Blog Archives
Release of the new Dragomeir Series Book 4 – Back from Oblivion
A return to the Dragomeir science fiction/fantasy series,
continuing Katherine Pendragon/ Queen Mother’s story.
Book synopsis –
Queen Mother of Mt. Drago has a lifelong goal to liberate the Denizen people. After locking away her father, the Dark Lord, in Oblivion she is taking them to the planet 267. Tanis is a dragon rider and an important person in her past, present, and future. Through a series of misadventures, he regains the memories of not only his past but the accumulative knowledge gained by his future self and goes forward in time to effectively rewrite history. The earth becomes a burned-out cinder in 300 years because of the anomalies caused from time travel, so Tanis takes steps with his future self to remedy the situation. Guided by the Watcher, both Tanis and Queen Mother become stronger and wiser people through their efforts. They learn the importance of working together and with others as they strive to champion for all while fulfilling their own destinies.
THE DRAGOMEIR SERIES – BOOKS 1 – 3
To read excerpts from the books and find out how it all began – check out the PREQUEL BOOKS on my website at WWW.SOLITAIREPARKE.COM
Have a great day and stay safe!
Solitaire
AUTHORS GIVE BACK SALE – NOW UNDERWAY – FREE BOOKS!
Smashwords authors are reaching out to do their part by using the power of their books to help minimize the emotional and economic hardships we all face in every country. Many of us are faced with having to stay at home and stay isolated from others in order to contain this global pandemic. So we, as authors, want to do our part by offering LARGE DISCOUNTS of 30%, 60%, or even FREE on select ebooks, starting now through April 20th.
We hope that all of you readers might find comfort and enjoyment from them and it might make your day a little brighter. If you find a favorite book during the sale, please consider reading their other books as well. There are 140,000 authors that publish at Smashwords from every country around the world. They are all your friends and neighbors.
You can find all my Smashwords’ books here: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/solitaireparke
The first book in the Dragmeir Series – The Emerald Dragon – is FREE
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/446935
The first book in the Daughter of the Dark Lord Series (prequel books to Dragomeir)
Daughter of the Dark Lord, The Burning Sky) – FREE
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/707732
Please spread the word, take care and stay safe!
Solitaire
Author Fair * Book Signing – Saturday, November 3, 2018
http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/ServicesForYou/Pages/Just-Read-Local-Author-Fair.aspx
Saturday, November 3, 2018 from 11a.m. to 2p.m.
Burton Barr Central Library, 2nd Floor
1221 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004
Join me for the Author Fair to meet authors from all over the state of Arizona and learn about our books, including children’s, teen, adult fiction and nonfiction.
Books will be available for purchase and signing. I hope to see you there!
Solitaire
www.solitaireparke.com
VISIT MY NEW WEBSITE!!!
Hello Readers! The new website is now up and running! So come visit and read the latest news about the Dragomeir Books, as well as the Larger World Series, and much more. You’ll find my Blog, Fun Facts and Extras, and discover what books are forthcoming. See you at the website!
Solitaire
Have any questions or things you’d like to know about? Contact me!
Hul Gil – the “Joy Plant”
The opium poppy is widely cultivated and its worldwide production is monitored by international agencies. It is used for production of dried latex and opium, the principal precursor of narcotic and analgesic opiates such as morphine, heroin and codeine. Poppy seeds are rich in oil, carbohydrates, calcium and protein.
The earliest reference to opium was in 3,400 BC where the Sumerians in lower Mesopotamia referred to it as Hul Gil, the “Joy Plant.” They, in turn, passed the knowledge of the opium poppy to the Assyrians, who gave it to the Babylonians, who passed it on to the Egyptians. The Egyptians were famous for their poppy fields and the opium trade flourished during the eighteenth dynasty (around 1500 to 1300 BC) under the reigns of Thutmose IV, Akhenaton and King Tutankhamen. Roman gladiators used opium to enhance their fighting … and to die as painlessly as possible if mortally wounded.
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, saw opium as a helpful narcotic for treating disease. The great physician Galen cautioned that opium should be used sparingly in 158 AD. He said it was better to endure pain than to be bound to the drug. It wasn’t until 400 AD that opium was introduced into China by Arab traders.
Alexander the Great used opium to help his soldiers march farther because they couldn’t feel the pain in their feet; and they could sleep through the night because the wounded were sleeping peacefully under the influence of opium. He introduced opium to India, where its cultivation flourished. One of the goals of Columbus was to bring back opium from India, as its access had been cut off when the Arabs were expelled from Spain. He didn’t get to India, but he brought back tobacco from the New World and smoking tobacco became common throughout Europe.
