I was lucky to get an interview with fantasy author Steve Dragon, who turned the bedtime stories he told his daughter into books.
Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I recently retired from the automotive industry after 46 years, 34 of which I sold fleet and commercial cars and trucks. I have been a volunteer firefighter since 1975 , been married to my high school sweetheart since 1974, have two adult children, who are in the books, and two grandsons. We all live in a small town in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Why should I buy your books: Were You Born A Dragon? & Were You Born A Dragon Too?
While the books are based on bedtime stories I told my daughter 30+ years ago, they both have uplifting messages. The theme of the first book is standing up to bullies and brotherly love, the second deals with the importance of a good education and how learning can be fun.
“Having the family name of Dragon made it easy to tell stories of how I can turn into a dragon, fly off and have marvelous adventures.”
Why did you choose to write fiction? And why pick this particular subgenre?
As I mentioned previously, the books are based on bedtime stories I told my daughter when she was young. Having the family name of Dragon made it easy to tell stories of how I can turn into a dragon, fly off and have marvelous adventures. I took those stories, added some real life occurrences to help build the themes and came up with the finished product.
Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
While in elementary school back in the 1960’s, I got hooked on the Tom Swift series of adventure books. I think I read everyone. I am not sure if I captured the same sense of fun and adventure in my books, but I tried. Actually, my 12th grade Drama and Public Speaking teacher, Ms. Jean Baker, had a big influence on me and helped me grow as a person that year. She brought me out of my shell which has allowed me to try things, like writing the books.
What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
I started writing in primary (elementary) school. Mostly songs, poems and lots of unfinished stories.
I wrote because it was a sort of way to deal with things I was going through in life.
On and off- I have been writing for 35 years. But most of it was for the drawer!
What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Being able to share the stories with others. I love going out to read at elementary schools and libraries. I also enjoy meeting people at local craft shows where I set up a tent and table, tell my back story and hopefully sell some books.
What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
Writers’ block. These two books flowed onto paper, but #3 is still a work in process for over a year. I think it’s because of the subject matter, children dealing with grief, that I am having the problem.
Do you have any tips or an author app, tool, or resource that you can really recommend we try?
The best advice I can give is to not give up. I had the ideas for the books in my head for thirty years. My wife and daughter kept telling me to write down the stories and I never did. My daughter asked to write the first story for her class, she’s a Special Education teacher, and that was the push I needed to get it onto paper in 2019.
And now it's time to yank out your Palantir! Let’s talk about the future. What new projects are you working on?
As I mentioned earlier, I am stuck on the third book. The books are based on the stories I told my kids, but there is also real life events added in. The next step in their lives, in the books, was the passing of my father when Rachel was almost 6. I want to deal with that and how we can remember our loved ones so they are always with us.
Do you expect new technologies to come along soon that will have a huge impact on self-publishing? For instance, when will we see a decent novel written by an AI author?
I hope it doesn’t happen. A lot of writing has to come from the heart, something no machine will ever have.
Do you have any dreams you’d like to share?
Of course, I would like the books to be New York Times best sellers, but I will settle for a nice following of dedicated readers. And, maybe a few more books. My eight year old grandson keeps asking me when he will be in a book. I tell him about the time line and that his dad is only 8 in the second book so it may be a while.
Anything else you would like to say before we close?
I could not have done these books without the beautiful artwork done by my illustrator Catherine McMahon. I was fortunate enough to work with her mother before I retired and she took my ideas and made a fantastic world of dragons. You have to buy the books to see her work and really appreciate it. She comes with me to library readings and teaches the children how to draw dragons. Something I think is really important!
Thank you for doing the interview Steve Dragon! I hope lots of readers find your books and adore them.
