Now available from
Fire and Ice YA Books!
A young adult contemporary fantasy novel
by D. G. Driver with Jeni Bautista Richard
Order the ebook at
Kindle Nook Kobo Smashwords Apple Books Google Play
You can get the print version at Amazon and Barnes and Noble
(other vendors coming soon)
Fire and Ice YA Books!
A young adult contemporary fantasy novel
by D. G. Driver with Jeni Bautista Richard
Order the ebook at
Kindle Nook Kobo Smashwords Apple Books Google Play
You can get the print version at Amazon and Barnes and Noble
(other vendors coming soon)
Eric Long’s dad is a champion surfer. His mom is an artist, obsessed with Chinese dragons. On his 15th birthday, both of his parents’ interests collide and change everything he knows about the world.
While on a surfing vacation with his father up near Santa Cruz, California, Eric has visions of a woman from Imperial China with the ability to control a dragon and the emperor who wanted to exploit her talent to fight a war. One foggy morning, Eric and a new surfing friend sneak down to see the off-limits Dragon’s Bluff beach near their motel, and he is rescued from drowning by a real-life dragon. This is the dragon of his visions!
Now Eric realizes that those visions are the dragon’s memories. But why is he able to see them? Why is the dragon warning him to leave and never come back? Could Eric be a descendant of the Dragon Tamer? How dangerous will it be if he stays and tries to find the answers?
While on a surfing vacation with his father up near Santa Cruz, California, Eric has visions of a woman from Imperial China with the ability to control a dragon and the emperor who wanted to exploit her talent to fight a war. One foggy morning, Eric and a new surfing friend sneak down to see the off-limits Dragon’s Bluff beach near their motel, and he is rescued from drowning by a real-life dragon. This is the dragon of his visions!
Now Eric realizes that those visions are the dragon’s memories. But why is he able to see them? Why is the dragon warning him to leave and never come back? Could Eric be a descendant of the Dragon Tamer? How dangerous will it be if he stays and tries to find the answers?
About co-author Jeni Bautista Richard:
Jeni Bautista Richard was born in Makati, Philippines and immigrated to Canada with her parents when she was an infant. She studied psychology, sociology, and anthropology at York University in Toronto and graduated with an English degree. A closer look at genealogy indicated ethnic ties to China, The Philippines, and the Pacific Islands. Being born in one country but growing up in another allowed her to become immersed in and identify with the cultures and traditions of both. In the early 2000s, Jeni moved to Nashville, TN. Jeni is a portrait photographer, specializing in capturing families at their most natural and beautiful. She currently works in the public school system in an elementary school that, because of its socio-economical, cultural, and racial diversity, allows her to see the importance of representation. Raising a child of mixed race to be proud of all of the elements that make up his heritage has always been of high importance; that means making sure that minority cultures are accurately represented proudly for all readers.
Jeni Bautista Richard was born in Makati, Philippines and immigrated to Canada with her parents when she was an infant. She studied psychology, sociology, and anthropology at York University in Toronto and graduated with an English degree. A closer look at genealogy indicated ethnic ties to China, The Philippines, and the Pacific Islands. Being born in one country but growing up in another allowed her to become immersed in and identify with the cultures and traditions of both. In the early 2000s, Jeni moved to Nashville, TN. Jeni is a portrait photographer, specializing in capturing families at their most natural and beautiful. She currently works in the public school system in an elementary school that, because of its socio-economical, cultural, and racial diversity, allows her to see the importance of representation. Raising a child of mixed race to be proud of all of the elements that make up his heritage has always been of high importance; that means making sure that minority cultures are accurately represented proudly for all readers.
AN EXCERPT FROM
DRAGON SURF!
DRAGON SURF!
The water sucked out from under me, and my legs sank into the wet sand. A moment later, a huge rush of water from a wave came at me so strong it knocked me over and went up my nose. I gasped for air as the water tried to drag me out into the surf. Another shore wave crashed over my head. I struggled to get my
bearings and stand up, but the tide was stronger than me.
Just then, a great noise made me jump. It was loud as thunder and rumbled like a jet taking o# over my head. I looked up to see something bright as the sun rushing toward me. Swirls of red, yellow, and orange flew before my eyes.
I could barely hear Mark shouting, “Eric! Watch out!”
The bright colors flying toward me took shape.
I screamed. I hate to say it, but it’s true. I screamed loud and shrill like a baby because flying right above me was a monster straight out of one of my mom’s paintings.
A dragon? No way. Impossible. It had to be something else.
Swoosh! It !ew over my head again.
Whatever it was, it was massive and scary.
Swoosh! Closer this time. And were those giant talons reaching for me? I ducked just in time to keep from being shredded into pieces.
I had to get away from this thing. I couldn’t see where to run. I didn’t know what to do. So, I dove into the shore waves and swam past them to the swell of ocean water.
