Dreams of a Dragon Girl received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Bonnie Jacoby.
Name of book:
Dreams of a Dragon Girl. Published: March 28 2023
First line (s):
Becca loved dragons. Not the plague-riddled beasts of history who were exterminated long ago. No. Her heart belonged to the heroes from her grandfather’s stories.
Pitch:
When dragons return to a world that blames them for the plague, a teen girl with new empathic powers and a teen dragon trying to prove himself must work together to save dragons from extinction.
Inspiration:
Curiosity inspired me to write this book. It all started with wondering what if dragons actually had existed in our world, but the evidence has disappeared. We have discovered evidence of dinosaurs, but not of dragons. What type of world would have dragons? I’ve always loved stories of dragon riders, from Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series to Eragon. This naturally flowed into what sort of society would dragons have in a world of magic that could support their existence. It just kept growing from this.
Reason for reading:
I wrote this book as a way to make fantasy accessible to readers who find epic fantasy difficult to get into. The story is an introduction to a fantastical world through the eyes of teen protagonists, both human and dragon. I also have a love of origin stories, so readers who love dragons and love origin stories of every day heroes will enjoy this story. Also, dragons have an entire society separate from people.
Character distinctions:
The main character, 15 year old Becca, is an everyday hero longing for adventure and a different life. The other main character, 17 year old Gregor, is a dragon who longs to use his abilities to help his family survive a curse. Both believe that breaking through cultural biases and embracing otherness is crucial to a better world.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I first decided to become an author when I was ten years old. I wrote 30 chapters of a teen detective in the style of Nancy Drew. I stopped when I couldn’t figure out how they would resolve the mystery. Writing a novel was a lot harder than I expected, but I was determined to learn.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
No. I’ve written and queried a YA near future science fiction novel. This dragon fantasy is the second book I’ve written. I put it aside for a number of years while I wrote four other novels, and then I returned to it after I learned the skills needed to bring it to life.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
This is a tricky answer. Writing that first draft is pretty quick. I’ve written first drafts within 6 weeks. But the majority of my time is spent on revision, taking apart the story and rebuilding it, editing, tons of research, and getting feedback. I’d say the actual writing is about one-third of the work needed to produce a novel. On average I spend 20 hours per week.
What’s the best and hardest part of being an indie?
Oh my, I love it! I have control over every part of the process. I especially enjoy picking the cover design. The hardest part is coming up with the cover blurb and the marketing tasks. I’m still learning and know I’ll get better at social media and the sales side of things, but I’m taking it slow.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Write what you love. You’ll be spending a lot of time with this story so it better be something that interests you. Also, challenge yourself to keep learning the craft, the business, and the marketing aspects. Everything changes quickly, trends, best practices, even keywords, so keep an open mind and try things.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling?
I queried for 6 1/2 years with two projects. I will say that traditional publishing has changed during that time. I wanted a traditional deal, so it was difficult to make the decision to indie publish. But once I did I embraced it and dove into doing it the best I could. I might have another project one day that I’ll try publishing traditionally, but now that I’ve gone indie I do love it so much, I’m not sure I could be tempted away.
Is there something in particular that motivates you?
Yes. I read to escape my life, have undreamed of adventures, and have book friends who got me. I want to do that for my readers. I especially want to empower teens to believe in themselves, to take chances. and to realize they are special and worthy. There’s a hero within every person to fight for what they need.
Which writer do you most admire?
Anne McCaffrey. She wrote so many series that included self-acceptance and the courage to change society when it was hurting others. Of course I also love her depiction of dragons and the telepathic bond with riders. So many stories today have their roots in her unique take on a species that had only been a villain before.
Thank you for the great review and this opportunity to share my journey,