For The Memory of Dragons
Dragons of Eternity, (Book 2)
By Julie Wetzel
This is a Crimson Tree Publishing Title
Release Date: August 31st, 2015
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction
What do you do when a dragon crash-lands in your backyard?
That's the question Terra's faced with when one of these creatures plows down into her cornfield. Should she help out the hunk of a man the dragon turns into, or turn him over to the trigger-happy 'authorities' that have come looking for him? The deciding factor—he has no memory. Giving him up just doesn't seem right… at least until she knows the truth of who he is.
Alex has forgotten a thing or two—his name being one of them—but he knows there is something important that he needs to remember, if he could just get his battered brain to work properly. A little rest might help, but there's no time for that when the bullets start flying.
Now he has to follow the few clues he has to discover who he is, and why people are trying to kill him. But that's the easy part. The hard part will be keeping his hands off the lovely lady helping him.
I started to try to get traditionally published, but I had two things working against me. I hadn’t had anything published before and my original manuscript was over one hundred and eighty thousand words long. That’s way too big for a debut novel.
I after my first six rejection letters, I tried to get an agent to represent me to some of the publishing companies that wouldn’t take unsolicited manuscripts, but still, the book was way too long, even after cutting out thirty thousand words.
Self-publishing my book didn’t sound like a path I wanted to try. I didn’t know the first thing about making a story into a presentable novel. I needed someone to help me on my way, so I started looking into the indie publishers. I got a lot of rejections from them too, but eventually I found someone that was willing to take a chance on my first novel. For that, I will always be grateful.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That I had a knack for storytelling. I have always loved fiction and had a vivid imagination, but English was never my strong subject. Stringing words together was hard for me as a kid. I was dyslexic and hated writing with a passion. But I guess things change as time goes on. I still can’t believe I’ve published a book, let alone eight.
Which of your characters are you most like? Least like?
This is a hard question. All of my characters have a little bit of me in them. Even the ones I don’t like. So to pick one that I am most like, I would have to say Terra from For the Memory of Dragons. She’s smart and willing to follow her heart when her head isn’t getting in the way. I like that about her and I can see that in myself.
Do you have a particular writing habit?
Not really. I have a space where I write most of my stuff, but that changes on what’s going on around me. I spend a lot of time drinking coffee, but, then again, I don’t need that to write. The one thing that I need is quite. If the TV is on in the other room or people are talking to me, I can’t concentrate on what I need to be doing.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Sherry Ficklin. She hasn’t really helped me in my writing, but she has lead me in the world of publishing. She’s been there when I had questions or needed encouragement. For that I am grateful.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Shamefully, I haven’t had a lot of time to read new stuff. I’ve been rather busy trying to get my next manuscripts together. There are a few new authors in under our publisher that I’ve been interested in checking out. So Shall I Reap by Kathy-Lynn Cross had been on my TBR list for a while now, but I haven’t found the time to get into it. Also, I love Greek mythology, so Jennifer Derrick’s Broken Fate sounds really good, but her book was just announced and won’t be out for a while yet. Maybe I can get my mess done in time to catch her book.
What is the hardest part of your writing?
Finding the time. Up until recently, getting everything done was my bane. My father-in-law, husband, and son always come first. Then there was my job. Have to make money to live. Then then there was everything else that you have to take care of. As the only girl in my home, I spend a lot of time taking care of the three men in my life. That didn’t leave enough time in the day for writing. So, I took the leap and quit my job so I could spend those hours being creative. It’s only been a few weeks, but that seems to be helping me find the time I need to get everything done.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
I have two words of advice for other writers. No matter how good you think your work is, find someone to critique it for you before you put it out there. You’re best asset in writing is being familiar with your world, but it can also be your bane. Sometimes you’re too familiar with how things are supposed to be to make it clear the readers. A beta reader will be about to point out the holes you can’t see. So listen to them. They are there to help.
Second, grow a really thick skin. Your story is a piece of your heart. And it’s hard to put that piece out there for everyone to see. There will be people that pick it apart and trash it. But a novel is art. Not everyone likes the same type of art. And what one person hates about it, another person may love. Yes, your work will be torn up, but you can’t let that bother you. Take it in stride and go on. It’s impossible to please everyone and it’s fruitless to try.
Describe yourself in three words.
Sharp, sarcastic, and eccentric.
I know characters are like children but if you could chose, who’s your favorite from your books?
Zak from the Kindling Flames series. Who doesn’t love a ball of tentacles with attitude?
Any song or songs that could basically sum up the overall mood of your writing?
