Guest Post and Giveaway: Breath of Dragons (A Pandoran Novel #3) by Barbara Kloss

Published: January 2014

Description:

After Prince Alaric's death, Daria and Alex set off in search of the legendary box of the Pandors'. The box is famed to hold a secret of power—one strong enough to overcome Lord Eris and the shield of power he stole from Valdon. Daria doesn't know where the box is hidden, but she can't ignore the silent urging, beckoning her to the land of Pendel—the land her mother, Aurora Pandor, was from.

Time is running out. Lord Eris's army of shadowguard vastly outnumber Valdon's forces, and if Daria doesn't find the box in time, Valdon will need reinforcements from the other territories to survive. But those territories will not hand over their armies willingly, not without Daria's hand in marriage.

And there is another, older power rising, one that hasn't been seen in centuries—one thought lost since the days of Galahad: the dragons.

GUEST POST

From Myth to Fantasy…

Wait, they're different? 

I know that I easily confuse and mix the two; they are so closely related. Many times, it's hard knowing if something is myth or fantasy, and that's because so much of what we call fantasy stems directly from mythology. But it also goes the other way, too. 

Now, I'm no expert on mythology by any means. My knowledge is very—like very—limited, and even then most of what I've heard and read comes from the early Greeks and Romans, or the Chinese zodiac's printed on the menus at Chinese restaurants. So what is the difference between fantasy and myth, exactly?

Mythology always seems to have a basis in a particular culture, passed down through the generations, and the people within that culture may or may not believe the myth to be true. And usually, there is some deeper meaning to the mythical stories, where, through its subjects, we learn lessons about life and the way the world works.

Fantasy, however, may or may not have these elements. Fantasy is something one person has made up; it is contrived and expected to be false. (Though I wish places like Middle Earth and Hogwarts really existed…) 

I write fantasy, but there have been a few times when I've looked up mythical creatures and their stories to find inspiration. I'll research drawings and histories, and the moral lessons surrounding them, if there are any. Of course, being that I write fantasy, if I find a myth I like, I'll make it my own, changing it in a way that will fit into my story.

Take dragons, for instance. Dragons appear in the myths of so many different cultures all across the globe. And there are also many fantasy stories, like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and Eragon that incorporate dragons in their own way. I've also used the mythical dragon in my own fantasy story, adapting it to fit a storyline I have created.

I look at fantasy as a kind of continuation of myth. Where we take these great legends and retell them in our own way and with new characters and new places. At least for me, fantasy keeps these great and fantastic mythical tales alive.

EXCERPT

TOUR SCHEDULE

Sal left, and Alex put one hand on my waist, took my hand in his, and led me into the next dance. 

"Where have you been?" I hadn't meant the words to sound accusatory, but they did. 

Alex raised a dark brow, looking a little startled by my outburst. "Where I always am: keeping both eyes on you, and that seems to require a lot of energy these days." His gaze trailed after Sal, who had already found another morsel to snack on in the form of one of Alex's groupies. 

"You said he's a thane?" I asked. 

Alex nodded, his gaze drifting back to mine. "He governs the land on the western shores. He is Mercedes' nephew. He will be furious with me for cutting in like this, but I couldn't help it. He looked like he was about to eat you alive." 

"How do you know I wasn't about to eat him alive?" I teased. I tried pulling Alex closer, but he firmly held me back at an appropriate distance. 

"Careful, your grace," he said, eyes locked on mine. 

He was setting the precedence for our conversation tonight. He was holding up barriers and urging me to stand behind them. He was reminding me that I was a princess and he was my guard, and that I had better act that way. 

A new piece started, much slower than the others, and the melody had a kind of lilting and heartbreaking quality to it. I tried not to take it as any kind of symbolism. Still, the dancing slowed and couples moved closer. Even Alex pulled me close, sliding one arm around my waist, and I was distinctly aware of the warmth soaking through the fabric of his sleeve and onto my bare lower back. 

"How are you feeling?" Alex asked. His expression was carefully stoic, but his eyes were layered in concern. 

"Well, if you must know, I feel a little bit like a pinwheel. Much more twirling and I might just twirl myself right off the edge of this balcony." 

Alex grinned. "We don't have to dance. I could escort you back to—" 

"No." I held him tighter, gazing defiantly into his eyes. "I missed my turn last time, and I've regretted it ever since. But I am a little surprised you're allowing this…?" 

"Allowing what, exactly, your grace?" Even behind his walls of formality, he made the words your grace sound like an expression of intimacy only lovers used. 

"Us dancing together." 

"Ah." He was so controlled and elegant. "I didn't see any harm in it, considering I'm your Aegis and that you've already had your fair share of attention this evening." There was a glint in his eyes that made me certain he'd heard Sal's proposition. 

"And I see that you've had yours." I glanced askance at the group of girls watching us, clearly unhappy that I'd stolen their shiny new toy. 

Alex followed my gaze then whispered, "It's nice seeing you jealous." 

I let out something of a snort. "Well, I could just put an end to it by ordering you to dance with me the rest of the evening. I'm not so sure I want to share you." I tried to move in a little closer, but Alex's grip firmly held me back again. 

"I'm sorry, your grace," he said, his eyes glittering like emeralds, "but I would have to politely refuse those orders."

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About the author:

Barbara Kloss studied biochemistry at California Polytechnic State University, and after she began working in a clinical lab, found herself daydreaming about far off lands and slightly deranged wizards. She, her husband, baby boy, and Lhasa currently live in Arizona, where she escapes the summer heat by writing about lush vegetation and moderate to cold climates. Author of the Pandoran Novels, a YA fantasy series.

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