I'm excited to have Dan Rice with us today. His novel, Dragons Walk Among Us is an imaginative fantasy with likable characters that you can't help but root for. You can read my review here. But don't take my word for it, get to know Dan, learn about the book, enjoy the excerpt, and then grab your copy.
What inspired you to write this book?
My first inspiration for writing any book came from reading Frank Herbert's Dune. I must've been 11 or 12 when I first read that novel. After devouring that swashbuckling sci-fi, I knew I wanted to try out writing my own.
As far as what inspired Dragons Walk Among Us, I've been considering the story’s many fantasy elements for years. I tried in one way or another to include these elements in earlier works, but nothing ever panned out.
The initial inspiration specifically for Dragons Walk Among Us came from an unfortunate incident in my life. My son was bullied over his biracial appearance while at summer camp. My offspring quickly moved on from the incident as the young often do. For me, it served as the germ of an idea that eventually became the story of Allison Lee, an introverted high school student who suffers abuse from the popular girl.
Who is your favorite author(s)?
I'm definitely a favorite authors type of person. If I had to choose an all-time number one, it'd be George R.R. Martin––I absolutely love his series A Song of Ice and Fire. My favorite book is Dune, so I have to put Frank Herbert next to Mr. Martin.
More recently, I have to include Rachel Hartman and Fonda Lee on the list of favorites. Their works deal with similar coming-of-age themes as Dragons Walk Among Us. Reading their books helped me discover how I could tell Allison Lee's story in a unique and compelling way.
What do you do when you're not writing?
I'm a big believer in the advice to write what you know. Like Allison Lee, I'm an avid photographer. While not writing, I'm often photographing in the wilderness or from the sidelines of my son's innumerable soccer games.
Dragons Walk Among Us
by Dan Rice
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Blurb
Shutterbug Allison Lee is trying to survive high school while suffering the popular girl's abuse. Her life is often abysmal, but at least her green hair is savage. Her talent for photography is recognized by the school paper and the judges of a photo contest.
While visiting her friend Joe, a homeless vet, Allison's life irrevocably changes after an attack leaves her blind. All her dreams as a photojournalist are dashed as she realizes she'll never see again. Despair sets in until she is offered an experimental procedure to restore her vision. But there are side effects, or are they hallucinations? She now sees dragons accompanying some of the people she meets. Can she trust her eyes, or has the procedure affected her more than she can see?
“Can you see anything?” Dr. Woolworth asks.
“No.” Goose bumps cover my arms, and I shiver. “Should I be able to see?”
“No worries. I’ll connect my tablet to the prosthetic.” Under her breath, Dr. Woolworth adds, “Great.”
“Is something wrong?” I ask, my voice rising an octave with every word.
“I just need to try something,” Dr. Woolworth says.
“I hear you’re a Sounders fan,” James says. “Did you hear about their win over the Portland Timbers?”
“My dad and I listened on the radio.”
“My son and I are huge Sounders fanboys. He wants to play for them. He’s only six. Oh, Dr. Woolworth is ready.”
“Sorry about that,” Dr. Woolworth says. “The prosthetic’s wireless is finicky. I sent the command for the prosthetic to run a diagnostic. It will only take a minute. Could be something got jostled in transport or installation.”
“So if I jump up and down, my eyes will stop working?”
“No, no. If you get hit in the head with a soccer ball or...” Dr. Woolworth says and sighs.
I bite down on my lower lip until I wince.
“Are you okay? Are you having pain?” Dr.
Woolworth asks. “All good,” I lie.
“James, hold my tablet. I’m going to try a hard reset,” Dr. Woolworth says. “Allison, I need you to stay still. You’ll feel pressure against the prosthetic.”
“Hard reset?” My throat is constricting. A hard reset? That’s like something you do to a phone when it’s totally screwed up, and you’re one step away from sending it in for repair.
“The prosthetic isn’t detecting a connection to the neural filament,” Dr. Woolworth says. “I know the filament is functioning. I tested it before installation. A hard reset should resolve the issue.”
My dreams flicker and fade like lights during a brownout. If I can’t see, I can’t pursue photography, my first and greatest love. I’ll always be the blind girl, the disabled girl, the girl who was assaulted. I’ll need to learn to read braille.
I feel pressure against my eye socket.
“Okay,” Dr. Woolworth says. “It will take five minutes for the prosthetic to reset.”
Dan has wanted to write novels since first reading Frank Herbert’s Dune at the age of eleven. A native of the Pacific Northwest, he often goes hiking with his family through mist-shrouded forests and along alpine trails with expansive views.
Dragons Walk Among Us is his debut novel. He plans to keep writing fantasy and science-fiction for many years. You can explore his blog at https://www.danscifi.com.
Connect with Dan:
Sounds like a great story. Much luck with it!
ReplyDeletethank you so much.
DeleteI enjoyed getting to know you better, Dan. All the best!
ReplyDeletethanks for all the support.
DeleteCherie, thank you for hosting me!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was my pleasure!
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