Years ago, when my children were young, I carpooled with a few neighbors where we took turns driving the kids to school. One day, the school had an exhibit that featured a large dragon prominently displayed in front of the office. Little did I know at the time, but that dragon was the catalyst for something that lasted the rest of that school year and into the next. Every day on the drive, we would tell an interactive story set in the made-up land of Safarus and involve all the kids in the storytelling.
Fast forward a few years, and I began to jot down ideas for an expanded version of the story. Soon, the ideas formed the basis for the Saga of Safarus series…and Gift of the Dragon is the firstborn of that series.
I have definitely learned a lot about the book-creating process. It is certainly neither easy nor quick. And to paraphrase C.S. Lewis a bit, “a book grows much slower than a little girl”. How true that is! My daughter, who was in elementary school when these stories began, is now about to have a daughter of her own.