#KidWriter Blondie Returns with Chapter 3 of The Elementals! #DragonStories #ProudMom

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’ve been pleasantly surprised by my daughter Blondie’s announcement that she’s continued her story. Well, we can’t put off sharing that, can we? 🙂

Forward: Deepest apologies for taking so long!! Procrastination is an ugly thing, folks. Here are my other chapters in case you forgot them.

Click here for Chapter 1.

Click here for Chapter 2.

But enough talk.

Without further ado, here’s Chapter 3 of The Elementals!

Blondie the Dragon Master

“The Forest Shard?” Comettail gasped. “Yes.” Raven said ominously, “I have been looking for the Forest Temple for weeks now.”

She stood tall and spread her silver wings, looking proud with herself. “I found it, but if it wasn’t for these vines I would have had it already!” Raven glared at the ashes. “Can you lead us to it so we can fulfill the prophecy?” Rainbow pleaded hopefully. Inferno scowled at her. “Ah, so you’re the new Elementals!” Raven beamed, “All the more helpful!” Boulder stared, suspicious.

“How do the Forest Dragons LIVE in this stuff?!” Inferno said, pushing away yet ANOTHER annoying branch. “That ‘stuff’ is called TREES.” Rainbow huffed. “You could just burn all the branches off. Then it wouldn’t be SO ANNOYING.” Comettail looked at Inferno, horrified. “You can’t do THAT.” he shuddered. “Why not?” Inferno asked, pushing through more underbrush. “That’s how the CURSED FOREST FORMED.” Comettail whispered.

“That’s just old Dragonlore, Comettail. None of it is true.” Boulder stated, trotting behind them. “The Elementals were Dragonlore too, Boulder,” Comettail said, serious, “There’s some truth in every legend.”

“At last!” Raven exclaimed, pushing through a bush after several hours of trekking. “Wow.” Hurricane breathed. There, in a clearing, stood a large, stone, moss-covered temple, embedded deep inside the biggest tree any of them had ever seen. Rainbow gasped as the sun hit her vibrant scales. “It’s beautiful!” she squealed. Raven grinned, Pitch cawing beside her. “Let’s find out what’s inside, eh?” Raven smiled. “Yes yes YES!!” Rainbow shouted enthusiastically. “No, Rainbow!” Comettail argued, “Not yet! We have to properly-” “Here we gooooooo!” Raven yelled as she sped into the huge structure. “Wait for meeeee!!” Rainbow yelped as she ran in after her. “RAINBOW! WAIT!” Hurricane yelled after them. But they were long gone.

“C’mon, guys. Let’s make sure those two don’t kill themselves.” Hurricane sighed as she turned toward the others. But only Comettail stood there, wide eyed and shivering. “Comettail, WHERE ARE THE OTHERS?!” she panicked, whirling around. Comettail only stared at her. “Gone,” He whimpered. “Where, Comettail? WHERE?!?!” Hurricane said, frantically shaking him as if the answers would come flying out. “Taken by Shadows.” He whispered. He staggered out of Hurricane’s grip and fainted dead away.

TO BE CONTINUED………….

Make sure to stay tuned for Chapter 4 later in summer! I promise not to wait as long as I did. Stay awesome everybody!!!

-Blondie the Dragon Rider, Tamer, Trainer, ETC……

Many thanks, my lovely girl! Yes, please stay tuned. We’ve some fiction to critique, some authors to meet, and some flowers to pluck.

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

#KidWriter Blondie Returns with Chapter 2 of The Elementals! #DragonStories #ProudMom

Greetings one and all! I’m having a smile and then some as I rediscover my research on the humor found in everyday misadventures. While I complete that blog post for you, please enjoy Chapter 2 of Blondie’s dragon-filled adventures. x

Click here for Chapter 1 of Blondie’s story!

Forward: Hello, everyone! As I promised, here is chapter 2 of The Elementals. Enjoy!

Blondie the dragonmaster

CHAPTER 2

“Where is she?!” Inferno huffed. “She’s been gone for nearly an hour!”

Rainbow gazed at the sky. “She’ll be back any minute now.” she said.

“That’s what you said one bloody hour ago!” Inferno shouted.

“Oh, shut up you two. Here she comes.” Boulder said sternly. Hurricane glided over to where the other dragons were hiding, bleeding in several places.

“Hurricane!” Rainbow yelled, “Where have you-“

“I don’t want to talk about it.” she murmured, glumly shuffling to a tree.

