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Welcome Fellow Book Dragons

“You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” – JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit

My name is Drakon T. Longwitten. This is my introduction to you, fellow Book Dragons. Like myself, you may also devour books. I will have a Gem each day, a different facet, a bit of a menu if you will, to help you plan your next literary feast, the next Gem in your Treasure Chest.

Because we Dragons lead such busy lives, damsels to capture, knights to roast, villages to terrify….I am going to give the days of the week monikers, then you can follow at your leisure, perhaps while picking a well roasted highwayman from your canines.

We will also have giveaways and contests on my Facebook page, Tales From The Book Dragon.

Promo Monday: Authors, Publishers, Admins: Post links, books, signings on my Facebook page.

Mystery Monday: Thrillers, Dramas, Hard Mysteries and Noir.

Tea Time Tuesday: Cozy Mysteries, Poetry, and other softer subjects.

Whimsical Wednesday: Dedicated to Oddities, Journals, Art, Music

Time Travel Thursday: Dedicated to historical fiction, nonfiction and biographies.

Freakish Friday: Dedicated to the Macabre, Monsters, Magic

Saturdays Child: Dedicated to Faery Tales,Creatures, Pretend

Sacred Sunday: Dedicated to Our Creator, Faith, Hope, Charity

I hope this brief missive has peaked your interest. I hope you drop by at least once a week or more. The best Authors will be here. . .I will also be opening my Treasure Chest and giving away some of the contents at times.

You can drop me a line and let me know how you like the fare, suggest menus for my feasting or if you are an author (my favorite taste in people) please email me at talesfromthebookdragon@gmail.com

Or follow me on Facebook for author interviews, giveaways and more! https://www.facebook.com/Tales-From-The-Book-Dragon-453462915443808

See you soon..until then fly high and fan your flames!

Mystery Monday

5 Flames

Good Evening, My Dearest Book Dragons,

I hope this finds you all as well as possible. Tonight’s review is going to be a little different. It’s not a book, nor is it a well established Dragon Feeder..this is a documentary. A tale that contains a Monster, a Knight, a beautiful Princess and a Troubadour of sorts.

I need to talk about myself a bit first, not something I am wont to do often, this is the place for Tales, after all. Since my late Nestlinghood on, I have loved True Crime. When CourTV became a thing, I watched every trial I possibly could.

I saw, in the early 2,000s, a diminutive man on trial for killing, dismembering and throwing said pieces into Galveston Bay. That man was Robert Durst. I sat day after day watching, thinking surely he would be found guilty. But, to my shock and horror he was found guilty only for abuse of a corpse. I was speechless.

Fast forward to 2012. I had a free HBO subscription and saw, again, the name Robert Durst. This time it was a documentary titled “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst” by a cat named Andrew Jarecki. I thought it would be about the Galveston trial and told my husband. He is not a True Crime afficionado, but the story sparked some interest and he is a patient man with my “hobby”.

We watched and became riveted by the end of episode one (called Chapter 1). For five more nights we watched as the story unfolded and were shocked at the ending. If you haven’t seen it, I don’t do spoilers, so you’ll need to do some research – trust me, it’s worth it.

This week I saw a commercial and realized it was “The Jinx 2”. This was about the new trial that took place in 2020. I ordered a month of HBO and told my husband we were about to see the outcome of the crimes of Robert Durst. This time, he was totally on board.

It follows the new investigation by Deputy D.A. in Charge of Cold Cases for the city of Los Angeles, John Lewin. He had Robert charged with the murder of Durst’s best friend Susan Berman, journalist, and daughter of one of the founders of Las Vegas, Mobster David Berman. Susan was found dead in her home from two bullets in the back of her head.

Whether you love True Crime or just love seeing Justice unravel the Trap of a Monster, you are going to want to see this. There is no gratuitous gore. Or any gore. There is only John Lewin, a modern day Knight closing in hour by hour on a hideous Monster until, like the hero in a medieval tale, he traps the thing in it’s own Lair. Jarecki, like a troubadour, tells the Knight’s tale in all its Glory.

But this just isn’t a tale of Durst. It’s also about the multitude of Minions who helped him keep his secrets safe. It’s about people who literally sold their own souls. And its also a tale of the Monster’s Mate. The female is always deadlier than the male. Only this time, she’s killing her own soul.

