My Readers Rock! Thank you for Cool Fantasy Characters in Master Mage!

Your Cool Fantasy Characters!

You rock! I love my readers! I ask and you deliver, time and time again! Together we’ve created some cool fantasy characters for Master Mage. Since I wrote Dragon Strike, I’ve asked for character’s names. Sometimes, dragons, sometimes, pirates, sometimes shady characters in dark alleys! For Dragon War, you suggested 601 names! That’s a LOT of characters! And a LOT of readers who’ve suggested names for cool fantasy characters over the years!

Master Mage clocked in at 177,000+ words! Yes, that 672 printed pages, the size of three short novels!! A lot of scope for characters to come and go.

Master Mage has been an incredible journey. When I wrote Dragon Mage (Riders of Fire Dragon Masters, book 2) I realized Giddi’s story was a lot longer than I’d anticipated. Dragon Mage tells of his young teenage years. I created Master Mage for his journey from teenage hood to adulthood (and falling in love with Mazyka).

If you’d like to start the Riders of Fire Dragon Master series, the first book is Anakisha’s Dragon.

Anakisha's Dragon fantasy

With many more after…

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters Series - book5 cover reveal Dragon Captain

Master Mage Cool Fantasy Characters

So, who are our cool fantasy characters in Master Mage? And who did you name this time? let’s look at our cool fantasy characters…. Please keep in mind that some of the characters that appear were named by my readers in previous books!

Master Mage, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book 4

Mazyka

Mazyka was always going to be ambitious and headstrong. I didn’t realize she and her mother, Maryssa, would actively campaign for women’s rights through their attitudes and actions. I’ve enjoyed slipping this aspect into a medieval world. I named Mazyka in 2009 in my very first draft of Ezaara, although her name has changed since then. She was originally Magyka, because of her strong magical powers. I like Mazyka a lot better!

Maryssa

Maryssa popped up, out of the blue, sneaking out of the house to visit Balovar in his cottage one night as I was writing. I loved this scene full of passion, pain and regret, and it provided a great backdrop for Maryssa to repress Mazyka’s powers. Maryssa is a wonderful character who’s living a life of regret, but vows to teach her daughter to be wiser.

Giddi

I know many of my readers love Giddi. In Riders of Fire, he’s wise and funny, and a little cynical and jaded. He’s been through a bit already when we start Master Mage, and I’m sorry to inform you, that he hasn’t yet been fully shaped in the forge. He has plenty of fiery trials to come yet in future books. Sorry, Giddi, but hey, it’ll make for grueling, heartbreaking, exciting adventures we’ll all love!

I named him after Giddi, a nickname for friend I used to know in Switzerland years ago, whose actual name is Giddeon.

My Readers Rock! Have I told you how much I LOVE my readers? Let me tell you again!

Our little online community is thriving, and people are building friendships as they hang out online having dragonly, fantasy fun. Join us in my Facebook group or pop over to TikTok, where I’m sharing fun videos. Or grab my free books when you sign up here.

Who did you name in Master Mage? Check out your huge cast!

Dragon’s Lair

Jackie T. named Myron, the beefy man in the Dragons’ Lair who leers at girls. Indora, the flirtatious Naobian in the tavern was named by Jeremiah Crouch.

Who named our mages?

Trisha Budhai named Lumeley, a young nerdy Spanglewood mage. This poor guys suffers during the mage trails, but luckily he’s rescued.  His friend Diza, a friendly mage at the trials with the blonde braids, was named by Ann Abdelzaher. We have two more mages from Spanglewood named by readers. Both are Giddi’s friends from childhood. Vanus was named by Barbara Laing. Liz Tolland named Lief.

The notorious twins, Chuckle Head and Knuckle Head, were named by David Kuraria on two fun Facebook posts that had over a hundred entries! Those posts are well worth reading – there are some brilliant suggestions for derogatory names that rhyme!

I told you my readers are cool. Such amazing imaginations!

Melikor, the young Naobian mage who teases Giddi when they arrive at Dragons’ Hold was named by Charles Hoge.

Healers

Thanks to an anonymous reader, we have a name for Master Healer Catarina at Dragons’ Hold. Catarina will play a bigger role as the series goes on, so I’m excited to finally have a name for her! Crystal Rowley named Thalia, a Naobian healer who accuses Giddi of indecent behavior. The last thing he needs in a crisis! Poor Giddi!

Ship

Thanks to Charles Hoge for naming the Chipped Fang!

 Family Names

We swept our way through Anakisha’s Dragon and Dragon Mage without naming the main characters’ family members. A sneaky move on my part! We were naming so many characters at the time, that I didn’t want everyone to have name overwhelm. We’ve now remedied that.

Thanks to the following readers for naming:

  • Giddi’s mother: Peluma — Kelle Shaw
  • Mazyka’s father: Jorem — Trisha Budhai
  • Yanir’s mother: Fenella — Sara Downs
  • Yanir’s father: Petey — Susanne Galley
  • Yanir’s eldest sister: Tori — Jan Cantle
  • Yanir’s second sister: Keesha — Scotty Bhoy
  • Yanir’s third sister: Noelani — Sara Downs
  • Yanir’s youngest sister: Sky — Carolyn Helm

 Animals

Let’s not forget our furry, feathered, scaled and four-footed friends!

Nicola Wilkinson named Topaz, Giddi’s valiant horse who takes Mazyka on a wild dash. Andrew Agnew named the ice ravens in Great Spanglewood Forest at night, and Barbara Laing named the snowy kestrel. Vancil Clayton Thomas suggested a barred owl, and me and my readers looked into night birds and decided upon the nightingale and the common loon!

Shadow Stalker & Dragon Rider

Tiriaston, is a Shadow Stalker in Naobia, prowling the streets and creating trouble. He was named in a Facebook post, but I haven’t been able to track down who named him! If it’s you, please let me know and I’ll amend this list!

Darian, the young dragon rider who shackles Giddi and Mazyka, is named after Darian Smith, a New Zealand author and dear friend of mine. Yeah, he’s awesome. You can check out his books, here.

Dragon Captain

Rusty, the heroine in Dragon Pirate, is getting her own book!

Rusty was named by AJ Ponder, my buddy and co-author. She has a new series out, Into Faerland, with dark Fae, sword sand demons… and a new audio book of Omens, too … check out her books here.

I hope you like the stunning cover for Dragon Captain! Rusty and Ustoria, her sea dragon, will be hunting down the Scarlet Hand, joined by an all-female crew! Look out, Scarlet Hand! They’re coming for you!

Dragon Captain, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book 5 by Eileen Mueller Cover reveal

You’ll have lots of chances to name cool fantasy characters again soon as we crew Rusty’s ship… By the way, her ship has no name yet, so there will be  more chances to have fun coming up soon!

Thank you to my readers and reviewers. I LOVE my readers and the indie community, so come and hang out! Drop by my Facebook reader’s group Riders of Fire: Eileen Mueller’s Fan Zone for lots of fantasy fun. For free books, join my newsletter at www.EileenMuellerAuthor.com and come and hear my weird kiwi accent on TikTok!

