Hi All,

I have a big, big, dragon-sized thank you to deliver today. It goes out to Sophie—one of my new young followers—and her marvelous mother, for their kindness and bravery.

Here’s what happened. Just a few days ago, during a book-signing event at the Chapters bookstore in South Calgary’s Chinook Shopping Mall, would-be thieves snuck off with one of the pewter-and-crystal wands from my display table. (Retail value: $240. Magical value: who can say?)

Sophie and her mother were at my table at the time of the theft. Recognizing what had happened, the intrepid pair dashed out into the mall after the thieves, to retrieve the wand. They succeeded! The wand was recovered, and I am so happy.  

And, if that wasn’t quite enough for one day, Sophie even presented me with a beautiful painting she had made! Here it is:

Thanks, Sophie!! It’s beautiful! And for your help, I couldn’t thank you enough.
 
Happy reading and magical days,
Lorna

Hi All,

Many thanks to all of you who submitted names for the "Name the Wand" contest! There was a lot of creativity on display in your suggestions - impressive!

I've now had time to give each entry careful consideration. And although there were several that were very close indeed, I couldn't settle on one that felt like just the right fit for the stories. I hate to have to say that, but at the same time, I do want the name that finally appears to have just the right ring to it, and make you faithful readers say, "That's it! Perfect!"

With that in mind and at heart, I've decided to extend the contest until December 15 (this year, 2019). This will give you even more opportunity to apply your creativity and inventive spirit. It also gives you the chance to read Book Two in the series, Dragons of Earth, if you haven't already, for even better insight and involvement with Celine, Fianna, and their friends and foes. And, as always, you may suggest as many names as you like.

By the way, a few of you submitted some back story to go along with your name suggestions. Details like the wand's composition, origins, special powers and the like. I've loved every one of these! Such details aren't necessary or required, certainly, but they will help in making my ultimate choice—and they're good exercise for your "creativity muscles," too; always a good, good thing.

Just as a refresher, here is the wand you'll be naming:

And your prize will be one of these handsome dragon sculptures—your choice!

How should you submit your entries? Just go to the "Contact" page and send me a message using the form you'll find there. I'll receive it right away.

Good luck and good naming!

Lorna

Hey! Dragons of Earth is here!

At first reading, that might sound like awful grammar. You might think it should say “Dragons of Earth ARE here." But, no! I’m talking about the second book in the Dragons of Nibiru series: DRAGONS OF EARTH. It has arrived!

Here’s a quick account of the book’s arrival, and its first adventures:

It all started when the long-awaited copies of the second book in the Dragons of Nibiru series arrived on my doorstep—literally—on Thursday, July 11. Yippy!!!!

I have to thank my good friend Lara Smith for their safe arrival. The delivery truck carrying the new books actually showed up the night before (the 10th), in the pouring rain. I was out of town at the time; the delivery driver phoned me to say he couldn’t make it up my steep driveway in all the wet, so he would  be leaving the shipping cartons (1000 books worth!) at the foot of my driveway. Disaster!

I called my neighbour, Lara, told her what was happening, and asked if she could give me a hand. With no hesitation whatever, she jumped to the rescue. First, she drove over to my place, met the delivery guy at the foot of the treacherous driveway, and together they loaded the books into the back of her pickup. She wasn’t finished being a super-neighbor, though; she went two steps further!

Knowing there was a good chance the rain would continue through the night, Lara drove the books back to her home and covered them with a sturdy tarp. Next morning , she returned to my house—all the way up the steep driveway—and unloaded those 1,000 books onto my back porch. Solo! Then, just to be sure they’d be safe until I got home, she covered the cartons with a sheet of plywood. 

Now, from the magnitude of this good deed, you’d think Lara and I had been neighbors and friends for years. Not so. I only moved into the area a few months ago! I have to say that I’m touched and truly grateful for all she did. I wanted to give her a token of my appreciation, so when I finally met up with her a day later, I gave her a signed copy of the book she’d rescued, and its predecessor too: The Dragons of Nibiru. All accompanied by assorted other goodies. Thanks again, Lara!!

Before I was able to catch up with Lara in person, the very first signed copy of Dragons of Earth went to my friend Tawney, as a birthday gift. Tawney has been waiting patiently to read about the continuing adventures of Celine, Fianna and the rest; I surely hope she enjoys the read!

