From Jurassic Park to Skies of Madness.

I've been thinking a lot about dinosaurs lately and yea it's because Jurassic World came out in theaters yesterday. BTW, if you haven't seen it, go. It's awesome. Why are you still reading this? Go see it!

I was 11 years old when I finished reading every dinosaur book in the children's section for the second time. Resignation to the fact that I would have to start reading older kids' books struck me hard. Surely they wouldn't have a single dinosaur in them. 

Looking up and down the library, I remember frowning at the situation and yearning for just one more dinosaur book. Then suddenly I remembered the most famous dinosaur movie of all time. 

Jurassic Park.

I wondered if maybe there had been a book that had been written about the movie. Of course by now, many of you are probably laughing at me because of course Jurassic Park was written by Michael Crichton 3 years before the movie was released.

But I digress.

From the moment I began reading Jurassic Park, I knew that something incredible had just happened. The picture books about dinosaurs were great in their own way, but in Jurassic Park there was a world that my imagination crafted along with the story that was as complex as it was riveting. I couldn't put it down and as soon as I was done with it, I wanted more so I read the sequel: The Lost World.

Where am I going with this?

Jurassic Park was my stepping stone into the world of adult books, novels that wove stories that drew me in. That was when I truly wanted to become a writer. In that moment, I wanted to write something that could captivate a reader as I had been captivated by a park where dinosaurs thrived.

As I've gone on to other novels, my mind always goes back to that first one. It was my entrance to the magic of imagination through the written word. It's all thanks to Michael Crichton.

And dinosaurs.

Fast forward 17 years. I still love dinosaurs, but I've found something even better.

Dragons. 

You'll be hard pressed to meet someone who doesn't love dragons. They're everywhere! In games, movies, comics and novels. Beyond the old myths, generations are falling in love with dragons. 

And dragons are at the heart of the issue in my debut novel, Skies of Madness. It'll soon be available for purchase on Amazon when I get everything squared away. You can read an excerpt here.

You see, I never outgrew my love for dinosaurs. I just discovered that some of them could have magic. Because as any boy or girl will tell you, the only thing better than a dinosaur is a dragon. Dragons are basically dinosaurs with magic. Who could say no to that?

And dragons are to dinosaurs what a novel is to a picture book. The magic of a good story is what bridges the gaps of our sad moments into a glimpse into the infinite world of imagination. Not just a reprieve from a stressful day at work or a long night with the kids, a good novel will take you to a place that only exists for as long as you keep wondering about it.

So keep wondering and keep reading. You won't regret it.