Dragons. That is all.

Dear friends,

Do you enjoy urban fantasy and paranormal thrillers, but are you tired of sparkling vampires and brainless, co-dependent heroines? Do you love dragons? I mean, really love dragons? Possibly in a borderline dangerous way that you aren't really comfortable discussing with strangers? Please allow me to introduce you to Garrett Terago and Megan Crunk: your new favorite hero and heroine.

The Shadow of Tiamat

"The author not only gave us strong and resourceful characters that were both smart and funny, but the storyline as well ebbed and flowed to keep the reader involved and entangled throughout...and its twist ending left me wanting the next installment right away!" "4 1/2 Tombstones out of 5!" -- Bitten By Books Reviews

From the book: On a dark Ozark highway, two souls meet in tragedy and find their lives are connected to things bigger than them both.... Megan Crunk, a social worker from Joplin, uncovers vampires preying on a small community. That same day, she meets Garrett, a fascinating stranger who is clearly more than he seems.But, as Meg slowly learns, so is she.

Garrett Terago is an ancient dragon, until now, content with the secluded Ozark mountains, disguised as a human, but rarely paying them any heed... until he meets Megan. He offers her love and protection from the vampires. But can he keep her safe from his own kind? War looms between the dragons. Some long for a time lost to prehistory, when they were worshiped as gods, masters of the world. Somehow, Garrett is instrumental to their plans, and Megan is their way.

Paperback from Amazon: http://amzn.to/tiamat-ppb
Paperback from B&N: http://bit.ly/voMy5Z
Kindle from Amazon: http://amzn.to/tiamat-kindle
Nook from B&N: http://bit.ly/tiamat-nook
Other ebook formats: http://bit.ly/utxfuB
Paperback from Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/rMQ7fi
Paperback from Powell's Books : http://bit.ly/uRJbpK
Paperback/ebook from Indiebound: http://bit.ly/vwKpcP

What readers are saying:

"I am so excited to have finally found what I crave. Dragons, vampires, and more... without sparkling skin or a character list filled with teeny-boppers. I love that I was able to finally indulge in something a little (OK a lot) more adult without sacrificing content." 5 stars -- Amazon Reviewer Sagebrush Dragon

"Fantastic!!! I was completly blown away.Intense imagery and a compelling plot has put this high on my must read list. I can't wait to see what Sean Poindexter comes up with next. Do yourself a favor and buy this book today!!!" 5 stars -- Goodreads Author and Reviewer Brian D Anderson, author of The Godling Chronicles: The Sword of Truth.

"The Shadow of Tiamat is one of the most original pieces of work I have read in awhile.With the way most books are now, I expected a generic, already been done, revamped story of dragons. Nope, this book provides a truly one of a kind take on these beings. The only thing better than the characters in this story is the action that takes place. I found it very difficult to pick a favorite part in this story. I'm waiting in anticipation for the next one. Come on Book 2!!!! I'm so excited!!!" 5 stars -- Amazon Reviewer stardustgalaxy

"The Shadow of Tiamat is the book of the year. Once I started reading it I could not put it down!" 5 stars -- Barnes and Noble reviewer Jacihalloween

Pastor Jones: Please Burn My Book!

Please! I need this!

For those of you who don't know, Pastor Terry Jones is the raving lunatic in Florida who earned far more attention that he was due by threatening to hold a public Koran burning. His church has 50 members or something, but SOMEHOW this guy got on the news and garnered the attention of some of the most powerful people in the world. Apparently, Jones thought the best way to show America-hating Islamists who burn our flag and effigies of our leaders that America is morally superior is to burn something they care about: a Koran. Not the flag of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan or an effigy of Osama Bin Laden--a Koran. This is the political equivalent to reacting to your girlfriend's infidelity by shooting her dog.

Whatever. I don't agree with Islam, but it is possible to disagree with something without lighting it on fire. I'm not here to explain why this is a stupid idea. I'm here to implore Pastor Jones to burn my book.

No, it's not out yet. I'm not even signed to a publisher. However, I am confident that if Pastor Jones PROMISES he will burn my book shortly after it's release, it won't take long for a publisher to contact my agent and make a substantial offer. Why? Because this would be great publicity. EVERYONE would be talking about my book. Newt Gingrich would weigh in on whether burning my book was a good idea. Sarah Palin would mispronounce my name. President Obama would implore Pastor Jones to not do this, citing something about the freedom of speech or whatever. I don't know if General Petreaus would get involved, but who knows...there might be some tactical loss to be had by a fifty-person cult of wackos dumping hardback copies of The Shadow of Tiamat on a bonfire.

Why would Pastor Jones want to burn my book? SO many reasons! I'll attempt to enumerate them without giving much away. First of all, it's about dragons. And, unlike the dragons Pastor Jones probably believes in, these dragons aren't minions of Satan. I'm portraying dragons inaccurately and therefore my book is an agent of evil propaganda...or eviloganda as I'm going to pretend it's called. So, that right there should be enough. My book represents the devil or something. You work it out, Pastor. I'm not going to tell you how to do your job. If that isn't enough, there is sex in the book. Premarital sex. Not a whole bunch, but enough that I've asked my mother not to read the book. And it's really in there, too...it doesn't fade to black with them kissing and then, "The next morning, Meg couldn't walk.." No, sir: you know EXACTLY why Meg can't walk the next morning. And since Meg is a human and Garrett is a dragon, I guess that qualifies as some form of sexual perversion (though he is in human form at the time) and I'm sure you REALLY hate that.

Would that be beastiality? A human woman and a dragon man...and for which? The dragons are much smarter than humans so, technically, to them we're just clever animals. Spin it however you want...I'm sure you'll piece something together, Pastor Jones.

If that isn't enough to make you hate my book and all it stands for, let me go on: there is also an openly gay character, an inter-racial couple (besides the dragon+human...Yvonne's boyfriend Monroe is black), two girls kissing a little, women with tattoos, graphic violence and vampires. However, the vampires in my books don't sparkle: they kill children. What do you want? They're monsters!

Oh! OH! There is more! The title of the book references a pagan deity! Though the dragons don't worship her as a goddess, ancient humans certainly did. Or, at the very least they saw her as divine. So, there you go: my books are encouraging children to worship a pagan goddess. That alone should be sufficient for a book burning...but wait! Do you know who used to believe in Tiamat? The Sumerians! You know where they lived? Yup! THE MIDDLE EAST!!! This can't be a coincidence. I mean, it IS a coincidence...but it doesn't have to look like a coincidence! Drag a piece of chalk from Tiamat to Islam somehow! DO IT! Come on, you're a creative guy, Pastor Jones! You wrote a fantasy novel, too! I have faith in your hate and creativity.

This works for both of us, Pastor Jones. You get to unite your followers around something they all hate: my smutty, violent, dragon-and-evil filled urban fantasy/horror novel, and I get freakin' richer than Liberace. Hell, if this thing gets made into a movie, I will REIMBURSE you and your followers for every copy of the book you bought so you could burn it--with a receipt. So you have nothing to lose and I have everything to gain.

Please...PLEASE burn my book.

Please.

A Little Taste of Dragons Fighting...

There are still some of you who haven't yet read the excerpt from my first novel: The Shadow of Tiamat. I'm not going to get mad at you, though. You're all very busy. Or, maybe you aren't sure you'll like it. Also, the excerpt is pretty long. Most authors and publishers only give you a few paragraphs. I slapped down the first six chapters. A lot of you have appreciated that, but I'm sure there are many who found it daunting. I don't blame you: I'd be reluctant to read six chapters from a book I wasn't really sure was going to be that good, too.