Find “The Jinx” and then “The Jinx 2”. There should be two new statues in L.A. and New York. One each. One of the Knight: John Lewin and one of the Troubadour, Andrew Jarecki.

Until next time, I remain, your humble Book Dragon.

Drakon T. Longwitten

Mystery Monday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Wonderful Wyverns

I hope May is finding you well and safe from the wicked weather so many are experiencing.

Tonight’s gem came in the form of a key. A rather old key, such as goes to a basement or dungeon. It sat in the midst of my claws and turned itself on end and began spinning this tale of intrigue and mayhem.

This is two time Dragon Feeder Darin Miller’s “Retribution”, number three in the Dwayne Morrow series. Once again I am gobsmacked but let’s get to know what Dwayne’s up to this time.

Dwayne is still an amateur detective as he continues working on his P.I. license. He’s still working those dismal cheating spouses and “Jerry Springer” type of investigations for the Bogg’s Agency…ughh…the thought turns me tummy. As a matter of fact, it’s while working one of these nasty things that he gets embroiled in a case so twisted, so weird that he’s not sure what’s to be believed. As a matter of fact, he ends up with a few bullet holes in his car from the beginning. This whole tale is because Dwayne forgot one important maxim – never give rides to strangers.

Get ready for some fast paced tale telling here. What do a rich femme fatale, a former prostitute, a murder and a nerdy 16 year old kid have in common? You’ll have to read Retribution to find out. And its not easy…just when I thought I had it all figured out, another twist, another turn and I was back to square one.

Back for this case are the usual gang: Melanie, her daughter, Jasmine and Brady..Dwayne’s not quite nemesis and not quite friend. Brady, investigative reporter of the Dispatch. I really like these characters, it’s starting to feel like visiting old friends every time I pick up a new Dwayne Morrow Mystery.

Honestly, I don’t know how he does it..each book is better than the last one. Kookie characters, hardboiled cops, smiling detectives, interesting storyline, and characters you care about and a detective who is actually human. I like Dwayne – I believe you’ll like him, too.

And don’t worry about getting into a series, although I don’t believe you’ll mind…each of the books can be read as a stand alone.

Run, don’t walk, to you nearest book store or get those fingers moving on the web and get this now. Great Summer reading for those of you going on vacation…now where did I put number four?

Until next time I remain your humble Book Dragon…

Dragon T. Longwitten

Many thanks to author Darin Miller for the review copy of “Retribution”. As always, my opinions are my own.

Freakish Friday

5 Flames

Good Evening, My Fellow Wyverns.

I hope this finds you in the mood for a bit of a freakish, creepy tale. Our gem this evening came to be in the form of a blue, furry, ping pong ball eyed miniature puppet.

I found him cute and sat him on the mantle here in the library. I was enjoying my midnight cuppa in front of the fire when he moved! He slowly rose to his full height (about 8 inches) and began to make an odd gagging sound. Suddenly, he spewed this tale in a pile of word vomit. And the vomit began to sort itself and tell the tale.

Needless to say, he no longer seemed cute and I used my tail to sweep him from the mantle and into the fire. He danced a bit, trying to escape the flames and soon there was nothing left but burnt fake fur.

This is first time Dragon Feeder, Ben Farthing’s (isn’t that a cool name) “I Found Puppets Living in the Walls of My Apartment”. An unsettling tale of family, loss and childhood memories.

It’s the story of Johnny who is spending the weekend, along with his cousin Brittany, cleaning out their grandfather’s apartment. Johnny’s grandfather has been missing for over a year. Just poof! GONE.

Grandpa was a puppeteer. His apartment was a gift from the studio for all his years of service. The apartment had been, at one time, the studio for the children’s show he worked on.

I can’t tell you more because I don’t do spoilers. I can’t give anything away. But I can tell you this was the creepiest book I have read since Michael Clark’s “Patience of a Dead Man” series. I couldn’t put this book down and after it ended I wasn’t going anywhere in the dark without a candle or an oil lamp!

Well written, well paced and holding his reader in suspense, “Puppets” is a masterpiece of tale telling. You don’t want to miss it.

If you love good, old fashioned scares, creepiness galore and a book that will have you holding your breath, this is for you! The book ended in such a way that it could continue or perhaps not. I hope Mr. Farthing chooses the former!

Sold wherever your favorite scares are sold, get it, get comfy, grab those snacks and I guarantee you’ll be riveted. You will never look at puppets the same way again.