“What did you do to yourself, you soggy fish?” Inferno glared at the soaking dragon. “Where’s Gila?” Comettail asked hopefully. Hurricane just stared at the sea.

“Oh.” Boulder whispered. A screech wailed behind them.

“Come on! We can’t just sit here!” Inferno hissed. “RUN!” The five of them scrambled madly to the middle of the forest. Wingbeats fluttered after them.

“In here!” Rainbow headed towards a hollow in a willow. Everyone soon was squished inside. The screech sounded again, but it seemed frustrated. The wingbeats faded away into the distance.

“Wow. That was close.” Hurricane sighed, relieved.

“Thanks, Mr. Willow.” Rainbow patted the bark.

“What are you thanking a bloody tree for?” Inferno said.

“Mr. Willow told me about his hollow right before whatever-that-was got us. You should be more grateful!” Rainbow huffed, insulted.

“I oughta-” Inferno snarled. A shrill caw pierced the air. Comettail jumped.

“S’okay, Comettail. Just an ol’ crow.” Boulder said, glancing outside. “C’mon, everyone. Let’s get out of this hole.” Hurricane grunted as she hoisted herself out.

When everybody was out, the caw sounded again. A large, black bird was perched on a twig, its black pearl eyes staring at them.

“Uh, hi!” Rainbow greeted the crow. It cawed again, flying off into the underbrush. The crow’s head popped up again, cawing at them to follow.

“I think it wants us to go with him.” Comettail said uneasily. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“C’mon, guys! Let’s go!” Rainbow said enthusiastically.

“Wait, you sheephead! It could be a trap!” Inferno yelled. But she was already gone. “Dratted dragon will get us all killed, I’m sure of it.” she grumbled as she tore after her.

They eventually found Rainbow in a clearing absolutely FILLED with vines. The crow sat on top of the biggest one, cawing nervously. “Look! There’s a dragon caught in there!” Rainbow pointed a claw towards a lump in the center of the vines.

“Oh my foxes…” Boulder whispered.

“Red Dragonroot. The most poisonous plant of all time.” Comettail stated, shivering.

“Well, don’t just stand there! Help me!” Rainbow said.

“You’re the plant dragon! Don’t look at me!” Inferno shouted.

“Shut up!” Hurricane boomed. Everyone looked at her in shock. “Rainbow, try to coax the vines to let that dragon go. If that doesn’t work, Inferno can burn them.” she recited, as if she had been thinking this up all along.

“Hmph. At least I can make something pay.” Inferno grumbled.

Rainbow grunted as she conversed with the Dragonroot. “It’s not working!” Rainbow cried, ” And I have the MOTHER OF ALL HEADACHES.” “Burnin’ time.” Inferno grinned as her claws glowed a bright orange. She sank her talons into the nearest vine. It shriveled into ash. Comettail scooped up some Red Dragonroot ash into a glass vial he kept in a pouch around his waist. “Could use this stuff for later.” he said.

Sooner than later, all the vines were burnt. In the center laid a jet-black dragon, groaning as she stood up.

The crow screeched gleefully and landed on her shoulder. “Thanks, Pitch.” the dragon wheezed. Pitch nuzzled against her snout.

“Who the bloody heck are you?!” Inferno said, her claws still sizzling.

“Why, my name is Raven.” the black dragon said. Her voice sounded like a spilling waterfall, one word flowing over another. It was almost entrancing. She also had one silver diamond earring.

“Uh, what particularly were you doing inside a cluster of Red Dragonroot?” Comettail squeaked.

“I was on a quest, of course,” Raven explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “For the Forest Shard.”

TO BE CONTINUED…….

Make sure you stay tuned for chapter 3 of The Elementals in February!

We’ll hold you to that, Kiddo! And I better finish that research…

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Special #December #Podcast Series! Blondie Shares #TwelveDays of #MiddleGrade #ReadingRecommendations: Wizards of Once by @CressidaCowell

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’ve always been thrilled to see how much my three little Bs love to read, but it makes my heart melt to hear my daughter Blondie say she wants to do a podcast with me to share her favorite books. When I said we could make a little “12 Days of Christmas” style series in December, Blondie whipped through her books and picked twelve for us to study. She even designed our banner with her favorite fantasy creature. x

So here we are! I’m blessed to have such amazing kindred spirits in my life, and I am so very blessed to have a daughter who loves storytelling as much as I do.

On the twelfth day of Blondie’s Books, my daughter gave to me:

Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

That’s right! We’ve come full circle by returning to the author which jumpstarted this series. 🙂 What does a reader experience in those opening pages, and what lessons can a writer take away in studying but a few paragraphs? Let’s find out!

