UFI welcomes Author Nicole Conway. Thanks for Joining us!!
What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?
I have an entire tumblr blog dedicated to the greatest video game series ever made, Dragon Age. I adore everything about those games – the world, the complexity of the characters, the gameplay, the story – all of it. I’m obsessed, and I don’t care who knows it.
What do you enjoy doing on your down time?
Besides playing Dragon Age, I like to spend time with my son and husband. We go rock climbing at bouldering gyms on the weekend and camping.
What is your Favorite part of writing?
I love diving into a new story and new world whenever I begin a book. It’s like that thrill of boarding the plane on your way to an exciting vacation – you don’t know what to expect but you know it’ll be fun.
Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?
I used to, but honestly, being a military spouse and mother means I’ve had to become very flexible with my work. I have to be able to write whenever I get a spare minute, and that doesn’t always allow for me to follow old routines. Ideally, I like to be in my office, drinking coffee, with my music blasting.
What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres?
I love the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is a marvelous character and he always makes me laugh. But to be honest, I don’t read much in those genres. I usually stick to fiction, adventure, and fantasy books.
How would you pitch THE DRAGONRIDER LEGACY to someone who has not heard of it before?
It’s like How to Train Your Dragon meets Game of Thrones. It has all the action and complexity of a big-world epic fantasy, but all the relatable characters and heartwarming moments you want out of an adventure. It’s got it all; fast-paced battles, spell-slinging action, romantic tension, and of course … DRAGONS!
Can you tell us a little bit about the world that THE DRAGONRIDER LEGACY is set in?
Maldobar is a medieval fantasy kingdom steeped in tradition, history, and a sense of pride for it’s military prowess. However, as we find it in LEGEND, Maldobar is currently torn asunder by yet another brutal war and this one might not be so easily won. The invading Tibran Empire has been laying siege to it and now threatens to conquer it entirely. It’s up to the dragonriders, the kingdom’s finest soldiers, to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Do you have a favorite scene in LEGEND ?
At the risk of giving away spoilers, there is a reunion scene toward the end of the book between Jaevid and Felix, two of the main characters, after they have been separated for forty years due to … bizarre and magical circumstances. Since neither of them have had much family to speak of, they came to care for one another like brothers in the first series, so it’s an emotional moment for both of them. I love seeing them back together and up to their old shenanigans again.
Which one character out of all your books was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?
I always tend to “fall” for the minor characters. In this series, I had to resist writing more about Haldor and Eirik. They both have so many interesting qualities and backstories, but there simply wasn’t room to include it all. Maybe next time! As for which one is the hardest, I always struggle with female narrators so Jenna was a challenge. I tend to second-guess everything when writing for a female character, and I’m not sure why. But it was a good experience, and I intend to keep practicing.
What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?
I’m currently working on three other series: Spirits of Chaos which is an urban fantasy about dragon superheroes, Mad Magic which is an older teen series about modern gun-slinging faerie hunters, and The Dragonrider Trials. Trials is the third and final dragonrider series, and it’s been really bittersweet writing it because while the story is so fun and I’m super comfortable in the world now, this being the end makes it sort of sad. That last book will be a hard one!
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NICOLE CONWAY is an author from North Alabama. She graduated from Auburn University in 2012, and has previously worked as a graphic artist. She is happily married with one son.
Find Nicole and her books
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Legend
Dragonrider Legacy #3
Amazon
In a war of gods and tyrants, the will of the dragonrider must never falter.
Captured
and tortured by the brutal tyrant, Argonox, Reigh’s worst fears have
now been realized. Argonox has successfully twisted his mysterious dark
power for a truly evil purpose—reanimating the long-deceased legendary
dragonrider, Beckah Derrick, and her monstrous king drake. But Argonox’s
cruelty won’t end there, and Reigh fears the worst is yet to come.
Rescue is unlikely as the Tibrans prepare to make their final strike,
poised to break Maldobar’s ranks of proud dragonriders once and for all.
With
many of its cities already captured by the Tibran Empire, all hope now
rests with Jaevid, Princess Jenna, Phillip, and their mismatched band of
dragonrider allies to lead the last stand and save their kingdom. Even
in such frightful times, Jaevid may find he still has a few old friends
ready to take up their weapons and stand at his side again. But facing
down Beckah is perhaps the one thing that might break Jaevid’s resolve.
Can he really strike down the woman he used to love in order to save the
kingdom?
One final battle will decide the fate of our heroes.
Can the strength dragonrider prevail once again? Or will the Tibran
Empire become Maldobar’s new legacy?
“Bravery is not an immunity
to fear—it is rising up to meet it with the hope that nothing is
impossible.” — Sile Derrick, FLEDGLING
LEGEND is the final book in Nicole Conway’s trilogy DRAGONRIDER LEGACY, which also includes SAVAGE and HARBINGER.
Want more dragons?
Check out Nicole Conway’s bestselling quartet
THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES
Excerpt:
Bellowing howls and thunderous booms shook the ground under me. The sound of snarls, snapping teeth against scales, and shrieks of pain seemed to come from every direction. I recognized the deep inhale and throaty hiss, followed by the roar of flames. A dragon was spitting its fiery venom so close by I could smell the acidic tinge of it lingering in the air. The low hum of something huge swooshed right over me, probably missing me by inches. A tail? Wings? Gods only knew. But I couldn’t even lift my head to see.
The brawl seemed to end as abruptly as it had begun. No more roars. No more flame. A break in the commotion with only the distant sound of the battle to fill the silence.
A soft whine and series of pops, clicks, and chirps resonated against my ear and a hot blast of musky breath blasted over my cheek. I felt it. Something huge was looming over me. But I couldn’t move or open my eyes.
A rough shove rocked my senses, rolling me over so that I flopped onto my back. More hot breaths blasted against my face. I didn’t have to see her. I knew it was Vexi. It took every ounce of strength left in my body to will my eyes open. The end of her big green nose was right in my face, smelling me and whining. She licked at my forehead, one big swipe of sticky dragon spit up the bridge of my nose all the way to my hairline.
“H-hey there,” I managed to rasp weakly.
She chirped, huge blue eyes blinking down at me with concern. Curling her scaly body around me like a protective living barrier, she laid her head on the ground right next to mine. Her ears perked toward me and nostrils puffed in deep, as though she could sense I was in bad shape.
Too late, I realized that leaving her, trying to send her away, was by far the stupidest thing I’d ever done. That’s saying something, I know. Doing stupid stuff was basically my life’s hobby. But Kiran had told me about the loyalty of dragons many times. And right after Vexi chose me, Jenna had said something about it, too. She’d said that our bond was special—that Vexi would stick by me no matter what, even in death. At the time, I hadn’t understood what that meant.
Now I did.
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Safari Spell is a native of Albany, Georgia. Author of the Long Live Dead Reckless series, she has a BA in Journalism from Valdosta State University. She currently lives in North Georgia with her husband, two children, and a backyard jungle harboring all the dinosaurs everyone thinks are extinct. Her dreams include chasing autumn around the globe and having a wallaby sidekick.
