Secret of the Dragon's Eye

Storyboards

2008-04-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

I've recently started converting Secret of the Dragon's Eye to storyboards. This is happening, because so many of today's visual tools should be plotted out in advance. This saves a lot of time, pain, and effort when planning for computer/video games, movies, graphic novels, etc. In fact, a graphic novel is just storyboards made to look pretty.

So, if you're interested in having a go, you've got to try Six Mile Creek Systems' Springboard Story Editor. You can get a free trial version at http://6sys.com/

This nifty little program is VERY user friendly and patterned after the Microsoft Windows toolbar model, of course. I especially like the import feature, because it means I can just insert a graphic I've already acquired on my own. There are all sorts of additional gadgets and doodads to enhance your presentation and the art tools are pretty easy to manipulate. Each time I've come to a scene where I don't have anything visual, I just snatch up the pen and draw stick figures. With all the colors, fonts and styles, I can make a convincing red dragon, at least to me. My son is the critic.

There's 1-click capabilities for text too and drop-down boxes to insert your descriptions just about anywhere. All-in-all, this software is 5 Stars for ease and end results. Anybody can create storyboards and they should!

Creating Publicity for a Dragon

2008-02-21T18:47:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you're all aware how easy it would be for Secret of the Dragon's Eye to instantly become an all-time best seller? I would simply have Thaddeus appear, for all the world to see, hold a press conference for him to speak, and at a carefully rehearsed moment, Sir Osbert would tell everybody to read about his adventures in the books written by Derek Hart. Then, right on cue, the old boy would snort, harmlessly breathe out a blast of fire into the air, stomp around a little and fly away. Copies would sell like crazy and the rest would be history.

Unfortunately, Thaddeus has no intention of cooperating with such a scheme. He is an intensely private creature, who prefers to be nothing more than a legend.

So, how do I get people to read about that silly dragon? Because, if truth be known, Thaddeus wants people to know what happened in England during World War II. Sir Osbert is convinced that if more humans knew how close the world came to utter destruction, perhaps we would be more careful in the future. As official chronicler of these events, I would like many more readers to experience this series.

It's all about "buzz" these days. It's the current era's word for "word-of-mouth", but more contagious than that. It's the event that made Da Vinci Code a runaway best seller. It's the phenomenon that made Harry Potter an icon. There are lots of examples of when it works, but no magic formula. There is a point when enough people are talking about something that triggers the buzz and from there it makes its own path.

Getting people to buy books these days is quite a challange. Still, when a book is hot, everybody buys a copy.

I have been working for hours on end, every day, to help promote that dragon. Once people read the book, they like it a lot and want to read Book Two, Secret of the Dragon's Breath.

This is a call for dragon lovers to unite, to spread the word.

I would really like your ideas.

Please comment. Let's brainstorm together and get the buzz going.

If you want, I can introduce you to Thaddeus.

He's okay with one-on-one meetings.

Posting Another Review

2008-02-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

Twelve-year-old Gavin Kane lives in Crackington Haven, a small seaside town in North Cornwall. He makes the most of the last gasp of childhood by playing let’s pretend games with his best friend Emily Scott, but now the war has come to change everything. Before his father is called up he shares a book with him, a wonderful book all about King Arthur and a dragon called Thaddeus Osbert. But dragons are made up, aren’t they? Surely there isn’t really one living in Tintagel?

Reading this is a great way to learn a lot about what it was like to live during World War II. It’s all here in some considerable detail, including evacuee boy Bunty who witnesses the bombing of Plymouth, air raid shelters, gas masks, rationing, the Home Guard and more. It almost seems a shame to interrupt it with the fantasy, as there is so much here that is so much larger than life, and distant to how we live now. Letting the dragon appear sooner would have been a good plan, as when he does appear it causes a rift between the real world of bombings, people dying and feats of domestic heroism and the other one of talking dragons and magic swords. It certainly puts a new spin on war fiction, and if this is your sort of thing then you will be pleased that it is only book one in a series. This is an extremely difficult sort of novel to pull off, balancing the two extremes of wartime realism with rather cute fantasy but it works better than many other efforts. http://www.myshelf.com/kids/fiction/07/secretofthedragonseye.htm

Rachel A Hyde
MyShelf.Com

Graphic Novel?