 
The first store to receive copies of Dragons of Earth was Bookingham Palace,  in Salmon Arm, BC. I drove over there on Friday morning to deliver them to the store’s manager, Peter Marsan. Peter has been a terrific source of encouragement and support, which I appreciate enormously.

The first copy of Dragons of Earth sold was purchased by Maggy Davidson, owner of Spirit Quest Books, also in Salmon Arm. It was from Maggy’s store that I purchased the wonderful dragon statues that figure prominently on the display table at all my signing events. I also want to thank Maggy for her faithful support throughout the adventure of creating this series. At Maggy’s invitation, I’ll also be joining her at a book convention next June, in Denver, Colorado. I hear some big publishing companies attend that convention—so it will be fun to see what might develop. I’m sure it will be educational, interesting and fun, no matter what.

Then, to wrap up the first few exciting days with Dragons of Earth in hand, I held the book’s very first signing event at the wonderful Chapters store in Kamloops, BC. Manager Peter Pagnotta and his staff have been helping me right along on my journey as a new author, going all the way back to the days before the first printing of The Dragons of Nibiru. The signing at their store was thoroughly enjoyable. It was particularly great to greet fans of the first book, eager for their copies of the second in the series. Special thanks to Daniel, Devon, Holly and Tasha: I so appreciate your support, and your loyalty to Celine and her friends. It was great seeing you again, and getting a chance to talk with you. I look forward to seeing you again soon, for the release of the third book in Celine and Fianna’s saga:  Dragons of Remini.

Very soon, you’ll be able to get your own copies of Dragons of Earth—print and e-book—from bookstores across Canada, and from Amazon.com.

Come on back here soon, for more news. I know there’s going to be plenty.  :D

Meanwhile, all the best, happy reading, and happy sharing!

Lorna

Hi All,
 
I had a great book-signing tour in the Lower Mainland over the long weekend just past (June 28-30). I met many great people and had a lot of fun. I discovered I have a new fan, too. He’s not yet a fan of my books (too young to read them yet), but he surely seems to be a fan of dragons and dragon treasure. And I’m now a big fan of his! His name is Maximus.
 
Here’s how it happened: During a book-signing at Indigo (bookstore) in the Metrotown Mall, Burnaby, BC, a young boy came to look at some of the dragons, crystals and other items on my signing table. After a little while, he left with his favorite of my bookmarks. Now, at signings, I often give visiting kids a handful of the jewels and gems I use to decorate my display: their own special dragon treasures to take home. I didn't have the opportunity to do this for Maximus, because his family was in a bit of a hurry.
 
Several minutes after he left, Maximus returned to my table and showed me a handful of colorful beads he had found on the floor. He wanted me to display them on my table with the rest of the treasures!
 
In more than 250 book-signings, over the last 1½ years, this is the first time anyone has brought me anything to display on my table. The flow has always been the other way: people happily take things away. That’s completely fine—the things on my table are meant to be given away. This was just a pleasant new experience.
 
I love my little Maximus treasures, and I’ll proudly display them, front and center, at all my book-signings in the years to come.
 
Thank you, Maximus, for your thoughtfulness and generosity. I know you will grow up to be a remarkable young man, and I would be honored if you would visit me again at a future signing event. You should know that I also plan to name a planet after you, in one of my future books; it will be called Maximus IV. Your name (as you might already know) comes from the Latin language, where it means “greatest.” I would say you are already living up to that name!
 
It was a pleasure to meet you, Maximus.
 
I wish you nothing but a wonderful future.
 
Lorna

Hi All,
YIPPY!!! The long-awaited second book in the Dragon of Nibiru series is finally at the printers. WOOT! Dragons of Earth will be available soon.

Sorry for not keeping my blog up to date, but day-to-day life has been getting in the way lately. I’ll have to learn a spell to keep that from happening in the future. I also apologize for not getting Dragons of Earth out to you sooner. I hope when you read it, you enjoy it enough to forgive me for the delay! I promise you that the third book, Dragons of Remini, will be out in a much timelier fashion, as will the rest of the series.

I hope all is well in the worlds of Dragon lovers. Some of you may be wondering what happened to the Name the Wand contest, and its dragon statue prize (see dragon statues below). I’ve extended the contest, so you still have time to send in more names. The winner will be announced July 31.

