pink_princess.jpgFor Halloween, I want to be a…

Doesn’t everyone? Think of the perks – the pointy hat with the veil on the end (haven’t you always wanted one of those?); the floaty dresses made of satin and velvet and brocade; staff to schlep the dry cleaning. A turreted castle with every luxury at your fingertip. Legions of princes doing the Entry Interview with Dad to get to court you – as well as the occasional pauper with aspirations.

And a dragon.

Not on your list? Well, dragons were always on mine. I’ve always wanted a lean mean fighting machine of my own, a fabulous fabled beast that looked jewelled in the candlelight. Who wouldn’t want a man who could turn in on when he wanted to, one who kept a golden treasure hoard of his very own, one always ready to rip out throats in defense of his lady love.

golddragon.jpgWho had to be – if you check your fairy tales – a princess, a virgin or a damsel-in-distress. I’m not much for being in distress and we won’t even talk about the other option. So, since I want a dragon of my own, a princess I’ll have to be.

I’ve always been fascinated with dragons and now I understand why I always wanted to dress as a princess at Halloween. It was my favourite costume – my mother and I routinely argued over a princess’s needs for boots, a hat and mitts, maybe (on snowy Halloweens) a jacket under her flowing gossamer gown. I knew that such things, although warm, would trash the ethereal princess look, but never won the argument. (Being six years old bites.)

kiss-of-fire-cover.jpgMaybe that’s why I don’t have a dragon of my own yet. They must be picky, these dangerous dudes who breathe fire and have a taste for maidens. They must be worth the trouble, despite their tempers and their inevitable damage to the upholstery. So, I’ve created a world of dragons of my very own in a new series of fantasy romances called Dragonfire. 

They’re sexy hunks, these shape shifting dragon dudes, and I’m having a lot of fun telling their stories. You can meet Quinn, the first one of my Pyr dragon warriors, in February ’08 in KISS OF FIRE.

Even better, add a comment here and you can win the drawing for an Advance Reading Copy of KISS OF FIRE! They look like this.

Signed,
Deborah Cooke
Fairy Princessweeny-pumkin_duck.jpg