Dragons and Cats

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've written a post about cats so I thought I'd fix that!

In the Elemental Dragons universe, dragons can communicate with cats as they speak the same language. I've mentioned in the past that the two have different dialects but for the most part they can understand each other.

A lot of dragons prefer cats to dogs if they have more of a calmer temperament. This is because they tend to prefer relaxing and snoozing in the sunshine. But they sometimes play, though this gets harder as the dragons get bigger!

The dragons would consider the cat a part of their family, though they don't see each other as siblings. But they tend to have strong bonds that struggle to be broken. Cats can be more aloof, but a lot of times they make it clear that they do love any dragons they're close to.

The one thing that cats hate doing is flying on the back of a dragon. Travelling along the ground is fine and usually preferred for lazy felines. But they don't like being taken up into the air. The wind and cold is too much for them so they will react violently if they are made to fly without wanting to. 

In some rare cases dragons and cats don't get on at all. This may be because of a clash of personality or extreme jealousy. But as long as someone gives both equal attention and is patient, these obstacles can be overcome.

If I had a dragon, I'd like to think that it would get along with my cat, Mishka. She likes being the centre of attention but maybe a scaly friend would make her reconsider!

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading. See you next week! 

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Being Nothing in Elemental Dragons

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've written a post about the lore of Elemental Dragons and I don't think I've covered this topic too much before.

First of all, what is a Nothing?

In the Elemental Dragons universe, a person or dragon whose partner dies is considered a Nothing. This is because it is really hard to exist without the other.

There are a few examples of Nothings in the books, but the main one that's shown is Bluey (aka Muddy). When he's introduced in Venom and Earth, he is shown without a human companion. The group takes him in with them and he travels with them. But he can't get too close to the city without a human as otherwise they would target him as a Nothing.

What happens to Nothings?

For humans, they're immediately thrown out of any camp that they're in if they're under nineteen. All of their work towards their education is discarded and they are forced to enter the adult world with nothing but the clothes on their back. They don't get the same job opportunities as everyone else and they are looked down upon for having a dead dragon.

For dragons, they are immediately taken to zoos or farms to perform as entertainment. They can be ridden on and fed but they are not treated well. They are not allowed to exist on their own in the wild as they are considered a drain on the ecosystem. This is best seen with Russet and Moon in the Elemental Dragons Short Story Collection.

Can two Nothings pass as companions?

At the end of Cinder and Fire, it's shown that Marco and Cerberus have joined up and are passing off as each other's companions. This can be common for Nothings but very few get away with this in the longterm. The ones that do get away with it tend to have the same elements. If their elements differ, it's a lot harder to get away with.

One day I'd love to write a book about Nothings in the Elemental Dragons universe. But before I start on that I'm going to finish the Original Elementals series. Maybe after that I can focus on what the next series of the universe will be.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week. 

PS; don’t forget to check out this book bundle!

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NaNoWriMo 2023 Wrap-Up

Hi all! 

For NaNoWrimo this year I pledged to write 50k for the first draft of Original Elementals #7: Stormburst. After taking a break in July I thought I would go back into full swing into the Elemental Dragons universe. 

My word count is... 

I managed to finish the first draft on the final day and I am pretty pleased with the result. This book was a lot easier to write than other books I've done and I found I didn't get as burnt out. I don't know if that's because I love writing about dragons or if I was just in a better place mentally when I started writing it. 

This book focuses on Logan and his mission. He is to help a Sea Serpent find a mate. Although he thinks that this will be easy, he soon discovers that it would take longer than he hoped. The town of Serpentbridge is introduced, who live alongside Sea Serpents in harmony. 

Logan is based off of my cat, Rocky. When he passed away in August I was devastated. Especially since I knew this book was coming up. But I thought it was quite therapeutic and I was glad to give him the happy ending he deserved. I also managed to fit his girlfriend, Serena, into the book as well! Serena vanished one day so I wasn't sure if she passed away or ran away from home. Either way, I am so glad that I could get them together again for the book. 