In 1803, a German chemist named Friedrich Sertuerner synthesized morphine from opium. Sertuerner’s wife overdosed on morphine and died. He then publically warned against its dangers. But morphine was also a great step forward in medicine. It allowed doctors to do true surgery for the first time. Morphine was heralded as “God’s own medicine” for its reliability and long-lasting effects. By 1827, the E. Merck & Company of Darmstadt Germany was commercially manufacturing morphine.
A new technique for administering morphine was developed by Dr. Alexander Wood of Edinburg when he invented the syringe in 1843. Wood believed that if morphine was injected instead of swallowed, “patients would not hunger for it.” He was wrong; and several of his patients became dependent.
John Witherspoon warned his fellow doctors in a June 23, 1900 article about their indiscriminant use of morphine. The morphine habit was growing at an alarming rate; and doctors were culpable for “too often giving this seductive siren until the will-power is gone.” Pointing to the Great First Physician, he said doctors should “save our people from the clutches of this hydra-headed monster” which wrecked lives and filled jails and lunatic asylums.
In my forthcoming book –
“Daughter of the Dark Lord, Book One, The Burning Sky”
the Dark Lord of the Provinces, a manipulative, heartless and cruel ruler, attempts to control the Denizen people that he rules by allowing them to become addicted to the medicinal serum. His plan is to cut off the supply of the Hul Gil, and then establish it once again, only this time with contingencies tacked on. In essence, he would be creating voluntary slavery with himself as the Dictator. Whenever the Dark Lord wanted something, he would simply cut off the drug until the people complied with his wishes, thereby maintaining power over those he considered to be worthless underlings. His daughter, Katherine, who is aware of the monster that is her father, is still shocked and stunned at the depths of his sadistic inhumanity and is determined once again to thwart his malevolent efforts.
The book takes place on the Provinces of Hell, not a destination that anyone would want to find themselves, and yet to her chagrin, Katherine is not only the Dark Lord’s daughter, but a potential victim of his evil plot. She must find a way to survive and somehow escape this retched place.
The book is in the editing stages right now, but in the meantime, keep checking back for updates and more interesting facts about Katherine and those who choose to fight in her behalf in –
“Daughter of the Dark Lord, Book One, The Burning Sky”
A prequel book to the Dragomeir Series Books One – Three
Also available for purchase at www.solitaireparke.com and various other locations – in multiple formats.
Solitaire
18 Quotes about the Legendary Dragon
A Dragon is a legendary creature belonging to the world of mythology, storytelling and fantasy. There are stories about dragons in Chinese culture, European culture, South American culture, and many others.
Dragons can look like dinosaurs and other extinct animals. Because of that, it is easy to think that those animals might have been an example for dragons as they were thought of in the history of humankind.
There are many kinds of dragons in the different cultures. In general –
- A dragon has: none to four legs, claws, scales and possibly spikes. Optional wings.
- A dragon can look like a snake with wings, or like lizards
- A dragon has a tail and a long neck.
- A dragon has a wide mouth with big and dangerous teeth.
- Sometimes they have horns and hair.
- A dragon can fly.
- A dragon can perhaps breathe fire (or other dangerous substances).
- A dragon can have special powers.
- Some dragons live in caves.
In a number of stories, dragons are dangerous and attack humans. Other stories have dragons that are looking for help, or giving help. In my Dragomeir Series, the dragons become companions and are lifelong friends to their specific riders. They can be dangerous to those who attempt to hurt the ones they love or their way of life, but to their riders they are the ultimate friend. Here are some interesting quotes about dragons:
It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.
J. R. R. TOLKIEN, The Hobbit
And though I came to forget or regret all I have ever done, yet would I remember that once I saw the dragons aloft on the wind at sunset above the western isles; and I would be content.
URSULA K. LE GUIN, The Farthest Shore
If the sky could dream, it would dream of dragons.
LLONA ANDREWS, Fate’s Edge
The ultimate challenge of a teacher lies not in the slaying of dragons, but rather in exposing them as beasts no longer to be feared.
ALAN BURTON, A Wayward Wizard’s Wistful Words
If you want to conquer the world, you best have dragons.
GEORGE R. R. MARTIN, A Dance with Dragons
O to be a dragon,
a symbol of the power of Heaven — of silkworm
size or immense; at times invisible.
