Spark
Clan of Dragons
Book One
Nancy Lee Badger
Genre: Scottish Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Nancy Lee Badger
Date of Publication: August 4, 2016
ASIN: B01HV8Y5IG
Number of pages: 207
Word Count: 64,500
Cover Artist: Nancy Lee Badger
Book Description:
Nancy Lee Badger brings you another story filled with Scottish dragons and shape-shifters. Set on the Scottish Island of Skye, she again fills her paranormal fantasy with romance and danger, and with characters you will remember. Some will tug at your heart. Others will make you wish for their demise. SPARK is the first book in a brand new series, Clan of Dragons.
What can a young dragon do to prove to his older brothers that he is their clan’s best chance to save their species? In the Black Cuillin Hills, Evan heads to the village of Morhban to find a way to interact with humans. To learn their language and customs, and to get close enough to a red-haired beauty to mate with her, the brown-winged purple dragon shifts into a copper-colored horse. When his new hooves protect her from Lord Toal MacMorgan’s inappropriate demands with a well-placed kick, she thanks Evan by brushing his silky coat. Things are looking up.
When an unfamiliar horse kicks Toal into the creek, releasing Vika from his roaming hands, her appreciation turns to horror. A sputtering Toal demands that the animal die. Anger makes Vika agree to a wager. A three day hunt will determine the fate of the horse she names Spark. Failure will mean his death, and the loss of her freedom. Pirates, wolves, a wild boar, and a handsome stranger lead her on a wild ride. She discovers her heart is in as much danger as her life.
Excerpt
“Do you smell smoke?” Vika tugged on Evan’s arm, as she pointed to the horizon. An orange glow filled the darkening sky, an ominous hue rising from the village.
“I fear your village be on fire.” Evan prayed his fire-breathing brothers were not involved. All he could do was race as fast as Vika could follow.
“Dear Lord, ‘tis not the kind of thing to welcome us home. I pray no lives shall be lost.”
They approached the outer gates within moments.
“There should be a guard to block our way. Has the fire pulled him from his post?” Vika said.
The smell of freshly spilled blood pulled Evan to a stop, just inside the fence. He increased his grip on her hand.
“Why stop? We must help the villagers!”
“Someone has been hurt, or killed. Can you not smell it?”
Vika squeezed his hand, and he released her. “Evan, all I smell be smoke. What be you havering about?”
“This.” He pointed to the pair of boots barely visible beneath a mound of straw. He feared the guard was dead.
“Who did this?” she cried.
Evan kneeled beside the straw, and uncovered the man’s face. “Dead. Do you know him?”
“Aye, but not by name. He be a warrior, and must have guarded the village. The elders always post a guard at dusk.”
“We cannot help this man, now, but we must protect the village. I shall block the gates, until the village authorities post another man. Me thinks the fire might have been set by whoever killed this man.”
After pushing the doors closed behind them, Evan rolled several barrels into place, and lifted half a dozen boxes on top to give any further intruders no way to quickly escape.
“How can you lift so much weight?”
“I be stronger than I look. Hurry, lass. We must see if your brother has made it to town. I have a feeling the fire could be another of Toal’s plans to win the wager.”
“Nay! I cannot believe he would be so evil. Besides, he could not have gotten here ahead of us.”
“This means he had men in the village with forewarned plans to create havoc.” Evan growled, and spit at the ground. The air was thick with smoke, and the cries of animals and humans grew louder.
DRAGON TALES guest post
I love to read stories about dragons, so I decided to write some of my own. The more I read, the more the stories of European dragons, Asian dragons, and oddities that could be dragons (think Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster) gave me ideas. Scottish folklore is full of dragon-like creatures. So…one day I sat down and wrote a book about a Scottish villager cursed to change into a dragon at inopportune times due to a misunderstanding. That book became Dragon’s Curse.
I mentioned Loch Ness. The myth of Nessie grabbed my attention. When I researched the Loch Ness Monster, I discovered how some tales call the mysterious beast a wing-less dragon. I used the information I discovered to write an award-winning book titled Dragon In The Mist.
When dealing with mythological creatures instead of actual wildlife, the writer has a certain freedom over other writers. I create my world and my beasts, which is why I took the liberty of creating my clan of dragons. They live in Scotland’s Black Cuillin Hills on the island of Skye, because I prefer to utilize actual locations. Dragons have certain traits such as scales, talons, wings, fangs, spiked tails, etc. However, as a writer I can make it purple, as I made my dragon-shifter hero, Evan Brown,who my heroine nicknames Spark. I can make Evan speak, shift into a handsome stallion with coppery fur, then shift him into a muscular human. I even have him fall in love. The freedom to allow my dragon to shift into other creatures, to enhance my story, is why I enjoy writing about the paranormal world. My love of horses gave the plot an interesting twist. Smoke, the second book in the Clan of Dragons series is already available for pre-order.
I need to apologize the the author- I had this stop on the wrong day of my calendar! I owe her a review- which good thing is- it's already in my calendar, so check back soon!!
About the Author:
Nancy Lee Badger loves chocolate-chip shortbread, wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a Scottish Highlander, the clang of broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the air. After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in New Hampshire, Nancy moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time.
Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Triangle Association of Freelancers, and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers. Nancy and her family volunteer each fall at the New Hampshire Highland Games surrounded by…kilts!
Website http://www.nancyleebadger.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/NLBadger
Tour giveaway
1 Winner will receive a Scottish Flag Blanket
(brand new, cat not included) as well as Shortbread Scotties,
Purple Jelly beans, a Pirate Pencil, and a Visit Scotland brochure
*international winner will instead receive ebooks from Nancy's backlist
Giveaway Ends August 21st
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