This book also solidifies everyone's distrust in Zmei and most of the characters turn their backs on them. One decides to stand by Zmei rather than their friends, however. Draca comes across as the good guy but if you've read Elemental Dragons then you know that's not the case. 

The next book that I will be working on is Turf, the eighth book in the Original Elementals series. As I've said previously, I'm hoping to make a Patreon which will be a dragon lovers paradise. The books from the Original Elementals series will be posted there first and then published on Amazon at a later date. 

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading. See you next week! 

What Dragons Hunt

Hi all, 

This week I'm going to write about something that was suggested in the comments - what dragons hunt. Now, most of the hunting is not done by Western Dragons as they have their food killed for them in farming. Other dragon species do hunt to survive, so I thought I would go over a mix of them here. 

Farm Animals. 

Farm animals mostly fall victim to Wyverns. These dragons hunt in packs and pick one animal to bring down. While this is most often cows, they have been known to go for sheep and pigs too. There have even been a few instances of Wyverns completely destroying chicken coops to get to the animals inside. Western Dragons do not hunt these animals as they are not allowed to. 

Deer. 

A favourite amongst most kinds of dragons is deer. These animals can be taken down by one dragon and the amount of meat can keep them fed for a day. Western Dragons hide in the undergrowth and pick a target before striking. Their prey is then dragged back to their nest for consumption. This is know due to the amount of deer bones found amongst dragon lairs. 

Goat. 

This is a favourite amongst Amphiptere. As they live high in the mountains, food can be scarce. So they've learned to hunt goat to perfection and the meat can sustain them for almost three days before they need to hunt again. 

Rabbits and Birds. 

Due to their size, rabbits aren't hunted often by dragons. They don't have much to sustain them and often it requires more energy to hunt them than what they get back. It's the same with birds, they aren't worth the effort unless a dragon is desperately hungry. 

Whales, Orcas and Sharks. 

These marine animals are hunted by Sea Serpents. Due to their size, they're able to take down their prey solo. Sharks and orcas are what they hunt primarily although they have been known to take down whales too. These dragons are fast and use their speed to their advantage. They then coil themselves around their prey, crushing them and dragging them towards their lair. 

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week. 

PS; don’t forget to check out these free books!

A Giveaway for National Author’s Day

A Post-Apocalyptic Christmas Giveaway

Elemental Dragons Stickers

Hi all! 

I thought I'd show off all the stickers that I've had designed for the Elemental Dragons series. You might recognise some of the designs already but I wanted to show off some of the newer ones! 

Aqueous. 

Aqueous is my favourite dragon from the series and he was the first to get a sticker. I got them a couple years ago and there aren't many left from the original batch now. I love the design and the way the stickers shine. 

He's also available as a circle sticker, but I prefer this one.

Damayanti. 

The simplest of the stickers, but I absolutely love it. They're nice and thick and they stick really well. Damayanti's design is perfect and I love the position the artist chose to draw her in. 

Like Aqueous, she's also available as a circle sticker. 

Drea. 

This was the last sticker that I had done. I love how she sparkles and I think it shows off her design really well. I don't think she's like this sticker if she saw it though, it doesn't show off her toughness enough! 

Drea is also available as a circle sticker. 

I'd love to be able to set up a shop so I could start selling them but at the moment I'm not sure where to start. I want to focus on setting up a Patreon for this year and then I'm hoping to get a shop set up. The stickers will also be offered as rewards to those who sign up to my Patreon at certain tiers. It's something that I would love to do in the future, once I have more time and a better idea of how to do it. I'd love to see people with merch from my books. 

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week. 

PS; don’t forget to check out this Sci-Fi bundle:

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A Flight of Dragons

Hi all,

A story from the Elemental Dragons universe, Orange to Blue, has found a home in an anthology. I always love submitting to anthologies and adding new books to my bookshelf and an anthology about dragons was just perfect! You can check it out below:

A collection of short stories and poems, all about dragons.

Dragons, dragons, and even more dragons. Get your fix of dreamy, dragon-based fiction and enjoy a tantalising mix of humour, emotion and intrigue.