2008-02-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

I have been approached by a very talented artist I know, with an intriguing and enticing proposal. He would like to create a graphic novel of one of Derek Hart's works. Now I just naturally leaned towards a certain dragon. However, I'd like to solicit your feedback as well. I've added a poll asking that very question and I hope you'll take a few seconds to give me your input, please.

Personally, I like graphic novels. I have purchased several over the years and wasn't surprised when my copy of 300 was made into a movie. Visually, they are usually quite dramatic, even startling and the plots are often quirky or unusual. The Caped Crusader Batman enjoyed a rebirth of popularity when graphic novels brough his crime-fighting ways to a new generation.

It's little wonder that movie studios like them too, because a graphic novel is like reading storyboards. The work has already been done. Then a director and computer special-effects wizard can sit down and create the world for the big screen.

There are elements of Secret of the Dragon's Eye that would easily translate to a graphic novel format. First, the dragon would be an artist's dream to create, with author's input, of course. Remember those nasty Nazis too. And the other dragons, especially Verbrennan Drache. I have informed the artist that I'm interested and perhaps he will be inspired to do a few draft renditions, which I can post for your appraisal.

This has potential to reach to another market. Many young adults won't read an entire book, but they'll zip through a graphic novel. If such a media format can capture their imagination just long enough, then maybe they'll read the book.

What do you think?

Invite an Author to Your School

2008-02-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

CHILDREN LOVE having visitors in the classroom, especially people who can tell stories. What could be more exciting for young students than meeting the person who actually wrote one of the books they might be reading?

For Derek Hart, author visits are a win-win proposition. Before Secret of the Dragon’s Eye was published, he discussed it with his 12-year-old son. By involving him in the process, Derek learned what worked and what didn’t. He fixed problems before the story was published. What a wonderful experience it was to collaborate on the creation of this wonderful adventure! Through the eyes of young people, he is able to capture what they're looking for and how their minds work.

If you are interested in an author visit for your school, then you should visit Derek Hart’s website – www.derekhartbooks.com You’ll get a sense of his work, and probably a hint of his personality. If you would like to discuss the possibilities of an author visit, send the author an e-mail at derekhart59@juno.com

Derek Hart is available to speak about such topics as, Reading is an Adventure, Writing Opens Doors to a World of Adventure, and Libraries Promote Time Travel. These presentations are targeted to specific audiences. Lectures can be tailored to fit your meeting or conference,as well as ongoing series in the classroom.

Travel expenses and an honorarium are negotiated between the author and the organization/group beforehand (rates are quite reasonable compared to other speakers/lecturers). For information on available dates and fees, please contact the author directly. Derek Hart also reads chapters from Secret of the Dragon's Eye and Secret of the Dragon's Breath, then discusses his techniques for conducting research and writing drafts. This also includes and Q&A session which has proven to be the most fun for most students.

Read the Adventure! Imagine the Journey! Live the Potential!

Hollywood and Dragons

2008-02-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

I'm biased, of course, but I think Secret of the Dragon's Eye would make a fantastic movie. It has all the right elements. There's a dragon, of course, but Thaddeus Osbert is different, because he's grumpy and loveable. The North Cornwall location would provide great opportunities for spectacular cinematography. There are the three soon-to-be teenagers, nasty Nazis, rationing, and all sorts of historical drama to set the stage for this adventure.

Now Hollywood has always had a thing for dragons, from Disney's Pete's Dragon to Reign of Fire. There's Eragon and Dragonheart, and a dragon plays a critical role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Dungeons and Dragons, the incredibly popular role-playing game, has been brought to the silver screen in both live-action and animated versions What about Dragonslayer and Dragon Wars? So there have been plenty of examples.

