Dragon Solstice

The Remarkable History of the Legendary Christmas Dragon: How an Innocent Young Dragon Found a Forever Friend, a Name, and became Santa's Pocket Alarm. ("No more Clement Moores ") This imaginative American fable for the Holidays confronts the mysteries of dragons, vampire bats, sea serpents, time travel and the North Pole with wry, heartwarming humor as the pleasant, ordinary lives of the citizens of a tiny Medieval kingdom are interrupted by an angry witch "vanishing" their beloved royal twins. However, before the prince and princess can be rescued, reports of a newly arrived dragon must be addressed. Since the King's Champion has not returned from a very long quest, his son, William of Linke, in training by serving as the Royal Whipping Boy, finds himself promoted. Enchanted armor and sword are dug up and unpacked. The sword, broken in half during an ancient battle, now has a double-pointed blade, and the armor is too big, but during a year of intensive training, Bill grows into it. Setting out to find the dragon so that he can then rescue his royal friends, he joins forces with Jheri, the Royal Huntsman's son, whose sister, Sarai, has disappeared in the royal forest. Finding tracks and realizing Sarai has obviously been kidnapped by the Dragon, they set out to rescue her and slay the Dragon. Unaware that the Sarai and the Dragon have made friends and are fleeing a very wicked witch, the knight and his companion follow their trail. It is an unexpectedly challenging route. For readers of all ages, this charming secular tale is the perfect read-aloud adventure. A chapter each evening, starting on November 17th (the birthday of the author's middle daughter ) will find the reader at a very happy North Pole ending on the night before the Holiday's Eve.

Nance Crawford grew up in Hollywood, began working in film at age six, was twice a produced playwright by age sixteen, and columnist for a national teen magazine at twenty-one. A participant in the initial program of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab West, she belongs to ASCAP, The Dramatists Guild of America, the California Writers Club-San Fernando Valley Branch, and is a Lifetime member of the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights (ALAP). She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, actor and audio book narrator David Stifel, where they serve as staff to their feline roommates, Suzette, Sir Thomas More, and Anya Fabiola Featherfoot. Her personal website is NanceCrawford.com.