 Many readers have told me that this book is their favorite. A book series can have a “plotline” just like each individual title, and in the Dragon’s Fire Series, Book Five is the climax.
Lauryn Grenleigh “Where do you start looking for a legend?” Birthdate: 1991 Age at the time of this story: 27 Physical Characteristics: 5’8”; 135 lbs; wavy blond hair; blue eyes Titles: None Lauryn grew up in Ampleforth, the only child of a naval engineer and a homemaker. Her mother took her frequently to see the exhibits at the local museum, and Lauryn’s fascination with Caledonian history and artifacts was born. After graduating summa cum laude with a Master’s degree in Caledonian history, Lauryn became curator of Caledon’s foremost Living History Museum. She quickly earned the nickname “Queen Lauryn,” for her imperial manner of barking orders and glaring through people. Never a fan of Caledon’s “magical” history, Lauryn would like to see the museum focus on the facts, not the faerie tales. The wars. The monarchy. Daily life through the centuries since Caledon’s founding. Visitors' fascination with Caledon’s legends and the mysterious Dragon’s Fire irritate Lauryn. So do their relentless questions about whether she is related to Caledon’s royal family—countless non-royals bear the Grenleigh name. An introvert, Lauryn keeps her distance from her coworkers. She finds people irritating and turns her desk away from her office door, preferring her view of the castle graveyard to facing intrusions from her staff. The dead don’t cause problems. Lauryn is married to her job, and in the evenings, after a workout at the gym, she goes home to watch TV with her cat. Routine and predictability are the hallmarks of Lauryn’s life. History stays in the neat little boxes she assigns it, indexed, categorized, and subcategorized. No surprises. “I have a Master's degree in Caledonian history, and I am the curator at the Caledon Castle Museum in Ampleforth, Caledon's foremost historical institution. I love history. Always have. Ever since I was a little girl and Mum would bring me to this very museum to see the exhibits. I knew the contents of every room in this castle. I couldn't wait to study history at the University of Grymwalde. Finally, a chance to focus on names, dates, battles, coronations, and proclamations, and figure out how it all fits together. They made me take a course on Caledonian legends and faerie tales. I couldn't believe it when I saw that on my list of required courses. I knew Caledon was obsessed with its myths, but to make me waste my time studying dragons, faeries, Mystic lore, and ghost stories? Please. And now I work at this Living History Museum, where the enactments all seem to revolve around the legends. We'd be better off sticking to facts. We need to show people what happened at a medieval coronation, not recite stories about dragons, crack-shot archers, rebellious princesses, and ghosts that haunt the turrets. And the Dragon's Fire—that's the worst one—some long-lost, glowing ruby that used to light the dragon's lair on the northwest side of the island. So the stories say. We’ve no documented evidence of such a thing ever having existed, and if it did—which I doubt—it's long gone. I want every mention of that ridiculous ruby cut from the scripts, and then maybe people can start to focus on what really happened here. Names, dates, documents. That's history. Matthew Bramston “If this thing comes true, millions are going to die. And you’re okay with that?” Birthdate: 1988 Age at the time of this story: 30 Physical Characteristics: 6’0”; 177 lbs; wavy brown hair; blue eyes Titles: None Matthew Bramston grew up in a small town in Central Caledon and studied in Europe for a career in linguistics, translation, and encryption. He worked on the continent for several years before returning to Caledon. He now works as an actor at a living history museum. Matt is loyal, possesses a good sense of humor, and enjoys technology. He likes to tinker with things and take them apart to figure out how they work. Handsome and cheerful, he is comfortable being the center of attention. “My last job was... stressful. And that's really all I can tell you about it. When I finished that contract, I didn't feel like starting another in my field right away. When I saw the opening at the Castle Museum, I applied. Spending my days strolling the castle halls dressed as some king or prince or guard is just what I need right now. Fun, lighthearted—the most stressful part of this job is making sure that the kids don't get hold of my sword. History reenactments could be very dull. I mean, how many times can you reenact butter churning without going stir crazy? But Caledon's history is different. It's full of Mystic lore, ghost stories, myths, and romance spun between the dull, dry facts. Those legends are the part I love best. If Queen Lauryn the Curator has her way, we'll all be churning butter, but I can work on her. See, everyone in history has a set of dates: birth and death. And between those dates is a dash. That dash is where history happens. And the most intriguing parts of history are those that didn't get written on official government letterhead.” Lewis Ulliac “People are getting scared. Their lives are shutting down, and they’re not handling it well.” Birthdate: 1966 Age at the time of this story: 52 Physical Characteristics: 5’10”; 240 lbs; gray hair; brown eyes Titles: CEO Ulliac Resources, Chairman of the Executive Board Lewis Ulliac, the CEO of Ulliac Resources, Caledon’s foremost mining company, also serves as the chairman of the board at the museum. Lewis’ interest in the museum centers primarily on a personal fascination of his. He wants the museum to bring in more visitors, and regularly harps on the curator to come up with something new. “The Castle Museum is losing revenue, a drain on investors and the taxpayer. The board has repeatedly told the curator that we need to revive the locals' flagging interest and bring in the tourists. She insists that she cannot produce new exhibits out of thin air—we need a new historical discovery. We’ll likely find some government decree about beheading people who refuse to pay their taxes. That won't cut it. People who seldom take their eyes from their phones need more than a piece of paper to snag their attention. So we continue to enact faerie tales and give lectures about the Coronation War while our revenue charts tumble. One legend, however, could make this castle buzz with excitement again. Unlike the others, this one is truth, guarded by the Crown and the Praeceptors for centuries. And something must be done about it soon, for Caledon's future rests upon its fulfillment. Time is running out.” The Curse of Caledon was going to complete the Dragon’s Fire Series, but readers asked for more. A set of five companion novels is underway, containing further insights into the world of the Dragon’s Fire and a new, interconnected adventure! Book Six, Guardians of Caledon, came out in September 2019. Next month, we’ll meet some of the characters from the book I call “My Dragon Symphony.”
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