Welcome to The Dragonslayer Series
Blog Hop!
Resa Nelson's 4-book Dragonslayer series:
Synopsis for The Dragonslayer's Sword (Book 1)For Astrid, a blacksmith who makes swords for dragonslayers, the emergence of a strange gemstone from her body sets in motion a chain of events that threaten to destroy her life. Her happiness is shattered when her lover--the dragonslayer--disappears without a trace, and the life that she knows and loves implodes without warning.Astrid lives in a world of shapeshifters whose thoughts have the power to change not only themselves but others. Everything Astrid knows to be true is called into question when she learns the truth about her past and the mysterious family from which she was separated as a child.Reality turns inside out as Astrid gradually learns the truth about the people she loves as well as those she disdains. With the fate of dragons, ghosts, and slaves in foreign lands resting on her shoulders, Astrid faces the challenge of deciding who she is and how she will stand up inside her own skin. Will she withdraw and hide from the world that has disappointed her so much...or will she rise to lead others to freedom and peace?
Synopsis for The Iron Maiden (Book 2)Astrid is reluctant to travel the winter route beyond the Northlands, even though it's her duty. She'd rather stay home in her village, surrounded by friends and neighbors. Ignoring the bonds of tradition, she decides to spend the cold winter months in the warmth of her blacksmithing shop. Why should she leave the comfort of her cottage to serve and protect foreigners who might raid and harm her native Northlands?Everything changes when a traveling merchant steals Starlight, the first dragonslayer's sword Astrid forged and her last link to her sweetheart DiStephan. Having no time to alert her friends, Astrid races in pursuit of the merchant, determined to reclaim Starlight as her own and return home in time for dinner. Instead, her quest leads her to new lands, unexpected friendships with foreigners, and a harrowing encounter with the damage done by the followers of a new god that considers women as nothing more than servants to men. All the while, she must be ready to face any dragon traveling the winter route.In Book 2 of the Dragonslayer series, Astrid must learn that deciding who she is isn't a decision she can make just once. It's a decision she must make every day.
Synopsis for The Stone of Darkness (Book 3)In Book 3 of the Dragonslayer series, Astrid accepts her duty and follows the winter route--until she's bitten by a dragon. Everyone knows dragon bites are poisonous and deadly, so she reluctantly accepts her impending death. In a twist of fate, she survives. Desperate for an explanation, Astrid believes she has somehow been protected by the black stone she keeps with her at all times, a stone that emerged from the sole of her foot a year ago.Determined to find out what the stone is and what kind of powers it possesses, Astrid begins a journey that leads her to alchemists and an army of men under the rule of the powerful warrior, Mandulane, the acting lord of the Krystr army. Mandulane's mission is to spread the word of the new god Krystr, which preaches the evil intent of women and the danger they pose to all men, who are entitled to dominate the world. Rumors about this new god and army have spread, but Astrid is the first Northlander to encounter them.Soon, she stumbles upon a secret of a far-reaching and mind-numbing plot that will impact the entire world. Astrid must find a way to spread the news of this threat and protect her people and everyone else at risk. She's convinced the answer lies inside the Stone of Darkness, and she must find a way to understand the stone and the powers she's convinced it must hold before it's too late.
Synopsis for The Dragon's Egg (Book 4)
In the fourth and final book of the Dragonslayer series, Mandulane's
army is poised to attack the Northlands in the name of a powerful god,
but in truth Mandulane is using the act of spreading this new faith
as a way to disguise his own personal greed and hunger for power.
Astrid has succeeded in warning her beloved country of imminent danger,
and the Northlanders scramble to set up a clever defense, never realizing
a spy in their midst is poised to take critical information directly
to Mandulane.
After sacrificing herself in order to set her brother Drageen free
for the sake of protecting the Northlands, Astrid finds herself controlled
by the stone of light. Although it forces her path of destiny,
Astrid learns she must make one final choice about who she wants to
be.
Most important of all, her new sweetheart Trep encounters a dragon
that entrusts him with the care of a dragon's egg. Trep embraces
a dangerous journey and accepts the duty of protecting the unhatched
dragon, knowing that its safety could impact the fate of the entire
world.
