The fourth volume of Marsha A. Moore's
Enchanted Bookstore Legends series,
Staurolite, is
on sale at Amazon. I had some questions about magic and dragons for Marsha -- I love dragons too --
What's the most dangerous thing about magic in this world?
The greatest danger involving magic in my
Enchanted Bookstore Legends is an ongoing problem that drives the series forward.
The hero, Cullen Drake, is the Imperial Sorcerer of the Alliance. Initially, he was human more than 200 years ago. As he worked to develop his magic in the fantasy world of Dragonspeir, he became immortal…a status that requires him to remain in that world. Cullen, like a select few of the highest magicals, is permitted to travel into other worlds, including the human world. He does and even leads a double life there working as the owner of Drake’s Bookstore, in order to meet Lyra and bring her to the fantasy world as the next Scribe. However, his time outside of Dragonspeir is limited. With light magic use, he may be away up to a week, and fewer days if he engages in complex techniques.
Oppositely, Lyra, the heroine and Cullen’s beloved, is a mortal. As a newly appointed Scribe, she’s working toward her immortality. Until she reaches that status, Lyra must remain a temporary guest in Dragonspeir. The Imperial Dragon permits her presence only when she performs training or missions for his Alliance. This presents a tremendous problem for the couple. They have difficulty living the life together that they truly desire. Throughout the series, they actively seek ways for Lyra to gain more immortality through her service to the Alliance. This drives them forward to face many dangers.
What's the best thing about magic?
Lyra finds many wonders as she learns about Dragonspeir magic. There is great beauty with talking, responsive trees and flowers. Spectacular solstice festivals are held in regions of the Alliance and the misty forest of Silva Caliga. But, perhaps, the best thing about magic in Dragonspeir are the amazing sensations she and Cullen experience through the bond of their love. When touching, their auras comingle with a pleasant warmth around their hearts. This enhances their intimacy. Also, during battles, contact allows them to partially utilize each other’s powers. The fact that love has an element of magic is certainly incredible.
Tell us a little about the dragons.
Like all fantasies, the battle between good and evil is a key theme that must be addressed. The dragons in my fantasy world of Dragonspeir are either members of the good Alliance, governed by the golden Imperial Dragon and his High Council, or the Dark Realm, led by the Black Dragon.
Alliance Dragons:
Gold dragons are born leaders, being lawful, just and good. Their intelligence exceeds the other types, and their wisdom is sought after. Being good-natured, they help those who are kind and fair. The Imperial Leader helps train and guide my heroine, Lyra, along her quest. Golds are the most powerful and largest in size. The breath weapon of gold dragons is a cone of fire. Although they are cautious about entering a fight and dislike killing, once engaged, they will pour their entire being into the battle.
Physically, gold dragons are spectacular. Two prominent horns point backwards along their heads. The most obvious feature is probably the tentacle whiskers that sprout from the bottom of the gold dragon's jaw, giving the appearance of a sort of beard in both males and females.
Like his father before him, the present Imperial Dragon will serve the Alliance until either he dies or steps down. Similar to most golds, he keeps his Alliance headquarters in a grand network of caves set in the rock plateau. His overlooks the Steppe of Ora, the wide plain which divides good and evil in Dragonspeir. His lair includes an elaborate gathering hall, a vast library, guest quarters, and his own personal chambers with cases of magical instruments and a glass-walled observatory to consult the stars. As one of the four Alliance Guardians, his area of expertise is magic powered by the air element, including mystical astronomy studies of the skies.
Blue dragons are the sentries to the Imperial Dragon. They love spending hours soaring and are excellent trackers. Squadrons of them patrol the Alliance. They are lawful and obedient, with strong moral character. They are a brilliant cobalt blue, bearing a single horn. Their eyes are smooth and glossy, without pupils, which makes for an hypnotic appearance. Although slightly smaller than golds, they are quicker to strike in battles with their lightning bolt breath.