As a new, unpublished author it is my job to convince you to take a look. That means some very aggressive (and possibly annoying) self-promotion. I used to be embarrassed by it, but I'm so over that now. So, here we go...

When I started writing the first novel, I had no idea I was writing something good. I mean, I figured it wouldn't suck, but I never imagined I might be creating something that could have mass appeal. I expected to self-publish or land a small, ebook publisher and sell a few hundred copies to friends and family. The first person to actually read the book all the way through was a young friend of mine. She is not an avid reader, or even a fan of fantasy or dragons. She is also very, very busy and has a high-stress job...which meant that her down time is precious. I expected she'd read a few chapters and then tell me it was "interesting" but that she was too busy to read the whole thing and give it back. She read the entire book in two days. I should also point out that this was an early draft of the book. It was riddled with typos, spelling errors, awkward usage and even a couple of logical inconsistencies that were later cleared up. She loved it. Still loves it. Her reaction was what convinced me that I had something special here, something that could be big. At the very least, it was something I could make a living doing, and enjoy. 

So, here is the deal. I can talk about how great the book is all day. I could tell you that my beta reader group is unanimous in their love of the book and the series. I could tell you how many of them read the whole damn manuscript (over 110,000 words) in like one night--hint: most of them. I could also mention the actors, writers, producers and musicians who have read at least part of the book (if not all) and loved it. Or, I could mention the 9+ publishers who have requested partial and/or full manuscripts from my tireless agents. I might also bring up that it's in a genre that is about to explode, thanks in no small part to the smashing success of The Passage.

But I won't...that would just be insufferable of me.

Instead, I'm going to give you a little taste of what you might be missing.

The following is the third chapter of my novel, The Shadow of Tiamat. It is the first in The Dragon's Blood Chronicles, of which I have written five, not including a spin-off series of paranormal mysteries starring one of the more endearing characters from the first two books. A lot of the feedback on the book is praise regarding the elaborate but easy-to-follow battles between the dragons, even from people who don't even like fantasy--or dragons. This is a pleasant surprise, but it makes sense: few things are more bad-ass than dragons beating the hell out of other things and/or each other. This is not a very long chapter, and it contains several key characters for the series.

Enough of the self-promotion...now it is time for me to prove to you that my book will be worth reading. I give you dragons fighting dragons:

*    *    *

Three stood in silence in the East African desert: two men and a woman. The night was black under the moonless sky, but they saw clearer than any human eyes could have on the brightest day.

The female broke the silence, “Do you think she will come?” Yomiko stood a few inches from Yor, the only other Asian there. His silence implied impatience. He was her brother and she expected his support.

“She will come,” said the bald man standing several meters away. He continued gazing at the horizon.

His accent was English, maybe Australian. Whatever it was, Yomiko despised the way he talked…not the accent, the words. He spoke like a human. It was disgusting.
 
“Do you think she will suspect?” the female asked, turning her back to Yor.

Though she could see only the side of his face, the curl of his cheek showed the bald man was smiling.

“Of course she will suspect.” Her brother placed his hand on her shoulder. She shook him off. Her bound hair flipped against his wrist as he withdrew.

“She is one of us, love.” The bald man’s scalp was decorated with sharp, angular runes. They seemed to have been carved in with a knife and filled with black and red ink.  He glanced over his broad shoulder at her. “She would be a fool not to.”

“But she will come, Xyus?” She fixed his eyes with her gaze and tilted her head. He reacted to the mention of his name by turning back to the horizon.

“She will come.”

And she did. The cool desert breeze carried her scent to their nostrils. All three raised their heads and took it in, like instinct. A few seconds later, Morrígu came into view.
She was massive, but graceful. Her powerful wings turned the gentle desert air into a torrent. The three on the ground stood resolute, despite the powerful dust storm erupting around them.

Yomiko couldn’t help but admire her. She was captivated by the layers of emerald scales, many of them glossy enough to catch sparkles from the faint starlight. Some interlocking and other overlapping, they armored her muscular form like a work of reptilian art. Yomiko found her spectacular; a breathtaking example of their kind. It reminded her why many of their ancestors were worshipped.

In her long life, Morrígu had probably been worshipped as well.

She transformed into her human shape in midair. The creature that was over eighty meters long with a wingspan of nearly twice that reduced to a naked woman. She fell to the ground feet first with a light thud, bending her knees with the impact.

As she stood, Yomiko saw Morrígu’s female form was no less astounding than her draconic one—at least by paltry human standards. She was voluptuous, with full breasts, a slender waist, and curving hips. A mane of sultry red hair fell over her strong, feminine shoulders down to the middle of her back. Her eyes were piercing green; no less so than the emerald scales that had covered her form just seconds ago.

Yomiko looked at her two male companions. Many of her kind had a taste for human women. If her brother or Xyus were among them, they must have found her irresistible.

Without taking her gaze away from Xyus, Morrígu gestured to the others with a nod. “Who are they?” Her voice was strong and proud, full of a confidence Yomiko envied. The accent was Irish, but poised and refined.

“They are to be trusted,” Xyus replied, not taking his eyes off of her.

“That is not what I asked!” She placed her hands on her wide hips.

Xyus introduced them. It was only after they had been named that the red haired dragon glanced to them and sniffed the air. She did it twice, once for each of them.

“Twins?” she said, with no small amount of intrigue. She regarded Yor before Yomiko, but seemed to spend a bit more time on the female. This interested her, but seemed to concern Yor. Her brother stepped forward and placed a hand on his sister’s back and another on her belly.

“Meredith Morrígu.” Xyus glanced over his shoulder at the twins. They nodded in reverence. Morrígu returned attention to her host.

“Xyus, I presume you have called me here at the behest of your master—”

“I have no master!” he interrupted, taking a brisk step forward and lowering his jaw. His gaze fixed her nude form in umbrage. It was a level of contempt Yomiko had never observed between two of her kind.

“Your ally,” Morrígu corrected, making it more than obvious that she did not approve of the finer term. Nonetheless, it seemed to abate Xyus; for the moment.
 
“I have.”

“Then I will tell you what I told the last ally he sent to me.”

“You have no need to tell me,” he explained, crossing his hands. “You may tell him yourself!”

Yomiko noticed an immediate change in Morrígu. Almost like an animal, she went from refined and elegant to feral and poised. The men tensed up in kind, initiating an instinctual reaction in Yomiko to do the same. After sniffing the air, Morrígu relaxed but kept up her guard.

“Fraise is not here,” she declared, unhidden scorn in her tone.

“Not yet.” Xyus mocked her with a chuckle.

Yomiko looked to her brother. She expected to see confusion, but instead saw only wide-eyed curiosity.

She knew Morrígu was smart enough to know there was no need to take to the air. Fraise was large enough that his scent would be noticeable from over a hundred kilometers away. He was nowhere near. If he hoped to arrive before Morrígu had a change to escape on wing he would need to be much closer.

The air rippled. At first Yomiko thought it was the wind, until she realized that it wasn’t just the air moving in waves, but the ground and sky as well. The ripples intensified, like someone had cast a rock into a placid lake.

Morrígu’s eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened. Yomiko wondered if this was what dragons looked like when they felt fear. She’d seen it in humans, but they were so accustomed to fear that expressing it came naturally. For a dragon, even in human form, fear was an infrequent sensation. The intensity was overwhelming.

At the moment, Yomiko shared the rare emotion with her—but not with her brother or Xyus. The former looked around in amazement; the latter raised his eyes to the East in expectation.

