Thanks for signing up for this newsletter. This is the first issue. I promised to send it out only if I had news about the book, additions to the site, or other writing information. I've also included in this issue some links to articles or videos relating to animals.

As I consider ways to promote Big Dragons Don't Cry, my purpose becomes more clear and focused.While I continue to hold that an author has no business preaching to her readers, I also believe that it's natural for one's beliefs, especially if they are passionately held, to be part of the narrative.

I am passionate about doing all I can to defend the rights and preserve the well-being of those who can't speak for themselves. I further believe that we humans are the biggest losers when we deny our own animal nature and our connection to other animals and to all life on our planet.

This newsletter will reflect this perspective.

Specifically, in reflecting on the recent tragic events in Japan, I remembered the 2005 tsunami in Southeast Asia. Many independent observers noticed that while the toll in human death was devastating, wild animals were spared mass destruction. A National Geographic article, among many others, commented in this phenomenom.

Those of us who talk about learning from the animals are not speaking only metaphysically or spiritually. Consider the practical implications of being humble enough to learn from those whose connection to earth energies remains strong.

Big Dragons Don't Cry News

A recent reviewer said of Big Dragons Don't Cry, "The characters are engaging and largely loveable, and I liked the resolution to the story . . . . This book also stands out from the crowd in the quality of the writing, editing and proofreading. I will recommend it to others & hope a sequel emerges fairly soon."

You can read the first 4 chapters of Big Dragons Don't Cry free. You can download them here. to download them. The excerpt is in PDF, readable in Adobe Acrobat.

If you'd prefer to read either an excerpt or purchase the book for a ereader, please go to Smashwords. Please note that the price for the book, available in several formats, including MOBI for Kindle, is $2.99.

The Kindle Book on amazon.com is also $2.99.

The Language of Stones and Other Stories

I have also published the ebook, The Language of Stones and Other Stories, on Smashwords This is a free download.

In "The Language of Stones," a young man tries to teach a stone to speak. "Villains Victorious" describes the attempt of fictional villains to rewrite the story. "The Gargoyle Murder" is the love story of a gargoyle and a cat. Also included is the first chapter of Big Dragons Don't Cry, which introduces Druid, a dragon in need of antidepressants.

A reviewer describes the stories as "a very amusing collection . . . quite original and well-written."

If you buy and/or download either of these books and enjoy them, please consider writing a brief review.

Inspiring Animal/Human Interactions

You'll notice that most of these links come from care2.com. If you don't know about this site, I highly recommend it. With over 15 million members, this site devotes itself to progressive causes, many of which are related to animal welfare and rights.

If you're looking for an online community that has more focused intention than Facebook, check out care2.com.

A boy rescues and raises a baby hummingbird.

Another animal rescue, this time of a 6-week-old kitten near death.

A heroine drives 300 miles to rescue a scalded dog.

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.