Contributing authors:
Heather C Page, Linda M Crate, Jessica Turnbull, Stephen S Power, Sean Britten, Andrew Murphy, Jason P Burnham, Matias F Travieso, Alex Souza, Mark Mills, Alex Evans, Jibril Stevenson, Joachim Heijndermans, Ismail Ahmed, Dibyasree Nandy, Ben Sawyer, J D Byrne, Mary Jo Rabe, Kathryn Reilly, Rohan Magerman, Oliver Smith, L N Hunter, Marisca Pichette.

Orange to Blue contains no spoilers for the Elemental Dragon series and is instead a fun little side story set during Blood and Water. It features Hazel, Aqueous, Marco and Draca as they try to help an Amphiptere Dragon who is going to be used as entertainment during the summer solstice. I originally wrote it for a different anthology but it didn’t make it through. I’m glad it has managed to find a home now though!

I’m hoping to get published in more anthologies throughout the year and maybe get some of my older short stories published. I still occasionally look up ones that I think I might be interested in.

That’s it for this week, I hope you check out A Flight of Dragons! See you next week.

PS; if you’re looking for some more fantasy reads, check out these book bundles:

Time to Thaw Out with a Free Short Story!

Soar Through the Sky

Dragon Species Featured in Original Elementals

Hi all!

This week I’m going to give you a sneak peek at all the dragon species that will show up in Original Elementals. Some have already been in Elemental Dragons, but a lot are ones you haven’t seen before.

The list won’t contain details about each species just so there are no spoilers, but you can look up most of them. The Fauxboros, Zmei and Vivid are my own creations so you’ll have to wait to hear from them in the books!

Western Dragon

Drake

Hydra

Ouroboros

Fauxboros

Lindworm

Wyvern

Amphiptere

Great Serpent

Sea Serpent

Eastern Dragon

Fairy Dragon

Wyrm

Draconic Hybrid

Zmei

Vivid

Zmei and Vivid are technically unclassified species as they were created by Sandstone separate from other species. They have features from a lot of dragon species which makes them more formidable in battle.

All of the species above will appear in the series at some point, some will appear in multiple books. The main characters have to help one of the species with Zmei’s guidance, though as times goes on it becomes clear that Zmei doesn’t have their best interests in mind.

The book that I’ll be writing in a few weeks’ time, Sunrise, will feature Amphiptere dragons. I’m excited to write about them as I’ve only written them in a short story before. I’m looking forward to fleshing them out and how Lucia reacts to them.

That’s it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week.

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles!

Time to Thaw Out with a Free Short Story!

Soar Through the Sky

The Dragon Heirarchy

Hi all, 

This week I'm going to tell you about the dragon hierarchy in Elemental Dragons. In this universe they have dragons who they consider god-like and a few of them have appeared in the series or will appear in Original Elementals. 

Arcturus. 

The companion of Stella, the first person to develop all the elements. He is considered to be a demi-god for the powers he had. He appears in the Original Elementals series and his companion will have her own book. 

Draca. 

Draca appears in both series, though in Elemental Dragons they are just a clone. They are at the bottom of the rung in the hierarchy, only being one above regular dragons. They work alongside Zmei and then eventually break away from them to work for their own goals. They are considered more of a demi-god in the series. 

Hydras. 

All Hydras are considered gods due to the fact that they are immortal. They appear in many stories across different time periods. The most famous story is the one of Hercules and the Hydra, though in this story he isn't seen as the hero. 

Zmei. 

Zmei only appears in Original Elementals. They use Draca as their pawn to help with their plan. They are the one who created the elements and helped the Originals get their powers and distribute them across the country. They are closely linked to Western Dragons, though this will be explored further in Original Elementals. They call themselves the king of dragons and are considered a god due to their supposed immortality. 

Vivid. 

Vivid is a dragon that has been lost to time. They used to serve Sandstone loyally alongside Zmei before they were cast out. The reasons are only known to Zmei and Sandstone, who forced them into exile. Some stories say they live in a prison deep within the Earth, while others claim they are chained to clouds in the sky. 

Sandstone. 

