What do Dragons Eat?

Hi all,

It's another dragon post! This week I'm going to talk about what dragons can and can't eat in the Elemental Dragons universe. Although they mostly eat meat, they can eat a few human foods and sweet treats. Each dragon is different from the other, so they all have different dietary preferences. However, dragons don't need to eat every day after they reach the age of one. Their bodies are much better at absorbing nutrients from their food, so they are able to eat less. They can usually go two or three days in between meals. Because their companions eat daily, they also eat daily however. Though this is in much smaller portions to prevent weight gain.

Meat.

Dragons can eat raw meat and animals, but much prefer to have it cooked. Unless they're a Fire Elemental they can't do that, so if they're out hunting they'll have no choice but to eat it raw. They will leave parts of the prey that are too stringy or chewy, however. Most are quite fussy about which parts they will eat, some will ignore parts that others love.

Vegetables.

Dragons can eat most vegetables, though if you put a plate of peas and a plate of chicken in front of them, they will go for the chicken. Some dragons have strict dietary requirements which means they need to eat vegetables often, while others never touch them. A lot of companions don't bother trying to feed their dragons vegetables as a lot of them will turn their noses up at them. The vegetables they are least likely to deny are ones that are green, such as peas and broccoli.

Fruit.

Most fruits are too sweet for dragons, so they will avoid them. If it's a small amount, they may eat a slice of apple or banana. However, most will look at their companions with disdain until they are presented with something that they deem more acceptable.

Bitter Foods.

Dragons love bitter foods, a lot of them prefer ginger over everything else. In some cases, companions will use a bitter sauce or dressing in dragon food to give them more variety.

Sweet Foods.

These kind of foods are bad for dragons, as their bodies don't digest them properly and can harm them. Chocolate, in particular, is toxic to them, like with cats and dogs. Although these foods are bad for them, they absolutely love eating them. In controlled amounts they can eat:

Vanilla Ice Cream

Unglazed Doughnuts

Plain Pancakes

Vanilla Cake

However, these must be given as treats only, not for everyday consumption.

Drinks.

Dragons don't care for many human drinks, most preferring water. There are some however, who have developed a taste for coffee. They love it due to its bitter taste and giving them more energy.

Dairy.

Unlike cats and dogs, dragons can tolerate dairy in large quantities. They especially like double cream and cheddar cheese.

Starchy Foods.

This differs from dragon to dragon. Some love potatoes and pasta, others don't. It depends on their taste buds.

That's it for this week, I hope you found it interesting! Is there anything else you want to know about dragon lifestyle? Let me know!

See you next week!

Looking for new magical adventures to take you to new lands? Check out the books in this bundle:

Spreading Magic in March…

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Dragon Books to Read While Waiting for Cinder and Fire

Hi all,

This week I'm going to talk about my top three favourite dragon series (apart from Elemental Dragons, of course)!

I've discovered two of these quite recently, and I've fallen in love with them quite quickly. I thought I would share them with you guys so then you can check them out while waiting for Cinder and Fire to come out! I recommend all of these series to readers of Elemental Dragons. The links to the books are in the name and author!

So, without further ado:

Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland

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I found this series through Warriors, my all-time favourite series. The books are told from the point of view of dragons. In the first series, five dragonets have to stop the Sandwing War as prophesised. However, this doesn't go to plan. My favourite series is the second one, as I was drawn to all of the characters and wanted to read the next book as soon as I finished one. My favourite characters are Glory and Moonwatcher.

Dragon Assassin by Arthur Slade

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I thought this was a weird combination at first, but I was quickly drawn into these books. I love the dynamic between Carmen, the assassin and Brax, the dragon. They strike a deal, he helps her kill her brother who has slaughtered most of her assassin academy, and in return she will kill whoever he wishes. Brax is sarcastic and tries to pretend he doesn't care for Carmen, but it's obvious he does.

Dragon School by Sarah K. L. Wilson

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These books are told from the point of view of Amel, a servant girl with a disability. She wants to become part of the Dragon School, where she can train to be a dragon rider. When she chooses her dragon, she instead finds that he chooses her. Her and Raolcan have to save her friends, while facing the disappointed mocking of dragon riders who don't think Amel should have gotten a chance.