Here's the winner's wand, awaiting its name:

How do you enter? Just name the wand shown above, which is to soon appear in the series. You can even suggest whose wand it should be, and why. Email your entry to me: lorna@lornajcarleton.com.

Here are those dragon statues. The contest winner will have the choice of one of these:

Many of you have also let me know you would love to be able to win a wand. That sounds like a great idea, but would you help me out with it? Just do this: Send me an email, suggesting what the contest should be - that is, what people should do to enter. I'll consider all your suggestions, and announce the contest rules in a future blog post and on Facebook. (I hope you're following us on Facebook! If you aren't yet, come check out our page, like us, and get on board as a follower!) Just email your contest suggestions to: lorna@lornajcarleton.com. I will send a surprise gift to the person who suggests the idea I use. Good luck!!

I have been doing regular book-signings in 2019, but took June off to get Dragons of Earth finalized, and Dragons of Remini ready to go to the editor. I will be doing some signings in July and then almost the entire month of August I will be on tour in my new Dragonmobile. Just in case you haven’t seen the Dragonmobile, here’s a photo:

As I have mentioned to many of you, I would love it if you would send drawings for possible inclusion in the third and fourth books in the Dragons of Nibiru series. I have already received some terrific drawings, and a few are already slated for purchase and inclusion. Anyone, of any age, is more than welcome to send drawings that relate to the stories in some way. Down below, you can see a couple of lovely dragon drawings from ten-year-old Jordyn of Red Deer.

And here is a lovely water dragon from nine-year-old Katrin of Prince George, BC:

The drawings Team Nibiru chooses will appear in one of the upcoming books, along with the artist’s name—and their school’s name, if they’re a student. Happy drawing!!

Well, it’s time for me to get back to preparing Dragons of Remini for the editor. Have an awesome day!

Lorna
 

Hi Dragons of Nibiru fans,

I imagine many of you are excited about the holiday season. I hope it’s your best yet!
Remember when I mentioned I would be seeking illustrations from readers of all ages, for the third and fourth books in my series? Well, the time has arrived; I need those illustrations!

How to Submit an Illustration
The best way to send me your illustrations is by email. Just scan them or take a photo of them and email them to me: lorna@lornajcarleton.com.

What I’m Looking For
I’m most interested in images of characters from the stories, of course. A character or characters in action, or in an interesting location or scene, or a portrait of your favorite character. (Or the one you dislike the most; there are plenty of bad guys to choose from!) 

From among the images you submit, I’ll choose: 

1. Ones that I feel best suit the stories
2. Ones that inspire me in some fashion - make me want to sing, dance, write another book, or even just smile
3. Ones that I just plain love, and want to share with all my readers 😊

Of course, if I know me (and we are rather well acquainted, me and I), many, many of the works you submit will fit under one or more of those categories; especially number 3. That means I have a tough job ahead, because there has to be room in the books for a little text, too. You know how it is with stories.

Here are a few more categories I’ll be looking at. I’d like to feature at least one of each:  

1. Drawings or paintings by young people, up to age 12
2. Drawings or paintings by slightly older people, between 12 and 25
3. Drawings or paintings by people 25 and up.
4. Child-and-parent or child-and-grandparent collaborations.
5. Sibling collaborations.

Along with scans or photos of the illustrations themselves, I’d be delighted to see photos of the artist(s) holding their work. I’d like to post such photos on my blog, if you’ll grant me permission to do so. 😊
Once I’ve chosen the illustrations I’d like to include in the books, I’ll contact the artist(s) to arrange to purchase their work.

So, please: fire up your creativity and give me a hand – and give readers of books 3 and 4 a treat.
Happy drawing!!

Lorna

Thank you everyone, for the many great names you sent in for the Name Mia’s Baby Contest! I loved receiving your entries and hearing how much you're enjoying the adventures of Celine and her friends.

It was very difficult to choose a final winning name – so we didn’t choose one.

We chose three!

That’s right – we have three winners!!

That's because Mia will be having twins.

But now you’re thinking, “Wait a second, Lorna! Don’t you mean triplets?”

No, just twins. :) The third winning name goes to a dragon you’ll meet in the third book in the series, Dragons of Remini, to be released this coming year.