Dragon Captain Cover Reveal

Dragon Captain, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book 5 by Eileen Mueller

Dragon Captain

With more books added to the Riders of Fire Dragon Masters series, it’s time to reveal the cover of the fifth book in the series, Dragon Captain!

If you’ve read Dragon Pirate, you’ll be familiar with Rusty and the adventures she had when the Scarlet Hand stole her uncle’s ship and captured her to be his cabin boy! Now, it’s ten years later and Rusty is looking for revenge, but she has another crew member with a different agenda on board her ship.

Dragon Captain, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book 5 by Eileen Mueller Cover reveal

Dragon Captain Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book 5,

Two desperate women and a sea dragon scour the sea looking for vengeance.

 Rusty loved once. She won’t make that mistake again.

Now she, her crew, and her sea dragon seek vengeance on the pirate captain who killed her family.

 Star is orphaned, penniless, and alone in the world.

She joins Captain Rusty’s crew of bloodthirsty women sailing the Naobian Sea and seeking revenge.  Star’s scouring the sea for her brother—who was kidnapped by pirates ten years ago.

With only one tenuous clue to guide her, and no idea if he’s alive or dead, Star is prepared to face death to find him.

 Join Captain Rusty, her sea dragon, and Star as they fight the Scarlet Hand and his notorious pirates on the Naobian Sea.

If you love epic dragons, swashbuckling pirates & danger, set sail with Dragon Captain, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book 5,  today!

To find out more about the series, pop over here. To find out about Master Mage, and the epic launch party click here.

Fans of Christopher Paolini’s Eragon, Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, Sarah K Wilson’s Dragon School, Jada Fishers’ many dragon series, Michael Miller, and Naomi Novik, enjoy Riders of Fire and my Dragons’ Realm adrenaline-fueled dragon adventures.

Pre-order Dragon Captain to make sure you don’t miss out!

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters – series expanded to 9 books

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters – 9 books

The Riders of Fire Dragon Masters series is being expanded to 9 books!

Yes, more adventure, fun, magic, danger, romance, and dragons are coming your way with a slew of new books planned in the Riders of Fire Dragon Masters series!

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters books by Eileen MuellerOriginally, when I envisaged Riders of Fire Dragon Masters, the series was only four books deep. (Anakisha’s Dragon, Dragon Mage, Dragon Spy and Dragon Healer). Those covers were revealed long ago. But as I’ve been writing, more characters appeared on the horizon and demanded their stories be told!

I now have 9 planned books in the series, and the covers are complete for all but one, which is coming soon. Not all of them have been revealed yet!

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters – YA epic fantasy adventure, prequels to Riders of Fire:

      1. Anakisha’s Dragon
      2. Dragon Mage
      3. Dragon Pirate
      4. Master Mage
      5. Dragon Captain
      6. Dragon Spy
      7. Dragon Healer
      8. Dragon Rider
      9. Dragon Master

How did the series grow?

Originally all of my Riders of Fire books were planned in one series.

However, I realized it would be confusing to have the prequels at the end of the Riders of Fire series. (Yes, I wrote a series, and my readers were so intrigued, they wanted the backstory!) I split the planned books into 2 series, Riders of Fire and Riders of Fire Dragon Masters.

Last year, I announced I was expanding the series from 4 to 6 books. Master Giddi’s story had grown, so I split Dragon Mage into two books, and then added an extra book:

    • Dragon Mage — Giddi’s adventures, at 12-13 summers old, in the Robandi Desert and Metropoli with his murderous trainer, while searching for his missing father.
    • Master Mage — Giddi discovering the most dangerous lover in Dragons’ Realm and the secret that nearly destroys Dragons’ Realm (in subsequent books and in the Riders of Fire series).
    • Dragon Pirate — The Scarlet Hand’s adventures on the Naobian Sea.

As I was writing Dragon Mage, Captain Scarlet Hand appeared on the horizon of the Naobian Sea and insisted he wasn’t content to be a side character in someone else’s drama. He got his own book, and Dragon Pirate was born!

But, alas, a cabin boy (who isn’t a boy) and was captured by the Scarlet Hand in Dragon Pirate, now has her own story in Dragon Captain. Yes, another book!

The original series plan was to have an eighteen-year  gap between the dragon riding adventures of Marlies and Hans, until their twins Ezaara and Tomaaz are seventeen.  (The family’s adventures and battles are covered in my Riders of Fire series, which is complete at 6 books.) However, I realized that two more books would complete those missing years!

Enter stage: Dragon Rider and Dragon Master, the final two books planned in the Riders of Fire Dragon Masters series.

Who do you think will star in these two books? I ordered the cover for Dragon Rider a year ago, and it’s stunning. But I won’t be revealing it until Dragon Healer is ready! Yes, it’s shocking secret to keep! Especially for so long!

 

Other Riders of Fire Adventures

Riders of Fire – YA epic fantasy adventure:

      1. Ezaara
      2. Dragon Hero
      3. Dragon Rift
      4. Dragon Strike
      5. Dragon War
      6. Sea Dragon

Riders of Fire Dragons – Prequels
1. Bronze Dragon – free novelette
2. Ruby Dragon – short story
3. Silver Dragon – free novelette here

 

Master Mage Riders of Fire Dragon Masters 4 is live!

Master Mage, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters 4

Master Mage is live today!!!!!!

Master Mage, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book4, has officially launched! This action-packed adventure full of romance, intrigue, danger and magic — and dragons — is officially live. Readers around the globe have already started downloading copies and eagerly devouring the story.

Master Mage, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters 4

Master Mage

Three mages: A powerful dragon mage. Another plotting to kill him. And a temptress, hungry for power.

Giddi is the only dragon mage in the realm. Able to mind-meld with dragons at will, he quickly rises through the mage ranks. Starrus, a bitter senior mage, resents Giddi’s magical abilities and wants him dead.

Giddi falls in love with Mazyka, his breathtaking, young protégé. The mage council and the dragon riders warn him not to get entangled. That she’s too ambitious. That the consequences are too dangerous…

Brash and impulsive, he ignores them all.

The cost of Giddi’s actions could be the world he loves.

Embark on an epic adventure with danger, dragons and magic, and read  Master Mage!

What are my readers saying about Master Mage?

Master Mage is 177000 words long, the size of two regular novels or three short novels! You get more adventure, more intrigue, more emotional roller-coasters and more adrenaline, and yes, more dragonback adventures!

Lets see what our early reviewers thought!

★★★★★ “A long read, but super captivating”

★★★★★ “A truly fascinating read.”

★★★★★ “How wonderful it was to rekindle my love for these amazing characters in this book.”

★★★★★ “This book has long been waited for and anticipated, and it has proven to be very well worth the wait.”

★★★★★“There were some beautiful tender scenes and some events that shattered me. I cried, I laughed, I despaired, I ranted, I shook my head, I yelled. I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down. I certainly couldn’t!”

★★★★★ “By the end of the book, I wanted more! More of Giddi, more of Mazyka, more of this incredible world and I even wanted more of Starrus and Zens! I honestly will be gnawing on my nails until the final book in this majestic series is out.”

