Dear March
House Books Readers,
Firstly a big
thank you to Barbara for this lovely invitation: a site I often visit for a
trip down memory lane.
My name is
Julia Suzuki and I am author of the soon to be released Land of Dragor, a
children’s adventure series with an appeal for the child within us all too!
My formative
years were enchanting, and the strongest inspiration for my current authorship.
The earliest recollection I have was being sat in my bedroom with the breeze
blowing in through the window on a beautiful summers day, listening to the
sounds of animals merged with the thrill of happy human cheers!
It wasn’t the
usual garden sounds though; not dogs, not cats, not birds - nor of children
playing in the garden as they would normally do.
But it was
the noises of real beasts: lions and monkeys, zebras and cheetahs! Our family
home was uniquely set on the closest edge to a Zoo and Theme Park in
Staffordshire; we were separated only by the Millrace at the bottom of the
garden on the ‘Deer park Estate’ by Drayton Manor Park in Tamworth,
Staffordshire.
The Drayton
Manor Theme Park
One summer,
my Father lovingly handcrafted myself and brothers wide canoes. In the years
ahead we would regularly set off for secret adventures. Down the millrace we
would paddle, and into the fields we would go; playing wildly in the woods,
loving nature, embracing the outdoors - pretending we were the animals.
My
imagination started to grow with my love of books.
My winter
months were spent indoors often reading. I loved all the now vintage books: Beatrix
Potter, CS Lewis, Enid Blyton and others of that period. I would often
close the book and write my own endings and so my joy of creative writing
began.
At the age of
seven I was enrolled in elocution lessons with a local speech and drama school,
ran by a former teacher from a local convent. She was very strict and austere
but that did bring out the best in the group of girls that attended. In the
lessons I would practice reciting pages of literature and poetry, from memory,
in preparation for the London School of Music examiners. I continued through to
the senior grades. My favorite and most memorable recital was from the book the
Snow Goose; such a sad tale that even in recollection pulls at heartstrings.
Into
adulthood a business career followed. After time at University studying
marketing, a career with Disney licensing then followed. After this I worked in
international licensing with the leisure entrepreneur David Lloyd in a resorts
business. I had the good fortune of travelling to many of the most beautiful
places in the world - inspiring me further. My urge to be an author was
growing daily, and I recently gave up this career to become a full time writer.
And so the first book the Gift of Charms came to be!
I had been
thinking back to the wonderful vintage books I had read and wishing there were
more like this - but with unique and modern edge and an interactive web
presence. Being a mother I believed I knew first hand what parents were looking
for when purchasing a book for their children, yet more than that, I felt
strongly that I knew also what they sought themselves: gripping action, lots of
adventure - all the classic aspects of heroes and villains, mystery and magic,
quests and suspense, and the dream of happy endings.
I wanted to
write books with universal appeal, that were fantastical and 'out there' and
yet still felt somehow real; to fulfil the expectations of book lovers and
also hook non-readers back into reading. For me this had to be in the form of a
series set in a place we would all be excited to visit.
I designed
the land, integrating beautiful countryside, mountain trails, great waters and
caves to explore. All the things I loved as a child and still do today. The
most beautiful places that I had seen on my international travels formed the
setting of Dragor: the amazing mountains of Colorado, the great deserts of Palm
Springs, in California, the vast waters in the Lake District, and the seaside
caves of Cornwall - not forgetting the enchanting wilderness of Scotland.
Dragor would be my ideal place to live - full of magnificent scenery, bursting with
animals and nature's magical flowers and plants. A place of adventure,
excitement and promise.
Synopsis of Book #1
The Gift of Charms is an enthralling
children’s tale of magic, adventure, and suspense, with a heart-warming centre.
The first in the Land of Dragor
series, transports the reader to the magical Land of Dragor, where dragon clans
live hidden from man.
Their great wars with humans and
the evil dragsaurs are over and the dragons live in the caves among smoking mud
pools and around The Fire Which Must Never Go Out. But the terrible years when
they were enslaved by humans has left a lasting scar and they are told they can
never soar above the mountains and leave their safe haven to explore the
outside world.
There is unease in the air of their
mist-filled valley, and the coming of a strange egg heralds a new era. Unlike
the normal delicate lilac, this shell is multi-coloured like the contents of a
treasure chest.
The newborn hatchling is called
Yoshiko, but he is immediately treated with suspicion by the elders, and is
lucky to survive. The last time a coloured egg was laid, legendary warrior
leader Surion was born from a red shell, and with his gift of fire the dragons
went to battle with the humans. Will Yoshiko bring a blessing to the clans, or
a curse? Could Dragor be about to meet its saviour, or its destroyer?
