My relationship with Farloft, my dragon muse, started in 1996. My nephew, James, was nine years old and having a problem with the concept of ownership. It wasn't that he stole, it was that he made some really poor trades. Let's just say you wouldn't have wanted him on your corporate bargaining team.
He would go to school with a new winter coat and come home coat-less, with a transformer toy. His mother would have to go to school to retrieve the coat from the student he struck the trade.
James just didn't seem to get it. His parents talked to him, his grandparents, I even took a stab at it, but it was a concept he was having real issues with. I wondered, 'who would a little nine year old boy listen to?'
The answer came with the arrival of Farloft. A little boy would listen to a very wise, old dragon. James & the Dragon was the result of Farloft and I putting our heads together to teach some lessons without preaching. I am pleased to say, it worked!
Periodically, over the succeeding twenty years, Farloft arrived to dictate his Chronicles, seven books in all. In May of 2013 I published James & the Dragon not really knowing where it would lead us. However, Farloft knew we were off on an adventure.
As soon as I got on social media, in particularly Twitter, the dragons started to rally around Farloft. His sweet nature and gentle outlook seemed to attract the best in folks. I had no idea there were so many dragons in the world, but Farloft did.
His Chronicles became popular and the word spread. It seemed he was a 'Dragon for All Ages.'
Soon folks were demanding he have a Facebook page, his own blog, and a Twitter account. I gave in to the first two, but he was not going to get access to my computer to tweet daily. I put him on a virtual leash, but I could not muzzle him.
He would go to school with a new winter coat and come home coat-less, with a transformer toy. His mother would have to go to school to retrieve the coat from the student he struck the trade.
James just didn't seem to get it. His parents talked to him, his grandparents, I even took a stab at it, but it was a concept he was having real issues with. I wondered, 'who would a little nine year old boy listen to?'
The answer came with the arrival of Farloft. A little boy would listen to a very wise, old dragon. James & the Dragon was the result of Farloft and I putting our heads together to teach some lessons without preaching. I am pleased to say, it worked!
Periodically, over the succeeding twenty years, Farloft arrived to dictate his Chronicles, seven books in all. In May of 2013 I published James & the Dragon not really knowing where it would lead us. However, Farloft knew we were off on an adventure.
As soon as I got on social media, in particularly Twitter, the dragons started to rally around Farloft. His sweet nature and gentle outlook seemed to attract the best in folks. I had no idea there were so many dragons in the world, but Farloft did.
His Chronicles became popular and the word spread. It seemed he was a 'Dragon for All Ages.'
Soon folks were demanding he have a Facebook page, his own blog, and a Twitter account. I gave in to the first two, but he was not going to get access to my computer to tweet daily. I put him on a virtual leash, but I could not muzzle him.
He became the "Dragon Who Tweets!"
With his new title he continued to dictate and I continued to write. One day on a Farloft Friday he was asked how he met me. He told Charlotte it was a very long story. It was, and we wrote it in the sixth book of his Chronicles, Dragon Memories, Dreams & Reflections.
Farloft always tweets the day after Thanksgiving in the USA. In 2015, someone asked him what he wanted for Christmas. He said he would like a selfie with his friends on Twitter. They all got together and the result was the First Ever - Dragon Selfie!
Since then there has been one annually.
Kitsooki did the first - 2015
2016 - The group grew and Kitsooki did it again.
2017 it became a Gathering of Dragons,
when Golden Emotions captured the group having a picnic in an alpine meadow.
2015 not only brought us the first dragon selfie, but it also was the year I started doing readings at the local libraries for 'Appreciate a Dragon Day,' January 16th each year.
It was at one of these readings that I met a very unhappy little 5-6 year old. He had come with his older siblings for the reading and he wanted a Farloft book with pictures. The Chronicles were written for nine years or older - no pictures.
Well, Farloft couldn't bear to have someone unhappy with his selections, so he dictated nine short stories. Bluekite-Falls did coloring pages so preschool to six year olds, Justin's age, could read them and have pictures. Farloft's Storybook was published in October of 2015.
A lot of love when into the book.
Farloft's heart smoke ring.
Flutterby, Farloft flying kitty friend.
Youngling dragon's find it is not easy to breathe fire.
Over the years, Farloft has introduced me to many wonderful folks and taken me to some really amazing places. He would like to be a movie star one day, so no doubt, that will be one of our adventures in the future.
He loves meeting new folks, so please drop by and introduce yourself.
He Tweets the last Friday of each month.
He shares stories, art and contests on his Blog.
And, he talks about his aspirations of being a movie star on his Facebook page.
Join in the fun!
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