The dragon !ew over my head two more times before landing on the beach. The fog was so thick that I couldn’t see the beast all the way to its tail, but I could tell that the dragon was large enough to cover the whole distance from the water to the cave. I watched it twist its large neck back and forth, swinging its massive head in an arch that took it from the depths of the fog, over my head and back into the fog again. It
couldn’t seem to find me.
I wondered if it couldn’t see through the fog or if it was trying to locate me by smell. Perhaps it couldn’t smell me because I was in the water. That thought gave me a moment of relief. It evaporated as soon as I #nished sighing and fear took over again. Mark wasn’t in the water. Last I saw, he was standing up by the cave. I hoped the dragon wouldn't turn and attack him instead of me. Surely Mark would have hidden inside the
cave by now. The dragon wouldn’t be able to fit in there. At least, I didn’t think it could.
A wave crashed over my head. I shouted out involuntarily.
The dragon's head snapped toward my gurgled cry. I bit down on my lips and clenched my jaw to keep from making any other noises.
The longer I stayed in the water, the colder I got. My muscles stiffened. My heart beat in slow, painful blasts. My head buzzed like I might faint. It took every ounce of energy to flap my arms and kick my feet so I wouldn't drown. The movement captured the dragon's attention even more. Its wide, oval eyes scanned the water and found what it was looking for.
A huge splash went over my head. I rubbed my eyes as I gasped for air. When I opened them again, the dragon was out of sight.
I tried to make myself still. I pulled my legs into my chest and bobbed in the water. It didn’t work. I couldn't !oat that way, and the tide was pulling me further and further from shore. If I wasn’t careful, I’d get caught in a riptide, sucked out to the gigantic waves where I’d drown. I had to move my arms and legs whether or not it drew the dragon to me. Fear caused me to breathe too hard, and I was exhausting myself. I couldn't
keep doing this much longer.
Then I felt pressure under my body as though I was suddenly on top of a grassy hill. My legs came up in front of me. I had to put my hands out to keep from rolling off. My hands touched more of the “grass” and recoiled. I looked down to see sharp horns and pointy ears to each side of me and long, coarse yellow hair all around me rising up from the water.
The dragon lifted me right out of the water, balancing me on top of its head. I slipped through the wet hair to the dragon's scaly snout where I grabbed one of the moustache-like whiskers to keep from falling back into the ocean that was quickly getting further and further away from me. Eyes the color of blood with vertical slits for pupils glared at me. I hoped my skin was numb enough from the cold that I wouldn't feel the dragon's
teeth bite into me.
bearings and stand up, but the tide was stronger than me.
Just then, a great noise made me jump. It was loud as thunder and rumbled like a jet taking o# over my head. I looked up to see something bright as the sun rushing toward me. Swirls of red, yellow, and orange flew before my eyes.
I could barely hear Mark shouting, “Eric! Watch out!”
The bright colors flying toward me took shape.
I screamed. I hate to say it, but it’s true. I screamed loud and shrill like a baby because flying right above me was a monster straight out of one of my mom’s paintings.
A dragon? No way. Impossible. It had to be something else.
Swoosh! It !ew over my head again.
Whatever it was, it was massive and scary.
Swoosh! Closer this time. And were those giant talons reaching for me? I ducked just in time to keep from being shredded into pieces.
I had to get away from this thing. I couldn’t see where to run. I didn’t know what to do. So, I dove into the shore waves and swam past them to the swell of ocean water.
The dragon !ew over my head two more times before landing on the beach. The fog was so thick that I couldn’t see the beast all the way to its tail, but I could tell that the dragon was large enough to cover the whole distance from the water to the cave. I watched it twist its large neck back and forth, swinging its massive head in an arch that took it from the depths of the fog, over my head and back into the fog again. It
couldn’t seem to find me.
I wondered if it couldn’t see through the fog or if it was trying to locate me by smell. Perhaps it couldn’t smell me because I was in the water. That thought gave me a moment of relief. It evaporated as soon as I #nished sighing and fear took over again. Mark wasn’t in the water. Last I saw, he was standing up by the cave. I hoped the dragon wouldn't turn and attack him instead of me. Surely Mark would have hidden inside the
cave by now. The dragon wouldn’t be able to fit in there. At least, I didn’t think it could.
A wave crashed over my head. I shouted out involuntarily.
The dragon's head snapped toward my gurgled cry. I bit down on my lips and clenched my jaw to keep from making any other noises.
The longer I stayed in the water, the colder I got. My muscles stiffened. My heart beat in slow, painful blasts. My head buzzed like I might faint. It took every ounce of energy to flap my arms and kick my feet so I wouldn't drown. The movement captured the dragon's attention even more. Its wide, oval eyes scanned the water and found what it was looking for.