Pseudodragons, wizard’s assistants, play big roles in the series although they aren’t true dragons. The most visible pseudodragon is Noba. His kind is much smaller, being only three feet long, including their tails. Noba has a heart of gold that melts people. However, he surprises everyone when Cullen and Lyra travel into the mysterious underground world of Terza. There, the lovable and naïve little dragon becomes a real star. Pseudodragons originated in that strange land, and Noba discovers the incredible strength of his heritage. He isn’t just a sweet pseudodragon wizard’s familiar, but also a powerful Matan, capable of altering the use of all magic in his presence.
Dark Realm Dragons:
Black dragons, like the leader of the Dark Realm, always seek to lair in deep dark caves. Although small, they are vile, evil-tempered, and abusive. Their hearts are as dark as their slimy scales. They are obsessed with death and take comfort in the sickening-sweet aroma of drowned, rotting carcasses. The Black Dragon leader prefers his drake servants leave the prey they bring him in pools within his personal cave. The victims float for days or weeks before he eats them.
The dark leader, like all black dragons, is grim and skeletal. His eyes lie deep in their sockets between two great horns that curve forward and down. The flesh of his face is partially deteriorated or burnt from his acidic drool. His method of attack is spitting caustic acid. My heroine and hero, Lyra and Cullen, learn too well what that feels like!
As allies to the Black Dragon,
green dragons live alone in dense forests. Although short dragons, they have nasty, belligerent tempers. They delight in torturing their captives. The head of a green is covered in hornlets. They reek of chlorine since their chosen breath weapon is hurling clouds of toxic chlorine gas.
Numerous types of
drakes are the soldiers and scouts of the Dark Realm. Fire and magma drakes attack with burning flames, while the evil ice drakes freeze victims with contact.
This was only a quick summary of many of the good and evil dragons in my Enchanted Bookstore Legends. Obviously, I could go on and on—I love dragons!
What's the most unusual thing you had to research for this story?
I don’t often do hard research. Writing fantasy, my research is often using life experiences to inspire creation of settings and characters. However, for Staurolite, I did do some online research to learn about vocabulary, speech, and clothing for the ancestral Scribes. Those ladies, like Lyra, began their lives as mortals in the real human world. The first Scribe, Elisabeth, lived in 1200 A.D., the second in 1400, the third in 1600, and the fourth in 1800. I was so pleased when my beta readers volunteered their thoughts, matching the specific dialects to the correct time periods and locales. I was a little concerned since historical fiction isn’t my calling.
What's up next for you?
I’m presently writing the fifth and final book of my
Enchanted Bookstore Legends, entitled
Quintessence. In that book, there will be the ultimate showdown between good and evil in the culmination of the epic high fantasy. I’m expecting a fall release for
Quintessence.
After that, I’ll begin a new series that has more subtle magical elements, where reality and magic blur in the magical realism genre.
Where can we find you online?
Website:
MarshaAMoore.com
Twitter:
MarshaAMoore
Facebook:
Author page
Fantasy Faction staff page
Goodreads author page
Google +
Staurolite: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Four by Marsha A. Moore
Genre: Epic Fantasy Romance
Description:
Lyra McCauley, current Scribe of the Alliance, is the only one who can decode magic hidden in the recently retrieved ancient texts written by her ancestors, the first four Scribes. Information in those writings can help Lyra locate the four missing keystones, which will restore power to the Alliance and allow overthrow of the Dark Realm. With peace restored, she and her beloved, Cullen, could finally marry.
Time is short with the Black Dragon’s Dark Realm increasing attacks to avenge the death of his heir. Many innocent lives are lost. Alliance residents are forced into hiding. Magicals and blue dragons follow leadership of the Imperial Dragon and the other three Guardians into battle to defend the Alliance.
While Lyra unlocks the ancient magic, she opens herself up to scribal powers from her ancestors. She alone can fight the deadliest of the Dark Realm’s forces—the cimafa stealth dragons—but at a cost. The energy flux threatens her health and ability to learn where to find the missing keystones. Can Lyra overcome this shrewd tactic of the Black Dragon to decimate the Alliance?
