Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Bound by a Dragon by Linda K. Hopkins

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Bound by a Dragon by Linda K. Hopkins.  Please leave a comment or question for Linda to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, for a $25 Amazon GC, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of the tour here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.

Writing about the Middle Ages and Dragons - Why They Go Together Like Bread and Butter by Linda K. Hopkins

Knights in white armor. Damsels in distress. Castles of stone. And fire-breathing dragons.

Who has not heard the stories of heroic knights recuing fair maidens from evil, carnivorous dragons? Or the story of St. George rescuing a young woman from being sacrificed to the monster? Or Smaug protecting his hoard of gold and jewels from those who would steal it back?

The existence of dragons was a well-known fact for people living in the Middle Ages. Even if they had not personally seen a dragon, they knew that the chances of a dragon burning down their village and snatching away their children were pretty strong. After all, tales abounded of knights who went on quests to kill dragons, often in order to rescue one of those who had been kidnapped by the monster and taken to its lair. From Beowulf to King Arthur, people have been battling against dragons for time immemorial. And even today, our literature has dragon folklore scattered through it - The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, to name just a few. So it would come as no surprise at all to a reader of a story set in the Middle Ages that a dragon was a central figure of the story. In fact, a medieval story without a dragon would seem rather … lacking.

So where have all the dragons gone? There were never very many dragons to begin with. With their huge size and voracious appetites, dragons need wide swaths of land to support their existence, limiting the size of the dragon population. Along with this, dragons were ruthlessly hunted during the Middle Ages, until they were finally hunted into extinction. If there are any dragons still remaining, they have managed to hide their existence very well. And as cunning and wily as they are known to be, this would probably not be a difficult feat for these huge beasts of fire and wing. 

Bound by a Dragon

By Linda K. Hopkins

Publisher:  Linda K. Hopkins

Release Date: May 10, 2014

Genre: Historical/Fantasy/Paranormal

Length: 217 Pages

ISBN: 978-1-499296-76-1

ASIN: B00KF3TVLG

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON | B&N | SMASHWORDS | KOBO

About the book: 

A dragon has moved into the neighborhood of Keira's small, medieval village, unsettling the residents as they fear for their safety. All except Keira, who is captivated by the creature, both dangerous and beautiful. But when Aaron Drake decides to take up residence in his ancestral home of Storbrook Castle, set deep in the nearby mountains, Keira finds herself fascinated by the handsome stranger. But why did he decide to move to Storbrook, almost eighty years after it was last inhabited, and does the dragon really live in the caves below the castle?

EXCERPT

As she watched the mighty beast before her, the dragon bent its neck into a graceful arch downward, bringing its face closer to Keira’s eye level, its golden cat-like eyes watching her intently. Keira quelled the desire to step back, instead keeping her feet firmly planted as she continued to gaze at the dragon.

“Why did you take me?” she finally asked, shuddering at the thought of what might have been. She lifted her hand to her cheek, feeling the sting of scratches scored down her face. A flash of sharp teeth made her draw in her breath as the dragon replied with a growl.

“I’m sorry Keira,” it said. “I should have been there sooner. When I think of what that boy was about to do …” The dragon stopped and pulled in a breath. “I shouldn’t have left him alive!”

Keira trembled at the thought. “But why?” she said. “What does it matter to you?”

The dragon stared at her for a long moment, until finally it breathed out a sigh, sending sparks flaring from its nostrils. “Come closer, Keira,” it said.

 Keira hesitated, wondering what the dragon intended to do with her.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the dragon said.

She looked at the mighty beast before her and suppressed a shudder. Its claws rested on the ground, razor-sharp and menacing. She could see its pointed teeth and knew that it could rip her to shreds in an instant, or burn her to a crisp with one hot breath. One swipe of its massive tail could send her flying through the air, or leave her broken on the ground. Keira knew that the dragon could wield mighty power with barely any effort, striking fear into the hearts of many brave men. But as she looked at the dragon, gazing into eyes that blazed like the fire it breathed, she felt her fears slowly melt away.

About the Author:

Linda K. Hopkins lives in Calgary, Canada, with her husband and two great kids. When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading (a great pastime when you are trapped in a snowbound landscape eight months of the year!), tinkering on the piano or just living life!

Website:  www.lindakhopkins.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-K-Hopkins/1425478964376327

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