The ripples pulled away from them and focused into a single pane of the night sky. From this surface, like a fish breaking from water, emerged three more men. Two of them were in the fore, one with dark brown skin and the other with a smooth, pale complexion. Yomiko didn’t know them, but she knew they were dragons by their scent. The third emerged as the ripples ceased. The sight of him caused Yomiko and Yor to gasp, and Xyus to beam with adoration.

“You said they were to be trusted!” Morrígu roared, throwing a finger towards the twins. Yomiko saw the betrayal in Morrígu’s eyes, but she dared not show any sympathy towards an enemy in the presence of Xyus’ ally.

“They are to be trusted,” the third male said, stepping between his two escorts. His strong face, wrinkled with age, curled into a cold and sinister smile. “Just not by you.”
 
As Morrígu turned her attention away from the twins, Yomiko gazed with wide eyes at the new arrival. She had no doubt who this was, for she knew of no dragon on the earth so ancient that his human form would bear the profound marks of human aging: a head of thinning white hair, wrinkled skin, and glossless, faded eyes. They were features she’d never seen in the human guise of one of her kind.

“Veles Fraise!” Morrígu snarled—giving name to the beast.

“Darling,” he replied, shaking his head. His voice was smooth but discomforting, like a chilling winter wind. “I have not been called Veles in over nine hundred years.”
 
“You have come here to murder me.” Her voice sharpened.

“Oh, Morrígu!” The most ancient among them spoke in earnest. “Beautiful, beautiful Morrígu! I have come only to implore you to reconsider your compassion for these pathetic creatures.”

His accent was unlike anything Yomiko had ever heard. Dragons adopted the manner of speaking of whatever humans they live near or among to help fit in. This was something different, something that harkened to an ancient dialect long lost to the world’s memory.

“You think I have compassion for them?” she spat, almost trembling with rage. “Loathsome talking apes! The mere sight of them repulses me! I feel disgusted hiding in the shape of them!” She gestured to her body, causing her firm, ample breasts to shake as she motioned like tearing off her skin.

“Then why not join me?” Fraise was calm. “Rid our world of these pests? This was always our plan, beloved—”

“This is not what we planned!” Morrígu shook her head. “This…had you come to me two hundred, maybe a hundred years ago, I may have cooperated. But now, it is different. The apes are more powerful. They have weapons that can kill even us. What you seek to do will bring exposure and death to our kind. Nothing more!”

“So it’s not compassion,” Xyus injected, smiling like he would laugh aloud once he completed his thought, “but cowardice, then?”

Morrígu roared and turned fast, fixing Xyus with a murderous stare. Her emerald eyes were alive with hate and disgust.

“You speak to me of cowardice!” she roared. “You, who dare not face me without the protective presence of your master!” She placed special emphasis on that last word, driving home that she was through with politics and courtesy. It did not seem to bother Xyus as much this time as before; though he tensed his hands and set his boots to the ground.

Silence. Even the creatures of the desert ceased making noise. Yomiko noted that the lowest things on this world could sense what was coming next, and were wise to be as far from it as possible.

“So you’ve come to kill me.” Morrígu regained some semblance of composure and turned to face Fraise.

“My precious friend, I am forbidden by honor to subject you to a fight I know you cannot win—and bound by my affection for you to give you a fair chance.” He sounded quite sure of himself, but Morrígu did not appear to disagree. “But if you will not cooperate, I cannot allow you to leave.”

She nodded, accepting what was next.

“I am here only to see to it you do not flee,” he continued, stepping away from his escort.
Xyus’ eyes were wide and his teeth bared, seething constrained excitement at what was coming. Yomiko was surprised to see the same look on her brother’s face.

“Would you have expected me to flee?” Morrígu was polite, like she were still talking to a friend. Yomiko didn’t imagine she was someone accustomed to retreat.

“Simply a precaution, my dear,” he explained, continuing to walk away. “Though I trust in the capabilities of my younger allies…” He gestured to the assembly—they surrounded her like a pack of beasts. “You are far swifter in flight than any dragon I know.”

“Any dragon,” she added, “but you.”

Fraise nodded once, smiling.

“Goodbye, Morrígu,” he concluded, now several hundred meters away.

Morrígu dipped her head in reverence to her old friend.

Then she was a dragon again. Her change was so abrupt that the gust made Yomiko's hair flutter. Before she could take in the magnificence of her emerald plated form, the great dragon cast a powerful backhand blow against Xyus’ human body, hurling him into the air and off into the desert. Thousands of meters away, he landed with a faint crash. That would keep him out of the fight for a minute or so. She appreciated that Morrígu was smart enough to recognize the strongest among them and remove him from the battle long enough to thin out the rest.

Yomiko wanted no part of this fight, but took to her nature nonetheless. Her clothes ripped to threads and strips as she lengthened into her serpentine form. Yomiko’s body was leaner than Morrígu’s, and her scales were yellow and red. She had no horns, and her legs were set further back on her body. Her tail was less defined, like her entire body was part of it. She reared up on her powerful hind legs and took flight, carrying herself away from the battle.

Morrígu was more than twice the size of any of them. Her neck and head alone were as long as Yomiko or her brother, and almost as thick. Yor’s form was identical to Yomiko’s, except for the dangling scales around his chin that resembled a human’s beard and two short horns.

The other two dragons were more like Morrígu. One of them was covered with shimmering silver and white scales, the other black with a grayish white belly and neck. Both had horns, though the silver one had bony ridges that ran the length of his spine and ended in a set of sharp spikes at the tip of his tail.

As Morrígu occupied herself slapping Yor in the face with her claws, the silver dragon whipped his tail about and drove the spikes into Morrígu’s back.

Though roaring in anguish and pain, Morrígu didn’t slow. Black dragon’s blood gushed from the wound and splattered on the sand with a hiss. Morrígu responded with her own tail, lacking the spikes but as muscular as any Yomiko had ever seen. The heavy end of it crashed into the silver dragon’s knee, and a powerful crack of bone sent her adversary to the ground. Morrígu swatted Yor again, this time ripping scales from flesh and drawing more blood. It erupted in a geyser, spraying across Morrígu’s breast as she twisted her neck about and opened her mighty jaws.

Yomiko knew what was coming next.

Morrígu’s breath attack was a burst of sound so powerful and violent that it tore the air. It radiated out from her throat in a cone, blasting chunks of flesh and bits of scale from the bodies of the two dragons. While the smaller black dragon took the brunt of the damage, he was quick enough to avoid the full force of the blast. Most of it impacted into the ground and caused a crater to appear, as if the earth had been depressed by a massive foot. Her brother took some damage to his hind leg, a wound that would cripple him for days—if he survived.

The effect left Yomiko deaf for a few seconds. The smaller dragon scampered back, trailing blood from the tear in his belly and leg. The silver dragon, still face down on the ground, began to rise, using the three legs that still worked. Morrígu would have none of that. She brought her own leg up and stomped down on the smaller silver dragon, crushing several of the bony plates along his spine.

Morrígu’s eyes widened when the spines pierced her foot, causing a shower of blood to coat the smaller dragon. The pain wasn’t enough to stop her from crushing his spine. The weaker dragon roared in pain, his forked tongue lashing around in anguish as he realized that he could no longer use any part of his body below the wound.

Yor leapt to the air, sinking his teeth into Morrígu’s sinuous neck. She twisted her head about, but was unable to bring it low enough to bite back. As Yor brought the rest of his body up in an attempt to coil around Morrígu, she brought her front legs to bear and grabbed him around the chest.