This dragon goes by many names, though the current one they use is Sandstone. They are immortal and appear every 450-600 years to wreak havoc on the land. They are the biggest of all dragons and the creator of every dragon species. Unfortunately to their size they perish soon after appearing. Their body rots and they go into a slumber until it is time to wake up again. Their flesh regrows and they scour the land for food. They are the very first dragon and the top of the hierarchy. They created Zmei and Vivid to keep an eye on dragonkind when they are slumbering. 

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week. 

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles!

Time to Thaw Out with a Free Short Story!

Soar Through the Sky

After the End

The First Elemental Dragons Bookmark

Hi all! 

Last week I promised to show off a new piece of merchandise to you. If you haven't guessed from the title, it's a bookmark! 

This one has been designed for Blood and Water, to match the colour scheme of the cover. The design was made by Blink Marketing and they also printed the bookmarks for me as well. 

I've used one as a practice and I like the size and feel of the bookmark. I've added tassels as well because I like something extra that sticks out so you don't accidentally open the wrong page. The tassels come in a range of colours and I've added them to about half of the bookmarks so far. I think I will keep it this way so people have the option of a tassel if they want one. 

I will be running a giveaway for these bookmarks, one on social media and one for my newsletter subscribers. If you want two chances of winning, you can sign up to my newsletter here: Newsletter

In the future I would like to have bookmarks made for each of my books. I thought about doing them in order but I will instead leave it to my mailing list subscribers to choose which one they want to see next. I'm going to get some colourful gel pens as well so I can sign them if that's what people want! 

Eventually I would like to sell these, signed or unsigned, in a shop that I plan to open. They would be available on their own or hopefully in little packs that include a signed book. I'm still working out the logistics of this, so keep an eye out! 

You can follow my Twitter, @jess_a_turnbull, so you can enter the giveaway. I'll be posting it later next week. 

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading. See you next week. 

PS: last chance to pick up the books in this bundle!

New Year, New Monsters 3: From the Darkness

Wyrm Evolutions in Elemental Dragons

Hi all,

This week I'm going to talk about the Wyrms. It's been a while since I've written a blog post on Elemental Dragons and thought I'd change that. In the series we learn that the Wyrms want to evolve to become the ultimate dragon species. To do that, the scientists have genetically engineered Elemental serum that they can consume. The only catch is that they need to wait several years for the serum to mature inside of Hazel and their friends. Some of them do get to consume some of the characters for their powers, but I want to write about how each element would make them evolve.

Water.

A water Elemental will make them evolve gills. This enables them to breathe underwater and on land, giving them the opportunity to take out all kinds of species of dragon.

Fire.

This would give them the ability to breathe fire. Fire is the only element that acts the same in Wyrms as it does in Western Dragons. They'll be able to create and manipulate fire and will develop heat resistance.

Earth.

They would evolve rock-like spikes around their necks which they could use as defense. The necks are their most vulnerable spot, so evolving these would make it harder for their enemies to kill them.

Wind.

A pair of bony wings will sprout from their backs if they consume a wind Elemental. The wings won't have any membranes so they can't fly properly, however.

Ice.

Their scales will grow thicker and they will no longer be effected by the cold. This would be good for them as they can then pursue dragon species that live high in the mountains or in harsher environments.

Electricity.

With this element, their tail will evolve. It will become thinner and more sleek and also act as a lightning rod. When struck, the Wyrms will become more frenzied in their attacks.

Light.

Their eyes will grow larger and will glow. They will be able to see perfectly in the absence of all light. Because of the glow however, they will be easier to spot in darker places. They will also struggle in the day time as the light around them will be brighter.

Dark.

If they eat a dark Elemental, their scales will become darker. Depending on the amount of light around them, their scales will change to blend in with their environment. In the daytime they will be almost see-through, while at night they will be practically invisible.

Metal.

Just for fun, I thought I'd include this element too! If they consume a metal Elemental, their jaws and teeth will turn into steel. This will never rust and will make them more of a challenge in battle.

That's it for this week! I hope you enjoyed reading, see you next week.

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