by Scott King
I wrote a short script called "Doug the Obese Dragon" for one of my media classes. It was horrible. But it was in that story that Doug was born. His personality was pretty much there from the start. He was cranky. He didn't like the other dragons, and he wanted to be left alone.
That was seventeen years ago.
Since that time, I half-attempted to write a novel and wrote a screenplay. Neither were bad, but neither felt right. It wasn't that the story wasn't good enough or the characters weren't fun enough. It was that I wasn't there yet as a writer. I hadn't honed my craft enough yet to be able yet to tell the story that I wanted to tell.
Fingers crossed I'm finally there and that you enjoyed this book. Seventeen years is a long time to have a story in your head. I am not the same person I was back then. Sure, I'm still sarcastic, and humor is my default coping mechanism, but I've grown. My perspective on the world and life isn't the same, and in that time, things like 9/11 and other horrible events have happened.
Fantasy fiction has gotten grim and dark. Those kinds of stories have a place, and when I'm in the mood, I enjoy them. But when sitting down to create the current version of Wrath of Dragons, I knew that's not what I wanted it to be.
I'm alright with characters dying. I'm alright with them suffering or having terrible things to face. I'm not alright with the lack of hope. I'm not alright with things being so dark that there are no jokes or places for happiness.
My background in college, grad school, and post-education focused on film and photography. One of the most important things in photography is contrast. A photo needs dark darks and light lights. When the whole image is the same tone, it feels bland.
My hope with Wrath of Dragons is that it has a nice contrast. The lighter moments matter because, by comparison, they make the darker stuff seem darker, just as those low moments help make the nice ones more fun.
Some absolutely gut-wrenching things will happen to our heroes in the next several books. I can't help that. It's what has to happen, but I can promise you that there will always be laughter.
The real world is already a dark place. The news at night is so depressing that many people simply avoid it. I don't want this series to be that way. I want it to be a place where, sure, it might pull at your heart, but at the same time it offers an escape.
That's what books did for me when I was growing up and facing the harshness of life. Hopefully, this book is me giving back and doing the same for others.
About the Author
Scott King is a writer, photographer, and educator. He was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Ocean City, Maryland. He received his undergraduate degree in film from Towson University, and his M.F.A. in film from American University.
Until moving to follow his wife's career, King worked as a college professor, teaching photography, digital arts, and writing-related classes. He now works full time as a game photographer and author.
As a board game photographer, King shoots games for websites, online stores, and for other marketing needs. He also produces an annual calendar that highlights board and other hobby games.
To learn more about Scott and his work, visit his website at www.ScottKing.info. You can also follow him on Twitter via @ScottKing.
Books By Scott King
Elderealm
The Wrath of Dragons
Unchained Shadows coming soon
Queen of Flames coming soon
Tales of Elderealm Series
Other Books
The Zimmah Chronicles
National Cthulhu Eats Spaghetti Day
The Eye of Hastur
Ameriguns
Resist Them
The 5 Day Novel
Story Pitch
Outline Your Novel
Finish the Script!
DAD! A Documentary Graphic Novel
Holiday Wars
This book is a work of fiction.
Wrath of Dragons is Published by Majestic Arts
Cover Art by Jason Nguyen
Cover Design by Scott King
Chapter Headers by Kevin Cromwell
Edited by Leslie Watts
Manufactured in the United States of America
Copyright ©2018 Scott King
Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1548433048
Paperback ISBN-10: 1548433047
Hardcover ISBN: 9780692063354
First Edition: Published March 2018
First Edition: Published March 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.