★★★★★ ”A masterpiece which kept me reading all through the night.”

Launch Party! 20 Oct,  4pm-11pm ET

Master Mage, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters 4, Launch Party

We’re throwing a Master Mage launch party! Join us for fun, games and laughter in my Facebook group: Riders of Fire – Eileen Mueller’s Fan Zone.

We’re having an epic launch party to celebrate Master Giddi’s journey as he grapples with sabotage, love and danger.

Join us for fun, giveaways and to hang out in my little community of fun fantasy-book lovers! We have fun there all year long.

Facebook group: Riders of Fire – Eileen Mueller’s Fan Zone.

Eastern Time: 4pm-11pm

Pacific Time: 1pm-9pm

London: 9pm-4am

New Zealand: 9am-3pm

Due to time zones, prize draws will be open for a few days and the big contest will run for longer! So even after the official party, we’ll still be partying for days!

Grab Master Mage in the Amazon Kindle Store!

If you haven’t started the series, read Anakisha’s Dragon, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book 1

Excerpt from Master Mage!

Tryst

 Maryssa quietly closed the door, her husband’s snores echoing through the cottage as she slipped down the hallway into the kitchen. Her feet were lighter than a butterfly’s as she stole across the polished wooden floorboards and took her cloak from its hook by the back door. Better to use the back door because the front one had a squeaky hinge.

She wrapped her cloak around her shoulders, reveling in the soft warm wool, remembering another cloak—still warm from the wearer’s body and tinged with male musk and mage smoke—on a similar winter’s night, many years ago. Back then, she’d stolen out of her father’s home to meet her clandestine lover for the first time.

She opened the door. Outside, there was a clatter and a thump. Cats yowled. She froze on the stoop, heart pounding. The fighting felines scampered across the yard, and Maryssa let out her pent-up breath in a thin hiss.

She tilted her head. Her husband was still snoring his slow even rumble. Most nights, she lay beside him, listening to that rumble while dreaming of far-off places and younger days. Days when life was full of promise, when she’d felt alive and bursting with passion.

She’d thought she’d never feel that way again.

Until today. In town.

Maryssa eased the door shut and rushed out of the yard, her boots squeaking in the snow, leaving a trail of footprints as she flitted along the street. She almost hadn’t dared slip out tonight—until she’d seen the heavy clouds and known fresh snowfall would obscure her trail.

The dancing flakes fell onto her hood, landing on the escaping tendrils of fiery-red hair that usually hung to her waist. Hopefully, the snow would fall all night and hide her tracks on the journey home. She didn’t have long. She’d need to be back well before dawn.

Along the boulevard, the homes were dark, a solitary lantern sputtering at the end of the road. Maryssa hurried down a side street. There was a swish of wings above her. She ducked under the eaves of a building, hiding in the shadows as a blue dragon and rider passed overhead. The blue guards could report her to her husband or father. She nipped down a passageway, keeping to the alleys and slipping through the shadows so no one would see her.

When she reached the outskirts of town, Maryssa broke into a run, pelting down a lane through the snowy meadows until she reached the edge of the forest. Only when she was deep inside the woods did her breathing ease.

Not too far now.

An excited tremor ran through her.

It was pitch black, but she knew the way well. She’d never forgotten it, often walking here in summer, making her way through the woods to the abandoned cottage. Many said she was crazy to venture out into the forest so often, but the creatures didn’t scare her. They reminded her of who she’d been in the carefree days she’d spent in the meadows with her lover—a lover her father had forbidden her to see.

Up ahead, light twinkled through the trees, beckoning her as if a thousand lanterns were blazing in a giant mansion. But it wasn’t a thousand lanterns. Just one familiar lantern burning outside amid the flurry of snow that drifted through the strongwoods and oaks. Remembering their tradition, he’d lit a lantern for her. There was no other reason to leave a light burning outside this late at night. She hoped he’d kept his love burning just as brightly.

Or had he?

Who knew what the years had done… Perhaps, the lantern was burning for another…

Maryssa’s feet faltered. She stumbled. Her hand shot out and landed on the familiar bark of a giant strongwood tree. For a moment, she leaned into the tree, breathing in the sharp night air until she calmed her nerves.

No, a love like theirs was once-in-a-lifetime. Never to be found again. Not even between the sheets of her marriage bed.

Surely he’d not found another love? She hesitated, her will wavering.

She could flee back to her husband, who tried as hard as he could. They both did and said all the right things, even though the feeling wasn’t really there.

Or she could venture into the unknown—a familiar past—and see whether it could be the same again. Whether it could be her future.

Maryssa pressed on through the trees. At last, she came to the clearing. Through the dancing snowflakes, the lantern flickered. She pushed back her shoulders, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled her hood forward, then strode through the snow to the cottage door. Her heart leaped at the light within, at the life the cottage had suddenly gained after so many years of being barren.

Like her. She was unable to conceive, a fact her husband stoically never mentioned. But it was always there—lying between them.

Her stomach was like a swarm of swirling snowflakes as she raised her hand and knocked on the wooden door. Three sharp knocks, a long one, then a short one again—their old signal.

Light footsteps ran to the door, and it was flung open. There he was, his face in shadow and his lithe figure limned in light from the lantern inside.

A hoarse cry broke from his throat, “Maryssa, you came!” He tugged her inside, shut the door, and turned to her.

He’d aged—hadn’t they both? Smile lines bracketed his mouth and crinkles radiated from the corner of his pecan-brown eyes, eyes that danced with that same vital energy she’d always loved. His features softened as he gazed down at her.

“Maryssa.” He pushed back the hood of her cloak and cupped her cold cheek with his warm hand, his eyes alight with wonder. “Maryssa.” His gentle words ghosted across her face. He pulled her close, nestling his face in her hair. “Just as beautiful as ever,” he murmured. His hands ran up and down her sleeves, drying her cloak as she stood there, the tingle of mage power flickering across her skin.

Maryssa arched into his touch. Gods, it had been so long. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw you in town today,” she whispered.

He smiled, his pecan eyes lighting with an inner fire. “And I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw you—and on my first day back. But you gave no sign that you’d even noticed me.” He held her at arm’s length and looked at her, his eyes roving over her forehead, his finger tracing her eyebrow. He stroked her cheek, touched a forefinger to her lips.

She moved in, and caressed his stubbly cheek, rejoicing in the coarseness, and ran a fingertip down his long nose. She let her hands play across his lips, and he laughed, his breath fanning her fingers.

“Oh, you’re cold.” He spun and shot a blast of mage fire at the hearth. Flames crackled to life, devouring the wood with their luminous-green tongues.

He turned back to her and took her hand. He frowned, a finger grazing her ring. “What’s this?” He sucked in a sharp breath. “You’re married?”

“Yes. My father arranged it.”

He spun from her, cursing, and stalked to the blazing fire. Placing a hand on the wall above the hearth, he bowed his head, staring into the flames. “What did I expect?” he spat bitterly. “It’s been ten years, but I thought you’d stay true to me.” His back was rigid with tension.