Her claws dug into his scales, tearing through them like tree bark. Streaks of black blood poured down his yellow and red body. Yomiko thought she heard her brother squeal as the emerald dragon’s muscles flexed. She pulled his jaws from her neck. Much to Yomiko’s surprise, blood erupted from the wound Yor had left. His teeth left black grooves in the interlocking green scales of her neck.

She hurled Yor over a hundred meters away. He landed with a crack and lay motionless for a few seconds before stirring. He was too hurt to stand. Yomiko turned her attention back to Morrígu.

The wound left by the silver dragon was deeper than Yomiko thought. It had torn a fissure through Morrígu’s lungs, and each breath the mighty dragon took caused blood to trickle down her scales. If there was pain, it did not show.

The silver dragon paid a great price for striking so mighty a blow. With a roar of triumph, Morrígu brought her wounded foot down upon the smaller dragons face, crushing his skull with a chilling crack. The silver dragon twitched once before twisting up on itself to become a motionless pile of flesh.

Yomiko’s jaw fell open. It was the first time she saw a dragon die.

With a blur of motion and a burst of flame, Xyus was back in the fight. His natural form was a squat beast with a long horn on his nose and a short neck ribbed with bony armored plates. His scales were dull red, like dried animal blood, except for his belly and the underside of his short neck which were rust colored. His wings were short but powerful. He was likely not as skilled a flyer as other dragons, but his body had other advantages. Xyus looked built for battle, and he seemed to relish the opportunity.

He wasted no time unleashing a cone of scorching flame from his throat. It poured forth like water on Morrígu. She howled in pain and fell to all fours then shielded herself with one of her wings. The flames coursed along the surface of the wing and blackened the skin beneath.

By the time Morrígu recovered from the searing blast, her wing was nothing more than a limp frame of blackened bone. Yomiko winced at the sight of it, and knew this meant Morrígu had resigned to die here tonight. No dragon would ever sacrifice a wing in such a way unless they thought there was no escape. She sought only to cause as much damage to her enemies as possible before they overwhelmed her.

She released another burst of her own breath weapon, amazing Yomiko that she’d been able to regenerate it so fast. The sound was weaker this time, and appeared focused into a beam. It struck Xyus in the face, but his thick armor absorbed most of the impact. He whimpered and staggered back; stunned, but not killed. She managed to take him out of the fight again, though not for long.

Not to be caught unprepared, Yor flew back into the fight and tried once again to clamp down on Morrígu’s neck. She and her brother had a breath weapon: searing flame like Xyus. It wasn’t as powerful though, so Yor appeared to be foregoing its use.
Morrígu caught Yor in air and slammed him to the ground. The earth cracked at the impact, leaving another deep fissure in the desert floor. Again she brought him up and down, crushing his body under repeated blows, until he fell limp against the sand, trembling in pain.

Yomiko hadn’t reckoned her brother could be killed here tonight. He needed help. She scanned the desert for the black and gray dragon, and found him huddled near Fraise, nursing his wounds. He must have been more injured that she thought, or just a coward.
Yomiko looked back to her brother. He turned his head to meet her eyes. Morrígu positioned herself over him, limping and leaving a trail of sizzling black blood on the ground at her feet.

The fight was over for Morrígu. Xyus would soon come out of his delirium and rip her to pieces. Even if she managed to defeat Xyus, she would succumb from her wounds within an hour. The inevitability of it weighed on Yomiko. She knew Morrígu had no reason let Yor live. The emerald dragoness had nothing left to lose, and all that remained was to end the life of another of her aggressors. Yomiko hissed with anger at Yor for getting her involved in this ambush, but was overwhelmed by the fear of losing him.

She leapt on Morrígu and caught the older dragoness off guard. Yomiko was impressed by the sheer power coursing through the muscles of the emerald dragoness. She sunk her teeth into the same wound Yor had inflicted seconds ago. Her jaws, equal in strength to her brother’s, crushed the weakened flesh in their embrace. She found the bloodied grooves he’d carved into the Morrígu’s neck and matched them with her own sharp teeth. Bones more powerful than steel bent and snapped in her mouth, and Morrígu released a hoarse roar as blood bubbled through her lips.

Black dragon’s blood sizzled from the wound, pouring down Yomiko’s throat and chin. It tasted like iron and ashes. Morrígu attempted to grapple Yomiko, but was too weak. The slender red and yellow dragon wrapped her body around the larger one’s neck and constricted. Morrígu let out a gasp—then a hiss—accompanied by bubbles of blood. She resolved to a gurgle as fluid pooled in her throat and lungs.

Morrígu fell to her knees then flopped on her belly. The light in her eyes faded as she took her last look at the world: the reality where she’d spent over seven thousand years.

Yomiko saw no traces of sorrow in the mighty dragon’s eyes.  She would die an honorable death after doing great harm to her aggressors. Nevertheless, the younger dragoness felt sorrow for her, and at the passing of this magnificent creature from the world. Yomiko released her grip and lowered her lips to the fallen dragon’s ear.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, in the language of dragons. They were rare words for their kind.

Morrígu died.

*    *    *

There it is. If that didn't appeal to you, then you probably won't like the rest of the book. That's fine: everyone has their own taste and preference when it comes to books. But, if you did enjoy it and want more, you can download the first six chapters and read it all you want. At the very least, click the little LIKE button on the upper right hand corner, or maybe tell other people about what you read here.

Thanks for giving me a chance! You're the best, and I wouldn't have the confidence to do what I do without you.

--StP

From Formspring: Does that mean that a multiheaded dragon (if there are any) would have one brain in its torso or something?

No. One of the heads would be dominant, but the multi-headed dragon could switch between them at will. So, to kill it, you'd have to either hit the heart or destroy all the heads. I know it doesn't really make sense. All I can say to that is: they're dragons.

Dragons.

From Formspring: Are there multi-headed dragons, something like a hydra? When multiheaded dragons (if they were to exist) are in human form would they have multiple personalities?

There might be multi-headed dragons. It's possible. But, in human form they would have only one head.

The extra heads wouldn't have their own personality. They would just be extensions of the dragon's body. It could talk through them, eat through them, use breath weapon and speak through them, but they wouldn't be independent personalities. They wouldn't argue with each other or debate about whether to eat someone or blast them with acid.

So, no: a multi-headed dragon wouldn't have multiple personalities in human form. Nor would they have three heads, as that would defeat the purpose of a human disguise.

edit - 1:52 PM, 4/27/2010 to include second question about multi-headed dragons.

From Formspring: Are there draconic religious fanatics? Like Tiamat-ic fundamentalists? How well do dragons tolerate crime in their ranks? What would even be considered a crime among dragons?

I'm combining two Formspring questions into one since they are kind of related.

For the first question...the short answer is no. The long answer is no, with an explanation. The dragons don't worship Tiamat. She isn't a god to them, more like a mother to the race. Most dragons believe she is waiting for them in the afterlife. Some dragons don't care, but most do. These dragons believe that Tiamat observes and judges their actions, and that they should seek to make her proud. I guess it might be possible that there are dragons who get angry at non-believer dragons, but it's difficult to imagine they would do anything about it. Dragons don't really care what other dragons do, so long as it doesn't effect them. The skepticism of another dragon has no effect, positive or negative, on another so they aren't likely to care...unless the other dragon is being a dick about it. Then they might get violent.