Here’s a bit more good news: If you didn’t win this time, please don’t give up. There are more contests to come! And the prize in at least one of them will be another wand!

Now there you are, reading patiently, and I’ve kept you waiting for winning entries. Okay! Back to that.

Mia’s twins will be a girl and boy. Their names, as chosen by Team Nibiru (and with Mia’s approval, of course) will be: 

                             Kai – submitted by Kai Brozuk from Victoria, British Columbia
                                                                        and
                         Rita – submitted by Maureen Sullivan from Apache Junction, Arizona.

The surprise third winner is:

                        Fallon - submitted by Fallon Martens from Penticton, British Columbia.

The winning names were chosen based on meaning and on sound – integral elements in writing The Dragons of Nibiru.  

Kai – pronounced “Kye” – means “warrior” in Frisian and “victory” in Chinese.
 
Rita means “pearl” in Italian; in Persian it means “child of light.”
 
Fallon means “leader” in Irish.
 
Congratulations, winners! I hope you love your new wands. Use them well!
 
And thanks again to everyone who entered. As I mentioned, there are more contests on the way. The first one, coming up this spring, is “Name Celine's Wand.” The prize will be a large dragon sculpture, similar to the one in the image below.

I really look forward to your suggestions, and wish every one of you the best of luck!!
Lorna

1. Dragons of Earth will be available for purchase in a store near you Feb 1, 2019.
2. Dragons of Remini is scheduled for release May 1, 2019.

In the photo above, Maureen’s wand is on top; Kai's is on the bottom.
Here's another view, with Kai's wand on the top this time:

Here are the winners, with their new wands:

That's Fallon's new wand above. And just below you can see Fallon herself!

Hi!

I wanted to send a big thanks to all of you who have sent in name suggestions to the Name Mia’s Baby contest we’ve got going here at Team Nibiru. We’ve received so many great names, I don’t know how we’ll ever be able to choose the best. What a tough decision it’s going to be!

Contest Deadline
The latest contest news is important: we’ve set a deadline! That’s right. The deadline for sending us your name for Mia’s first-born baby is Saturday, December 15, 2018. That’s December 15 at noon, Pacific Standard Time. So, there’s still time to send your suggestions, for a chance to win the prize!

“Prize? What prize?! I didn't know there was going to be a prize!” you might be saying.

Well, of course there’s a prize. You can’t have a proper contest without a prize! And the prize in this contest is…a wand! A wand similar to the beauty shown below.

The winning name will be the one we at Team Nibiru feel best suits the characters involved. The most important of those characters are the parents – Mia and her husband, Hyatt – and of course the baby, too! The way the name fits in with the story will be a factor, too.

Some of you have asked me whether the new baby will be a boy or a girl. Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait and see. At this point, we all have to wait and see – because I haven’t completely settled on an answer to that question. So, the name you choose could be a boy’s name, or it could be a girl’s. And, if you like, you're also welcome to suggest the baby's gender, too, along with why you think it should be a boy or a girl.

Of course, since we’re talking about a baby and family who belong to a society on an alien planet, light-years away from our own, the name you choose could be one that none of us Earthlings would particularly identify with any gender. So, in truth, your choices are as wide open as the galaxy!

Remember, when you send in your name suggestions, we’d love it if you’d tell us the reasons behind your choice or choices. You don’t have to, though. After all, sometimes a name is just right because it’s right!

Winner Notification and Prize Presentation
Once the contest is over and the judges have reached their decision, we’ll notify the winner by email. Then the prize will be delivered by courier, right to their door. And if YOU are the winner, we surely hope you’ll send us a picture of yourself with your new wand. (Special wand-wielding attire is optional.)

We’ll also post a story about the winner and the winning name on our blog – along with photos, if the winner is willing. 😊

Powers
There’s just one more important thing I should mention about the contest prize. Beautiful though it will be, we can’t say for certain what magical powers the Winner’s Wand may have. That will be for the happy winner to discover! 🐲

Happy naming, everyone! And good luck to you!

All the best – and adventurously yours,

Lorna

​
​Hi everyone!
I made it home safe and sound. Yippee!!