If you do not see the audio player above, you can access the podcast here.

Why did you pick this book, Blondie?

I was reading the How to Train Your Dragon book series at the time and I was in a Cressida Cowell craze. I read the first few words and was instantly hooked! Cressida writes her books well. If you have a loved one who is interested in fantasy, this is the author for them.

Thank you all so much for sipping the many flavors of my daughters’ favorite story-brews! May your own holidays be full of adventure and magic that only you–and the young readers of your life–can spark to life.

Until we meet again in 2022…Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Special #December #Podcast Series! Blondie Shares #TwelveDays of #MiddleGrade #ReadingRecommendations: Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’ve always been thrilled to see how much my three little Bs love to read, but it makes my heart melt to hear my daughter Blondie say she wants to do a podcast with me to share her favorite books. When I said we could make a little “12 Days of Christmas” style series in December, Blondie whipped through her books and picked twelve for us to study. She even designed our banner with her favorite fantasy creature. x

So here we are! I’m blessed to have such amazing kindred spirits in my life, and I am so very blessed to have a daughter who loves storytelling as much as I do.

On the eleventh day of Blondie’s Books, my daughter gave to me:

Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

What does a reader experience in those opening pages, and what lessons can a writer take away in studying but a few paragraphs? Let’s find out!

Why did you pick this book, Blondie?

I picked this book because it’s one of the most popular series, and I like cats. The people who write these books did a marvelous job on portraying the surrounding wilderness and the cats themselves. I encourage any cat lover in your life to read this book!

Stay tuned for more storytellin’ and carol-singin’!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Special #December #Podcast Series! Blondie Shares #TwelveDays of #MiddleGrade #ReadingRecommendations: Unplugged by @gordonkorman

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’ve always been thrilled to see how much my three little Bs love to read, but it makes my heart melt to hear my daughter Blondie say she wants to do a podcast with me to share her favorite books. When I said we could make a little “12 Days of Christmas” style series in December, Blondie whipped through her books and picked twelve for us to study. She even designed our banner with her favorite fantasy creature. x

So here we are! I’m blessed to have such amazing kindred spirits in my life, and I am so very blessed to have a daughter who loves storytelling as much as I do.

On the tenth day of Blondie’s Books, my daughter gave to me:

Unplugged by Gordon Korman

What does a reader experience in those opening pages, and what lessons can a writer take away in studying but a few paragraphs? Let’s find out!

Why did you pick this book, Blondie?

I picked it at first because I liked other books Gordon Korman did, like Notorious, which is another good dog mystery. And the Unteachables was another good one with lots of funny and heartwarming parts. This one was no exception. It was funny and serious at the same time! I normally like fantasies more than realistic fiction, but I gotta say, this book is just as good!

Stay tuned for more storytellin’ and carol-singin’!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Special #December #Podcast Series! Blondie Shares #TwelveDays of #MiddleGrade #ReadingRecommendations: Scary Stories for Young Foxes by @cmheidicker

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’ve always been thrilled to see how much my three little Bs love to read, but it makes my heart melt to hear my daughter Blondie say she wants to do a podcast with me to share her favorite books. When I said we could make a little “12 Days of Christmas” style series in December, Blondie whipped through her books and picked twelve for us to study. She even designed our banner with her favorite fantasy creature. x

So here we are! I’m blessed to have such amazing kindred spirits in my life, and I am so very blessed to have a daughter who loves storytelling as much as I do.

On the ninth day of Blondie’s Books, my daughter gave to me:

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

What does a reader experience in those opening pages, and what lessons can a writer take away in studying but a few paragraphs? Let’s find out!

Why did you pick this book, Blondie?

I picked this book at first because I like a scary story now and then and I LOVE FOXES! I read it and it is now one of my favorites!! The stories progressively get creepier and creepier each chapter. It is a good book for the spook and animal lovers.

Stay tuned for more storytellin’ and carol-singin’!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Special #December #Podcast Series! Blondie Shares #TwelveDays of #MiddleGrade #ReadingRecommendations: Woof by @ChetTheDog

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’ve always been thrilled to see how much my three little Bs love to read, but it makes my heart melt to hear my daughter Blondie say she wants to do a podcast with me to share her favorite books. When I said we could make a little “12 Days of Christmas” style series in December, Blondie whipped through her books and picked twelve for us to study. She even designed our banner with her favorite fantasy creature. x

So here we are! I’m blessed to have such amazing kindred spirits in my life, and I am so very blessed to have a daughter who loves storytelling as much as I do.