That's it for this week, I hope if you do decide to check out any of these books that you enjoy them! See you next week.

Only a few days left to check out the books in this fantasy bundle!

NEW YEAR HIGHS AND MYTHOLOGY

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The History of Elemental Dragons

Hi all!

As promised, I'm going to talk about my feelings after setting up the pre-order for Cinder and Fire.

When I first starting writing Blood and Water when I was seventeen, I never imagined I'd get this far. I never even considered the fact that publishing might become a reality rather than a dream. I just wrote because I felt like it, and wanted to write something about dragons. I had no plans for the series at that point, I just started writing based off of rough ideas I had. After three months, the first draft of Blood and Water was finished.

My first book.

The first book that I had actually written all the way through, beginning to end. I couldn't believe it. I left it for a month before starting the edits on it, researching word counts and the best way to edit. It was round 90K at that point, so I knew I had a lot of tidying up to do.

Fast forward two years and hundreds of Blood and Water drafts later, I started my second one. I didn't start it straight after Blood and Water because I honestly had no idea where the story would go. After years of not touching it, the urge to continue became too much and I finished Venom and Earth in eight months. I had just started my apprenticeship and was at the height of my depression, so it took a lot longer than what I wanted.

The first draft of Glass and Ice was completed in one month for NaNoWriMo 2018. I averaged 2771 words a day, and knew that I wanted to take writing seriously.

So I started querying.

I sent out about eighty in total, each of them rejections. One of them begged me to pass the book onto someone with more 'experience' and a 'better writing style'. I refused, and so my self publishing journey began. I also wrote the first draft of Cinder and Fire during this period.

Here I am today, three books under my belt with the fourth one coming out in two months time, and I couldn't be happier. In July I'm also planning on releasing a boxset of all the Elemental Dragons books, the cover is here:

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So, how do I feel about publishing the last book in the Elemental Dragons series?

Over the moon that I managed to accomplish what I set out to do, but also sad that it's coming to an end. These were my very first books, and I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for them. I'm going to keep writing and keep publishing, as that's what makes me happy. I hope that I can inspire others to write or even just help them get through the dark period in their lives. If I can help just one person, it would mean that I've done something right.

On another note, the proof copies of all four books will not be staying on my bookshelf. The first three belonged to my Grandfather before he passed, and I don't like the thought of them just sitting there. Instead, I'm going to set up a raffle for them and donate the money to charity. He loved cats, so I am going to go with a cat charity. I'm not sure when I will set this up as it is a painful process, especially to pass on the books that belonged to him, but I want to do something in his name. Something he could be proud of. Once I'm ready, I'll get in touch with the cat charity that I would like to donate the winnings to and set it up. I will make posts about it, so keep your eyes peeled.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! Next week I have treat for you all - my bookplate reveal! I received them this week and they look absolutely gorgeous, I'll do a giveaway on a few of them too! See you next week!

Looking for some new fantasy books to read? Check out the ones in this bundle:

NEW YEAR HIGHS AND MYTHOLOGY

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Cinder and Fire Pre-Order Live

Hi all!

The final book in the Elemental Dragons series is available to pre-order on Amazon!

I can confirm that it will be released in both ebook and paperback on 13th April 2021.

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You can pre-order it here:

While you’re waiting for it to come out why not sign up to my mailing list? Not only do you get monthly updates about projects I’m working on and cover reveals, you also get one FREE enovella set in the Elemental Dragons universe when you do!

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That’s it for this week! Next week I’m going to talk about how I feel about finishing and publishing my first series! See you next week!

Looking for some new fantasy books to add to your bookshelf? Check out these ones:

NEW YEARS HIGHS AND MYTHOLOGY

Want to Help me Design Characters?

Hi all!

This week I want to highlight my monthly newsletter once again - with a new interactive feature!

Every month I will post a character that my subscribers help me design.

This month, I ran a poll to decide what Maelstrom would look like, Marine’s dragon counterpart. My subscribers decided that she would be: a rare emerald green and white dragon with green eyes.

