Welcome, Daryl! i’m almost finished reading The Last Dragon now–review to follow! (Love the cover!)
Happy birthday, The Last Dragon!
Internet Research – A writer’s friend and worst enemy
Silly me, I decide to write a medieval fantasy romance. *shakes head* What do I know about medieval times? No cell phones. There were knights. Damsel in distress needing saving. And they spoke a different form of English than we do. Cuz, like, ya know – English changes.
Why is Internet research a writer’s friend? What ever the question is, the answer is at our fingertips. No having to go to the library and dig through the reference section. Although being the daughter of a retired librarian, I will confess, I love libraries and all those books. But being able to get the information on my laptop and not having to get dressed and brush my hair to go out to the library, is a great delight and time saver.
Why is Internet research a writer’s worst enemy? A deep dark rabbit hole. I’ll just look up – clothes in medieval times. Which led me to food in medieval times. Which led me to castles in medieval times. Which led me to — sanitary practises in medieval times. Ewww. I have still not gotten over the repulsion of that research.
Times may be difficult right now, but flush plumbing and deodorant are a blessing!
In my next book, which is also a medieval fantasy romance, I am torn between being truthful about the actual conditions the people lived in or sticking with Hollywood’s version. And… believe me when I say – the Hollywood version is winning!
Snippet
She sniffed as she neared the berries, but could not catch their sweet scent. Her mood slipped. Not a red fruit anywhere. A crow sat atop a nearby tree and cawed.
“Ye couldn’t have left just a few?” Derry waved her basket at it. “Those were probably the last berries of the season.” The black bird tilted its head and screeched again. ‘Tis not to be my lucky day. A patch full of sweet fruit gone and a handsome man stolen by Ailith and Isa. Best to attend to breakfast. She turned and followed the path back to the cottage.
After milking the cow and leading her and her calf to the small pasture, Derry carried the bucket into the cottage and placed it by the trestle table. She picked up two wooden mugs, bowls and spoons and placed them on the table. She poured a handful of nuts and dried fruit into the bowls and reached for the clay jar filled with honey. After drizzling the amber liquid over the nuts, she placed the jar back on the shelf and filled the mugs with warm milk.
Wrapped in her woollen shawl, the old woman entered and sat. “Ye were gone when I awoke.”
Derry did not know why she lived with this woman. She was not kin to her, but as it seemed like it had always been this way. She did not question.
“I went to pick berries up at the little patch on the hill.” Derry untied her headscarf and placed it on the table. “But the birds had a feast before us. Did ye sleep well?” Derry settled on her stool and lifted her spoon.
The woman nodded.
“On my way to the patch I found a man. He was hurt. His aura was golden. I mended him. Not like those covered in the darkness.” She licked a bit of honey off her spoon. The sweetness filled her mouth.
“Then ye must eat.” The woman patted her arm. “Ye must also rest.”
“When I have finished.” Lost in her thoughts, Derry munched a mouthful of honey covered nuts. He was delightfully handsome. Large muscles on his arms. A broad chest and a fine chin. But now he is in the hands of Ailith and Isa. Will I ever find a husband?
With the meal over, Derry rinsed the dishes with water from a bowl then returned to their little sleeping area. She fluffed the straw mattress, tossed in a handful of wormwood leaves to ward off pests and settled down. Closing her eyes, she released a silent prayer. Please don’t let the blackness haunt me. Allow me to rest. Fill my dreams with visions of the fallen man. Not the icy blackness which scares me so.
Blurb and Buy Links
What do dragons, knights and romance have in common? Grab a copy of multi-published author Daryl Devore’s medieval fantasy romance – The Last Dragon and discover the answer.
A sorcerer craving dominance merged with a dragon, the power overwhelmed him causing him to split into three dragons. Demora ruled thought, but was lost in time. Yidithe offered protection, shining like the light of the sun. Ayrradex craved chaos, revelling in destroying souls.
Many knights died, attempting to slay the devil beast. One knight, Prince Hawkyns, did not fear death. He’d lost everything. Away on a mission when Ayrradex attacked his father’s kingdom, Penrythe, Hawkyns returned to find his noble father – feeble and defeated. His wise mother – crazed. His beautiful wife and unborn child – dead. Only a pile of ashes remained for him to bury. He knelt before his King and vowed to slay the devil-beast or be slain.
Derry was born with powers that terrified her parents. They delivered her to a nunnery to be raised in secret. Jathe, a wise sorceress, discovered the young girl and trained her to one day use the secret hidden in her soul.
Legends spoken around campfires hinted the sole way to destroy Ayrradex was when the hearts of a knight and a golden dragon became one. But after a vicious battle with Ayrradex, the golden dragon was thought to be dead.
Can Prince Hawkyns’s bravery and Derry’s powers end the reign of the devil-beast’s terror?
Book links
Amazon US
Amazon print
Books2Read (universal)
Pinterest
Bio and Social Media
Two writers in one. Daryl Devoré writes hot romances with sexy heroes and strong heroines and sweet romances with little to no heat. She has several published books available on Amazon in ebook or print book and available at other book retailers via Books2Read.
Daryl (@daryldevore) lives in an old farmhouse in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and 2 cats. Daryl loves to take long walks on her quiet country road or snowshoe across the back acres, and in the summer, kayak along the St. Lawrence River. She has touched a moon rock, a mammoth, and a meteorite. She’s been deep in the ocean in a submarine, flown high over Niagara Falls in a helicopter, and used the ladies room in a royal palace. Life’s an adventure and Daryl’s having fun living it.
Generally, I love doing research for books. Since I write contemporary romance (mostly), I usually only have to research towns where my characters live, street names and store locations and such, if I’m trying to keep it real. But I have written few historical romances, too, and for those, research becomes a little harder. And more interesting in a lot of ways.
wanted my heroine to live. I love maps and they are one of the things I research for most books.
points. I still was easily distracted but not to where three clicks on a screen can take me to different universes, not just a small digression. Still, what did we do before the Internet?? I wouldn’t go back…