Felicitous phenomenon!
MARIANNE MOORE, O To Be a Dragon
How should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are at the beginning of all peoples, the myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us.
RAINER MARIA RILKE, Letters to a Young Poet
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you art crunchy and good with ketchup.
ANONYMOUS
Come not between the dragon, and his wrath.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, King Lear
If you see the dragon fly,
best you drink the flagon dry.
GREG HAMERTON, Second Sight
The hunger of a dragon is slow to wake, but hard to sate.
URSULA K. LE GUIN, A Wizard of Earthsea
Imagine a land where people are afraid of dragons. It is a reasonable fear: dragons possess a number of qualities that make being afraid of them a very commendable response. Things like their terrible size, their ability to spout fire, or to crack boulders into splinters with their massive talons. In fact, the only terrifying quality that dragons do not possess is that of existence.
DAVID WHITELAND, Book of Pages
A dragon stranded in shallow water provides amusement to the shrimps.
CHINESE PROVERB
I desired dragons with a profound desire. Of course, I in my timid body did not wish to have them in the neighborhood. But the world that contained even the imagination of Fáfnir was richer and more beautiful, at whatever the cost of peril.
J. R. R. TOLKIEN, The Tolkien Reader
It is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.
URSULA K. LE GUIN, A Wizard of Earthsea
Did not learned men, too, hold, till within the last twenty-five years, that a flying dragon was an impossible monster? And do we not now know that there are hundreds of them found fossil up and down the world? People call them Pterodactyles: but that is only because they are ashamed to call them flying dragons, after denying so long that flying dragons could exist.
CHARLES KINGSLEY, The Water Babies
Here be dragons to be slain, here be rich rewards to gain;
If we perish in the seeking, why, how small a thing is death! DOROTHY L. SAYERS, Catholic Tales and Christian Songs
People who deny the existence of dragons are often eaten by dragons. From within.
URSULA K. LE GUIN, The Wave in the Mind:
Talks & Essays on the Writer, the Reader, & the Imagination
Do you love reading about dragons? Check out this ongoing series at my website –
“The Emerald Dragon”
“Flight of theAguiva”
“Egg of the Amphitere”
And the forthcoming book –
“Daughter of the Dark Lord”
Part One
“The Burning Sky”
Solitaire
HELL HOUNDS – REVISITED
The Hell Hounds were initially encountered in the first book of the Dragomeir Series, “The Emerald Dragon.” These creatures were living at Mt. Drago after making a mass exodus from the Provinces of Hell, with the help of the Queen Mother or “The Ariella.” Inside Mt. Drago, they took up shop in an area of the mountain called Tarin’s Gallery.
The Hell Hounds are a genetically altered species that started off with a considerable amount of wolf and pit bull in their heritage. No one is really sure what else went into the mixture, but what we do know is that they went after size and stamina. The full grown males of this species top over three hundred pounds, stand about five feet tall and can run for days. Their fur is course and sometimes sparse, and they are predominately brown in color with brown eyes. Each one has a different and uneven muzzle, with teeth that protrude in a variety of directions, even with their mouths closed. They also sport an opposing thumb and forefinger.
What the Dark Lord of the Provinces didn’t expect was that they were a species on the fast track to sentience. Generations later, they were no longer just guard dogs. Through sheer will, a lot of death and destruction, and the help of a young girl, the Dark Lord’s daughter, they managed to escape.
By the eleventh generation they were not only intelligent, but self aware and very unhappy with the Dark Lord. That’s where “The Ariella” entered the picture and gave them an opportunity they couldn’t ignore – a chance to break away from a life of cruelty, maltreatment and servitude.
The Hell Hounds of today are drastically different than the ones written about in history. The ones in Mt. Drago would rather not fight; they are vegetarians and prefer to stay in one place to rear their children. They are deeply spiritual and have a great sense of humor.
Read about the Hell Hounds in the DRAGOMEIR SERIES Book One of Three Books –
And watch for the forthcoming book, a prequel to the first three books –
“Daughter of the Dark Lord
Part One – The Burning Sky”
Solitaire
Want to know more about any of the Mt. Drago Creatures ? – Contact me below!
How to Effectively Kill a Demon – Dragomeir Series Novels
In Greek mythology, the River Styx formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld. The word itself meant “hate” and “detestation.”