My marathon book tour across Canada, from Vancouver Island in the west to Laval, Quebec in the east, came to an end this past Sunday, August 5. I’m so happy to be home – but boy, what a blast I had!
​
Since January 4, I’ve completed 133 book-signings, one library reading and three school workshops. Wow! No wonder it feels like I’ve worked hard. My car (Olive, the Dragonmobile) worked hard, too. The proof is in her mileage, with 58,000 kms added to her tally. So she’s due for a rest, too. As well as one heck of a good cleaning, inside and out. The last time she was thoroughly cleaned was when my cousin Jim Beaton in Victoria washed her, back in early May! Hey, Jim – are you by any chance coming up this way in the near future? (Hint, hint...)

Many Milestones...
Of the tour’s many memorable book-signings, a few featured major milestones. First, there was selling the 1000th copy of The Dragons of Nibiru, at the Coles bookstore in Kildonan Place Mall in Regina, Saskatchewan. Then there was number 2,000, at the Coles store in Midtown Mall, Saskatoon, and number 3,000 at the Coles in the Timmins Square Mall, Timmins, Ontario.

It was also at the Timmins Coles that I set a personal record for most books sold at one signing: 48!! The previous record was 44 books, set two days earlier in Lindsay, Ontario, so those two fine communities now have a special spot in my heart. Canada’s wonderful Celine Dion is also from Timmins, so I’d say it’s quite fitting that the heroine of my stories – also a Celine – reached such special milestones there.
​
Here’s an interesting bit of info I ran across on Google: in the U.S., the average new book sells only 250 copies in its first year, and 3,000 books in its entire lifespan. So, with The Dragons of Nibiru selling nearly 3,000 copies before its first birthday, July 13, I’d say Team Nibiru is off to a fabulous start. One amazing year behind us, and many more to come.

Gratitude
​That reminds me that I need to thank all of you who so generously put me up for a night during the tour. You saved me the stress of another night in a strange hotel, far from home. In most cases, I’d never met you before the tour. And I was surprised to meet distant relatives I hadn’t even known I had. So, big thanks to Devon Eggers, Jim and Mona Beaton, Wilda Thumm, Vance and Kim Eggers, Lauren and Gerry Mitchell, Alex Thumm, Ian and Ruth Cartwright, Betty and Peter Cartwright, Pam Graf and Jeanette Chappell. Your hospitality was greatly appreciated.
​
My biggest thanks go to my son Devon Eggers for his endless love, support and hospitality. Special thanks also go to cousin Wilda Thumm, who really made this trip possible. She and Marshmallow welcomed me into their home during much of my time in Ontario. I miss our Netflix nights, Wilda!

​Oh, and I mustn’t forget to thank Maureen Sullivan for the many artifacts she provided, for embellishing my book-signing display table. They were a huge success, Maureen. Thanks!
​
Many of the great joys on this trip involved meeting and interacting with fans and their families. It warmed my heart to learn how many of you make family reading time a regular activity. I was so honored that you chose my book for your special times together!

The Book Fairies
Another exciting moment took place in Regina, Saskatchewan, when I met Jennifer Khampadith. She is an official representative for an amazing group: The Book Fairies of Saskatchewan. The Book Fairies is a worldwide organization devoted to sharing books. Every day, members (Fairies!) leave individual copies of books out in public places – high-traffic areas where people will find them, pick them up and take them along to read.
​
Aside from spreading the joy of good reading directly, the Fairies’ idea is that once a book-finder has read it, he or she will pass the book on to others, so the joy-spreading goes on and on. What a wonderful idea, eh? The Fairies include a card in each book they place, to let the finder know how the book appeared there, and encouraging them to enjoy it and pass it on.

 Film star Emma Watson helped launch the Book Fairies movement on International Women's Day in March 2017, when she and many others placed books all around the world. In June of 2017, Emma and the Fairies were at it again. This time they were in Paris, where they hid 100 signed copies of author Margaret Atwood’s phenomenal bestseller, The Handmaid's Tale. In September of 2017, and a bit closer to home, the Canadian Book Fairies placed more than 70 copies of another Margaret Atwood novel, Alias Grace — along with a small handwritten note from Margaret Atwood herself, promoting the premier of the CBC miniseries based on the book.
 