Until next time, I remain your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

Many thanks to author Ben Farthing for the review copy. As always, my opinions are my own.

Time Travel Thursday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Fellow Book Dragons,

I hope these lovely Spring evenings are finding you well. This evenings Gem came to me in a roll of surgical bandage. It’s white surface turned red in my claws and then it unfurled and the red was the color of the words on the bandage. Shocking red.

This is first time Dragon Feeder, Howard Shulman’s heartbreaking memoir, “Running From the Mirror”.

Howard is born perfectly normal. A beautiful boy with perfect, soft baby skin. Three days later, due to neglect on the part of the hospital, Howard’s perfect baby face is attacked by flesh eating bacteria. He is left badly wounded physically. This is 1961, the hospital does all it can, but the treatments are harsh and cannot stop this monster. Howard is abandoned by his parents. He is truly alone from the get go.

We see how Howard navigates the world around him. His surgeries with Dr. Gratz, a doctor who will enter his life many times in the next 18 years. We watch as Howard’s world expands from a barred crib to a house with a foster family. From foster family to his search and eventual meeting with his biological family. This book never stops moving once you start it.

I loved the honesty of this book. Howard was born in 1961. The book is a time capsule of memories. It is not gross nor self pitying, it just is in that way that my own memories come to me…good, bad or indifferent. They just are. In other words, Howard tells it like it is. If someone doesn’t make this into a movie, they are truly missing a golden opportunity at a hit. Howard’s story needs to be out there.

I read this in a day and a half (darn sleep) and I felt exhausted at the end because I get into the books I read. I can’t imagine how Howard felt at the end of writing it.

Whether you like memoirs or not, I implore you to read this one. You will understand your fellow man better. You may even understand yourself better. To Mr. Shulman, I say, “Thank you.”

He has given us a story of frustration, rage, pluck, love and, more than once, breath holding anxiety.

I remain, as always, your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

Many thanks to Sandra Jonas Publishing for the review copy. As always my opinions are my own.

Time Travel Thursday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Wonderful Wyverns,

I hope you have gotten through this nasty weather alright. The tornado here did me no harm but my internet was effected and this no review last week.

Our Gem this evening came to me etched in the pearl handled grips of a pair of pistols from the Old West. This is the story of two outlaws who are really in laws of a sort. Robin Hoods for cattle ranchers who are put up on by bankers and cheats who steal their land and leave them to starve. I loved this tale!

This is “Nice Guys Finish Dead” by first time Dragon Feeders William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone. This is the second in their “Old Cowboys Never Die” series. I can’t wait to read the first one.

These are the adventures of Cody and Eli. Two used to be ranch hands who got tired of watching banks grow rich off the blood, sweat and tears of honest cattle ranchers with small spreads. I won’t give spoilers but let’s just say Cody and Eli have never been to college but they could certainly teach a class on Creative Finance.

The characters are realistic, fun and had a moment or two of making me hold my breath. The old cow towns are described in great detail. Waco, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin. The men and women are nothing out of a slick Western. There are soiled doves, hard working men’s men, drovers, outlaws and lawmen. One especially likeable Deputy U.S. Marshall named Colton Gray will have you simultaneously cheering him on and hoping he doesn’t succeed.

I hadn’t read a good Western since I came across a first edition “True Grit” by Charles Portis three years ago in a thrift store. I paid all of a dollar for it. I was so happy to receive this tale and shall look for William and J.A.’s first in the series forthwith.

Do yourself a favor and grab this fun little tale as soon as you can. You won’t be sorry.

As always , until next time I remain your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

I thank Kensington Publishing for the review copy. My opinions, as always, are my own.

Tea Time Tuesday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Fellow Book Dragons, I hope you are doing well. Please keep Baltimore in your thoughts over the next few weeks. What a horrible tragedy.

This evening’s gem came to me in the form of a First Aid Kit. Very clever, I thought. I held the kit in my claws and it began to pulse red and white and then I noticed a black, disgusting goo with the distinct aroma of mendacity about it. I opened it and this tale poured forth. At the end, a the kit began to pulse and twist with the two colors finally blending into a new form and color, pink.. a bright pink heart. I think I shall have it made into a pendant.

