Blaze: The Search for Jasira
BLAZE
THE SEARCH FOR JASIRA
"Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about."
Winston Churchill
Meet Blaze
In the fantastical world of Dragonland, a spirited young, bearded dragon, Blaze and his mother Jasira, eagerly seek adventures at every turn. However, during an adventure underneath the sun scorched desert, their journey turns tragic, and Blaze is left all alone.
While adventuring, Blaze and Jasira enter an unexplored cave with sparkling walls, majestic waterfalls and cascading stalactites. Suddenly, the walls begin to shake, and rock and debris crash all around as a destructive quake demolishes the entire cavern, engulfing Jasira under stone and dirt. Devastated and alone, Blaze begins his quest to find his mother that he believes is still alive.
Thrilling action, pulse-pounding turns, and heartfelt emotions abound in Blaze: The Search for Jasira. Throughout his journey, Blaze must overcome treacherous terrain, dangerous obstacles, and survival situations to find his mother. With themes of family, self-reliance, building resilience, and bravery, Blaze promises to be a favored addition to children’s bookshelves. Young readers of all ages, as well as animal lovers and families, will enjoy the adventures of Blaze and Jasira in this engaging first book of the series. The novel will also enlighten kids about the unique lives of these fantastic creatures, the bearded dragon.
Blaze: The Search for Jasira is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.
DRAGONLAND
DEMON FROM ABOVE
PIT OF TERROR
Excerpts from Chapter I
Dragonland Destruction
From the opening at the top of the cavern, rays of sunlight streamed to the floor of the cave in a tubular formation where a pool of water sparkled with its reflection. The ceiling cascading down glistened as if sparklers were embedded in the walls. The roar of water arched over a massive ledge as it crashed into the pool below causing walls of water to rise and fall and creating such violence that the impact was almost deafening.
Brilliant colors of red, orange, amber, and green were on full display throughout the cavern and provided a medley of colors so breathtaking that Blaze was afraid to close his eyes so as not to miss a single moment of the array that lay before him.
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He was frozen in time. He could not move, nor did he want to. He wanted this moment to last forever. He could spend the rest of his life right here, in this beauty, with his momma, forever.
Jasira nudged him with her shoulder, “Come on, follow me.”
She led the way down the rugged terrain towards the pool of water. As they hiked through cracks and crevices, Blaze noticed several sparkles in the rocks and walls that would glisten as he passed by. It was like the night sky had fallen to earth and the stars were nestled in this magnificent place.
Finally, they were just inches from the water. Jasira slowly leaned in, lapped up the water, closed her eyes and smiled. Blaze watched closely then lapped up the water himself.
He had never tasted such sweetness! He knew that it was just water, but he had never sipped anything so delicious as the water from this stream. He wanted more, he wanted it all, and he wanted time to stand still!
Blaze grinned and gazed at his reflection in the water. It was so clear and calm. He wondered if he would ever find another place in the world better than this. He wanted to come back every day!
As he stared at the water, he felt a small tremor under his feet. A few ripples formed on the pool and a rumbling rose around him. He could not make out where the rumbling was coming from, but it got louder and louder every time he heard it. The tremors began to increase in both size and frequency.
He quickly looked up at his mother.
“Momma, do you hear that? And there is shaking under my paws.”
Excerpts from Chapter II
Demon from Above
The floor of the desert can be treacherous, especially for a small, bearded dragon. The conditions were ideal, but the dangers that hid behind every rock and soared across the sky were numerous. He had to be cautious. He had to be careful, and he had to be on the lookout.
As he made his way through the rocks and gravel, he noticed the open expanse that lay before him. He thought of his home and how much open space he and his mother used to roam around in. They would climb hills and rocks all day and the land went on forever. But today, as he gazed upon the vast desert, his heart ached.
“West,” he reminded himself. “I must head west.”
The terrain around him had changed and the landscape looked quite different from where he started. Instead of an endless sea of rock and dirt, there were hills and cliffs all around. Large boulders and yucca trees dotted the land and the journey appeared to be much more difficult than he thought it would be.
He worked his way through the terrain trying to find the clearest path possible. He soon realized making his way through this unfamiliar environment would be much like working through a maze. He had no idea which way to turn and if any path he chose would lead him in the right direction.
Everything was quiet and calm. A breeze gently caressed his scales and the sun beat down with great intensity, but he sensed that no other creatures were in the area.
Off in the distance, he heard a faint, high pitched call. He could not make out where the sound came from, but he could tell it was not close. He stopped, arched his head upward and scanned the area, but all he found were blue skies and brown desert.
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For a moment, he thought he might have imagined the noise, so he turned and continued his path. Then suddenly, he heard the screech again, only this time it was much closer and louder.
Blaze froze. He knew that sound! It was clear, distinct, unique and he had heard it before! It was the sound of one of the greatest threats to bearded dragons and it was getting closer! It was a bird of prey. He was not sure if it was a hawk or a buzzard, but it did not matter. He needed to find shelter fast!
Terror shot through his body. He knew if the predator got its talons on him, there was no escaping the clutch and it meant certain death!
Excerpts from Chapter III
Pit of Terror
Blaze followed the trail hoping it would lead him to an opening to the surface. As he wove his way through the underground passage, he thought he heard a faint rustling in the dirt and rocks. He stopped, lifted his head to see if he could hear it again, but there was nothing but silence.
He thought he might be hearing strange noises since hitting his head on the rocks during the fall. He tried to put the clammer out of his mind, but then he heard it again. This time, it was clearer, and he knew it was coming from somewhere behind him. But he had just trekked past that way and saw nothing.
Blaze slowly turned and peered into the darkness, but all he saw was pitch black. Then he saw a slight movement. It was not fast, and not exactly slow, just a movement. It moved from right to left, just along the ground. He heard the noise again, only this time, it sounded as if it was just feet away!
As he gazed into the darkness, he saw a slight movement coming towards him and saw what looked like two small, dimly lit circles. As they moved closer, he was able make out the color of the orbs. Both were perfect circles with dark green outer rings and jet-black cores. Blaze knew immediately that those were the eyes of a snake!
He turned and fled, darting in and out of every tunnel and crack to find his path. He had no idea if the reptile was in pursuit or if it just wanted to scare him away.
He did not care; he knew he had to get away! He had heard stories of snakes devouring bearded dragons...whole! Just swallowing them as if they were simply meal worms! The thought of such a horrifying death sent shivers down his spine!
Without turning to look, Blaze sensed that the slithering hunter was right behind him! He knew if he stopped, he would lose precious ground and it would mean certain death!
He scampered quickly, kicking rocks and debris backwards with his hind legs hoping to slow the snake’s pursuit! He caught a glimpse of a ray of light, and he tore as fast as he could to the brightness. It may be his only way out! It was his only hope!