by Simone Pond
Almost as if on cue, Blanche emerged from the back.
“Miss Blanche?” Evelyn called out. “I will have that stew you offered.”
The ancient lady cracked a smile. “Ahh, missy. You shan’t regret it! Tis a new recipe.” She disappeared into the back, presumably the kitchen.
The three sat and nursed their ales for a while, not saying much. The rain was coming down hard, and every now and again lightning would illuminate the sky outside followed by the clap of thunder.
“Quite a spring storm,” Doran said.
“Glad we found this place,” Lugh added.
“Here you go, me lady.” Blanche set the bowl of piping hot stew on the table before Evelyn, along with a spoon.
“Thank you,” said Evelyn. She grabbed the spoon and scooped up some stew, blowing on it.
In her pocket, the Gorias spear was now glowing frantically.
Evelyn again blew on the spoonful of stew, then slowly brought it to her mouth and slurped it up. She dropped the spoon onto the table and shot up from her seat and beelined straight into the kitchen.
Doran and Lugh jumped to their feet, wondering what was going on.
Lugh looked at the bowl, then the swinging door to the kitchen. “Has she been poisoned?”
His dread was enhanced by a loud scream coming from the back. He and Doran scrambled toward the kitchen, nearly falling over chairs en route. They burst through the doors and Doran seized Blanche, who was standing in the small but tidy kitchen, her eyes transfixed on a staircase off to one side.
“What did you do to her!” Doran demanded.
Blanche blinked. “Er, huh? I just told her the cook’s upstairs.”
Lugh and Doran charged up the stairs and burst into a small room to find …
Evelyn and someone locked in an embrace.
That someone looked up and said, “Lugh. You’ve brought my daughter to me.”
Lugh’s eyes watered. His knees softened. He leaned on Doran for a moment. The poor man had just thought he had lost his daughter, and now he was standing in a small room in a remote inn with his long-lost wife and his daughter very much alive. His words began to come out as sobs so he said nothing. He went and reached for his wife’s face, to make certain that all of it was real and not some form of treacherous witchcraft. When her hand brushed his cheek, and her lips met his, he knew that all of it was quite real. He hugged her, then reached for Evelyn as all three of them embraced. They’d been waiting eighteen years.
Blanche had ambled up the stairs and stood smiling at the reunited trio. She cleared her throat. “I take it you liked the stew?”
“My mother’s stew is legendary,” said Evelyn.
***
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading about Evelyn and Ciara! I enjoyed writing their stories and hopefully they’ll be back. If you’d like to be notified with updates on new releases, you can sign up for my newsletter. You’ll also receive notices about sales, promotions, and giveaways! Simone Pond Newsletter Sign-up
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Some behind the scenes of the Dragons of Galicia series …
The Dragons of Galicia series is a new area for me—if you’re familiar with my previous work, you’ll know I’ve focused mainly on urban/contemporary fantasy and dystopian fiction. When I was asked to be in a box set about dragons, I thought, why not, surely I can expand my creativity and write one story. And so it went. I began gathering my research and became deeply inspired by Celtic lore. The more I ventured into the realm of writing something from this Celtic angle, the more my curiosity grew. I pulled from my favorite nuggets of legends and lore for the inspiration behind Evelyn’s story. I thought it was going to be just one story for the box set, but I fell in love with the characters and wasn’t ready to let them go. Hence, the series was born.
I’ve always wanted to write something that involved the May Day tradition. I first learned about the tradition in one of my favorite books by Ann Rice called The Witching Hour. The yearly celebration, which happens on the first of May, has had various meanings throughout the centuries. For the purpose of my story, I wanted to use a pagan slant mixed with the Great British May Day tradition, which is typically associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime fertility (of the soil, livestock, and people). Once I had the beginning “seeds” of my story, I needed to create a fierce and lovable heroine, an intriguing cast of characters, an adventurous setting, and of course … dragons.
When I think of dragons, I automatically think of castles and mountains and hamlets (and of course Game of Thrones). So for my setting, I began by researching ancient regions throughout Europe as my starting point. Several interesting names came up (though they’re no longer called by these), and I picked the ones that sang out to me. I settled on “Galicia” for the northern region because it sounded powerful and noble. I explored the surrounding areas, which had interesting ancient names as well. When I came across the town of Ocelum, I knew it had to be the name of Evelyn’s hamlet. The Vindius Mountains were to play a major role in the story setting, as well as Bispos Peak, which were a blend of names from different regions. Originally, I planned to name the dragons the Vindius Dragons because that was their place of birth. But a dear and brilliant writer friend (thanks, Emily!) suggested using the name of the region from which they hailed, so I went with the Dragons of Galicia. It just sounds more powerful—and fitting for dragons.
One of my favorite parts of the story development process is deciding on which names to assign my characters. I love researching names and their meanings. I never name characters just because it sounds catchy. Every character name has meaning and often a story behind it. Evelyn means light, and since she is my heroine, I found this name appropriate. She is a force of light in the dark world. My other novels share a common theme throughout—the battle between light and dark (or good and evil). I chose a name which represent darkness for the villain of the story. No spoilers.
Deirdre, who is Evelyn’s mother, is an old Celtic name with much tragedy associated with it. I thought this suited her character because of her tragic backstory. The character Lugh of Gorias is straight out of Irish mythology. Lugh was a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a mythical Celtic race of great warriors. Lugh was a benevolent godlike warrior with many magical talents and was entrusted with the invincible spear of Gorias. I took the liberty of giving him the title of “dragon slayer” for my story.
I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing a snippet of my writing process and some of the thought that went into writing the series. And I hope you enjoy Evelyn’s journey! There are three books in the Dragons of Galicia Series, so be sure check them out. Fire and Fate (Dragons of Galicia Book 1) Parts 1 & 2, Fire and Chains (Dragons of Galicia Book 2), and Fire and Blood (Dragons of Galicia Book 3).
BY SIMONE POND
Dragons of Galicia Series
Fire and Fate (Dragons of Galicia Book 1) Parts 1 & 2
Fire and Chains (Dragons of Galicia Book 2)
Fire and Blood (Dragons of Galicia Book 3)
The Mysterium Chronicles
Exodus of Magic Book 1
River of Magic Book 2
Wrath of Magic Book 3
Mysterium: The Oracle’s Foretelling (Prequel)
The Coastview Prophecies
Hidden Sight Book 1
Beyond Sight Book 2
Armor of Magic Series
Sacred Light Book 1
Rising Light Book 2
Edge of Light Book 3
The New Agenda Series
The City Center Book 1
The Mainframe Book 2
The Torrent Book 3
The New Agenda Prequel
Swarmed: A Dystopian Novel
Voices of the Apocalypse: A Collection of Short Stories
Visit simonepond.com for more information.
Simone Pond, Fire and Blood (Dragons of Galicia Book 3)