“I have,” she said. “You’re my only true love.” Maryssa ran to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing his shoulder blade through his jerkin. “I’ve never loved another the way I love you, my heart burning with passion and my life reflected in your eyes. When my father drove you away, I was desolate.”

He sighed, his shoulders slumping and turned again, the fire in his eyes dimming. “So, now I must look upon you as another man’s wife, never to hold or cherish you again.”

His gaze traveled over her.

Instead of feeling duty-bound as she did when her husband eyed her, or unclean like she did when the men in town stared at her, she felt cherished, loved and protected—she always had with him.

“Even though you’re now married, you still came here.” He stroked her cheek. “I guess you know what you want?”

She nodded. “Yes, I do.” The words she’d hoped to say years ago in her hand-fasting vows to him. Never to another. Bitterness coursed through her veins.

“Curse your father,” he muttered. “Curse the entire town. By the dragon gods, since I first saw you, I’ve loved you, and never even looked upon another.”

“And I love you too.”

The fire in his eyes flared back to life.

Gods! Her belly dropped and twisted as his gaze turned feral. Her voice trembled, coming out deep and throaty. “All these years, I swore if I had the chance with you again, I would not waste it.”

His eyes blazed and his fingers twitched, proffering a bouquet of flowers made of flickering green flame. She took them, surprised they were cool in her hands. He snapped his fingers, and the flowers disappeared. “I’ll give you anything you want. Just ask.”

“Please,” she begged, the coil in her belly dipping deeper. “If you love me, give me tonight.”

His eyes slid to her ring, and he shook his head. “No.” He bit his lip, agony rippling over his face. “I’m sorry, Maryssa, I couldn’t possibly do that.”

Her hair crackled with the static from his mage power. She thrust her fists on her hips. “I had no choice. After my father ran you off, he threatened to throw me out in the snow unless I was hand-fasted within a week. My husband tries hard enough and treats me well, but there is no love between us.” Her hands fell to her sides. She shook her head, whispering, “I wish I had gone with you.”

Maryssa pulled her hood up, fastened her cloak tight around her, and turned to go. “Good bye.”

As she reached the door, a cry broke from him. He dashed across the room and grasped her waist. Spinning her, he pulled her against the firm planes of his chest. “And I wish you had come with me, too. Oh, our lives would have been different with each other. I’m sorry I heeded your father and left without you.”

She raised herself on tiptoes and met his lips with hers. His were as warm and familiar and soft as she’d remembered. Maryssa’s heart soared as his arms tightened around her and he kissed her with the same ferocious passion she’d known when she was young and they’d first fallen in love.

Tonight, she vowed, she would give him everything—everything she’d never before been able to give.

Invitation—Two Years Later

 Master Jaedak chuckled at the molten mess of crystal Giddi had left on the stone plinth in his backyard. “You’re going to have to do better than that, my lad.”

“I know.” They’d been at this for weeks and Giddi still hadn’t mastered the art of shaping a simple crystal. He gathered sathir from his surroundings, pulling the life force from the trees, the grass, the bushes upon the hilltop and even the fish out in the bay below—just enough to harness their excess energy and give him the power he needed to do this job.

The familiar surge of sathir coursed through him, making him feel alive. It rippled down the veins in his arms and gathered in his hands until his fingertips were buzzing. He let the energy coil within his fists like a bucking beast, and then opened his hands, flinging his fingers outward.

Green mage flame coursed from Giddi’s fingertips, blasting into the piece of crystal on the plinth in Master Jaedak’s backyard. The fire hit the crystal and shattered it into molten shards that flew across the grass.

Giddi ducked, narrowly avoiding a flying piece of hot crystal. He’d failed—again.

“Flame is your natural medium, young man, but you need to learn to harness sathir in every medium, not just as flame,” Master Mage Jaedak lectured, shaking his head. “You have raw power, and lots of it. But shaping that power into a useful tool that you can do anything with will be the key to your success. When you can shape the waves in the ocean, bend the very trees to your will, cause a sandstorm in the Robandi Desert, and completely control the elements, you’ll be ready as a mage—and not a moment before.” Master Jaedak scratched his ruddy face. “Why, turning you lose upon the realm would be a dangerous thing with that much raw power. Until you master this and many other skills, you won’t be going back to Great Spanglewood Forest. Now, use your power to shape that crystal.”

Master Mage Jaedak held out a hand.

Giddi ducked again as the cooling shards of crystal flew through the air and hovered gently above Master Mage Jaedak’s palm. The shards swirled, coalescing into a mass that shot toward the plinth and gently landed upon it.

“Your turn, Giddi.” Master Mage Jaedak smiled, as if he believed Giddi was capable of taming the crystal and forming it into whatever shape he wanted.

Giddi sighed and tugged more sathir inside him. The rough lump of melted crystal stared at Giddi defiantly.

Jaedak coughed. “Let’s make this a little more challenging, shall we?”

“Why?” Giddi asked. “How would that help, if I didn’t even manage the last task you set me?”

“Instead of trying to form an oval crystal, form that molten lump of rock into a fish. Just tug one end outward to form a mouth and the other upward like a tail. It doesn’t need scales or fins at this stage.”

Scales or fins? His master was mad. Giddi groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Come on, you may find it easier than forming an orb.”

In the few moons Master Mage Jaedak had been training him, Giddi had barely managed much at all. The master mage seemed to think he was improving, but he didn’t see how. Every task Master Mage Jaedak gave him was beyond his capabilities. And before he mastered one, Master Jaedak moved onto the next task, and then the next. There must be a reason, because his master was fair, and even-tempered, so Giddi kept at it—even though he couldn’t see much point.

He held out his hands to try again.

“Giddi,” Master Mage Jaedak said softly, “you’re a dragon mage who can mind-meld with any dragon. You’re one of a kind. I have to push you harder than anyone else. But imagine what it would be like to also mind-meld with people, with animals, with any living thing.”

Giddi gaped. “What?”

He’d accidentally mind-melded with Anakisha a couple of times and also once with Starrus when he’d been enraged, but to intentionally mind-meld with anyone? He’d never dreamed of that.

“You heard me. Now stop staring at me with your jaw hanging open or you’ll soon be swallowing flies. There’s work to be done.” Jaedak gestured at the crystal lump smirking at Giddi on the plinth.

This time, when Giddi’s plume of green flame smacked into it, the crystal bubbled and oozed into a river of flowing glass.

Giddi flung his hands in the air. “It’s no use. I’m just not cut out for this. I’ve been blasting crystals for moons now, and all I do is destroy them.”

Master Mage Jaedak grinned. “It takes many, many moons for a lesser mage to melt a crystal. You’ve been melting them since your first attempt, so you’re on the right track. Don’t forget, I trained your father and many other mages after him. I know what I’m doing, even if you don’t. Fetch another crystal from that pail and try again.”

Giddi stooped and picked up a chunk of crystal from the wooden pail near his feet.

A caw rent the air. A dark speck zipped over the distant trees, then arrowed toward Master Mage Jaedak’s garden. Wings wide, a raven swooped down and landed on the plinth, carefully stepping over the rivulets of congealing crystal.