As for the second question, yes there are laws. The dragons follow a code of conduct and honor called the Lex Draconic. Literally, the Law of Dragons. Most of these laws were set forth by Tiamat herself, but along the way other rules have been added. Most dragon laws concern interactions between dragons, but there are also laws concerning how they are to interact with other races, including humans. Dragons are not forbidden from killing humans, but they are forbidden from taking a position of authority over them. Dragons once did that very thing, and it didn't end well for the humans beneath them.

Similarly, the rules for how dragons resolve challenges is detailed. For example, it is considered an act of dishonor to attack another dragon that cannot possibly defeat you. This law is intended to protect very young dragons, who are hopelessly outmatched against older, bigger dragons. It goes without saying that damaging an unhatched dragon's egg is the worst crime any dragon can commit. Dragons reproduce so infrequently, with only three or four dragons born in a century. If unchecked, killing hatchlings or destroying unhatched eggs could easily lead to the extinction of the race.

Dragons have a number of ways to deal with lawbreakers. The most obvious punishment is death, but it is very rare that a dragon ever does something heinous enough to warrant such a penalty--or, that he gets caught. Examples of crimes that would warrant death include destroying an egg, killing a hatchling, or murdering another dragon in anything other than an honest challenge (i.e. one where they at least stand a chance of survival).

More commonly, dragons are given punitive penalties. This may not sound like much, except that dragons are obsessed with their hordes and territory. Taking some of it away--or worse, forfeiting it all--is terrifying for a dragon. Remember that most dragons have been collecting treasure for hundreds, even thousands of years.

Regardless the amount forfeited, the dragon is also subject to a period of banishment. During this time, other dragons are forbidden from dealing with them. They essentially become invisible. If the dragon attempts to force an interaction--by challenging another dragon during his time of banishment--he puts himself at risk for greater punishment, up to and including death.

But perhaps the worst punishment for a dragon is the knowledge that he's lost the respect of his or her fellows. Dragons are very particular about their reputations among other dragons. They don't really care much what anyone else thinks, but to lose face to other dragons is simply more humiliation that most dragons are willing to risk. That isn't to say they won't do it, it just means they have to be careful about it...and the reward has to be HUGE in proportion to the risk.

The following are examples of rules almost no dragon will violate, even under the worst circumstances:

• Damaging or destroying an unhatched egg.
• Killing a hatchling or the killing of a dragon in a clearly unfair fight.
• Using sorcery or technology to kill another dragon, even a superior one.

The following are examples of rules most dragons won't violate, but might be tempted if they think it is in their best interest:

• Taking a formal position of authority over lesser races (i.e. humans).
• Excessive involvement in the affairs of lesser races.
• Killing a dragon who has already yielded. 
• Stealing from another dragon's horde.
• Spending an extended period of time in another dragon's territory without asking permission.

Tiamat

Tiamat - image source stenudd.com

The title of the first book in the Dragon's Blood Chronicles refers to a being by the name of Tiamat. If that name sounds familiar, it's because I didn't make it up. Tiamat is an ancient name, older than any god or deity worshiped on Earth by humans today. The name has a very specific and significant meaning in my books.

If you've read the book you'll notice that the dragons use the term "To the Shadow of Tiamat," as a benediction. Several dragons also use the term "Praise Tiamat!" or reference her in some reverent manner. This would usually lead people to conclude that the dragons worship Tiamat as a god.

In fact, they do not.

In ancient Babylon, Tiamat was an important part of their creation myths and the mother of all monsters. Ancient Babylonians did not specify that she was a dragon, but they believed in dragons and that she was their mother:

When the skies above were not yet named
Nor earth below pronounced by name,
Apsu, the first one, their begetter,
And maker Tiamat, who bore them all,
Had mixed their waters together,
But had not formed pastures, nor discovered reed-beds;
When yet no gods were manifest,
Nor names pronounced, nor destinies decreed,
Then gods were born within them. (Dalley 233)

In my books, Tiamat was a dragon...though a different kind of one. Her children were the dragons of Earth. They revere her as the mother of their race, and believe she will be waiting for them in the afterlife (the aforementioned "Shadow" is a reference to this) but do not worship her as a god.

Tiamat, band. Image source: 

Tiamat has been used in other forms of media as well. One of my favorite bands is called Tiamat: I've been listening to them since I was very young, and that is part of what sparked my interest in the name. Tiamat is also an important part of the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game, and even made an appearance on the old Dungeons and Dragons cartoon show. In this incarnation, she is depicted as a multi-headed dragon. She is also evil. My Tiamat is not evil, nor does she have more than one head. She is also depicted as being able to turn into a beautiful woman, particularly in the Forgotten Realms DnD setting (in Dragonlance, she is referred to as Takhesis). Since dragons in my world can assume human form, presumably so can Tiamat.

Apsu is not mentioned in the first book, but he was a dragon as well. He and Tiamat spawned the race. Where they came from is something you'll just have to wait to find out. The mystery of how dragons (and, for that matter, all otherworldly beings) came to be is answered over the course of several books. I can't just give everything away at the beginning.

If you looked closely at the names of some of the dragons in my books, you'll see some other familiar names as well. Many of the older dragons were worshiped as Gods or other great powers by primitive beings. Whether the humans based their gods on dragons with those names, or the dragons took their names from the mythology of humans they lived near, is up for the reader to learn...

...got Dragon?                                                    

From Formspring: How big can dragons in your book series get?

The short answer is, "Pretty damn..."

Dragons do most of their growing in dragon form. The more time they spend in human form over the course of their lives, the slower they will grow. Older dragons (5000+ years or so) are much bigger at that age than younger dragons (3000 years or less) will be at age 5000 because the younger dragons must spend more time in human form, thus stunting their growth. There were once far fewer humans on Earth, and those that there were didn't have much in the way of technology. Even modern weapons have a hard time damaging dragons. Stone spears and rocks are basically hopeless. Also, primitive humans were kind of stupid: they assumed everything they saw was magical and should be avoided if it was too big to eat. Many of them treated dragons as gods. A dragon could afford to spend the majority of his time in dragon form, thus allowing him to grow. Those days are passed, and while dragons are very powerful, they have to hide out among humans. This stunts their growth a bit.

On average, a hatchling is about the size of a Ford Taurus. They grow rapidly in their first 100 years, and as such are required to spend more time in dragon form than most older dragons. This is the dragon equivalent to puberty. Dragons don't have an infancy, since they are hatched with intelligence that exceeds most humans. They also posses some of the knowledge of their mother, especially things that happened while the egg was still inside.

As far as how big a dragon can get, I can't really say without giving away part of the books. As you've probably guessed from reading the excerpt, Veles Fraise is very old. In dragon form, he is GIGANTIC. Think aircraft-carrier size. The odds of another dragon ever being able to get that big are slim, since Veles was able to spend most of his life in dragon form, without having to hide among humans. This is part of why he hates humans as much as he does. Garrett Terago, in dragon form, is large enough that Meg can lie comfortably on his snout or fit in his hand. Benjamin Ardeth is a couple-thousand years older, and therefore bigger by about half, but Ardeth is old enough that part of his life was spent while humans didn't dominate the planet. So Garrett Terago will probably not grow at the same rate.

Some dragons enhance their shape-changing ability to allow them to assume different forms. Another character introduced in the first book, Aoni'a, is able to take any human form she wishes. She can even change her gender--and does. However, honing this kind of ability limits her growth, so Aoni'a is a bit smaller than other dragons her age, like Garrett Terago. She is therefore not as powerful in dragon form, though far from helpless. In subsequent books, a dragoness who is capable of disguising herself as animals is introduced. This requires a much greater strain on her growth, and as such she is very small for a dragon her age (she's fairly young) and therefore not as powerful.

