Recent Release: Dragon's Fool

Greetings, everyone, and thank you to Marianne and Judy for inviting me to the party.

I've recently released Dragon's Fool, the final installment of the Nobody's Fool Quartet, a tale of adventure and comedy with some scary bits, aimed at children age 9 to 12. For readers who would like to begin the series from the beginning, Apprentice Fool, book one of the Nobody's Fool Quartet, is available free.

Keth has become the most powerful person in the city of Russett. He is both Prince Dawyn's fool and his most trusted adviser. The secret of Keth's success is listening to the tart, sour comments that the turnip on the end of his fool's stick pours into his mind, which no one else can hear.

When an earthquake strikes Russett, it is only the first in a series of disasters to devastate the city. Superstitious folk say that these are signs that a dragon is coming and only the golden prince of legend can save them. Keth's turnip tells him that these are only natural events and dragons don't exist, but he can use peoples' fears to his own advantage.

In the ruined city, Keth has to decide who he will trust and what he will believe. The fate of his friends and the survival of the land depend on the choices he makes.

Dragon's Fool is book four in the Nobody's Fool Quartet, the gripping climax to a tale of comedy and adventure.


Excerpt:
“Dragons and the princes who fight them are only in stories, aren’t they, fool?” Dawyn said. His fingers were gouging at the blankets.
“That’s right, Your Highness,” I said, sitting on the bed beside him. “They’re just legends.”
“Like that ‘Golden Prince’ play,” Dawyn said.
“Exactly,” I said. “We don’t have any real dragons, only actors holding up a costume on sticks.”
Dawyn sighed and his fingers relaxed.
“Are we expecting Dawyn to fight a dragon?” I thought at Turnip.
“Of course not,” Turnip said inside my head then chuckled. “You must reassure our noble prince that no acts of courage or heroism will be required from him.”
“Captain Wheelbrace spoke of a dragon,” I thought at it.
“And so will his crew,” Turnip said, “and so will his passengers, and with every telling the dragon will grow bigger and its fire will burn hotter.”
“I don’t believe they’re all making it up,” I thought at it.
“They’re not,” Turnip said. “They saw something they did not understand, so someone called it a dragon. That made sense to everyone else, and they repeated it.”
“So what did they see?” I thought at it.
“A special type of mountain called a volcano has erupted,” Turnip said, “and when that happens, huge fiery lumps of molten rock are hurled high into the air. It’s far more awesome than a paltry dragon dragged from a legend, but a dragon is the best description these people can come up with.”
“So what do we do?” I thought at it.
“Relax and become heroes,” Turnip said.