Still, it isn't modesty that leads me to say that Secret of the Dragon's Eye and the other 5 books in the series, would make great movies. With the right actors and director, combined with the quality special effects from a movie like Transformers, it would look and sound great. Then it all comes down to the story, which would adapt itself well to 2 hours of cinema entertainment. As with my other novels, I wrote a screenplay as well. I do struggle with what to cut, but 1 page of screenplay equals 1 minute of movie, so you have to get a big pair of storyline scissors and slice away.

Gavin's journey from sheltered young lad living on the Cornish coast, to realizing dragons are real and the Nazi threat to England wasn't just bombers overhead, is worth telling. Gavin's best friend Emily and new chum Bunty have experiences of their own that not only teach about the hardships of the time, but the victories as well. While the dragon is a fantasy element that pulls it all together, life in WWII England was filled with daily peril, strict rationing, and fear of invasion. With school constantly interrupted by air-raid sirens, it was almost impossible to deliver any kind of education and most children learned more about how to help the mums stretch a meal, than anything taught in books.

To a certain degree, the movie screen can help tell a different level of story from a book, by using sight and sound. I would love to be involved in the production, but I know most stuudios and directors can't stand having the author hanging about, mucking up the works. However, if done even remotely right, Secret of the Dragon's Eye could be captivating entertainment. I have often visualize how it might look to see Thaddeus, with Gavin on his shoulders, flying into the heart of London during the Blitz. With German bombers buzzing overhead and incindiaries cascading down igniting fires everywhere, searchlights crisscrossing the night sky, antiaircraft batteries banging away at unseen targets - it captures the imagination.

So, if you know any Hollywood producer, director, or star who is looking for a great project to undertake, send them my way. I'd be happy to negotiate a deal, because I believe Gavin and Bunty and Emily, along with Thaddeus Osbert, have just as important a message to share as many other motion picture characters.

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North Cornwall, United Kingdom

2008-02-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

If you ever go to the United Kingdom, please try to fit in a trip to Cornwall, especially the north coast. There's a lot to see everywhere, but I am especially partial to a certain section, that's why certain locations were chosen for the dragon book series.

Crackington Haven. Don't you just love the sound of it? This little seaside village isn't quaint, but it sure is breathtaking. The nearby beach is spectacular, the Coombe Barton Inn is friendly and just the right place to stop in and have a pint. It made quite an impression on me and our young hero, Gavin Kane, just had to live there. Get out and walk around and up the towering cliffside. The ocean below will silence you completely.

Down the road is historic Boscastle, birthplace of the most famous British King - Arthur. Again, this place just exudes ancient history, with legend and fantasy mixed. I spent hours just wandering along, touching the walls of buildings, and letting my imagination soak up the sense of the fantastic. Perhaps everybody was so nice, because my smile was gigantic and nobody knew I was a Yank, unless I opened my mouth. Still, even when it was obvious that I had come from the former colonies, I was greeted with wonderful handshakes and spirited questions.

By the way, even if witches aren't your cup of tea, please visit the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle. There are some dsplays that aren't for the faint of heart, but I learned a lot about England's hidden history and it influenced my books as well.

Now head along the coast to Tintagel. Here supposedly lies King Arthur's castle - Camelot. Even if it wasn't here, it should have been. What a view! What scenery! What atmosphere! I just had to situate my Little White Cottage on a hill overlooking the ruins of Tintagel Castle. What better place to house a goofy dragon? When you walk among the rocks and crags, you can feel the aura of greatness.

There are coastal caves, howling winds, and whispers from ghosts both real and imagined. This is the place where a famous legend might have been born and where the author decided it did indeed unfurl.

All of Cornwall has something to offer and the Cornish people of Kernow are in my blood. The area is steeped in the earliest days and when you walk across a moor, or sit inside a local pub, you can't help but wonder at it all. I hope I can capture, in some small sense, the magic of a people and their home. Cornwall is simply a marvelous place.