Guns vs. Monsters Repost

The attached blog was originally posted on my old Myspace blog, 8/20/2009. It was part of my series of blogs about firearm selection against monsters. It was the last one, though I've been asked to do more. It's about demons. Note: this blog is purely for entertainment purposes. I do NOT believe in demons, so I am NOT encouraging anyone to stockpile weapons and go demon hunting. That would be...that would be just so stupid.

Tonight, we discuss demons...

You've got a problem, and it isn't a small one. For one reason or another, you have decided to fight demons. I don't know if you are crazy, stupid, brave or all three...

Demons range in size and power so we'll have to adapt some general categories:

Imp class: About the size and weight of a monkey, these demons aren't very powerful, but they are fast and mean. They rely heavily on guile and speed, and are often found in the service of more powerful demons or other monsters. When they serve humans, generally they try to pull the strings of their master to seduce them towards greater evil. Typical powers include shape-shifting (into small animals like cats and dogs), invisibility, flight (w/ wings), venomous or diseased bit, and a few other.. Though physically weak, they can be savage enemies in a fight. Imagine getting into a fight with a spider monkey. You'd probably win, but the monkey would bite the shit out of you.

Gargoyle class: This is the basic, run-of-the mill demon. They are roughly human sized, give or take a foot, but weigh considerably more. They are very powerful, but most of their strength lies in sheer brute force. They don't normally have as many powers are other demons, but they make up for it with a willingness to use human weapons, from swords and axes to firearms. They can sometimes shape-shift into a human. Some can remain motionless for days at a time, causing people to think they are statues. If they have wings, they can fly. This is the most common demon.

Balrog class: These are the big boys. They are over 12 feet tall and outweigh humans by a ton or more. Though unbelievably strong and durable, they tend to have powers in addition to brute smashing/slashing power. They are usually the leaders among demons, for no other reason than they are bigger. Though many of them are intelligent, there are several who are little more than marauding beasts. Powers include energy manipulation/generation (usually fire), teleportation, and (if they have wings) flight. Most of them can take a human form, though the don't like to. They will sometimes be encountered with lesser demons, usually a few dozen gargoyle class demons.

Azezel class: These demons don't have a physical form in our world. They must possess a human (or animal) body to survive. The possessed one is called a host. The results of this possession vary, but in general they are able to hide out and pretend to be that person. Usually when possessing a body, they invest it with some of their power. The possessed body becomes stronger and harder to kill. If the host is killed, the demon has to find a new body. They are not particular about hosts, so long as it aides their end. Powers include telekinesis, illusions, summoning vermin (in swarms) and climbing walls. Killing the host expels the demon, but it can posess someone else...though it has a limited amount of time to do so before it is destroyed or forced from this plane. 

Pazuzu subclass: A variant of the azezel class, this is a demon that posesses a body for no other reason than to torment the host or people who care about the host. Unlike the azazel class demon, for the pazuzu class demon possession is the end, not the means. They enjoy disfiguring their host, and using their powers to irritate others--making them very annoying. They tend to start out slow with the pranks and such, gradually increasing their activity until they become violent. At this stage, they are very dangerous. Killing the host usually solves the problem, but this generally isn't a desirable end. Unlike Azezel class demons, more than one Pazuzu can possess a single host. This is called the Legion Effect. It is not common, as it requires demons to cooperate towards a single end: something they aren't very good at by their nature.

Demogorgon class: Forget about it! These are HUGE demons, like T-rex size or BIGGER. They are roving Armageddons...they eat cities and shit apocalypse. These demons don't usually come to our plane unless they have a DAMN bad reason. These guys go toe-to-toe with dragons and gods. Powers include a million and one ways to fuck you up beyond recognition. The only gun I'd recommend against THIS kind of demon is a one with a barrel you can fit into your mouth.


Demons are NASTY monsters. They live for blood, mayhem and chaos. They don't have to kill to feed like vampires or zombies, and they aren't mindless animals like werewolves. They kill and torture for fun. They like it, its in their nature. They may have lofty goals and aspirations, but at every demon's core is a desire to kill. If you find yourself in a fight with one--whether because you've challenged them or they've attacked you--you are now in a fight for your life against a monster that will do anything to win. They will torture school children to lure you out of hiding, rip through a bus-load of people to get to you, strap c-4 to a baby and throw it into a playground full of cancer-stricken children as a distraction, use senior citizens as meat shields, kick kittens with impunity...the worst shit you can think of (and a lot of stuff you can't), nothing is too vile or inhumane for a demon.

This article will primarily discuss gargoyle and balrog class demons. Azazel and pazuzu class demons are vulnerable to whatever kills a human or animal of the same size. Imp class demons aren't usually very tough...the hard part is hitting them. It matters less what you shoot them with.

When dealing with any class above imps, fast and heavy damage is the order of the day. Demons don't have the same physical limitations as humans. They have powerful bodies with dense flesh. They do not fall over from a gut shot and whine for an ambulance...unless they are trying to trick you into getting closer so they can snap off your head.

Massive damage from a firearm can be accomplished in a number of ways. The most common (and, in most people's opinion, fun) manner of doing this a wave of automatic weapon fire. You can also use a big enough round to make a huge hole, or use an explosive. Submachineguns aren't going to cut it...the lighter handgun rounds these weapons use are just going to bounce off the demon like pebbles. They might sting the demon...and you don't want to sting a demon without being able to kill it.

You need a round that has been proven effective against armored enemies, but armor piercing rounds tend to over-penetrate, doing very little damage compared to soft or hollow point rounds. So, you need a healthy balance. This is where I would LOVE to suggest one of my favorite rifles of all time, the M14...





...but I won't. Yes, the 7.62x51mm (aka .308 Winchester) is the preferred round for small-arm demon fighting...but the M14 is big and unwieldy. Unless you're willing to modify your M14 with a synthetic, collapsible stock (commercially available) the big classic rifle isn't going to be a good choice.

Enter the FN-SCAR-H..





Holy shit...coolest rifle ever! It comes in more than one caliber, but as far as I'm concerned once you've chambered something in 7.62x51 you'd might as well just leave the others on the rack. The stock is adjustable, and it can fold for easy carrying:






In addition to packing an ass-whomping round, this incredible rifle can be outfitted with a specially made grenade launcher:




Behold, the FN SCAR-H in all its ass-whomping bad-assitude!

The SORD tactical agents in my book series carry these...without the grenade launchers, usually.

So, against demons this is the way to go. It has the rapid fire capabilities, heavy round stopping power, and the ability to launch grenades.

You're going to need a handgun. Why? Sometimes you need a backup weapon. Other times, you want to shoot a demon up close where a rifle isn't practical. Sometimes...you just run out of rifle rounds and have to fall back on the handgun.

Think back to the article about werebeasts. You're going to need something capable of killing a demon hard and fast. You'll also want something small enough to carry around. on your belt or hip.

Behold, the Super Redhawk Alaskan in .454 Casull




This is a bear gun. It was designed for use by Alaskan river fishers, who frequently share the water with big kodiak bears. The bears usually don't mind sharing the water, and attacks are infrequent. However, no one wants to be that close to one of nature's oldest killing machines without some kind of protection. Since bears are FAST, the weapon of choice for dealing with one has to be small enough to carry comfortably but powerful enough to kill it with one hit.