‘The Gift of Charms’ is released
by John Blake Publishing under the Dino Children’s Imprint on September 4th
and is available to pre-order here:
The Land of Dragor: Book 1: The Gift of Charms
The Land of Dragor: Book 1: The Gift of Charms
All
best wishes
Julia Suzuki
Fantasy Author
The Land of Dragor adventure series
(John Blake Publishing House, Dino
Imprint)
After
so many stories and myths about dragons finally the truth is revealed!
'A beautifully presented,
wonderfully unique debut' - The Sun
WEBSITES
http://www.juliasuzuki.com (Author
blog and website)
http://www.landofdragor.com (An
interactive website for Dragor fans)
TWITTER
http://www.twitter.com/juliasuzuki_uk (Follow
Julia here on Twitter)
FACEBOOK
http://facebook.com/juliasuzukiauthor
(Follow Julia and here on Facebook)
GOODREADS
http://goodreads.com/juliasuzuki
(See latest book reviews)
AMAZON
http://amazon.com/juliasuzuki (Buy
the books here)
What a lovely guest post, Barbara. Julia - you sound like an amazing person. How I would love to go and live in Dragor.....
ReplyDeleteHello Marilyn, me too! How about it, Julia – is there room for two little ones?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteOf course! And you can become a Dragorian at www.juliasuzuki.com -- so happy to have you both
DeleteThis sounds like an amazing series. We have much in common Julia, although I grew up in Canada on a farm with many interesting animals and magical experiences, instead of next to a zoo and amusement park in the UK.I will be reading your books for sure. All the best. Thanks Barbara for introducing us to Julia and her books.
ReplyDeleteHi Darlene, you are most welcome. I enjoyed finding out about them too.
DeleteHow lovely Darlene, I am thrilled that you will be reading the series. Your childhood on a farm sounds fascinating and enchanting. Lovely to hear from you
DeleteIt sounds a great book Julia and you had an exceptional childhood !! loved the pictures :) Thanks Barbara fro such an interesting guest post. Its amazing and I will be waiting the books to be in India :)
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure Kokila. It will be interesting to see if the books make it to India.
DeleteThank you Kokila -- am pleased you liked the pictures, it was a long time ago but the happiest of times. Much love to you in India
DeleteThank you Sue
DeleteWonderful to read how your childhood adventures inspired you to write!
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling in Sue.
DeleteIt is a joy to read about your childhood dream come TRUE! I never tire of revisiting my childhood "closet" of dreams because I always find my way back as an adult, much richer because I've never let go...and those dreams are finally becoming true. ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY! (HI BARBARA!) Anita
ReplyDeleteHi Anita! Hugs Barbara
DeleteThank you Anita for your lovely words. I agree that our dreams are there to keep us going :)
DeleteAll best wishes to you
How lovely to meet Julia! Her book sounds absolutely enchanting and it is one I would love to read. It was wonderful to learn more about her and her path to becoming and author. It sounds like she is doing exactly what she loves!
ReplyDeleteWishing Julia the best of luck. The cover is so beautiful! :)
Hi Stephanie, it sounds amazing doesn't it? I want to read it too and have already added it to my must treat myself list. Thanks very much for calling in and leaving a comment. Have a good weekend, Barbara.
DeleteWhat a lovely guest post Barbara..:) Loved to read her reading tales :)
ReplyDeleteHi Nagini, yes, I felt very honoured when Julia asked if she could guest post on my blog. I also loved reading it.Thanks for calling in. Barbara
DeleteBeautiful Barbara! Good morning! Thank you, friend, for coming all the way from England to visit my post on my beautiful city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. We are dubbed, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes" and what a grand place it is. It's also one of the coldest places in the United States, but I don't care. Living here and enjoying the sights is worth it all.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your Tuesday!!! Anita
Dear Anita, it certainly sounds grand & beautiful. I just added it to my 'must see' list. Thank you for telling me about your beautiful city and for your visit xx
DeleteOh dear friend, if you ever came here, you would love it. But not in the winter! WOW, it's cold, but so lovely....
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun, fun childhood and it shows how it inspired your creative side.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Donna.
DeleteThat is a great cover and a really engaging storyline! Congratulations on the book, Julia. It's good knowing about you and your childhood here. How fascinating to live next to the zoo. Instead of hearing birds, you heard lions. "The Enchanted Woods" remains my favourite Enid Blyton series, too. I wish you huge success with "The Gift of Charms!"
ReplyDeleteAnd a special 'Hello again' to Barbara! *wave, wave.
Hi Claudine! I’m waving right back at you. I hope life is being good to you. Barbara x
DeleteJulia what a wonderful post. I can relate to the lovely childhood you had as too grew up surrounded by jungles and mountains and the sound of real wild animals at times.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing some of those beautiful moments of your childhood with us
Thanks so much for your comment Shashi.
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