Welcome! I'm sharing an excerpt from this new release today. Read that below...
Raising Dragons
(Dragons in Our Midst #1)
By Bryan Davis
Christian YA Fantasy
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 368 Pages
October 5, 2021 by Wander
Summary
“Bryan Davis writes with the scope of Tolkien, the focus of Lewis, the grandeur of Verne, and most of all the heart of Christ.” —Jeremiah F., reader
A boy with fiery breath . . . a girl with dragon wings . . .
Outcasts Billy and Bonnie must come together to preserve a secret legacy more than a millennium in the making. They find their lives turned upside down when they are thrust into a war against evil, a war they didn’t even know was being waged. Their newly formed friendship is tested and shaped as they are forced to fight a malevolent slayer who wields a powerful, medieval weapon and is intent on exterminating their dragon heritage forever. Raising Dragons is a hair-raising, modern-day Arthurian adventure and a glimpse into another world filled with knights, dragons, and fair maidens fighting to destroy evil.
Excerpt
Billy shot to a sitting position. As he tried to read the dim surroundings, he panted, his tongue dry. Instead of coldness and a falling sensation, softness supported his body underneath and warmth covered his legs. On a night table at his side, an alarm clock rang, the remnants of the knight’s wind-scattered shouts.
With a quick slap, he shut off the alarm and exhaled. It was just a dream. Still, it felt so real. He rubbed his palms against his sweat-dampened cheeks. No scales. But what about wings? Unable to see his back, he jumped to his feet and tiptoed toward the light switch, dodging half-finished pencil sketches that lay on the floor. With an upward swipe, he slapped the switch on. Light flooded the room. Billy blinked at the two bulbs in the ceiling fixture. With a series of one-footed hops, he maneuvered through his art-strewn room and headed for his mirror, almost afraid to look as he turned his back.
A sweaty pajama top clung to his shoulders—wrinkled, wet, and flat against his skin. He breathed a sigh of relief. No wings. He smacked his hot, dry lips. It felt like he had fried that knight and eaten him for breakfast. How could a dream blend into reality like that? Probably from too much pepperoni on the pizza last night.
After gathering his school clothes and tucking them under his arm, he shuffled down the hall to the bathroom, thinking about the quickly fading dream. Was he really a dragon? Was that man a knight?
He flicked the light on and found the mouthwash on the bathroom countertop. He grabbed the green plastic bottle and read the writing on the side. Makes your breath sparkling, clean, and cool. It was worth a try.
After gargling the tangy stuff several times, he smacked his lips again. His mouth still felt like used charcoal. He slammed the plastic bottle on the countertop. Nothing helped.
As he straightened his body, he examined the hair on his arms. It seemed thicker and more reddish than ever, even though there wasn’t a hint of red in the brown follicles on his head, just a flattened, ragtag mat of dark unruly strands that needed a dose of discipline. He brushed his hair with a quick sweep of his fingers. His thick, short nap perked straight up, then wilted to one side.
Studying his reflection, he leaned forward until he could see the individual pores in his skin. With his mouth open wide, he breathed on his image, straining his eyes to catch any results. The mirror stayed clear—no fog. Third day in a row.
He drew back and blew softly on his knuckles. “Ouch!” He shook his hand and doused it with cool water from the faucet. As a red blister appeared under the water’s spray, he grimaced. His breath had never been this bad before. Was it finally time to tell his mom and dad about the problem? Would they make him wear a surgical mask to keep everyone safe? Some of the kids at school already called him Dragon Breath. He didn’t want a new name, like Lizard Lips or something even worse.
Maybe it was a fungus or an alien life form that took up residence in his cheeks to create a new civilization. He ran his tongue along the roof of his mouth. It felt like glazed pottery, a series of slick ridges that failed to register his tongue’s touch. Aliens that live off saliva? Stranger things had happened, though he couldn’t remember when.
“William,” Mom called from downstairs. “Hurry up. The bus will be here soon.”
Taken from Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis. Copyright © 2021. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.
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