The Book Fairies movement encourages people to read, and helps our libraries, bookshops and writers to flourish. I was delighted and amazed to learn about the Fairies and their mission. So you can imagine my excitement when they asked if they could place copies of The Dragons of Nibiru all across Canada! Their founder and leader also wants to place the book in the UK, and do shout-out about it on their local accounts, and Canadian and Worldwide social media channels — Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Very exciting indeed!!
 
Team Nibiru has now donated and delivered 55 copies to the Fairies’ campaign. As soon as they set a launch date, I’ll be sure to post it on my website and social media. The Fairies will announce it on their website, too:  www.ibelieveinbookfairies.com.  But don’t wait! I encourage you to visit that site right away, and learn more about who they are, and the magic they’re working around the world.

Coming Soon... 
I should also mention that during my travels I was deeply touched to learn how many people have read and loved The Dragons of Nibiru. Many of you took time to send emails and social media posts to let us know how much you’ve enjoyed it, and how eager you are to read the rest of the series. Book two, Dragons of Earth, is now scheduled for release in the early autumn; when an exact date is set, I’ll be sure to announce it far and wide. So, stay tuned – the wait is almost over!
​
End of The Tour
I was thrilled to end my tour with a book-signing in Nelson, British Columbia, where I also managed to squeeze in attending my 40th high school reunion. It was great to reconnect with old friends, and to meet and befriend many of their spouses. One of my classmates, Jay Gould, has also become a novelist. And just by coincidence, one of his exciting tales of espionage includes “Dragon” in its title. I’ve gotten my hands on copies of his first two books, and begun reading The Golden Dragon. Great reading so far!

The Dragons of Nibiru is one year old today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

On Thursday, July 13, 2017, I drove to the printer in Kelowna, British Columbia to pick up the first printed copies of The Dragons of Nibiru. What a fantastic feeling to hold one’s own book! Truly indescribable. It’s hard to believe a year has passed since that historic day; so many wonderful things have happened.

The next morning, my car loaded up with books, I headed to Maple Ridge to visit one of my sons for a few days, before crossing the border into the U.S. The two main items on my itinerary were visiting with my dear friend Tamara in San Diego, then moving on to Phoenix to meet my editor, Russ Williams, and his lovely wife Sandy. It would be my first in-person meeting with Russ. Actually, it would also be the first time I’d hear his voice! We had created the entire book via email communication. A great feat, if you ask me.

Russ, Sandy and I hit it off right away, and had a great visit. We celebrated the occasion with a couple of dinners and even a “dragon sundae” (complete with mini dragon figure!) created for us by the people at Churn, a great little Phoenix ice cream parlor. Our visit was too, too short; I’m hoping to get down there to see them again soon. I met many others on the trip, too – all of them excited for the success of our book.
Book-signing events have been a huge part of the year since the book’s birthday. I’ve done 125 signing events (115 just since January!) all across Canada, from BC to Quebec. And I’m still going strong, with many more events on the calendar. I’ve also done a handful of media interviews along the way, including a couple of radio shows and a five-minute TV news segment.

Overall, I have to say I’m having a blast, and am excited about where our books will take us. The second book in the series, Dragons of Earth, is nearing completion, and I am geared up to begin promoting it right alongside the first one. Writing these books is the most fun I’ve ever had. Touring gets a bit grueling at times, but I’ve enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people. I’ve had complete strangers give me hugs or buy me tea to help me through those long book-signing days. We do live in a great country!

There have been several printings of the first edition, but only a few copies remain. One of the printings was done in a slightly larger size than the rest; there are about 400 copies of that one still available. If you’d like one, send me an email! The second edition (minus a few typos and tiny goofs missed in the first edition) is now available, too – along with e-book versions! Two editions, several printings and e-books all in just a year is quite an accomplishment – a great deal of work goes into creating each version. Thanks to Russ and Danielle for all their work to make this possible.

There was one unfortunate bump along the way. I was stuck with 2,000 misprinted copies of the first edition! The text is completely okay, but the page layout was mis-printed so it looks a bit strange. It can’t be sold in stores, but a few of you have copies – and each of you will be receiving a special prize when the last of them are eventually sold. On a potentially happier note, someone pointed out that misprinted versions can be valuable collector’s items if the author becomes famous. I do plan to become famous 😊, so if you’ve got one of those “special” copies, hang onto it! My new printer, Premier Printing in Winnipeg, is doing very professional work for me. Thanks, guys!