Mason and Me - Life with a Teacup Dragon (3)

Miniature Flat Dragon

Other breeds of Dragon  
(click pictures to enlarge)


The Miniature Flat Dragon. Named for their slightly flat body shape, this dragon is known for it's sweet temperament and intelligence. They commonly grow to between 10 and 20cm in length. Their flame is especially hot so they arent good for cooking, but they are wonderful at lighting fires.

The Red Dragon

The Red Dragon generally grows up to 25cm in length. This dragon is not for first time owners as they are prone to be a but nasty in temperament and need careful handling. Having said that, when trained well, they are extremely loyal and intelligent, capable of handling complex tasks. However, poor training or any mis treatment could lose you a finger.

The Leaf-winged dragon

The Leaf-winged Dragon. One of the few dragons that can still be found in the wild, thanks to the camouflage offered by it's leaf-like wings. It is distinctive because of it's green coloured flame and smoke. Depending on the climate they can grow up to 30cm in length, though 15 to 20 is more normal. They are responsible for many brush and forest fires, which sadly also claim the lives of many leaf-winged dragons each year. Of all remaining dragons breeds, they are the most endangered. If you do manage to spot and catch one, they can me very loving pets, but they will retain their independent streak.

The Prickly Dragon

The Prickly Dragon is named more for it's temperament than it's looks. It's the smallest of all dragons, growing to a maximum of 15cm, but more usually 7-12cms. Despite it;s size, it packs the biggest fire power of any dragon. The only specimens are owned by hardened breeders and when not working, are kept in specialist dragon houses, made from the same material as a kiln. They do not like people and they will not form a bond with you, or any other living creature. However, if you are willing to put up with their temper, they can be very useful workmates. Many incinerator's and crematoriums employ Prickly's as they are able to create fires that burn at temperatures of up to 1000 degreed Celsius. Plus, they love making fires.


Intro | Feeding |

Mason and Me - Life with a Teacup Dragon (2)

I've been receiving a lot of questions about this on FB so I thought I'd post this a little early.

Feeding

He's a messy eater!

Hand feeding an orphaned Dragon actually isn't as difficult as one might assume. The basic feed is liquid puppy food but with a tablespoon of CaJohns Select Red Savina Habanero Puree added.

Puree

Yes, I know how awful it sounds to give an infant Habanero peppers, and I confess he coughed and spluttered a little, but their mothers milk is hot, see, because the lining of the throat and oesophagus must be toughened up. Otherwise, the first time he coughs in the middle of a flame, he'll get serious burns!

And it really is amazing how quickly Mason got used to it. He coughed a little the first time, sneezed the second but he's been fine ever since.

Liquid puppy food

And it keeps the dogs away from his food, just a sniff was enough for them to turn tail and run!

Mason is smoking regularly now, and while I have yet to see the spark that signifies that he's about to flame, I'm sure it will be any day now.

I really enjoy feeding him, though I confess, the nighttime feeds were getting to me. He goes through the night now, thankfully. 

Farley's Rusks

He gets through about three 10ml syringes at a time now and he gets this really content look in his eyes when he feeds; it's our bonding time! When he's done, he usually wants to sleep, so he settles down with the dogs for a nap!

When it's time to wean him, he'll have Farley's Rusks, soaked in the liquid food to soften them first, then baby food.

When fully grown, Whiptailed Green dragons are omnivores so should have a varied diet that includes meat, carbohydrates and fibre. I'm told that their favourite treat is waffles or pancakes with maple syrup.

Do you have a teacup dragon? Share your stories with me, I'm kind of feeling alone here.  

Follow Mason's facebook page for regular updates.

Intro

Mason and Me - Life with a Teacup Dragon

Mason, my teacup dragon

Well, Mason was born 4 weeks ago now and we're getting on swimmingly together. Even the dogs love him. Of course, he hasn't really learned how to breath fire just yet, so he may go out of favour once we have a few scorched whiskers.

Now, before I go any further, I want to pre-empt all the people who will no doubt be saying how awful it is to inbreed dragons until they're this tiny. Teacup dragons aren't inbreed, they are naturally that small (which is how they managed to survive the human/dragon war. More on that some other time)

The war is also why you won't see many, they are incredibly shy creatures, unless they know you well. Thankfully Mason imprinted on me at birth, so he trusts me.

A few facts.

Mason is a Whiptailed green (They are bright green just after birth but get browner as they age)

Whiptailed Greens grow to between 8cm and 20cm, though I suspect Mason will be on the smaller side.

Mason's mother, Vera, had an unfortunate accident with a freezer, so Mason and his brother were incubated in my fireplace.

Mason snuggling with Lucy when he was 4 days old. Usually you cant see him because he's hiding under her ears, he seems to like it there.

Contrary to popular belief, dragons are actually very tactile creatures and especially when they're young, they love to snuggle. The experts tell me it's because they need to keep warm, but I don't care why.

If you bond with a dragon when it's young, they will be your friend for life and make surprisingly loyal and obedient pets.

Bemused!

Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen to my newest offering, Bemused!

When self-made property developer, Niall, is attacked by vampires on his way home, his neat and ordered life soon begins to fall apart. His rescuer, the effervescent Mel, declares herself to be his Muse - better known in modern times as a Guardian Angel - and offers him a business proposition; she wants them to go into business as supernatural detectives.

Slightly sceptical to say the least, Niall eventually agrees to try working one case with her - helped in no small part by his rather strong attraction to Mel.

Mrs Hart's house has been plagued by a series of deadly and unexplainable events, culminating in the death of a local boy. As they look into possible causes, Niall finds himself growing even more fond of Mel, although she seems determined to keep him at arm's length.

He discovers why she she is so reticent but that is soon overshadowed by the cause of Mrs Hart's problems; a foe so powerful that even the immortal Mel seems terrified!

This is hopefully the start of a new series about the adventures of Niall and Mel. It's a slight departure from my usual fair of vampire books and historical romances, it's lighter and a wee bit fluffier than a lot of my stuff, but I hope you enjoy it.

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Paperback coming soon!

And that's your lot for a while. Seriously, that's three books this year and it's only the 12th of March! I need a break!

Hope for Tomorrow

It has been brought to my attention that Hope for Tomorrow still had a few errors when it was published.

My sincere apologies for that. I do have all my manuscripts professionally proofed but when you're talking 90+ thousand words, I suppose mistakes are sometimes inevitable.

A new version has now been uploaded to Amazon but because downloading the new version will delete any bookmarks and notes you have on your copy, you need to request the updated version (you wont be charged or anything).

If you would like an error free copy, please email kdp-support@amazon.com asking for the version on your kindle to be updated. The book details are as follows

Title: Hope for Tomorrow
By: Catherine Winchester
ASIN: B0078FWG52
 
I believe that all the mistakes have been caught now but if you should spot any more, please do let me know.

Why I hate Grammar Nazi's

ETA: The Sad Life of a Grammar Nazi 

For all those people who think that dyslexics and those with other learning disabilities have an unfair advantage, what with being allowed laptops in school and given extra time in exams (not that I had such advantages) please believe me that once we get into the real world, you have all the advantages.

This is an excerpt from a publisher's blog.

If we're talking actual query [letters] I don't overlook those mistakes AT ALL. They are HUGE red flags for the project being queried.  If you make mistakes in your query [letter] you'll make mistakes in your novel.  I can't submit an error-ridden novel to an editor. Well, I could but I flat out refuse to do so.  

I encounter this sentiment so many times, not just from publishers but in my every day life (it's not always aimed at me, I hasten to add).

Did you know that Agatha Christie, arguably the best writer of the 20th century, was dyslexic? She wasn't diagnosed but they can tell from studying her manuscripts and drafts. I don't claim to be the next Agatha Christie (I'd happy to be compared to a Mills & Boon writer) but I cant help but wonder what sort of reception Miss Christie would receive if she was trying to get published today.

The thing is, subjects like physics and algebra have always come easily to me. Given the easy with which I view these topics,  I have never felt that others are dumb just because they can't do what comes relatively easy to me.

What I would really like to know is why people for whom English has always come easy, feel the need to call others stupid and point out their mistakes to make them feel dumb, just because some people can't grasp language and it's nuances as easily as they do? 

New Book and Valentines Day Giveaway

To celebrate valentines AND my new book, Hope for Tomorrow, all my books are free on Amazon today! Yep, every single one of them.

The newest book in my stable, Hope for Tomorrow is a historical romance. 

When housemaid Martha began an affair with her Master's son, Lucien, the future Earl of Marchwood, it was always destined to end badly.

Single, pregnant and unemployed, Martha struggles to forge a new life for herself and her daughter, only for Lucien to inadvertently destroy it.

She and her daughter are homeless and starving when they come to the aid of a man who proves to be their salvation.

Lucien is still obsessed with his lost love, the only woman who has ever rejected him.

A chance meeting seven years later could spell disaster but can they put their pain and pride behind them and seize this opportunity, or will old ghosts ruin their last chance at happiness?

  “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” Albert Einstein  

Download it today for FREE from Amazon US & Amazon UK (Free on the 13th &14th)

My other ebooks:

Northern Light: Amazon US | Amazon UK (Free on the 14th & 15th)
What You Wish For: Amazon US | Amazon UK (Free on the 14th)
Past Due: Amazon US | Amazon UK (Free on the 13 & 14th)
Half Past: Amazon US | Amazon UK (Free on the 13 & 14th)
A Merry Little Christmas: Amazon US | Amazon UK (Free on the 14th)

P.S. If you do download a copy, please consider leaving a review, you know how important they are to me!

P.P.S. If you're feeling pretty bummed right now because you feel like the only person in the world without a Kindle but you just cant afford one, don't worry, you can download the Kindle app for free! 

The Kindle app is available for PC, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad, iTouch and Windows 7 phone! On Amazon UK & Amazon US (scroll down a little, it's on the left)

What are you waiting for?