If you want to help me design more characters, you can sign up to my mailing list! You also get a free eNovella when you sign up!

The cover for the Elemental Dragons Short Story Collection, which can be downloaded free when signing up to my newsletter

The cover for the Elemental Dragons Short Story Collection, which can be downloaded free when signing up to my newsletter

For February’s newsletter, my subscribers will help me with the design of Frostbite, the dragon counterpart to Frost. Designing dragons will continue for another seven months after this, after that I will then be asking for help with designing other characters for different books.

If you would like to help me design characters, you can sign up for my mailing list here: Monthly Newsletter.

My newsletter doesn’t just contain dragon designs either! It also includes:

Monthly news.

Round-up of monthly blog posts.

Book swaps with other authors.

Book bundle promotions.

Writing excerpt.

Cover reveals.

If you are interested in signing up, again the link is here: Monthly Newsletter.

That’s it for this week, I hope to see you each month with my newsletter. See you next week!

PS: looking for some new books to add to your virtual bookshelf? Check out the ones in these book bundles:

Reading Treasures

New Year, New Monsters!

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Cinder and Fire Chapter One Preview

Hi all!

As promised, here is a sample of chapter one of Cinder and Fire. If you haven’t read the previous books and don’t want to be spoiled, I recommend skipping this blog post.

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“Rocky?” I peer into the darkness, trying to see who had snuck into my new room.

“Fuck.” A deep voice replies, but not Rocky’s.

The light switch is flicked on next to the man, who crosses his arms on the bed as my eyes adjust to the light.

“Oh, Mason.”

“Glad to see you too,” he snorts back. “I got the wrong room.”

“Marco?” I guessed, not needing to think hard about who he had been after. They are brothers, after all.

“Yeah,” he sighs, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “How is he?”

I haven’t seen him in months, but he hasn’t changed much. His brown hair still sticks up in tufts, though now at wild angles. His brown eyes are glazed over, exhausted. Clearly a lot has happened since I’ve been gone.

After months of being on the run from Ray and his cronies in the city, it feels weird to see Mason again. The others will probably find it weird too. After all, Marco and Braith left for me, and left everyone else behind.

“He’s okay.” I reply with a shrug. “Not happy that Ray has brought us back here.”

“I can imagine. What was it like out there? What did you see?”

After being out of camp so long I forgot that the kids stuck inside have no idea what’s going on out there. We must be the first escaped ones to return.

“It’s… Huge. There’s a city filled with people and dragons, there’s farms – proper ones. But no-one seems happy.” I explain, though not very well.

“Why aren’t they happy?”

I cast my mind back to the Wyverns; how they perished at the hands of humans after Thula freed them. People were terrified of them, and the Anthropomorphic. Anything that they don’t understand is a threat. I suppose that’s why Marine was so angry with me all the time. We were both threatening each other.

“They’re scared. Now that Ray is in power, they have even more reason to be.”

“Well, if it’s anything like it’s been here, I don’t blame them.” He shuffles across the bed, letting me sit down.

“What has happened here?”

“Wyrms,” Mason says with a shiver.

He doesn’t need to say any more. I’ve dealt with the nasty dragon sub-species enough times, although thanks to my heightened element, I can fight them off more easily than before. They have little control over me and Braith. I guess the others must be the same.

“Where are the dragons?” I ask timidly. I hope that Aqueous isn’t trapped in some sort of farm again.

He shrugs. “They keep them away from us usually. They think it lessens the pain, but it doesn’t.”

I cross my arms and look up at the grey ceiling, hoping it might morph into the night sky. Sleeping rough had been horrible at times, but it was better than sleeping under Ray’s roof.

Before I can say anything else, the familiar cold feeling creeps up my throat.

Shit.

I’ve used the shark too much the past few days.

Mason must have noticed me going rigid as he places a hand on my shoulder. “Haze, you okay?”

The cold forms into an icy lump, which I’m able to cough up before it can get stuck. Mason looks at me with a mixture of shock and disgust.

“Serum failure,” I explain with a small smile. “It means-”

“That the serum they injected is failing,” Mason finishes uncomfortably. “Violet has it too. Though she’s going nuts, not coughing up ice.”