Master Jaedak held up his arm, and the raven flew over and leaped onto his forearm, a tube tied to its leg. Master Jaedak broke the wax seal off the tube and shook out a strip of parchment.

“Well, well, lad, I guess there’s an advantage to having you as my trainee. Your friends Yanir, the King’s Rider and Anakisha, the Queen’s Rider, are being hand-fasted. You and I are invited to the ceremony, along with a few other Naobian mages.” Master Mage Jaedak slapped Giddi on the shoulder and grinned. “We’re heading for Dragons’ Hold.”

A shiver snaked down Giddi’s spine. Returning to Dragons’ Hold meant facing Starrus, the mage who’d killed his father and dumped Giddi in the Wastelands at the feet of the Robandi Silent Assassins. He swallowed. “Anakisha and Yanir are being hand-fasted? So quickly?”

Master Mage Jaedak frowned. “The tone of your voice could lead me to believe that you admire the Queen’s Rider yourself.”

Giddi burst out laughing. “I do, as a good friend. It’s just that they only met each other a few moons ago, and now they’re being hand-fasted. It seems too quick.”

Master Mage Jaedak chuckled. “My wife and I were hand-fasted after only a few weeks of knowing each other. May her soul fly with departed dragons.”

“A few weeks? That’s madness.”

“No, it was good luck. I actually asked her a lot sooner.” Jaedak’s grin lit his eyes.

“Ma told me to always know someone through four seasons,” Giddi said.

“Once you’re hand-fasted, you’ll know them through every season for the rest of your life, anyway. I say, once you meet the love of your life, it’s best to get on with it.”

Giddi was silent as Master Mage Jaedak clapped him on the back. “It looks like this bird has been delayed, possibly by a storm up north. If we’re going to make the hand-fasting ceremony of a lifetime, we’ll have to leave tonight.”

“Kevin?” Giddi mind-melded with the green dragon he often flew with. He and Kevin had gotten into their fair share of trouble since Giddi had been in Naobia, but it’d been a few days since Giddi had seen him.

“Yes, Giddi?” the green dragon mind-melded, sounding distant.

“Where are you?”

“Fishing off the coast.”

“Make sure you feed well. I have a feeling we’ll be heading north together tonight.”

“Where to?” The young dragon replied. The image of a struggling shark flapping from the end of a green snout accompanied his words.

“Dragons’ Hold.”

“I’ll be there soon, and I’ll let Goren and Rengar know, too.” Kevin’s excitement rippled through Giddi’s mind.

“Thank you, Kevin. Mind your dinner doesn’t bite you.”

Kevin snorted and shared his sight. With a toss of his emerald snout, the shark flipped through the air, writhing as it turned head over fin. The dragon’s jaws widened and snapped the thrashing shark down. “Now,” mind-melded Kevin, “who’s biting who?”

“Remind me never to accept any of your invitations to dinner.” Giddi chuckled.

Master Mage Jaedak flipped the parchment over and smoothed it out on a rock. “Please get me a quill and ink pot so I can send a message to the green guards and let them know we’re all going.”

“I’ve already sent one via Kevin,” said Giddi.

Jaedak guffawed. “I should have known. By the First Egg, you’re so quick I can never keep up with you.”

Giddi nodded, but without much enthusiasm. He’d been hoping not to return to Dragons’ Hold for quite a while longer. Time enough for the animosity between him and his ex-trainer to die down. Not that he’d ever forgive Starrus for killing his father.

Jaedak placed an arm across Giddi’s shoulders. “Don’t worry about Starrus.”

By the Dragon Gods, it was as if his master could mind-meld with him. No, that was impossible. Jaedak must’ve made a clever guess.

Master Mage Jaedak strode off into the cottage.

Oh well, Giddi didn’t want to ruin his trip. He’d deal with Starrus when he saw him. An icy prickle ran down Giddi’s spine. Or perhaps Starrus would deal with him.

Enjoy Master Mage here.

Enjoy the Riders of Fire Dragon Masters series here (USA store)  or here in the UK store.

See this blog post about the expanded Riders of Fire Dragon Masters series.

See this page for the cover reveal of the next book!

Dragon Pirate – Epic Dragon Fantasy readers are Awesome

Dragon Pirate - epic dragon fantasy

DRAGON PIRATE – Epic Dragon Fantasy

Dragon Pirate, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book launches today!

9 June 2022

Dragon Pirate Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book 3

What can one lone woman, disguised as a cabin boy, do against a notorious pirate captain with a fierce sea dragon and a bloodthirsty crew?

When Rusty’s uncle is killed by the Scarlet Hand, she’s taken aboard the Fiery Dragon as the new cabin boy.

She vows revenge.

But never suspects she’ll fall into the Scarlet Hand’s snare.

If you like swashbuckling pirates, sea dragons and danger on the high seas, set sail with Dragon Pirate.

Available on Amazon

Launch Party!

9 June 2022 2pm-10:30pm Eastern Time  

(10 June 2022 6am-2:30pm  in NZ)

ragon Pirate launch party Eileen Mueller

We’re having a launch party in my Facebook group: Riders of Fire: Eileen Mueller’s Fan Zone, so please join us. There’ll be fantasy games, prizes and  fun! It should be a blast!

Angel Haze is hosting the party with me, to celebrate her recent release of Reign of Shadows, Battleborn Mage book 1. I know her fans have been waiting a lifetime for  this exciting adventure! Angel is the  founder of the Indie Fantasy Addicts facebook group of 7000 members, where we hang out and have loads of fanatsy fun.

So, join us in my Riders of Fire Facebook group for our epic party full of fantasy fun, games and prizes!

Reign of Shadows Battleborn Mage book 1 by Angel Haze

My Readers are Awesome! So Many Names!

What an adventure it’s been writing this book. It’s been wonderful, largely due to my fabulous readers! Here’s why…

I asked for pirate characters and you created many. I asked for tavern names and was flooded with great suggestions. I asked you to create islands, name them, and name ships. You’ve given me animal companions, pirate cusses, named a scorpion, and given me fleet-building tactics (many of which I’ll use in another book). You’ve even created a Naobian deep-fried delicacy!

You’ve named a dragon! And yes, some one made up a terrible joke! Tony Slater’s a hilarious guy! I Integrated that joke into a tavern scene—his is the joke Rusty tells about pies. Thank you.

The Challenge

It’s been challenging to incorporate as many of your suggestions as possible into Dragon Pirate, and it’s been so much fun. I have the BEST readers! I LOVE hanging out with my readers in my Facebook group. I LOVE writing for you. I LOVE your feedback on my books. I LOVE your enthusiasm for Riders of Fire, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters, the Dragon Shifters’ Hoard and my Riders of Fire Dragons series. We have so much fun together in my Facebook group.

What did you create in Dragon Pirate? This is a huge cast!

Treat

Kelly Erickson created a Naobian deep-fried delicacy: snakelings in spicy dipping sauce. Yummy! I hope she sends us the recipe!

Water Scorpion

Water scorpoin

The scorpion that the Scarlet Hand  discovered crawling over his feet was a joint collaboration. From 27 entries, James McGinnis suggested aquascorpio. Paula Schaefer and Tiffany Shand both came up with deathstinger! So, deathstinger aquascorpio it is. A truly terrifying little creature. Rusty had great nerve handling it.

