Blog tour: Fledgling by Nicole Conway (scavenger hunt #5)

Hello darlings. I have an really great blog tour for you today. It's about something that a lot of us like - Dragons! Yes the most amazing creatures. So check out Fledgling and don't forget to follow scavenger hunt. You'll find stop #5 below! 

Buy the book at 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Chapter Indigo

Book summary 

Can one boy stand between two kingdoms at war?
Jaevid Broadfeather has grown up as a wartime refugee, hiding from the world because of his mixed racial heritage. He feels his future is hopeless, until a chance encounter with a wild dragon lands him in Blybrig Academy—a place usually forbidden to anyone but the rich and royal. But Jaevid’s case is special; no dragon has voluntarily chosen a rider in decades, so the proud riders of Blybrig must begrudgingly let him join their brotherhood despite his bloodline. Lieutenant Sile Derrick, a sternly tempered man with a mysterious past, becomes his instructor and immediately takes a peculiar interest in Jaevid’s future.
While struggling through the rigorous physical demands of training, things begin to go awry. Jaevid witnesses the king’s private guards kidnapping Sile in the dead of night. When none of the elder riders are willing to help him, Jaevid begins a dangerous adventure to save his instructor.
Everything Jaevid learned at the academy will now be put to the ultimate test.

Interview 

Hello Nicole. Welcome to our blog Ja čitam, a ti? . It’s pleasure having you here and I have some questions for you. So shall we..

1. Firstly can you tell us something more about your book Fledgling?

Well, it all started about five years ago. I like to “test drive” my main characters via online text roleplay before I dare to start writing their stories. It helps me to figure out how they might respond to different environments and other characters. I’ve found it can be a great way to get instant feedback from people who otherwise have no opinion of you or the story—they either like the characters and want to know more, or not! That’s how Jaevid was born, although he’s definitely changed a lot since then. He attracted a lot of attention, and people liked his honest, bashful, naïve personality.

When I realized how much potential Jaevid had as a character, I started crafting the world and building the story around him and his sassy dragon sidekick, Mavrik. It took me several tries and four long years to finally hit a stride with the story, though. Initially, I wanted to write it as an adult fantasy book. It was a much darker, more graphic tale. But fate had other plans, and scaling it back to Middle Grade ended up being the perfect voice for Jaevid as his journey begins. Naturally, Fledgling is just the first step on the journey, but it was an absolute joy to write.

2. Dragons are, for me, the most fascinating creatures so what inspired you to write about them?

Dragons have always fascinated me, as well! Ever since I first read books like The Hobbit and Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher as a child, they have captured my imagination. Other little girls wanted to be princesses, but I wanted to be a dragon! I refrained from writing about dragons until I was sure I had a clear vision in my mind of what my dragons would be like. I wanted them to be perfect, even if they aren't the sole focus of the book.

3. Also I noticed that your main character is a boy, so how hard was for you to write from a male point of view?

It wasn't really hard at all, honestly. I've always been more of a tomboy at heart, and for that reason it's actually a lot more challenging for me to write from a girl's perspective. Plus, my husband's always reading over my shoulder, and he's very quick to let me know if something doesn't sound . . . “manly“ enough.

4. Can you tell us more about the world this book is set in?

The beautiful thing about this world is that it's so much bigger than even the narrator realizes at the beginning of the book. Jaevid is still very much a child in Fledgling, and children have a hard time grasping things like that. As he grows through series, his awareness of the world around him will grow as well, and readers will see more and more of it through his eyes. And Maldobar is an exciting place! It's a large peninsula with ocean on three sides, and the ominous forest of Luntharda to the north. It was originally settled by seafairing folk, so most of the largest and oldest cities and castles sit on the coasts. Of course, dragons nest there, but they aren't the strangest animals you'll find in the books as the story continues.

5. How many books we can expect in this series?

There are three books total in the series. Each one builds on the one before it, and picks up immediately where the previous book left off. It's meant to be a journey in many different ways. The further you go into the series, the more Jaevid grows from a frightened, timid little boy into a man who is also a war-hardened soldier. The world also expands more and more with each book as he travels, and more secrets are revealed. It's going to be a wild ride, so saddle up!

6. I have noticed that you’ve also written a romance novel. So what was more challenging to write about: romance or fantasy?

Hmm. That's a tough one. I would say romance because it's much more difficult for me to write a story about just that. Don't get me wrong, I love having romance as an element in a story, but it's a challenge for me to make it the focus unless there is something else in the mix.

7. Lastly, I tend to finish my interviews with author's favorite quote or message for my readers. So can you share yours?

Without giving too much away, one of my favorite quotes comes from Fledgling's sequel, which is titled Avian. The quote is actually the very heart and soul of the entire series. The essence of it is that “it takes great darkness to reveal great light,” meaning the times when circumstances are at their worst are the best opportunities for those who can stand strong to become beacons of hope to others. As human beings, we are given a special gift to rise up and overcome the most impossible obstacles. Those are the moments when real heroes are born, even in the smallest everyday situations. 

Thank you for stopping by! 

About the author

Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.
Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.
She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.
Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

Author's 

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Scavenger Hunt - Stop #5

Ulric had two more children, a pair of twin daughters named Emry and Lin. They were six years younger than me, but they were meaner than a pair of hungry jackals. Every day, they tried to get me in as much trouble as possible. Of course, Serah believed every word they said. They would break things, let the chickens and goats out, or steal jewelry from their mother’s room, and blame it all on me. Once, Emry got ahold of the sewing scissors and chopped up Lin’s hair. When Serah found out, Emry blamed it all on me and told her I had done it. Serah believed it, and I got a beating from Ulric as soon as he came in the house. Inventing new ways to get me into trouble was their favorite pastime, and there was nothing I could do about it. They were sneaky and smart, a lot smarter than me I guess, because they never got caught.
The only good thing about living with my father was watching him work. Ulric was a tackmaster—he made saddles for the dragonriders from Blybrig Academy. But he didn’t just make saddles; he made the very best saddles in Maldobar. I watched him through the slats and gaps in the floor of the loftroom, shaping leather and stitching intricate pieces together. He did it all by hand, and it took him several weeks to craft one saddle. But when it was finished, each one was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. It made me envy him, even if he probably wished I had never been born.

Giveaway 

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Until the next time,