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A Dragon for Christmas

by M.D. Neu

Carmen is eleven years old and wants to get her dragon. Since she was seven years old, she understood two things. One, she was going to be the strongest Dragon Keeper there ever was. The second was that she was going to marry her best friend, Mattie.

As Christmas approaches the magical charms Carmen has to use to fight off her curse are taking a toll on her health. But that can’t stop her from taking her final test to become a Dragon Keeper. If she passes her test she gets her dragon, if not, she has to start all over, relying on different magical charms to fight the curse for her. That is something Carmen doesn’t want to have to go through. The testing is difficult and charms make her sick. Carmen has decided that if she doesn’t get her dragon this Christmas she’s not going to go for a third attempt, even if that means she can’t marry Mattie when she grows up.

This book is on:
  • 3 To Be Read lists
  • 2 Read lists
Published:
Publisher: Ninestar Press
Editors:
Jason Bradley

Cover Artists:
Natasha Snow

Genres:
Fantasy, Fantasy - Alternate History, Fantasy - LGBTQ+, Fantasy - People of Color, Fantasy - Urban & Magical Beings, Fantasy - Young Adult

Tags:
author - american, format - kindle, identity - gay

Word Count: 12600
Setting: San Jose, CA
Languages Available: English
Word Count: 12600
Setting: San Jose, CA
Languages Available: English
Reviews:Jonathan P. on https://bit.ly/35OZrAH wrote:

All Carmen wants for Christmas is to have the dragon of her dreams. Well, that and to feel better. Carmen is cursed, just like her best friend Mattie was. The only way for her to feel better is to get her dragon and bond with it. Will she get her dragon for Christmas? Will she be with Mattie forever like she's always dreamed?

A Dragon for Christmas is a short story that I would call fantasy light. Dragons exist and are bred to help those who are cursed, but other than that it's set in today's time. The reader journeys along with Carmen over the years during Christmas time, which happens to be an important time of the year for her.

I really liked the family dynamic that Carmen had. I can definitely remember feeling the same way about my parents when I was a teenager. I also liked that we got to experience several Christmases and Carmen's personal growth. Everything flowed really well and was easy to read. And I mean, come on. Dragons!

Ultimately, I would recommend this short story to anyone who is looking for a nice light read that is both entertaining and heartfelt.


About the Author

M.D. Neu is an award-winning Gay fiction writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Specifically drawn to sci-fi and paranormal television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, Stephen King, Alice Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, Harvey Fierstein, Anne Rice, and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but one that has influenced his writing.
Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man, he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.
When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a nonprofit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic, Eric, his husband of twenty plus years.