Kicking the lump of ice under the bed, I clear my throat until it’s not croaky anymore. “How is everybody?”

“Surviving,” he jokes. “Just.”

My heart sinks at what’s ahead for us all. I don’t want to be trapped here again, especially with the Wyrms around. Ray can get away with anything he wants, and there’s nothing we can do about it.

“I’m going to find Marco,” Mason mutters uncomfortably. “I hope Rocky didn’t end up in his room.”

My heart flutters. My brother! How could I forget I’d be seeing him again?

***

That’s it for the preview, you’ll have to wait to read the rest until April! The book will be going up for pre-order in the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled. See you next week!

PS; looking for some new books to read in these cold Winter months? Check out these books:

New Year, New Monsters!

Reading Treasures

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My 2021 Writing Goals

Hi all,

As promised, here are my writing and publishing goals for 2020! After how well I reached my goals last year, I thought I would push myself a bit more this year to increase my writing output.

Write three books.

I want to finish all the books in the Curse of Anubis series this year, starting with Limbo in a few weeks time. Once I've finished them I just need to decide what to write next!

Plan nine more Elemental Dragons books/novellas.

That's right, you heard me, nine. I want to continue the Elemental Dragons universe once Elemental Dragons #4: Cinder and Fire is out. But I also want to publish my backlog of books, so I will just be focusing on planning for this year! The series will be called 'Original Elementals' and will follow each of the Original Elementals, from Marine to Stellar. I have already asked my newsletter subscribers to help with designing the dragon characters!

Publish two books.

This year I'm hoping to get Elemental Dragons #4: Cinder and Fire published in April and Mute published in October. I don't want to increase my publishing output too much as I don't want my mental health to suffer. Like last time, both will be entered in Cover Wars!

Create and publish Elemental Dragons boxset.

With the final book in the series coming out, I can release a boxset! For those who prefer to download the series in one go, or others who have been waiting for all the books to come out before reading,

Get two covers designed.

As before, I'm going with Deranged Doctor Design for my next two covers. Mute and Years will have covers by the end of the year, and I even have a cover image picked out for Mute:

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Edit three books.

I have found that as I have written more, I haven't been using so many drafts to edit. Now that my editing speed has picked up, I want to edit more books in preparation for publication. Years will be one of them, but I haven't decided on the other two yet.

Hire a sensitivity reader.

I want to hire a sensitivity reader for the Celestial Plague series. I'm researching quite a few now, and hope to have the books in the hands of one by the end of the year.

Write more short stories.

I'm hoping to write more short stories this year, with the goal of submitting to magazines or anthologies. I want to add more publications to my bookshelf!

Write Curse of Anubis short stories/novella.

In preparation for Curse of Anubis being eventually published, I want to create a reader magnet for it. So far I haven't decided whether this will be short separate stories like the Elemental Dragons Short Story collection, or a novella focused on one character like Celestial Plague: Seashine.

Read 30 books.

Double my goal of last year, which I blew out the water. Of course the first book I read this year was a Warriors one, which I thought was amazing!

Participate in both Camp NaNoWriMo and NaNoWriMo.

I've found that I write a lot better with a deadline, so I will be joining Camp NaNoWriMo and NaNoWriMo again this year.

That's it for this week! Next week I'm going to post an excerpt from chapter one of Cinder and Fire... See you then!

PS; looking for new books to add to your reading list this year? Check out these book bundles, filled with dragons, unicorns and creatures alike!

New Year, New Monsters!

Reading Treasures

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My Second Radio Interview

Hi all

If you haven't seen my Twitter or Facebook posts, you may not have known I appeared on SoundArt Radio for a second time, being interviewed by John Eden. This is the second time I have been interviewed by him, the first being in August of this year. Although the main focus of the interview was my third book, Elemental Dragons #3: Glass and Ice, we also discussed my other projects and the broader Elemental Dragons universe.