FREEBIE ALERT!
As a special treat during the blog tour,
Resa is offer a FREE 'mini' eBook of the two short stories that inspired her Dragonslayer novels.
We Have a Special Treat-
a Guest Post from Resa!
a Guest Post from Resa!
Y.A. - Not Just For Kids Anymore
by Resa Nelson
I've been a fan of children's and YA books since I was a child. One of my favorite series was the Taran series by Lloyd Alexander, as well as Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Arm of the Starfish. But once I became an author, most of my reading time became research time. In other words, I had to figure out how to manage my time so I could write. One of the things I sacrificed was reading novels. On the rare occasion when I could squeeze out some time to read, I typically read short stories and sometimes a novel, so I stopped reading YA and focused on books written for adults.I began reading YA again when the first Harry Potter book came out and friends kept telling me how good it was. All of a sudden, my reading choices flipped. For several years the only books I read were Harry Potter books. I read them because I enjoyed them but also because I think J. K. Rowling has done something quite brilliant. The same friend who encouraged me to read the first Harry Potter book observed that Rowling addresses issues common to children who are the same age as Harry in each book, which is why the books are increasingly serious. I have a lot of admiration for Rowling's overall vision as well as the role that every book in the series plays.I also have a lot of admiration for the characters Rowling has created. Harry, Hermione, and Ron remind me of my own circle of friends when I was in school. Rowling shows a lot of compassion for her characters, whether they're heroic or villainous, ranging from Neville to Draco to Snape. I think one of the many reasons adults respond as strongly as young adults to the Harry Potter series is the strength of all Rowling's characters. Another reason is her attention to detail, knowledge of language, and research. All things considered, reading the Harry Potter series is a very rich and rewarding experience.More recently, I've become a fan of The Hunger Games series. I think, like Rowling, Suzanne Collins has created very engaging and likable characters. Also, these authors have created worlds in which their characters are often in grave danger. Typically, Harry is solving some kind of mystery while at the same time having to worry about Voldemort, while Katniss finds her life threatened by the very grownups in her society who are supposed to protect her.I think YA books such as these have risen above any genre, whether YA, fantasy, or science fiction. I think YA isn't strictly for kids anymore because so many books today that are labeled as YA are simply good novels.
Resa Nelson's first novel, The
Dragonslayer's Sword, was nominated for the Nebula Award and was also a Finalist for the
EPPIE Award. This medieval fantasy novel is based on a short story first
published in the premiere issue of Science
Fiction Age magazine and ranked 2nd in that magazine's first
Readers Top Ten Poll. The
Dragonslayer's Sword is Book 1 in her 4-book Dragonslayer series,
which also includes The
Iron Maiden (Book 2), The Stone of Darkness (Book 3), and The Dragon's Egg (Book 4).
Resa's standalone novel, Our
Lady of the Absolute, is a fantasy/mystery/thriller about a modern-day
society based on ancient Egypt. Midwest Book Review gave this book a
5-star review, calling it "a riveting fantasy, very highly recommended."
She has been selling fiction professionally since 1988. She is a longtime
member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and
is a graduate of the Clarion SF Workshop. Resa was also the TV/Movie
Columnist for Realms of Fantasy magazine for 13 years and was a contributor to SCI
FI magazine. She has sold over 200 articles to magazines
in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Resa lives in Massachusetts. Visit her website at http://www.resanelson.com.
Resa Nelson's links:
Resa's website: http://www.resanelson.com
Free “mini” ebook of
Dragonslayer short stories: http://www.resanelson.com/
GoodReads giveaway: http://www.goodreads.com/
Twitter: @ResaNelson
Email: ContactResa@aol.com
Ebooks ($4.99 each) are
available directly from Mundania Press at: http://mundania.com/author.
(get a 10% discount
at checkout with the coupon code MP10)
Paperbacks are available from Mundania Press, Amazon, and Barnes&Noble:
(get a 10% discount
at checkout with the coupon code MP10)
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