This will not be your primary defense against the demon. You will have to get close to use it--too close. It is a last resort. A revolver is fine for this, since you don't need to be able to reload your backup weapon quickly. As I said, you won't be depending on this until the last minute, or to finish off a downed enemy. It packs a lot of recoil, and with the short barrel and short sight radius it won't be very accurate out past a dozen yards. But it will kill a kodiak bear...so it'll probably kill a demon up to gargoyle class...maybe a balrog.

That's how you kill a demon.

No More Anonymous Formspring Qustions

I appreciate that my friends have all have a very weird sense of humor; that's why they are my friends. And the insane questions are pretty amusing...

...those are fine. Weird, but amusing. And I can usually figure out who is asking them based on the kind of humor indicative of a particular friend. For example, the pants question comes from my brother Joe, who is referencing an episode of The Simpsons  where Krusty becomes a smokey-stage comedian telling edgy jokes. He talks about how much he hates money, and then ushers his audience to burn their money. At his next show, Homer is excited because he hopes Krusty will ask them to burn their pants. When his bit starts and he doesn't immediately go to the burning of things, Homer shouts, "Don't you hate pants!?" This has become a running joke for us. Once, when my good friend Ross' band was playing, between songs I shouted, "Don't you hate pants?" No one seemed to get it, but Joe and I thought it was funny.

Unfortunately, strangers have begun asking hurtful questions. Not very often, but enough that it's getting annoying. So, I'm not allowing anonymous questions on Formspring anymore. From now on, you will have to sign in to Formspring with your Facebook account and leave your name. That way if you ask something I find offensive, I can block any further questions from you. I'm not going to lie and say these kinds of questions don't hurt my feelings a little, but that isn't the main reason why I'm doing it. I'm just tired of seeing them.

So, there is that.

I really do enjoy the Formspring questions about my books and writing, and hope those will continue. And I like the goofy questions from my friends. I even answer a few of them. Even the ones I don't answer, I usually find amusing. I'm pretty tolerant of quirkiness, but I'm also smart enough to know when I'm being asked a silly question by a friend, and an offensive question by a troll with nothing better to do than harass someone they don't know.

Sorry if this came off as preachy, but it had to be said.

From Formspring: Are there any human birth defects or diseases can carry over when a human becomes a vampire?

I haven't really thought about that much. I would assume that the regeneration ability granted by the transformation would heal the body up to the limits of it's ability. For example: vampires can't regenerate limbs, so someone without an arm who becomes a vampire wouldn't grow a new one. In contrast, any diseases they had, from the flu to AIDS, would be cured.

I'll say that it depends on the birth defect. Remember that this isn't a natural virus: it's a demonic virus introduced to humanity by creatures from the Void. It can be unpredictable, because it comes from a place of complete chaos. It isn't even possible to predict who will be susceptible to the virus.

Ask me anything

From Formspring: Where did you get your characters names from?

Some of the names I picked have cultural and mythological significance. I use a lot of resources for this, but one of the most valuable is the Encyclopedia of World Mythology by Arthur Cotterell. In addition to an exhaustive amount of information about mythology and folklore from ALL parts of the world, it is lavishly illustrated. Highly recommended.

For more mundane names, the handiest book I have for that is The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon. More than just a list of names, it breaks them up by gender, nationality and ethnicity. In addition, the opening text of each chapter explains how specific cultures go about assigning and structuring names. Not everyone does the First name + middle name + Family name, and anyone trying to construct realistic characters from those cultures are well served to research how they assign names. Plus, it has an index so it's fun to look up other people's names.

Ask me anything

From Formspring: Can vampires or dragons in your mythos get radiation poisoning? If so, how much compared to a human being?

I hadn't really thought of that yet. I suppose that yes, they could...but the regenerative power of a vampire is different from that of a dragon.

Vampires heal much faster, within seconds of being wounded. The more severe the wound, the longer the regeneration period. Still, it doesn't take very long. However, they are as relatively easy to injure as a human.

In contrast, dragons regenerate slower, but are very difficult to hurt--even in human form. In the excerpt of The Shadow of Tiamat, Garrett survives what should have been a fatal crash with no visible signs of injury--short of torn clothes and a busted motorcycle helmet. Obviously, in dragon form he is even harder to hurt.

If I understand it correctly (and please, correct me if I am wrong) radiation poisoning is so insidious because once it enters your body, you never get rid of it. It's with you forever. That's why X-ray techs stand behind a wall and wear a lead-lined apron while you lay there with a backless paper gown and plastic booties. It is unlikely you will ever get enough X-rays to harm you, but an X-ray tech taking dozens of X-rays a week (or day) can easily build up a fatal amount in a short career. Presumably, the regenerative abilities of these otherworldly creatures would most forms of radiation from their body, much in the same way our blood is able to filter alcohol.

The initial effects of severe radiation--i.e. the burning and tissue damage--would still occur. Based on the severity, a vampire or dragon may be able to survive this. In the case of mild radiation, the vampire might suffer some burns but heal them quickly, whereas the dragon (depending on the form they were in at the time) might not be effected at all. On the other hand, severe radiation might burn a vampire to a crisp faster than his body could repair the damage, while the dragon would take the damage but probably survive so long as they got away from the source of the radiation.

As far mutation of DNA...since vampires are human-based they still have DNA but the ability of the vampire-virus to heal it's host would (I think) restore the DNA with some manner of super-genome. Some viruses already do this to some extent. It stands to reason that an otherworldly virus would be able to do it even better.

As for dragons...um...I can't really go into that without spoiling more of the books. I'll just say this: more about the nature of what dragons are is revealed as the series progresses. I don't want to give any of that away, since it's not even something disclosed in the first book.

Ask me anything

From Formspring: Based on the previous question and answer, does that mean a vampire could theoretically outlive a dragon?

Theoretically, a goldfish could outlive a human...

Bear in mind that I'm speaking only with regard to the mythos in which my books exist. Other writers and mythos may be very different.

All things being equal: no, a vampire would have a very low chance of outliving a dragon in my mythos. First of all, at 1000 years, a vampire is considered ancient. While powerful, at this stage they are old and decrepit (relatively) and nearing the end of their existence. Very, very few vampires have ever gotten to this point, as their chaotic, fascist nature almost assures an early death. Any vampire who lives to this stage in his life must be in possession of great power and charisma to instill loyalty (or fear) in their subjects--otherwise the vampires would, due to their nature, try to kill him.

Dragons, on the other hand, live FAR longer. Consider that at 1000 years, a dragon is considered a young adult...the last 10 centuries were roughly the dragon equivalent to being a teenager. Unlike vampires, dragons are meant to be around for a very long time.

Dragons are territorial and can be violent, but they have a system of honor that most (if not all) dragons will respect to some degree. One such maxim is that there is no honor in winning a fight you can't possibly lose. A young dragon, while incredibly powerful compared to humans, vampires, and most other otherworldly beings, is still considerably weaker than most mature (1000 y.o.) dragons. Since young dragons rarely have anything in their horde or territory that an old dragon wants to take, they aren't likely to be challenged by one. Likewise, for a dragon there is no shame in retreating from a superior dragon's challenge...so if an older dragon did show up and offer a challenge, the younger dragon would have a free escape. Of course, the older dragon would be considered in violation of dragon honor by picking on an enemy who couldn't possibly defeat him. So, most older dragons don't go around challenging the young ones. Also, dragons are smart enough to know that they reproduce so infrequently (1-2 times in a male dragons life, if he's lucky) that their race will die off if they keep killing their young.

This is a direct contrast to vampires, who gleefully exterminate younger, weaker members of their kind, to eliminate competition, to take what little they have, or just for the fun of it. In order for a vampire to respect the life of another vampire (or any other creature) there must be something they want from them (sex, influence, money, companionship, servitude, or just someone to kick around) OR they must be kept in check by a bigger, stronger vampire.