A huge splash went over my head. I rubbed my eyes as I gasped for air. When I opened them again, the dragon was out of sight.
I tried to make myself still. I pulled my legs into my chest and bobbed in the water. It didn’t work. I couldn't !oat that way, and the tide was pulling me further and further from shore. If I wasn’t careful, I’d get caught in a riptide, sucked out to the gigantic waves where I’d drown. I had to move my arms and legs whether or not it drew the dragon to me. Fear caused me to breathe too hard, and I was exhausting myself. I couldn't
keep doing this much longer.
Then I felt pressure under my body as though I was suddenly on top of a grassy hill. My legs came up in front of me. I had to put my hands out to keep from rolling off. My hands touched more of the “grass” and recoiled. I looked down to see sharp horns and pointy ears to each side of me and long, coarse yellow hair all around me rising up from the water.
The dragon lifted me right out of the water, balancing me on top of its head. I slipped through the wet hair to the dragon's scaly snout where I grabbed one of the moustache-like whiskers to keep from falling back into the ocean that was quickly getting further and further away from me. Eyes the color of blood with vertical slits for pupils glared at me. I hoped my skin was numb enough from the cold that I wouldn't feel the dragon's
teeth bite into me.
Reviews are coming in!
"This book is well written; the story is dramatic and yet fun and full of surprises. The dragon images and tales, told by dream sequences, make the story multi-dimensional and fun. I believe this book will be well received by middle grade and teen readers. I will recommend it to my grandsons." Amazon customer review
"I really liked the characters in this book. Long will definitely be a fan favorite. It's a beautiful coming to age story with a lot of dragon symbolism and beautiful imagery. It's a fast paced and easy read and pretty enjoyable for young adults." ACR
"This YA novel packs a lot into the story, and does it very well. It is not only an exciting tale, but one filled with history, culture, and a keen awareness of how we all to want to be accepted and validated for who we are, especially when we're fifteen years old! An added surprise to this tale about a Chinese-American kid, and his family, is that it takes place in Santa Cruz, California, which is where I've lived for many years! The authors skillfully interweave the present with the past, and keep enticing the reader to the next page, chapter, and end of the story." ACR
"I especially enjoyed the juxtaposition of Eric and his father on their surfing trip with the stories of his immigrant family all woven together through the dragon, Baidu. The setting of the surfing life was flavorful and fun. This is a delightful, fast-paced read!" ACR
"I love a good dragon story, and this one is unique and unexpected! Although a perfect read for students in 4-8th grades, it’s a fun read for any fantasy fan. The storyline is well thought out and fast-paced, with a touch of history and folklore. As a middle school teacher, I can confidently recommend this novel to reluctant readers. After reading this book, you’ll be wondering if (and wishing) dragons are real!!" ACR
"The book Dragon Surf, is for young folks or teenagers, although anyone beyond that age might enjoy reading it too. I did. The descriptive scenes will enhance the imagination of anyone who would read it. Through Eric’s dream, and his belief that it was the dragon who saved him from drowning, lies the question, is it real? You want the answer? I strongly recommend to get your copy of the book and find out or make your own conclusion." ACR
"I really liked the characters in this book. Long will definitely be a fan favorite. It's a beautiful coming to age story with a lot of dragon symbolism and beautiful imagery. It's a fast paced and easy read and pretty enjoyable for young adults." ACR
"This YA novel packs a lot into the story, and does it very well. It is not only an exciting tale, but one filled with history, culture, and a keen awareness of how we all to want to be accepted and validated for who we are, especially when we're fifteen years old! An added surprise to this tale about a Chinese-American kid, and his family, is that it takes place in Santa Cruz, California, which is where I've lived for many years! The authors skillfully interweave the present with the past, and keep enticing the reader to the next page, chapter, and end of the story." ACR
"I especially enjoyed the juxtaposition of Eric and his father on their surfing trip with the stories of his immigrant family all woven together through the dragon, Baidu. The setting of the surfing life was flavorful and fun. This is a delightful, fast-paced read!" ACR
"I love a good dragon story, and this one is unique and unexpected! Although a perfect read for students in 4-8th grades, it’s a fun read for any fantasy fan. The storyline is well thought out and fast-paced, with a touch of history and folklore. As a middle school teacher, I can confidently recommend this novel to reluctant readers. After reading this book, you’ll be wondering if (and wishing) dragons are real!!" ACR
"The book Dragon Surf, is for young folks or teenagers, although anyone beyond that age might enjoy reading it too. I did. The descriptive scenes will enhance the imagination of anyone who would read it. Through Eric’s dream, and his belief that it was the dragon who saved him from drowning, lies the question, is it real? You want the answer? I strongly recommend to get your copy of the book and find out or make your own conclusion." ACR