This is first time Dragon Feeder, Desi Stowe’s Premier Novel, “Done”. It is a funny, sweet, exasperatingly dark (at times) first novel. You won’t want to miss it. This is the story of Vivian Ashmead, a Personnel Consultant and her journey into the world of Healthcare. She’s one of those people who help companies get back valued employees, recruit new people and try to bring the workplace culture into a place where people want to stay. There’s just one problem. It’s an extremely hard job to do when you cannot offer more money or benefits.

I must admit, I didn’t really like Vivian at first. She seemed a bit pompous about Healthcare workers. I have lots of healthcare workers in my family. I am happy to say that changed. Vivian is an overworked workaholic who has no time for friends, family or fun – not even fun for herself. She’s determined to work to get a promotion that has been dangled in front of her like a carrot to a horse.

I don’t do spoilers so I’ll dig in to telling you what I liked! Vivian slowly won me over. She’s brash and good at her job, but she suddenly finds she may very well have a heart.

Vivian’s older sister, Lily, who loves Viv and just wants to see her happy. I also like the people she meets on this journey: Henrietta, Eugene and Mary. Healthcare workers who are caring, funny and sweet people who have been abused by the system but love their patients. You’ll love them, too!

If, like me you or someone you love is or was a workaholic, if you know someone who is in a job that has become a bummer, someone in Healthcare, is burnt out or anyone who likes a slow burn romance this is for you!

I really loved this book. I ended up cheering Viv on and I was sad when I reached the last page because I was going to miss these people.

“Done” is sold wherever fine books are sold. Get it today and you won’t be sorry! I loved the fact too that the font, page set up and print is extremely easy on the eyes! Something we older Dragons appreciate.

Until next time , I remain your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

Thank you to Desi Stowe for the review copy. As always, my opinions are my own.

Freakish Friday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Fellow Book Dragons,

To those of you who have joined this week, welcome to my Cave where gems are found and Dragon Food is abundant! To all of you, I hope you have been kept safe from the horrible weather. Please keep our Indiana Book Dragons in your thoughts.

This weeks Gem came to me in the form of a Cameo. A beautiful woman’s visage carved delicately on the surface. As I turned it in my claws I realized the visage changed. From the beautiful woman to a disheveled man to a different beautiful woman. The faces kept changing and then the Cameo broke and this tale poured forth.

This is first time Dragon Feeder Bradford Tatum’s fantastic tale “Hot Berry Punch”. The story of Emma Mae Shinnecock and how she became a Beguiler. What is a Beguiler, you ask? Ahhh that is a rather fetching creature that you do not want to meet if you value your life.

Emma Mae is a prairie child, the daughter of an educated mother and a sailor father who travel West in the early 1800s. Emma is smart, beautiful and a child of her surroundings, making her slightly feral. I don’t do spoilers so let me get on to what I loved about this book.

Had this been published in the 1800s, it would have been considered bawdy. It is an honest book and historically accurate. I love the characters. These are not cartoonish people. Mr. Tatum’s world is filled with people who populated small prairie towns. Who had the grit, determination and the ability to dream big enough to head West in all its unmitigated Hope that a better world lay ahead. Should the dream not come true, they stayed or moved on – there was always a fresh start down the road. There were other things down those roads as well. Things Mr. Greeley didn’t tell his young men about.

Emma takes us with her on her journey as a Beguiler. I was never disappointed and couldn’t put this book down until the final pages revealed their treasure.

If you love fantasy, the paranormal and a touch of the amazing, this tale is for you. I’ll remember this one for quite awhile to come. I hope this is not the last we hear from Mr. Tatum.

Until next time , I remain your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

Many thanks to Mr. Tatum for the review copy. As always my opinions are my own.

Time Travel Thursday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Fellow Book Dragons,

I hear the rain hitting The Cave this evening. I hope your weather is better. I want to welcome each and every new Book Dragon that has joined us this past few weeks. We are growing strong! Don’t forget to follow my Facebook page for contests, trivia and more!

Our tale this evening came to me in a pretty pink cover, inside was a ladies compact, also pink. There was a tag that simply said, “Open Me”. Not unlike my dear friend Alice of rabbit hole fame, I did so and set the compact on the table. Not unlike R2D2’s hologram scene, the tale of Annie Bot projected.

The is first time Dragon Feeder, Sierra Greer’s futuristic tale of love, abuse and finding a way to be free. “Annie Bot” is set in the not too distant future, if the AI craze is to be believed. I like Science Fiction, but it’s hard to find a Sci-Fi tale that’s really grips you these days, Annie is that book!