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Sugar

2008-02-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

Recently I had someone (who hadn't read the book) tell me that having a sugar-fixated dragon in my book was irresponsible. "In this day of over-indulgence and diabetes, you shouldn't be promoting sugar intake."

Good point, if the book was taking place now. However, the plot unfolds during World War II in England, when sugar was rationed down to a few ounces a month and everybody craved it. Within the plot, it becomes obvious to anyone with a brain that sugar addiction is not good, that it distracts the dragon and without preaching, I make every attempt to portray this need for sugar as a not-so-good thing, within reason.

One of the author's goals with Thaddeus Osbert, the dragon, is to develop a method of delivering a positive code of conduct. I don't want to shove the message down anyone's throat, but I do have a responsibility to present accurate history, blended with life's lessons. For those of you who have read Secret of the Dragon's Eye, you know that Sir Osbert is a loving and caring dragon, who abhores war and violence, but is still a dragon. He can be pretty terrible when he gets angry, but makes every attempt to shield his charges from the dark side of human existence, while still making sure they understand how nasty war can be.

Yes, there is the comedy element of the dragon's ongoing search for sugar, but it is hardly central to the plot or to the other characters. However, having said that, in my research, one of the food items most talked about by British citizens who lived during rationing, was sugar. It did play a role in morale, just like their tea. Understanding an era can reflect on how and why were are what were are today. These lessons don't get taught in school.

It gets back to the old adage about crticizing something you haven't read or seen or experienced. Everybody's entitled to their opinion, of course, but it has more impact if the person knows what they're talking about. Believe me, I'm perfectly aware of how my books might impact an adolescent, but parents are also responsible for what their children believe.

Off my soapbox now. Next time, I'm going to talk about North Cornwall, England!

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How This Book Came About?

2008-02-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

Lots of people have asked how I decided to switch from my normal adult action/adventure romance novels to a fantasy book for all ages? Well, my son Ian is totally to blame, thank goodness.

One day he complained about not being able to read my books until he was much older. Ian wanted to know why I hadn't written a book he could read. At the time, he was 9 years old.

He was right, of course, so I sat down with Ian and asked him what he wanted in this future novel.

"Well," he said. "It's got to have dragons. I like history, so how about World War II? It should be in England, because I like the Brits. There should be kids growing into teenagers and magical stuff, with humor too."

That was a pretty tall order.

The funny thing - it was a blast to write, enjoyed every minute. The research was fascinating and I've learned a lot.

Then, as things are apt to happen, Ian liked the first book so much, he assumed the story would continue. So, that's why there will be 6 books to the series.

Secret of the Dragon's Eye
Secret of the Dragon's Breath
Secret of the Dragon's Claw
Secret of the Dragon's Scales
Secret of the Dragon's Teeth
Secret of the Dragon's Wings

Now I have every intention of stopping at 6, but who knows?

What Should You Read Next?

2008-02-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

Do you like dragons?
Do you like history?
Do you like action and adventure?
Do you like elves, wizards, pixies, fairies, dwarves, orcs, goblins, and all manner of bad guys?

Secret of the Dragon’s Eye is a tale of fantasy for all ages, with a high-spirited dragon named Thaddeus Osbert and three adolescents who befriend him. Faced with danger and intrigue, the children band together with the dragon, to thwart a German top-secret
mission, aimed at seizing the mystical and magical sword of King Arthur—Excalibur.

By combining their wits, their courage, and their imagination, the children overcome many obstacles to forge friendships as solid as time itself. Yet there is a price to pay for their brave intervention against the forces of evil. Will they be willing to once again battle
incredible odds to make amends? What sacrifices will be required to save their mythical, fire-breathing friend from his preordained fate?

If you, or someone you know, is a fan of Harry Potter, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Eragon, or many fantasy series, this book would make a perfect addition to your
library. The Secret Dragon Series will eventually include 6 volumes, covering the war years 1940 - 1945. These books are suitable for all ages, but are packed with action &
adventure.