The Dragon and the Girl, Book 2
Middle School Grade Fantasy
Date Published: November 14, 2023
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Dire news arrives from Cantington. Rumors of dragon sightings are stirring up fears based on old stories that depict dragons as blood-thirsty, fire-breathing monsters. To protect his people, the Overking decrees that all dragons must die.
Twelve-year-old Eliana knows the truth about dragons. After all, her best friend, Winston, is one! Fresh off an adventure where she saved her kingdom using her ability to communicate with Winston’s family, she is now excited to hone her skills through her Dragon Speaker apprenticeship. That is until she begins having a recurring nightmare of a scar-faced soldier, a poison-tipped spear, and an orb that glows in the dark. What’s even more worrisome is that Winston is having the same nightmare.
When they hear of the Overking’s decree, they realize their dreams may not be a coincidence. Eliana must quickly learn how to use her ability to understand dragons to help new friends–and old–solve a mystery about an ancient treasure and save the dragons from certain death. Along the way, there are lessons to be learned about the dangerous desire for fame, about the transitory nature of plans, and about how treasure can mean different things to different people…and dragons.
Interview with Laura Findley Evans
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I’ve been story teller my whole life, starting with a story I wrote in 1st grade about a man named Brill who flew to the moon. Since then I’ve written numerous short stories, several of which were published. My foray into novel writing came later. I’ve written two books now about an adventurous young girl and an impossible dragon. I am currently writing Book 2 of the series, The Dragon and the Girl.
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
Book 3 will continue with the story of Eliana and her dragon friend Winston. One of the characters who showed up in Book 2 has captured the imagination of alpha and beta readers will play a special role in Book 3. A new character, as yet only a foggy figment of this author’s subconscious, will also play a major role.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
So, far I am focusing on what seems at this point to be a trilogy, but who knows? I don’t know YET! 😊
How did you come up with the title for your book?
The title of the first book in the series is True North, highlighting one of the main themes of the book: that everyone needs to seek true north and not get distracted by what seems important, but isn’t necessarily. The second book, True Treasure, highlights the idea that treasure isn’t necessarily things like wealth or fame, and that each person should search for his or her own true treasure.
How long did it take you to write this book?
From beginning to sending the book off to the world took approximately two years.
What did you learn when writing the book?
I learned that I am capable of writing novels, in addition to short stories.
What surprised you the most?
I have been surprised and grateful at how well received True North has been since publication two years ago. And already True Treasure is getting a lot of attention.
Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?
No. My target audience is 8-12 year old who would be devastated by a death of one of the main characters. I want them to be a little worried at times, but no one dies.
What do you do to get inside your character’s heads?
When a character first shows up, I just write and let them tell me what they are thinking, what worries them, what they think they want to be happy.
About the Author
Laura Findley Evans is the author of True North, Book 1 of The Dragon and the Girl series. It all started when her grandchildren said one night (when they were supposed to be sleeping), “Tell us a story.” And so the adventures of a feisty young girl and an impossible dragon began. Laura would like you to know that whatever she writes must be true, whether it is real or not. She hopes you will discover the truth in whatever she writes. When she’s not writing, Laura reads (a lot), cooks (mostly) healthy dinners, and spends time with people she loves. You can visit her at www.LauraFindleyEvans.com.
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1 comments:
I really like the cover art. Looks amazing.
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