Like last time, John gave me two gifts, a book and a plush cat, which we have named Normie. (John, if you're reading this, it did indeed frighten Mishka to the point where she runs as fast as lightning if we try to move it)

The presents John gave me, though this time Mishka is giving them a wide berth

The presents John gave me, though this time Mishka is giving them a wide berth

I played three songs from my writing playlist, which were:

Bellyache - Billie Eilish

Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

Your Love, Deja Vu - Glass Animals

Like last time, my interview wasn't until 12.30pm, but I met with John an hour beforehand to catch up and discuss our Christmas plans and also what I'm writing in the future. He also asked that we dedicate a few minutes to talking about my climate change book, Years, as he has done poems and segments on this in the past. Again, he maid me feel at ease before we started the show.

We discussed the dragons of the Elemental Dragons universe, though this time in much more depth. John asked me questions about how the dragons evolved and their different sub-species. This time the interview was more centred on Draca and the Wyrms, but we also discussed Fairy Dragons as well. He also said that I should make a 'Dragonology' book about the dragon species in Elemental Dragons, which I may make one day!

My boyfriend told me I did well, as I answered all of John's questions without slipping up and managed to push most of my nervousness to the side. Again, I think I stumbled when reading a passage from Glass and Ice, but that is something I'm trying to improve on. My anxiety makes me rush through reading as I feel that people will find it boring, but that's something I have to work on myself. Afterwards my boyfriend and I spent the day together, had lunch and cuddled with Mishka next to the heater. John has kindly invited me on his show again next year, which I can't wait to attend! This show will be about Cinder and Fire, the final book in the Elemental Dragons series.

John’s show, Feast of Eden, is on Thursdays at 12:30pm GMT if you want to check out his other interviews! His show is having a break for Christmas, but will be back on air 14th January.

By the way, there’s still time to enter my Christmas giveaway! Read the rules and enter here: Elemental Dragons Virtual Advent Calendar

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading. If you listened to the show, I hope you enjoyed it! See you next week, where I will be discussing how I did with my goals for 2020.

PS; looking for some last minute reads before Christmas? Check out the books in this bundle!

Fantasy Reads for Cold Winter Nights

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Elemental Dragons Virtual Advent Calendar

Hi all!

As promised, this week I’m going to highlight the Elemental Dragons Virtual Advent Calendar - which you can find on my Facebook page! Each day I’m posting a fact about the four species of dragons:

Avian

Serpentine

Reptilian

Primordial

Each species will get six days each.

To go along with that, I thought I would do a Christmas giveaway for day 25 - Christmas day! The following books are eligible to claim:

Blood and Water

Venom and Earth

Glass and Ice

Cinder and Fire - to be sent on release day in April 2021

If you would like a chance of winning one of my ebooks, please read the rules below and go to my Facebook page, linked here: Jessica Turnbull Author

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If you’re unsure what the posts look like, here is an example:

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This giveaway closes December 24th - once the last fact has been posted. If you would like a chance of winning - feel free to enter! Once again, here is the link to my Facebook page: Jessica Turnbull Author

That’s it for this week, if you enter - good luck! See you next week.

Looking for some fantasy books to warm you up in the winter months? Check out this bundle!

Fantasy Reads for Cold Winter Nights

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Cinder and Fire Cover Design

Hi all!

It’s finally time for the cover reveal for the last book in the Elemental Dragons series: Cinder and Fire. As with the last books I’ve changed my banners and colour scheme to match the book.

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As with the previous covers, I got the Print Social package with Deranged Doctor Design.

Like with all of my previous covers, I’m going to explain a few of the design choices:

The colour scheme is orange and grey, to match with the title of Cinder and Fire.

This was the first book I knew the colour scheme for before I started writing it.

Like with all the previous books, Hazel, the MC, is the focal point of the cover.

The fire is not being controlled by Hazel as she is not a Fire Elemental.

The background is not Aria, but the outskirts of the city of Arimouth.

As this is the final book in the series, there is a big battle.

The fonts and colours all match the previous books for continuity.

There are no dragons on the cover as I thought that might make it look too busy.

That’s it for this week! Let me know if you like the cover! See you next week.

PS: looking for a new series to start? Check out this book bundle!

Begin New Journeys with Series Starters Free in KU

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