On the eighth day of Blondie’s Books, my daughter gave to me:

Woof by Spencer Quinn

What does a reader experience in those opening pages, and what lessons can a writer take away in studying but a few paragraphs? Let’s find out!

Why did you pick this book, Blondie?

I picked this book at first because there was a dog (he looked like an Australian Shepard, which is one of my favorite dog breeds) on the cover. It turned out to be one of the funniest things I have read! Bowser is a delightful character and simply the way he thinks is funny. I encourage any dog lover to read this book! I also suggest you read the other two books in this series. but don’t spoil them for me because I haven’t read them yet!

Stay tuned for more storytellin’ and carol-singin’!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Special #December #Podcast Series! Blondie Shares #TwelveDays of #MiddleGrade #ReadingRecommendations: Foxcraft: The Taken by @Inbalinka

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’ve always been thrilled to see how much my three little Bs love to read, but it makes my heart melt to hear my daughter Blondie say she wants to do a podcast with me to share her favorite books. When I said we could make a little “12 Days of Christmas” style series in December, Blondie whipped through her books and picked twelve for us to study. She even designed our banner with her favorite fantasy creature. x

So here we are! I’m blessed to have such amazing kindred spirits in my life, and I am so very blessed to have a daughter who loves storytelling as much as I do.

On the seventh day of Blondie’s Books, my daughter gave to me:

Foxcraft: The Taken by Inbali Iserles

What does a reader experience in those opening pages, and what lessons can a writer take away in studying but a few paragraphs? Let’s find out!

Why did you pick this book, Blondie?

I found this at a library and the only reason I picked this book was that there were foxes (my favorite real animals) and magic. This now is one of my most favorite book series of all time. I strongly suggest readers read this book. It’s VERY hard to put down this book when you start reading it!

Stay tuned for more storytellin’ and carol-singin’!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Special #December #Podcast Series! Blondie Shares #TwelveDays of #MiddleGrade #ReadingRecommendations: Catalyst by @sarahbethdurst

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’ve always been thrilled to see how much my three little Bs love to read, but it makes my heart melt to hear my daughter Blondie say she wants to do a podcast with me to share her favorite books. When I said we could make a little “12 Days of Christmas” style series in December, Blondie whipped through her books and picked twelve for us to study. She even designed our banner with her favorite fantasy creature. x

So here we are! I’m blessed to have such amazing kindred spirits in my life, and I am so very blessed to have a daughter who loves storytelling as much as I do.

On the sixth day of Blondie’s Books, my daughter gave to me:

Catalyst by Sarah Beth Durst

What does a reader experience in those opening pages, and what lessons can a writer take away in studying but a few paragraphs? Let’s find out!

If you do not see the audio player above, you can access the player here.

Why did you pick this book, Blondie?

I first found this in a bookstore looking at Wings of Fire books. The book cover looked interesting, and I couldn’t decide on a WOF book, so I got it. I’ve loved it ever since. There are funny tidbits that Durst adds that I just love in this book! I encourage all to read this book and maybe you’ll see animals a little differently.

Stay tuned for more storytellin’ and carol-singin’!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Special #December #Podcast Series! Blondie Shares #TwelveDays of #MiddleGrade #ReadingRecommendations: #Writing with Rosie by Patricia Reilly Giff

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’ve always been thrilled to see how much my three little Bs love to read, but it makes my heart melt to hear my daughter Blondie say she wants to do a podcast with me to share her favorite books. When I said we could make a little “12 Days of Christmas” style series in December, Blondie whipped through her books and picked twelve for us to study. She even designed our banner with her favorite fantasy creature. x

So here we are! I’m blessed to have such amazing kindred spirits in my life, and I am so very blessed to have a daughter who loves storytelling as much as I do.

On the fifth day of Blondie’s Books, my daughter gave to me:

Writing with Rosie by Patricia Reilly Giff

What does a reader experience in those opening pages, and what lessons can a writer take away in studying but a few paragraphs? Let’s find out!

If you do not see the audio player above, you can access the player here.

Why did you pick this book, Blondie?

I first saw this book when I was browsing the free book section at the library. My mom spotted this and I’ve been in love with it since. It has some very useful tips for writers starting their journey and I certainly think if you have any young ‘uns at home who are thinking about writing a novel, this is the perfect choice.

Stay tuned for more storytellin’ and carol-singin’!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!