Anyone familiar with Monterey, CA, and the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, is going to notice right away that I took some liberties with its design, exhibits, and policies. I tried to stay as accurate as I could, but since I am the author, I felt I could bend a few things to make it fit my needs. Plus, I have nearly 7 years of experience working in a zoo, both in maintenance and animal husbandry. It was fun to dust some of that knowledge off and introduce it into the books, but by all means, just know that this is all fiction. Yes, characters and experiences are based on people that I knew back from my zoo days, but in no way should it be inferred that these people are real. It’s all fiction.
The San Augustin is, in fact, a real ship, and it really did put in to port at Monterey waaayyy back in the day. And, it did sink and, at present, still hasn’t been located. Could it actually be somewhere near Monterey? Technically speaking, it was possible, only highly unlikely. I did mention in the book that the wreck was believed to be about 170 miles further north than I put it, but again, it’s all fiction, so I moved the wreck a wee bit closer. Plus, the actual years of the wreck is believed to be 1595, not 1735, so again, I took a few liberties. Please don’t be mad. :)
I hope you enjoyed the story! Zack and his friends will be back, but not before we explore the new world of Andela, and the dragons that reside there. What’s so special about them, you ask? Well, they’re going to learn that having a human rider can – and does – bring out the best in everyone! Let me give you a little taste on what’s to come.
The isolated kingdom of Andela is separated geographically by very distinctive climes. There are the ice plains in the west, green prairies to the east, and lava fields in the high north. The two dominant species of this land, dragons and humans, have lived together in relative peace for centuries. While mainly avoiding one another, the two species will sometimes seek each other out to the mutual benefit of both parties. A human who can bond with a dragon, or a ‘Kai’, can share the dragon’s abilities and even enhance it with their own magic. However, only a select few humans can perform magic, and for those that can’t, it can be expensive to purchase from the Mages. Therefore, there are only a very select few who are Kai. Compounding the problem is that only those dragons living in the same geographic region as the Kai are compatible with one another. A Kai living in the north cannot approach an ice dragon, and just as you’d suspect, an ice Kai cannot bond with a fire dragon. It’s the way things have been since time has been recorded.
However, things change, whether you want them to or not.
An unknown power is threatening to shatter the peace enjoyed by all Andellians. Something is weakening the magic holding the various pieces of Andela together: the Ice Plains are melting and the Lava Fields are cooling off. Desperate to stave off their imminent destruction, the human king and High Dragon secretly meet to decide what to do. In a land of magic and sorcery, it is decided only the Kai have a chance to defeat this new threat.
Meanwhile, Jerica, youngest daughter of a local blacksmith, suddenly learns she can bond with any dragon, regardless of location. Without realizing it, she incites a mad scramble among dragons to see who can lay claim to the young Kai first. Will Jerica and her newfound abilities be enough to overcome the danger her home is facing?
The Dragons of Andela series has been hatched, if you’ll pardon my pun. The first story, Harness the Fire, is due in the spring of 2020!
Finally, I’d like to ask a favor of anyone who has enjoyed the story. If you’d like to know what you can do to help out an indie author, such as myself, then it would have to be leaving a review. Believe it or not, all the book retailers use algorithms to study which books are trending, which are gaining positive reviews, and so forth. Every time you leave a review for a book, you help that author become more ‘visible’ in the eyes of the search algorithms. You know, something like… “If you like this, then may we recommend that?” Trust me, it really does help.
And lastly, if you’d like to be notified whenever I release a new book, whether it’s the latest Corgi Case Files adventure, or something new, like the new Dragons of Andela, you can sign up for my newsletter on my blog, located below, or use the link of the following page.
Happy reading!
J.
November, 2019
www.AuthorJMPoole.com