It has been some time since I've sent out a newsletter. My reason for this is a good one. I've been busy working on two volumes of A Dragon's Guide to Destiny.

In August I published the third book, House of the Moon.

Synopsis: In the deep desert of Etrenzia, a young scientist is kidnapped. Her sister, Serazina, Heroine of Oasis, braves giant snakes, sandstorms, and invisible enemies to try to rescue her. Phileas, Guardian of Oasis, who has fallen in love with her, shares her ordeals. Neither of them knows they are being lured to the desert for a purpose far more sinister than their worst fears.

You can read a more extended synopsis here. It's available at Amazon and Smashwords (where you can buy a version compatible with Nook and iPad).

If you've read and enjoyed Big Dragons Don't Cry or other books in the series, I would greatly appreciate your review, especially on Amazon. Thanks!

Short Stories and Reviews

As I write this newsletter, it's a beautiful, sunny day, and several wild turkeys are lounging on the grass in my back yard and grooming themselves-a beautiful sight.

Benjamin Franklin proposed that turkeys be the national bird. To honor them, I've written a (very) short story, "When Turkeys Give Thanks." It's on the web site here. As we know, a different bird got the title of national bird. I recently read a very moving story about a bald eagle. I review the book below.

An Eagle Named Freedom: My True Story of a Remarkable Friendship

By Jeff Guidry

An email that went viral brought the story of Guidry and Freedom into my life. Guidry volunteered at the Sarvey Wildlife Care Center in Washington state and felt an instant connection to a new patient, an emaciated baby eagle with broken wings. With unconditional and unstinting love, he helped her fight for her life. Although she would never fly, she miraculously recovered.

Over the next two years, the relationship of man and eagle deepened. When Guidry was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2000, Freedom gave back the gift of love and life.

Not only was Guidry restored between grueling chemo session by spending time with the eagle, she visited him in his dreams and meditations to do battle with the cancer. In the book he often says he would die for Freedom. During his 8-month ordeal, he learned that it was more important to live for her.

The famous email inspired countless responses: from others who had had or still had cancer, from those who had their own animal miracles to share, and from animal lovers around the world.

Though Freedom is the star of this tender and touching story, other memorable animals are part of it: Sasha, a cougar, bears, raccoons, and Guidry's special friend, Mr. Timms, the squirrel, who lived with him for 8 years.

It is far too easy for humans to get stuck in their heads and to see themselves as separate from the rest of life. Book like An Eagle Named Freedom remind us how much we lose in that separation.

Entering into relationships with other animals is not an act of kindness or charity. It restores us. It reminds us that our value isn't based on what we have but on who we are and how we love.

Thank you, Jeff Guidry and Freedom, for a story that teaches new ways of living and loving.

You can also see this review on the Dragon's Guide web site.

In this YouTube clip, see Jeff Guidry with Freedom.

This is the web site of the Sarvey Wildlife Care Center.

New Feature: A Dragon's Guide's (Very Small) Bookstore

I write very few book reviews, but when I really like a book and want to recommend it, I take time from my own writing to do so. I've collected these reviews, published on various sites, and put them on A Dragon's Guide.

You'll find a wide variety but not a great number of books there. Categories include animal themes, general fiction and nonfiction, YA and children, and fantasy.

Each book has a direct purchase link to Amazon because after many years, I have finally decided to join their affiliate program. I state this in the interest of full disclosure.

My main interest, though, is in sharing books I found worth reading and in some cases re-reading.

I am especially interested in reviewing books about animals, so if you know any very good ones, please pass the titles on to me.

Creatures as Teachers

The following are links from around the Internet, including some animal-oriented Facebook sites.

Scientists Proclaim that Animal and Human Consciousness are the Same.

Alert: Visiting the For Animals Facebook page may prevent you from accomplishing your to-do list.

Fantastic animal pictures

Interspecies love stories always amaze and enchant me.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to those who might be interested. If someone passed it along to you, you may want to subscribe.

If you subscribe to the Dragon's Guide newsletter, you'll get regular--but not frequent--updates about the site, information about new books, and anything else related to dragonland. This section of the site will provide information as it arrives.