I really don’t have a song list for my books. I started writing to give people an escape, so I try to keep them light-hearted and entertaining, so I tend to listen to a lot of upbeat music when I write. But to say those songs reflect my books, I’m not so sure. I’ll leave this one up to the readers.
Do you plot out your books or just freely write them and let the characters tell you what to do next?
It depends on the book. Sometimes I start with just a scene and let my characters lead, but that can get out of hand. Most of the time, I have a series of things I need to accomplish. I start the book and kind of herd the characters towards their goal recording what they do along the way. Sometimes they reach all of their milestones, sometimes the tangents they head off on are more interesting than what I had planned for them. It doesn’t matter as long as I get to my final destination in an entertaining way. So far I haven’t had a book that I’ve had to sit down and plot out.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider the biggest influence in your writing?
Ouch, making me chose. I’ve read thousands of books, I used to devour them when I was young. I could finish most books in less than six hours, so to say, so-and-so was my primary influence is impossible. But, since your making me pick, the only person that I could go with would be Hideyuki Kikuchi. He’s the author of the Vampire Hunter D novels. I love his take on the classic vampire. I personally love the character of D himself. So when I was building the world of Kindling Flames, Darien ended up with a little of that nobility built into his tragic backstory. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a little mystery in my characters.
What are your current projects? Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Currently I am focused on finishing the third book in the Dragons of Eternity series, For the Heart of Dragons. I was just given a deadline for the manuscript and a release date of Dec 7, so I have to get it done.
As for an except, I would love to share a bit of this with you. Please be advised that this is still a work in progress and may contain some errors.
“Free me. Save me!”
Noah nodded as he started to draw the power he would need to work the spell. He now knew what the mages had been trying to do. The spell they had been using was a poorly managed version of the one the dragon had just given him. Placing his hand over the wound in Raven’s chest, he poured the power out and chanted the words. He wasn’t quite sure what they were, for they were in a language older than most could remember, but he knew what the spell would do. The dragon had shown him.
As the words flowed from him, the air around them shimmered with energy. The power trapped in Raven’s lifeless body condensed and crystalized under Noah’s fingers. After a few moments of concentration, he held a mass of diamond shards the size of a baseball. He rolled the ball over, careful not to cut himself on the razor sharp edges. The center of the crystal pulsed with a reddish light. He knew what this was. A dragon heart.
Back in the days of old, dragon hearts were used to bond mates together. Unlike the sharing of a scale, a dragon heart wouldn’t just give the mate the life of the dragon. It gave them part of the powers of the dragon. A heart was formed and the bonded pair would use the crystal to divide the dragon’s power in half. But the spell was risky. If the human accepting the bond wasn’t strong enough in the mind, the dragon would take over and run rampant through the country. It also took a powerful dragon to withstanding being fractured. As time ran on and the dragons’ powers were divided, fewer and fewer dragons could stand the split. The art of sharing a scale came into practice and dragon hearts fell out of use and onto the pages of mythology. Noah knew of the archaic knowledge because he’d come across it in some old text while they were researching Michael’s situation, but it was only mentioned in passing. He’d found other references to dragon hearts scattered through several old vellum volumes. Warnings of the dangers of the practice, but nothing on how it was done.
Noah stared at the heart in awe. It was beautiful, but he didn’t know if it would remain so. How long could a dragon survive in this form? He pondered this for a moment, but Raven’s dying words echoed through his brain pushing him to act. Unwilling to take the chance of losing the dragon and he squeezed the gem, slicing the diamond points deep into his palm. Rolling his hand over he let his blood seep out on the heart. The power of the dragon raced up his arm, slamming into his brain. A mighty roar shook his world.
“Mine!” the dragon roared as it claimed its new home.
Noah fought for control over the beast, but the dragon’s rage gave it an unnatural strength. The desire to destroy everything that had hurt Raven coursed thought him. “No!” he cried out. Dropping the blood covered heart, he wrapped his arms around Raven’s body trying to hold onto himself, but the dragon was too strong. It ripped its way out of Noah’s body taking Noah for a ride. The leather collar around his neck forced the dragon into a size smaller then it was used to, but this size was more than enough to do what it wanted for the moment. Noah’s consciousness dropped away as the creature pounced on the body of the man that had killed Raven and started ripping it to shreds.
Thank you so much, Julie for stopping by and answering some questions!! It has been a lot of fun talking with you!!
Julie Wetzel is a mother of a hyperactive red headed boy, and what time she’s not chasing down dirty socks and unsticking toys from the ceiling she's crafting worlds readers can get lost it. Julie is a self-proclaimed bibliophile and lover of big words. She likes hiking, frogs, interesting earrings, and a plethora of other fun things.
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