A winged Valkyrie about to take flight

Valkyrie Riders Fly April 19, 2024

Dear Reader,

I hope your week went well. Mine has been chaotic as usual.

Quest for the Valkyries launched everywhere on April 11, 2024. Since then, I've been hard at work on posting the last chapters of Raven's Rescue to the Valkyrie Riders Miniseries. I finally formatted the ebook, so it's currently for sale at OpheliaKee.com. If you can't wait for the book, Bookfunnel will email your copy if you wish to buy direct.

If you're waiting to buy from your favorite retailer, it's coming. I'm working on putting it up for preorder on the retailers. It will launch June 5, 2024 everywhere. That should be enough time to format the paperback and hardcover and create the audiobook files.

But having said all that leads me into dragon shifters. Because there would be no Valkyries at Draoithe without dragons. I wanted to share a bit about why dragons are even in the stories at all.

Dragons - The Research Video

Dragon in an electric storm

In the realm of fantasy literature and mythology, the concept of shapeshifters has always held a captivating allure. Among these mystical beings, dragon shifters stand out as some of the most formidable creatures to have ever graced the pages of our collective imagination. They are simply irresistible to both the reader and storyteller.

Dragon shifters are beings who possess the ability to transform into dragons, either partially or fully, at will. These beings have a reputation for their fearsome magic, their hoarding skills, and their possession of supernatural talents. Whether they appear as majestic humanoids with dragon-like qualities or as massive, fire-breathing beasts, dragon shifters embody the quintessential essence of fantasy.

Draoithe is primarily a shifter community. There are other immortals and many hybrid magics pulled to the new kingdom by the near sentient dream in its need to right the imbalance created by an ancient spell driving a thousand years of prophecy, but dragons are the knight protectors of the realm. Dragons ensure the safety of those who seek sanctuary within the hidden kingdom created by the Druid pack.

A Dragon with Fire Breath

If you want to delve deeper into the origins and magic of dragon shifters and explore the rich tapestry of lore and fascination that surrounds these extraordinary beings, I've got the video for you. Discover the allure and mystery of dragon shifters in Dragons Legends and Folklore Inspiration.

I did it. I finally crafted the Dragon video I've been working on for a year. Was that to procrastinate on building the timelines for which the muse clamors? Probably, but I'm counting it as a win. Dragons are simply the best. They are difficult to find, but I have done that impossible task. But that is a story for another day.

Instead, I want to share something different: a scene I wrote for A Pack Forms that never made it into the final version of that story! I hope you enjoy this glimpse of a different, younger Luke Mendez.

Scenes from the cutting room floor

Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor

Luke

8 years before he met Eli (2007)

Finally, a couple of weeks of relaxation. He might sleep for days or at least sleep for a few days. His men deserved it after that last mission. He needed to shift. The direwolf inside growled, aggravated, and wanted freedom. That meant he went nowhere near his sister’s place. Chicago was out of the question.

He was far too much animal.

“Luke, be safe.”

Ryker saluted him as he picked up his duffle bag and walked out of the airport into the sunny skies of southern California. The beach was where he needed to be, too.

Ryker was a great guy. It was too bad what happened to his wife. The man would have surely left the service for her a long time back if she hadn't died in an accident. Luke wound up with the benefit of having a competent man working with him on most of his assignments. But still.

Luke grabbed his luggage when it came around on the belt and headed out to hail a taxi. He went straight to the house he rented for the next two weeks. He spent too much money on the place, but hell, he spent none of his money otherwise, so why not?

Luke sat on the back deck above the sand, watching the surf and listening to the people walking on the beach and the seagulls when he saw her. She was almost too small to be a woman. Platinum blonde hair that didn't look bleached. But it was the smell of snow on the pines, which wafted up to him as she passed the house, that got him moving. She smelled like a dog, the way he smelled like a dog. She was a shifter. There was no doubt about it. No way could he let her get away from him.

By the time he got down to the beach, she was long gone. But he tracked her enticing scent to a house down the beach. It was privately owned and gated. He saw the security cameras watching him as he approached the property. It was dark. He was tired.

He turned back to the rental house and found his glass of brandy on the porch where he had left it. Luke drained the glass, walked into the house, toed off his shoes, stripped off his army t-shirt, and let his body fall onto the bed. Tomorrow, he would find out about the mysterious woman. He was deep asleep when the phone rang at nearly three in the morning...

A plea for reviews

I was going to write a short post this week. Oh well, at least I'm consistent. I really need to get some other stuff finished. I will chat with you next week. Maybe I'll share another scene from the cutting room floor. Until we chat again, please remember to be kind when you read and leave your reviews and know that you are always welcome to the dream...

Be Careful!

Happy reading,

Ophelia Kee

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