Annie is an AI Robot built to the perfect specifications of the man who bought her. Weight, height, hair color, skin and eye color, interests and more. She is also programmed to please him physically, emotionally and to know her place.

But AI is after all, AI and it’s hard to get the toothpaste back in the tube once it’s out.

This is not “M3GAN”, this is not “I, Robot”, this is different and it is made all the better by Ms. Greer’s writing style.

As you know I don’t do spoilers so let me tell you what I liked. The book is very well written. This scenario definitely seems possible. I have known people like Annie’s owner, Doug. A sweet guy when you meet him. I have known people like Annie, herself, kind, smart, eager to please. This is as realistic as Sci-Fi gets and still is exciting. Ms. Greer’s timing is perfect. I went into this, as I do all my Dragon Feeder works, with an open mind. Within the first twenty pages I was rooting for Annie and Doug.

With each passing paragraph Annie became less Bot and more human. With every chapter I found myself holding my breath to see where this relationship would go. How it would go: will Annie and Doug find love and happiness or will Annie find a way out?

This tale deals with the human condition in a new light. It is abuse if it’s a robot? Is it love if it’s a robot?

If you only read one Sci-Fi tale this year, read this one! It’s sold wherever your favorite books are sold starting March 19, 24!!

Until next time I remain, as always, your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T Longwitten

Thank you to #MarinerBooks for this review copy. As always, my opinions are my own.

Freakish Friday

4 Flames

Good Evening My Fellow Book Dragons,

I hope if, like me, you are in this snowstorm you are warm and cozy and comfortable with your favorite warm beverage and ready to explore this evening’s Gem with me. It came to me in the form of a little musical carousel. The horses were quite beautiful. I wound it up and placed it on my library table and beautiful notes began to play..then the music turned ominous and the carousel spun faster. The horses expressions twisted into something from a Bosch painting.

This is “Scream if You’re Having Fun” by first time Dragon Feeder, Aaron Michael Cook. A freakish collection of short stories that caused the armor along my spine to shudder.

I love short stories, I have since the first time I was given Kipling’s “Jungle Books”. These are very different from those. From Mr. Cook’s “I the People” to “Field of Broken Dreams” the carousel ride gets crazier all the time.

Let me tell you about three of the twenty-three tales that fill the covers of this book. ‘The Devil’s Detox’ brings a whole new set of visuals to The Eagles “Hotel California”. Bryce thinks he’s figured out a way to get a new set of chompers, he hasn’t figured on not being the smartest guy in the room.

‘Six Way’ is a triumph for those of us not so crazy about a certain city’s famous dish. Now we understand why.

Lastly, ‘We’, Spring is around the corner, baseball is imminent and Mr. Cook just gave us the ultimate fan.

If you are a horror fan and want to try something a little different, this is for you. If you don’t like novels but would love a weird read where the story is full but it doesn’t take a lot of time, this is for you. I look forward to more from Aaron Michael Cook. Sold on Kindle, paperback or hardcover on Amazon.

Until next time I remain, as always, your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

Many thanks to A.M. Cook for the review copy. As always my opinions are my own.

Time Travel Thursday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Fellow Book Dragons,

Our Gem this evening came to me as a nicety from Dragon Feeder Danny R. Smith. He of the wonderful Dickie Floyd Detective Novel Series, a fantastic set of modern noir based on several of the very crimes he, himself, worked as a Homicide Detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“Nothing Left to Prove” is not fiction. It is an honest, sometimes funny, mostly harrowing account of his career.

Danny gives us celebrities (who knew Ali could be such a lamb) to hardened criminals so hideous it is hard to remember this is modern day L.A. County and not the Wild West.

I read and review a lot of books, I read over 100 a year – I don’t review them all. I try to bring you, my fellow Book Dragons, the creme dela creme. This is one of those. I have developed a love for the Homicide Detectives of the LACSD. They are some of the finest human beings I have had the privilege of meeting, even if only here. Danny is one of those, Frederick Douglass Reynolds is another.

Danny’s story in “Nothing Left to Prove” had me laughing, crying and even walking away to take a few moments to wrap my brain around what I had just read. It’s amazing to me how anyone would stay as long as Danny did in a place that makes tales of old Dodge City sound like a walk in the park.

If you love human stories, true crime or biographies, this is one you must add to your library. It’s sold wherever fine books are sold.

Until next time I remain your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

Thank you to Danny R. Smith for the review copy.