One day, I’ll tell you the story of the water scorpion I showered with in Indonesia. I stayed very calm, which was not at all the reaction of the staff running the $2-a-night backpaker’s hostel I was staying at! Their shrieks could probably be heard throughout the Pacific Ocean. Highly deadly indeed. (The shrieks or the scorpion? Maybe both).

Taverns

Dragon Pirate, Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book 3 by USA Today bestselling author Eileen Mueller
Seafight: Pirate Tavern – by Grzegorz Rutkowski.

Oh, what fun there is to be had in fantasy taverns! There’s nothing like a decent pirate brawl! The Leaky Keg on Pirate Island was named by Jens D RacherBaümer and Paul Mouchet was responsible for naming the Drunken Parrot in Metropoli.

The real question is, shall we also make these two readers responsible for cleaning up the chaos that the Bloody Cutlasses leave in their wake every time they visit a tavern?

Pirate Island

The inspiration for the difficult passage into a lovely inlet came from Craig Harder. I created the chasm as a result. Mandie Sagen suggested an island where retired pirates live. Of course, I had to make them broken-down, retired pirates with eccentric habits, keen for a brawl … Let the fun begin!

The Isles

The isles in the Naobian Sea: Karen Hoke named Firewing Isle; Tracey Harden named Scaleclaw Isle; and I named Talon Isle and Dragon’s Maw Isle. There will be more isles to sail to in Dragon Captain. You gave me so many brilliant names! Thanks.

Cusses

Cheryl Allsup came up with, “fire-riddled dragon bum,” which I shaped into “fire-riddled backside of a dragon with belly gripe.” Kelly Erickson suggested, “wingless surface lubbers.” Lorie Kuzma suggested, “worm-riddled bilge rat.” Mandie Sagen suggested, “slimy, rat-infested land worms,” much to Spider’s delight. Barbara Laing suggested, “bottom feeder,” which became “scum-sucking, bottom feeder.” Sandy Fosdick’s “leech-riddled water horse,” became: “That flaming leech-riddled water horse and stinking rider!”

It was so much fun to see what people created. I’m sure I could have incorporated more bilge rats! They also seemed to be a favorite.

Ship Names

Pirate shipSome of the ships docked at Metropoli were named by my readers, including The Golden Mermaid by Anne Caprani-Langkilde, and Star of Glory by Jan Cantle. The Crimson Fin was named by Nicole DragonBeck. Great names—thanks everyone.

What About Your Pirates?

Female pirate

One of the difficulties with having readers create pirates is that my readers created pirates worthy of being the captains of their own ships! They had great characteristics, talents, intriguing back stories and larger-than-life personalities. Not to mention, striking looks. With so many stars running around on deck, there would’ve been constant fights to hog the limelight. I had no choice but to splice pirates together out of your genetic pool and my own ideas!

So, here we go. The basis, and usually the name, for each pirate was suggested by a reader, however these pirates have grown to be a different to their initial DNA!!

 A huge thank you to Martha D Johnson for creating Larkspur with his violet eyes, willowy figure and long dark hair. I couldn’t include him having wings and fangs, however, I did keep his skills with a dagger.

Lefty was Nicole DragonBeck’s idea, including his cat! John Grasso suggested Volto. Unfortunately he couldn’t be an elf, as elves haven’t found their way through a world gate to Dragons’ Realm (yet), however, I did keep the rapier, leather trench coat, and his double-tipped ear due to a sword slice.

Gunthar and his pet gecko were Jackie Tansey’s idea. I couldn’t resist giving Gunthar a wooden leg when Jackie suggested that he hops. Please forgive me for getting his gecko drunk on rum! It was so much fun. I used GG’s name for Talvor, however the character was Will’s dad, not the cool one GG suggested. Honestly, there were just too many pirates running around aboard the Fiery Dragon. I did use GG’s suggestion for Grins Cabeya, including those wicked poisoned darts.

Jan Cantle suggested Hairy Stu with his Santa Claus snowy halo of hair. Mo was from Barbara Laing. I’m sorry he had a bitter end. Joffa the Crow was suggested by Mandie Sagen, charcoal and all! Andrew Agnew gave me Tiny. I’m so glad Andrew’s created him with no tongue—not me! I’m glad I can do more than honk! Johnny Blue came from Lorie Kuzma. I dyed his hair strawberry blond, but made sure he hung onto those sapphire-hilted daggers that matched his eyes. Swan, the handsome rouge, charmed his way onto the Fiery Dragon with the help of Patrick Goodwin.

If there are any crew I’ve missed, please let me know. I had many more great characters that readers gave me, including a plethora of female pirates—enough to crew an entire ship of their own.

Hmm… roll on Dragon Captain! You may see some of your characters turn up yet! I have special announcement to make about the series expanding… ooops, I’m getting ahead of myself. Not yet! All in due time.

First, let’s grab our copies of Dragon Pirate and Reign of Shadows and head to the party!

Thanks again to everyone for being awesome!

New Riders of Fire Dragon Masters Books

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters

New Riders of Fire Dragon Masters Books

Did you see the recent cover reveal of Dragon Mage? And the sneak preview of the first chapters?

Master Giddi’s dangerous adventures have grown so rich and deep that they needed to be split into two books!  Dragon Mage, book 2 and Master Mage book 4. Dragon Mage covers some of his teenage escapades, while Master Mage takes us on his dangerous rise to power and the tragic mistakes he makes. If only Giddi wasn’t so impulsive. Or so powerful.

#nospoilers

So, id Dragon Mage has been split into books 2 & 4, what’s book 3 about? And what is the title?

It’s time to update the Riders of Fire Dragon Masters series.

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters:

Dragon Pirate is born

Dragon Pirate Riders of Fire Dragon Masters book 3

 

A vengeful dragon.

A lucrative trade in a damnable cargo.

And a pirate captain with nothing left to lose.

Follow the Scarlet Hand in his rise to power.

Yes, Dragon Pirate is book 3. The Scarlet Hand is up to no good. He’s building a fleet of pirate ships to scour the Naobian Sea. He’s also made a shifty deal with Emperor Haakin of Metropoli, but by the First Egg, he’d better watch it, because the Emperor and his adviser General Vizza don’t play nice!

 

 

 

Riders of Fire

It’s been a challenge writing the prequels when I already know what will happen to many of these characters during Dragon War & Sea Dragon. However, it has also been a pleasure to dive deeper into their pasts and find out what makes each one tick.

I hope you enjoy Riders of Fire and the additions to the Riders of Fire Dragon Masters series and the rich backstory that unfolds.

Adrenaline-fueled adventure on dragonback awaits you! So, saddle up and ride!

Your 1020 Names for Snow and Red – a Dragon Shifters’ Hoard novel – Enchanted Kingdoms

Dragon Shifters Hoard - Snow and Red - an Enchanted Kingdoms novel

Wow, you’ve done it again! 1020 names for our dragon shifters!

