Knife in hand, I crouched under the willow. Father’s dragon skimmed over the river, her crimson scales blazed blood red across the surface. Her searing cry rang through the valley. Dragons live more than a thousand years, their turning eye sockets allow them to look forward and back, seeing past and future, patterns in time we humans can never see. My eyes were fixed on smaller things.–In the Time of Dragon Moon
One of my great delights in the writing classes is learning how to read like a writer. Our read for both Labyrinth and the Teen Challenge Cohort is In the Time of Dragon Moon, about a girl who must heal the queen who imprisons her–or be burned at the stake.
Janet Lee Carey is the beloved author of ten books (and also one of my favorite people on the planet!) She is a remarkable worldbuilder. Dragon’s Keep, which legendary fantasy writer Lloyd Alexander referred to as “a remarkable achievement” is the first book in the Wilde Island story world, which culminates with In the Time of Dragon Moon. Each book stands on its own, and I truly love this one for its complex moral questions, as well as its dragons.
I am thrilled that Janet has agreed to make an appearance at both our Labyrinth class, “Writing the Hidden Story,” and at our Teen Challenge Cohort. She’ll share her hidden story–how the book connects with her longings and life experiences–as we dig deep with our own works in progress.
This is a rare opportunity.
If you are haunted by your book, knowing this is the time to pour your love and time into it, Labyrinth is created for you–a sacred space to nurture this very personal work.
If you have a teen in your life who builds remarkable worlds with words, for whom writing is a hunger, I would love to work with them in our Teen Challenge Cohort. There, I encourage teens to own their story. What they are writing now counts and is the foundation of their lifetime body of work. Teens can apply to the cohort by sending 750 word sample to author@katherinegracebond.com.
Both programs begin next week.
Carpe diem!
Katherine