actually try to conjure up a dragon elemental! Some things shouldn’t be tried at home.
Tova's Dragon
by Lyndi Lamont
Amber Quill Press
Genres: Fantasy / Shapeshifter / Fairy
Tales / Witchcraft / Magic
Heat Level: 3
Length: Novella (20k words)
Tova, an earth mage, rejuvenates
through sex magic. She's on a mission to save her homeland, but her
magical energy is running low--closing in on empty. How is she to
know the handsome half-naked man she encounters is not only a
condemned man, but also a dragonshifter? Talk about hot and steamy
sex. And nothing is simple after that...
Kane has always loved Velosian women
and their sex magic. Tova's warmth stirs his passions and her courage
touches his heart, but he dreads telling her of his true nature,
certain she will recoil. But Tova is made of sterner stuff.
Together, Kane and Tova have the power
to save Velosia. If they survive, can an earth mage find happiness
with a dragonshifter? In a land where sex and magic are intertwined,
anything may be possible.
Excerpt
Tova awoke to find herself on a soft
bed wrapped in the embrace of a very hot, very aroused man. She
opened her eyes and looked around the dimly lit chamber. “Where am
I?”
“In my cave. You fell and hit your
head.”
She squirmed around to stare at the
man, and it all came back to her—the climb up the mountain, the
lightning storm, being guided to the cave, and falling in the tunnel.
“Your cave,” she repeated. “And you are?”
“I am Kane.”
Why did his name sound so familiar? She
studied the face just inches from her own. He was older than she,
perhaps in his third decade. Long black hair hung down to his
shoulders and his eyes were a warm shade of amber under straight
black brows. Her gaze dropped to sensual lips above a cleft chin. He
was handsome as sin and naked to the waist. A shiver traveled up her
spine and her heartbeat increased.
Around his neck he wore a heavy gold
chain with a large, luminous pearl dangling from it. When she reached
out to touch the pearl, she sensed power radiating from it, from him.
“It was you who guided me to the cave, was it not? I thank you.”
“It was my pleasure, daughter of
earth.”
She smiled at the apt nickname. “I am
called Tova Svensdottir.”
“How are you feeling, Mistress Tova?”
She assessed the situation. Though she
was warmer, her head still hurt and her energy was depleted.
Self-healing would take a long time in this state. “Weak, a feeling
I can ill afford.”
“Where were you headed in such a
hurry?” he asked, his voice casual. “What on earth brought you to
my mountain?”
She hesitated, not certain whether or
not to trust him. Mutti Zee’s instructions echoed in her head. “I
seek the Lord of Drakkenberg.”
Kane raised his brows. “You have come
to the right place, though the old lord is dead.”
Suddenly, she realized who he was and
scooted away from him. ’Twas just her luck to be rescued by the
most feared outlaw in the land. “Please do not hurt me, Kane of
Drakkenberg.”
With a sigh, he rose from the bed, clad
only in his breeches and hose. “I would never hurt you, Lady Tova.
I am not the monster legend depicts me. Well, not entirely.”
About the Author
Lyndi Lamont is the racy alter ego of
author Linda McLaughlin, who writes historical and Regency Romance.
Since becoming Lyndi Lamont, she has discovered that writing sexy
romance is a license to be naughty, at least between the pages of a
book.
Find her online at:
Website: http://lindalyndi.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/LyndiLamont
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/LyndiLamont
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
Thanks for hosting me today, Lisabet!
What’s your favorite kind of
paranormal hero? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a $5.00
Starbucks e-gift card. And this month, check out my October
Paranormal Blogfest for a chance to win a Halloween-themed gift
basket at http://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/.
4 comments:
Welcome to Beyond Romance, Lyndi!
I love the story of this book's birth. I've had a few tales that originated in dreams myself.
Good luck with Tova's Dragon!
Lisabet, thanks for having me today. Wish I could dream some more stories, though.
Oooh I love the variety of heroes out there, but wolf & dragon shifters are an all time fav for me! I believe I have a copy of Tova's Dragon on my NOOK... Thanks for sharing & Happy Fall!
greenshamrock AT cox DOT net
I love wolf and dragon shifters, too, Colleen. Thanks so much for dropping by to comment.
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