More Dragons on the Horizon
News | Posted by Carole on Thursday 6 September 2007
It is now only three weeks till my next book comes out. It’s called The Dragon Companion: an Encyclopedia.
I am very proud of it. It is a beautiful hardback book with fabulous illustrations by Dean Jones. Here is the cover. (Click on the image to see a larger version.)
It isn’t something I’ve whipped together since I finished Dragon Moon. It is a result of more than 10 years research into dragons. I actually started writing the first version in 2002 and kept changing my mind about how to write it. And I didn’t have a publisher who wanted to publish it. Then in 2005 Andrew (my black dog books publisher) said he’d like to commission the dragon encyclopedia he’d heard me talk about so often. I started writing this version in Dec 2005.
When I talk about my dragon research at schools, I sometimes think that people don’t believe me when I say I collected 17 folders of notes on dragons from around the world. Well here is a picture of Rita in front of the 17 folders.
It took a while to find the right illustrator for The Dragon Companion, but finally we decided Dean was the right person. (He did the illustrations in my version of Ned Kelly’s Jerilderie Letter.) He has created some wonderful dragons—some scary, some cute; some gorgeous, some downright ugly.
Now I have to wait and see if everyone loves the look of the book as much as I do. It’ll be out in Australia at the beginning of October.
i can’t wait to see it!how did you manage to get 17 folders of information on dragons i have no idea.please tell me more !
Sarah,
I’ll do another post with more detail in a few days.
Cool carn’t wait to read it
Connor,
Not long now.
i can’t wait till i could read it!!
I wonder if my school library will get the book..
Gloria,
I hope your school library will get it!
Can’t wait to read it! Especially if it’s about dragons. I love dragons a lot.
Ashleigh,
Me too!
I loved the dragon keeper series i’m currently waiting for Dragon Moon to be published in the US
my only qustion is why stop? the series was great and just reading the previwes has me craving the other two.
Devan,
I feel that the story is finished. If I tried to write more, I don’t think it would be very good. Sorry.
This is one of the best trilogies I have read. I am hopeful that The Dragon Companion will be available in the US.
Thank you for your research. most enjoyable.
Camilla,
Thanks for that. No sale of Companion to the US as yet I’m afraid.
I just can’t wait for it. My library(It just sounds cool, calling it my library)is filled with books on dragons and stories on dragons. I know this will be a great book because your Dragon Keeper series was so thrilling and amazing.
Jack,
I don’t know where you live, but Dragon Companion is only available in Australia. It’s very different to Dragonkeeper, as it is not a novel but an encyclopedia of dragons.
Please insist the book ….people get the book to Canada *preferably Ontario* i cannot wait to read it if it’s anything like the Dragon keeper trilogy!!!!
Miranda,
Thanks for your enthusiasm. I can’t make a publisher pick up Dragon Companion, I’m afraid, I have to wait till one offers to publish it. You could write to my US publisher Hyperion and suggest it….
Hyperion Books for Children
114 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
(They don’t have an email address on their website)
hi i live in the uk and id like 2 ask if dragon companion will come to britain
Harry,
as yet no British publisher has been interested in publishing it, I’m afraid. Sorry.
ok thanks and by the way your dragon keeper books were amazing and i love dragons myself
hi erm in your book you use mandarin and im currently learning that
Harry,
Are you enjoying learning Mandarin? I loved learning it, but sadly I’ve forgotten most of it!
ye i love it ive always been interested in china and any thing to do with it