Ask me anything

From Formspring: Can the vampires you write about ever die from old age? What happens if they don't drink blood, do they starve to death?

Great question! Thank you! My books are mainly about the dragons, but the vampires play an important role as well. As such, I had to really come up with a new angle for vampires. I probably failed. BUT...I tried. Again, the books are really about the dragons. Max's spin-off series deals with the vampires more...at least the first one does.

In point of fact, the vampires in my books drink plasma. Blood just happens to contain plasma. They can live off plasma alone (like what they take out of your blood during a plasma donation) but it doesn't taste as good to them. The blood gives it flavor, whereas the plasma is just nutrition. Imagine the difference between a steak and salad dinner, and a cube of unflavored tofu. However, since most vampires get their plasma by drinking blood, I'll refer to all vampire food as "blood" during this answer.

For the record: no, the vampires in my books can't live on animal blood. It must be human. However, some vampires prefer (or need) the blood of other vampires, and there are rumored to be vampires who feed on things other than blood/plasma.

The vampires in the Dragon's Blood Chronicles don't really age per se, but they do change. In the first book, an ancient (by vampire standards) vampire named Zol makes an appearance. He plays a much larger role in subsequent books. Zol is described as very inhuman looking, with parchment-thin, yellowed skin and a mouth full of sharp teeth, among other characteristics that make it impossible for him to pass as a human without a disguise.

The vampires kind of have their own spiritual beliefs set up around their existence, often incorporating whatever religious or spiritual beliefs they held before being turned. So, vampire Christians incorporate Christianity into their beliefs, Muslim vampires mix Islam with being a vampire, and so on. As a result, many religious vampires believe their existence as a vampire is a gift from God or Karma or whatever...and that it is the next step in their spiritual journey. Vampire Christians, for example, believe that Christ was a vampire who survived crucifixion because of his vampire nature, then ascended bodily into heaven and a higher plane of existence. Many vampires believe they can accomplish this by weening themselves off blood, like Jainist monks do with food and water. They believe if they can survive the fasting they will ascend, like Christ--or, whatever religious icon they identify with.

Obviously, adherents of these respective faiths who learn about the vampire's beliefs find them amusing at best, offensive at worst. There is a scene in one of the later Dragon's Blood Chronicles in which a Christian character is talking about vampires with a professional monster hunter. When he tells her about vampire Christians, she laughs at the idea and says it's stupid. The monster hunter plays devil's advocate, to which the character offers to retrieve a Bible and demand that he find a single verse where Jesus ever bit someone and sucked their blood. He finally concedes that yes, it is stupid to believe Jesus was a vampire. However, this is what people do: they adjust their world-view (including their faith) to whatever their situation is. I wouldn't expect a religious person to stop being religious just because they became a vampire.

The problem is, very few vampires live long enough to die of old age. Vampires, young ones in particular, are psychopathic and prone to poor impulse control. The demonic virus in their bodies makes them very violent and careless, especially around blood. Kind of like sharks. As time passes, a few out-grow these impulses, or learn to keep them in check. The ones who don't wind up getting killed, either by another vampire, a monster hunter, or another creature (like, for example: a dragon). Or a social worker with a shotgun.

As to the fasting...while vampires can deprive themselves of blood willingly, in those instances they still have access to blood and can end the fast at any time. As a vampire ages, his dependence on blood wanes. In theory, at some point it will vanish all together. This is when the alleged "ascension" is believed to occur. Some vampires try to hurry the process along by depriving themselves of blood. Eventually, the need kicks in with too much power and they go looking for some; and hope they can hold out longer the next time.

A vampire who is deprived of blood with no way to get more...that is a different matter. This is actually addressed in one of Max's books. The demonic virus turns the human into what it believes is the most efficient hunter possible. It makes the human stronger, faster, meaner, erases their moral reasoning, give them regenerative abilities, and make their body hunger for the substance the virus needs to survive: plasma (from human blood). If the vampire is starved, eventually the virus concludes that it's host isn't a good enough hunter. It then kicks it up a notch...resulting in an even more horrible vampire. He becomes stronger, meaner, bigger, faster, scarier, and so on...unfortunately (or, fortunately, depending on your perspective) the human brain can't handle this level of the infection, and so the vampire becomes insane. Essentially, the virus turns them into a monstrous killing machine. While still sapient, this new uber-vamp is highly unpredictable and difficult to manage. Few vampires wish to volunteer their sanity for this, as most other vampires consider such creatures anathema and kill them on sight. However, there are some psychopaths who have uses for them...like capturing a vampire and burying him in a cave outside a village. After three or four months, the psychopath pays a group of villagers (almost said Village People...got that image in your head now?) to dig up the hole, whereupon a ravenously hungry vampire-monster breaks free and does what he does to the entire village. Of course, the critical failing in this plan is that NOW there is a blood-hungry superbeast on the loose, with a vague memory lodged in his infected gray matter of a certain someone who once buried him in a cave...

Left unattended though, the vampire will die of starvation. The virus wants to live, and it is the only thing keeping the body alive. If kicking things up a notch doesn't help (i.e. making the vampire meaner didn't make him a better hunter) the virus either dies or (more often) goes dormant. In either case, the human host dies. In the latter case of a dormant virus, the vampire can be revived by supplying the remains (if well enough intact) with plasma. Unfortunately, the vampire isn't likely to be very well off when he awakes.

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From Formspring Don't you hate pants?

I have complex feelings towards pants. I don't think it would be fair to say I hate them. More of a love/annoyed-because-they-don't-fit-right-anymore relationship.

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From Formspring: OMG! Your new photo is so hot! I want to see you naked!

Thank you, sir. I'm flattered...but I assure you, I'm not that attractive. It's mostly a series of light tricks and photo-shop mixed with a talented photographer, http://www.clovenlife.com/.

And you really don't want to see me naked. I don't even like seeing me naked. Just take my word for it.

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From Formspring: Don't you feel like Dragon books are an archaic medium? Wouldn't you instead want to make your main character/dragon a mysterious brooding sort who has shunned drinking human blood and has befriended an average, awkward girl?

You make a valid point. Vampires have only been around culturally for the last nine-hundred years or so, whereas stories about dragons predate pottery. So, comparatively, vampires are a fresher medium by about an eon.

Regardless, you are certainly correct: the love between an out-of-sorts teenage girl and a self-loathing vampire is an under-explored theme in contemporary literature. If only more people were willing to write vampire-in-love-with-teenager love stories...

But, I'm far from a trailblazer...so I think I'll just stick to the dragons, if for no other reason that the kick way more ass than vampires.

Also, there ARE vampires in my books...and not the cute, cuddly sparkle-motion vampires that seem to have become popular these days. The vamps in my books are criminals and monsters who prey on children. They are frightening and dangerous...but they tend to get smashed to pieces by the dragons or shot in the head a lot. Because, let's face it: dragon verses vampire = dragon wins. Verses thirty vampires...

Dragon wins.

--StP

PS: Thanks for the best question all month, Spearman

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Family update

For those of you who asked, my father-in-law is doing much better and should be home from the hospital soon--if not already.

Thank you everyone for your kind words, positive thoughts and prayer. I'm not a religious man, but my father-in-law is and I know he and my mother-in-law appreciate it. My wife and I appreciate it, too.

Thank you.

From Formspring: What kind of software do you use to write?

Office Word 2007. I've thought of switching to Open Office when I get a new laptop. We'll see.

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