I love my readers. You’re such an awesome community and I’m so glad to have your creativity on board when I create new stories! But, 1020 names for dragon shifters and friends? How in the name of the First Egg did we do that?

A few weeks ago A.J. Ponder and I asked you to name some characters and magical artifacts in  Snow and Red, our Dragon Shifters’ Hoard novel. Snow and Red releases in February next year in the Enchanted Kingdoms box set, a collection of 22 novels raising funds for Puzzle Peace, a charity that supports kids with autism! We also intend to continue the Dragons Shifters’ Hoard  and add more books later!

When we asked you to name our characters, we knew you’d jump on board… but that many?

There were so many cool suggestions, it was hard to choose.

Enchanted Kingdoms, a young adult fanatsy box set of 22 fairytale retellings by bestselling authors.

Snow and Red have their names from the traditional fairy tale of Snow White and Rose Red, who are sisters who provide a home for a  bear in winter, only to discover that an evil dwarf cast a spell upon him, and he was actually a prince all along. They rescue the dwarf several times in the course of the story, and finally end up marrying the prince and his brother when they break the curse.

That’s how our main characters got their names!Of course, our story has a lot of twists not in the original…

Let’s hear who came up with the names that our characters are now wearing! Or will be, in future Dragon Shifters’ Hoard books. Now, for your names: *drumroll*

  • Hazel is Snow and Red’s mother — named by Coty.
  • Endora is Dante and Zeph’s mother — named by Kitty Kelleher.
  • Valnor is Dante and Zeph’s father — named by Christopher P Barrett.
  • Jena is Snow’s friend from school — named by Alicia Love.
  • Brock is Snow’s friend from school — named by Guy F Worley.
  • Riz Baker is an aggressive policewoman with a buzz cut— named by Carol Sue Breckenridge.
  • Black Oak is the name of a suburb in Pinevale where shifters live — named by Sandré Moore.
  • Starglow Sapphire, a precious artifact from the dragon shifters treasure hoard — named by Jasmine Breeden.

Thank you for all of your brilliant suggestions. It’s always fun to see the names readers come up with and to integrate your creativity into our writing process. We’ll acknowledge your contributions when we publish Snow and Red in the Dragon Shifters’ Hoard series.  (It won’t be possible to include your names in the acknowledgements for Enchanted Kingdoms because we don’t have control of that publishing process).

Enchanted Kingdoms

To support  kids with autism, please pre-order your 99c copy of Enchanted Kingdoms: 22 fairy tale retellings — that’s 22 novels in a variety of young adult fantasy genres by best-selling authors!

You can order your copy here.  Once you’ve ordered, you can claim your FREE companion set of short stories here, including Draki Twins, our prequel.

Enchanted Kingdoms, a young adult fanatsy box set of 22 fairytale retellings by bestselling authors.
Best-selling authors are taking part in a fundraising box set for Puzzle Peace a charity that supports kids with autism. Enchanted Kingdoms is a collection of 22 novels based on fairytales and is only 99c on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and ibooks.
Enchanted Kingdoms, a young adult fanatsy box set of 22 fairytale retellings by bestselling authors.
This book cover shows the fairy tales retold in Enchanted Kingdoms. Snow White and Rose Red is retold by Eileen Mueller and A.J. Ponder as a dragon shifter paranormal romance in an urban fantasy setting.

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters – new prequel series announced

riders of Fire Dragon Masters series

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters is a new exciting series available from Eileen Mueller, starting with Anakisha's Dragon in March 2021.

 

Sea Dragon Riders of Fire book 6 is live, completing the Riders of Fire series! I absolutely love this cover from Christian Bentulan. He’s done a beautiful job. I’m so excited to let this story swim out into the wide world. So far, feedback from my readers has been great, and I hope you enjoy Sea Dragon too!

Many readers asked what happened to Ithsar, the assassin whose fingers Ezaara had healed when she was being held captive by Ashewar, the chief prophetess—Ithsar’s mother in the Robandi Desert.

Due to their questions, Sea Dragon was born. The story has grown, also encompassing another young girl who hadn’t been seen since since she made her debut in Dragon Hero (all those moons ago).  The two girls strike up  a friendship, with remarkable results, and as those of you who’ve read Dragon War will know, Ithsar is able to help turn the tide of battle. (Sea pun intended).

Sea Dragon fleshes out some details that have been omitted from Ezaara’s adventures as the new Queen’s Rider, and concludes the war against Zens, rounding up some threads that readers may not have realized I’d deliberately left hanging. But wait, Riders of Fire isn’t over yet!

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters is an exciting new series that features the events leading up to Ezaara’s birth. Some of these books were originally planned as books 7-9 of the Riders of Fire series, however, new readers may like to read these adventures in chronological order. Splitting out the prequels into a separate series allows people to do this.

Here are the two series below, so you can see the gorgeous covers. I’m excited about working on the new stores for Riders of Fire Dragon Masters  and hope you’re looking forward to reading them.

Riders of Fire

YA epic fantasy adventure. Series link here.
Book 1: Ezaara
Book 2: Dragon Hero
Book 3: Dragon Rift
Book 4: Dragon Strike
Book 5: Dragon War
Book 6: Sea Dragon

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters

YA epic fantasy adventure:
Book 1: Anakisha’s Dragon
Book 2: Dragon Mage
Book 3: Dragon Spy
Book 4: Dragon Healer

riders of Fire Dragon Masters series

 

 

 

 

Riders of Fire Dragons

These prequels, can be read in any order:
1. Bronze Dragon (free novelette)
2. Ruby Dragon (short story)
3. Silver Dragon – free  novelette only available here.

These are shorter stories about how many of the dragons and riders found each other. I hope to expand on this series as time permits.

Thank you

A big thank you to my readers. Your energy and enthusiasm for my stories keeps me writing. I love your emails, messages and having fun with you on social media. It’s wonderful knowing you’re waiting for my stories! If you’d like to hang out in my Facebook group and have fun, pop over here. 

1005 Names Suggested for Sea Dragon! You are Awesome!

Sea Dragon -Riders of Fire book 6 readers suggest 1005 names for characters

By the blazing Robandi desert sun, YOU did it again!

We got 1005 Sea Dragon names!

Ithsar, the Robandi assassin, applauds you! I recently published a request for names for some minor characters in my latest novel, Sea Dragon, Riders of Fire book 6. My readers are so awesome! I was thrilled when I received 1005 suggestions! I love your  enthusiasm, your willingness to be part of my writing  world, and the brilliant names you come up with. I wish I had more characters and dragons for them.

On the other hand, I’m thankful I don’t have to write 1005 characters in my adventures! So, thank you everyone for participating.

Sea Dragon Riders of Fire 6 by Eileen Mueller

Sea Dragon launches in 20 days, so grab your pre-order now. If you haven’t read the rest of the series you can start with either the Riders of Fire books 1-3 box set, or jump right into the Riders of Fire series if you’d like the individual books.

Which names made it into Sea Dragon?

Here are the readers who will have their names in the bright lights of the acknowledgements of Sea Dragon:

Feel free to share this post and flaunt it on social media! Your name will be on the lips of all Riders of Fire!

