“In a world full of princesses, always be a dragon.” A disillusioned demon hunter runs from her power. A deposed queen must consider the consequences of reclaiming her throne. A special agent faces the flames of injustice in a gut-wrenching trial. A medical mystery turns into a pursuit of dragons—across space and time. Welcome to Dragons Within: a fiery, quick-paced collection of stories featuring twelve women with dragon-like traits who hold untapped magic and power within. Some are full-blooded dragons, while others are simply human—but each carries the spirit of a dragon. Bringing together the fantastical and the mundane, the unique stories in this anthology span a wide range, from trial by magic and first encounters between human and dragon—to facing writer’s block and harnessing the power of language. A little girl navigates bullying, grief, and fair-weather friends while learning to embrace her inner dragon. A fashionista hunts for a one-of-a-kind piece to display in her closet. An encounter with mystical horse-like beings awakens a former rodeo star’s true magic. The spirit of a dragon shines forth during a mother’s grueling battle with cancer. Thoughtfully crafted by twelve new and emerging speculative fiction authors, these stories create a broad, limitless sky where individuals embrace their personal magic and rise. In the face of self-doubt, cunning, and fear, the women in Dragons Within must vanquish both inner and outer foes . . . claim their wings—and fly.
Authors
From the time she was old enough to form such bold opinions, D. Gabrielle Jensen has loved good music and robust storytelling, hated the sound of her government name, and yearned for the commotion and serenity of a major metropolis. She has won writing awards she forgot about long ago, and college was a string of 4 a.m. discussions and Greek mixers so she filed all of that away as inconsequential. Out in the wild, D. can be found roaming rooftops and alleyways with her camera, screaming in the front row of a concert, or on the hunt for a damn fine cup of coffee. Or just hanging out at home with her cat. Follow her online, strike up a conversation, and she’ll gladly take all those black jelly beans off your hands.
Lori Matsourani is a romance addict. Give her stories with a touch of heartbreak and a spark of joy, and she’s happy. Throw in characters with a huge helping of heart and soul, and she’s up reading all night in romance heaven! While currently a Texas resident, Lori grew up near Baltimore and often draws on the historical flavor of Annapolis and Maryland’s Eastern Shore to inspire her story settings. She authored her first fiction story at twelve and has been hooked on writing ever since. Early on, her writing career focused on articles for magazines and newspapers before shifting to her first writing love—fiction. For Lori, connecting words to tell a story is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, and she loves the challenge of creating every piece.