In the Dragomeir Series– the River Styx is an important part of the story – the boundary between Earth and The Provinces of Hell. The Demons of The Pronvices, lead by the Dark Lord, are trapped on one side and are desperately attempting to cross over to Earth.
There’s only one problem with that. Demons have ichor running through their veins rather than blood, making the dark, acidic water of The River Styx toxic to them. Ichor contains a property called Mercury which was purposely placed there to effectively strand the demons in the accursed land. They are prisoners for all time for the crimes they have committed against humanity.
When a Human bleeds, the blood comes out red due to the oxygen in the atmosphere. However, when Demons lose ichor, the color is green due to the Mercury coming into contact with ozone. Ozone is the majority of the gas in our atmosphere. It causes us to perceive color the way we do. The Mercury in ichor reacts badly with the water in the River Styx causing severe burns and death. A single drop of its water will sizzle like cooking meat and leave a nasty looking welt that can take days to heal. Even the fumes from the water cause a bad reaction in Demons, so they dare not get too close. As a result, most demons are terrified of the variant forms of water.
To discover more about the intriguing lands, exceptional people, and amazing dragons of these worlds you can find
The Dragomeir Series books –
At my website and various other locations – www.solitaireparke.com
Forthcoming Book #4 –
- Daughter of the Dark Lord
Part One
The Burning Sky
Have any questions or comments – please contact me!
Solitaire
SECRETS OF “THE ARIELLA”
Who is this dark-haired beauty that they call ” The Ariella” or Queen Mother? She commands an army of Dragons and Dragon Riders as well as a group of seemingly misfit Creatures that dwell in various mountain locations around the planet. She has their fierce loyalty and is a force to be reckoned with among her global community; all of whom she guards with her life . . . she and her ominous and amazing Dragons, Basiliskos Verminthrax Pejorative – a male black Wyvern, and Invectum Viperathrax Pejorative – a male white Wyvern.
In The DRAGOMEIR SERIES books you can read all about this global population – their triumphs and defeats, while getting to know how “The Ariella” manages to keep them all alive from conflict to conflict. But how long has she been around, and how did she become Queen Mother to this unlikely group of characters?
To answer this question, I am currently writing a Prequel to the series, which will chronicle her life, and rectify some of the myth surrounding her tumultuous journey leading up to her title, “The Ariella” or Queen Mother. The story picks up shortly before her birth and follows her life thereafter. It was her destiny to become the Queen of the Dragons and a champion to the downtrodden misfits in her world.
If you love Dragons, Dragon Riders, Otherworldly Creatures, and lots of adventure and intrigue, I hope you will enjoy the first three books in the DRAGOMEIR SERIES –
AND keep watching for my forthcoming book, the Fourth Book in the Series –
- “DAUGHTER OF THE DARK LORD”
Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. Happy Reading!
Solitaire
www.solitaireparke.com (Books available at numerous websites)
Is Every Character Important to Your Plot?
The world of Dragomeir has a remarkable number of varying species which seem to get a lot of press when it comes to origins and abilities. As a result, other key characters seem to get lost in the shuffle. I think it’s only fair to give credence to a couple of characters who were instrumental to the plot, and came to the rescue of Tanis, the headliner of the story.
- The first of these two people is Betty, the Den Mother at the Emerald Grotto. She is matronly and ageless. She is older, but at the same time, seems youthful. I know how that sounds, but she’s somewhat of an enigma. Her graying hair is always tied back in a bun and her clothing makes her look strangely homebound and domestic. It’s her energy that impresses everyone the most, and a very imposing demeanor. Betty is fearless and plays a huge role in the conclusion of the Dragomeir Trilogy.
- The second is Jean. Originally the secretary to the Thaumaturgists, she manages to fool everyone into thinking she is ditzy and slow. Jean shows up in the second book, “Flight of the Aguiva” proving just how wrong that assessment really is. She turns out to be a member of the Watcher Clan, and an aggressive, sometimes rash leader, dedicated to the furtherance of Mt. Drago. Highly trained in combat, Jean uses her skills in the service of Queen Mother, both in the field and at the mountain in ways that disturb Tanis and his dragons. Jean is the embodiment of how far a person can go when properly motivated. She is an over achiever and proof that you don’t need super powers to be a super soldier. So check out these two remarkable women and find out how they helped save Queen Mother’s beloved mountain and the world.
Books 1-3 of the Dragomeir Trilogy are available from multiple sources at –
Do you have a favorite character from a book who isn’t the main character? What books have you read where those people really stood out and why?
See you soon,
Solitaire