  • Queen of the sea dragons – Queen Aquaria  (Catherine Ellis)
  • Orphaned female teen Robandi assassin – Misha (Stacy Floyd)
  • Misha’s Dragon – Ramisha (Stacy Floyd)
  • Valiant Robandi assassin – Roshni (Charlotte Kieft)
  • Bold, wild Robandi assassin & her dragon – Nila & Nilanna (Cathy Wellman)
  • Kisha’s dragon – Kishanna (Cathy Wellman)
  • The eldest Robandi assassin – Drida (Pierre Rutherford)
  • Izodia’s sidekick, a bully – Thut (Douglas La Grow)
  • Izodia’s sidekick, another bully – Bala (Jeanine Thornton)
  • Leader of the green guards & his dragon – Goren & Rengar (Drea Dean)
  • Hot-headed green dragon rider & his brash dragon – Stefan & Fangora (Marvin Smith)
  • A father, member of the resistance – Kadran (Brittany Timmins)
  • A mother, member of the resistance – Katrine (Lucy Ladeira)
  • A daughter, member of the resistance – Hana (Cecilia Rodriguez)

As much as I’m dying to tell you more about these characters nd how they interact with each other… NO SPOILERS!  You’ll have to read the next nail-biting installment to find out!

If you haven’t read my series yet, but love fast-paced epic adventures with intrigue, action and DRAGONS, try Riders of Fire!

Meet Eileen’s Riders of Fire Readers Around the World

They’re reading Riders of Fire here! And here! And there!

I recently ran a  contest for my Riders of Fire readers. Here are the results. Meet my readers from around the world.

Our Riders of Fire readers grand prize winners are Zach and Cherish

Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire readers
Cherish Kasner in Ledges State Park in Iowa

Cherish is from Madrid, Iowa USA, and loves Ezaara. She says, “The Riders of Fire books are original and they pull you in!” She sent some lovely photos of her having fun with dragons, a trainee dragon rider, swords and magic! Scroll down to see more of Cherish!

Cherish’s A2 poster of Dragons’ Realm is being flown by dragon post to her doorstep!

Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire readers
Zachary Spencer in Alberta Canada

Zach has many aliases, including Zach the Shark, because he gobbles up so many books and is always prowling the waters of Amazon looking for more! (If you didn’t realize Amazon was a sea, it is now! I claim poetic license). He helps run a Discord Server for readers in his spare time, loves gaming and is a valiant Rider of Fire, leading the troops against Commander Zens!

When asked what he likes about Riders of Fire, Zachary tells us, “I love the dragons, fast paced feel. You do not fear having loss or darkness, and of course your overall creativity.”

Wow, that’s cool and totally unexpected. Thanks, Zach.

I’m hoping the dragons don’t freeze their wings off flying up to Canada to drop Zach’s Dragons’ Realm poster to him. (I’m also hoping the sharks don’t eat them, but don’t tell Zach that!)

Lanyard winners

The following readers have won lanyards which are in dragons’ saddlebags, winging their way to their doors.

Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire readers
Christine Steffens in Minnesota

Christine Steffens in Minnesota loves all things dragons and even has some pets that like to steal her e-reader and read about their fellow dragons. Look at this cutie!

Christine’s wee dragonet even matches the color scheme for Bronze Dragon, which is quite a feat! I wonder if the dragon is a chameleon, changing color depending on what book its holding.

When asked what she loves about Riders of Fire, Christine says, “Dragons, of course!”

Yeah, I get that!

Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire readers
Andrew Agnew in Findlay, Ohio, USA

Andrew loves dragons too (surprise!) and owns a super-sized copy of Dragon Hero which he’s proudly cradling above. He’s a Dragon Hero himself, out crusading against tharuks and battling evil.

Originally from Australia, he’s now at home in Ohio where it’s rumored that dragons are plentiful and there are many tharuks to fight. He loves audio books and e-books!

Andrew says, “I love the connection between dragons and their riders, and not just in your books, but others as well. Especially when the dragons are good and not evil. Can’t wait for the next in the series.”

The words of a true dragon hero! Go Andrew!

Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire readers
A young Kasner dragon rider!

Cherish’s daughter is also a fan of dragons and got into the spirit of things. I don’t usually publish kids’ names on my blog. But here she is, armed with her sword, a trusty dragon at her side, and a great book to read!

Way to go!

Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire readers
Ina Fowler in Spring Hill, Florida

Ina was in a playful colorful mood and tried out Zaarusha’s rainbow colors while riding dragons!

I love this attitude of experimentation and the bright upbeat colors that every dragon rider should wear as a warning that we will triumph over evil tharuks and the darkness of Commander Zens’ Death Valley!

Ina says Riders of Fire is “Intense and mystifying.”

Well, in this photo, I think Ina is too!

 

Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire readers
Richard Goodrum in Carrollton

When asked what he likes about Riders of Fire, Richard Goodrum sent me this photo, with the simple statement, “Dragons!”

I asked him if he had any further comments, and he said, “Dragons!”

I think that says it all! He’s obviously fiercely loyal to a species that has a special place in our hearts!

Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire readers
Deb, USA

Deb lives in the USA and loves Riders of Fire. She’s an e-book, print book and Audible fan and has the books in all three mediums! That’s pretty awesome.

Rumor has it that she’s writing books of her own, but not about dragons. Hey, it doesn’t always have to be about dragons! Good luck, Deb.

Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire readers
Cherish deep in story!
Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire readers
Cherish fighting tharuks with a dragon at her side!

More Riders of Fire readers

Alisha and Elena Hewett of Crockett Texas, USA visiting New Zealand earlier this year

In January this year, I had a surprise when someone called me out of the blue and wanted to visit! Elena and Alisha devour all the books in their local library and often make recommendations to the librarians, who are happy to order titles they like.

It’s cool to know that Riders of Fire even has a home in Crockett!

If you live in Crockett, Texas, feel free to take my books out of the local library. Also feel free to recommend them to your own library!

And yes, we three do actually have eyes. It was just a bright sunny Wellington day!

More Riders of Fire readers’ comments

Some readers didn’t have photos, or experienced technical glitches when uploading,  but wanted to let me know what they thought of the series. Here are their comments.

Sherryl Taylor of Eugene, USA, says, “I LOVE LOVE LOVE DRAGONS. Have loved them since I was a kid. Now I’m a 66 year old kid!”

I know young adult fiction appeals to readers of all ages. I’ve had a kid of 9 years old write to me about my books and also pensioners in their late eighties who enjoy a dragonback adventure as much as teens do!

Stuart McClements of Bellshill says, “I like all things fantasy and horror!”

Although I don’t write stirct horror, I do have a couple of dark short stories about dragons that haven’t been widely published (in magazines or out-of-print anthologies). They may hit the light of day as soon as I have a good cover.  So hang in there, Stuart, and you may get fantasy dragons with a tinge of horror!

Gene Mallard of Lilburn, Georgia, loves the covers of Riders of Fire.

A special thank you to Christian Bentulan, my amazing cover designer! He really has helped this series come to life.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in sharing their love of Riders of Fire.