About the Book
Book: Drandar the Dragon Knight
Author: Terrie Hellard-Brown
Illustrator: Rachelle Brown
Genre: Chapter book for Middle Grade Readers
Release Date: February 12, 2025
Drandar is the dragon that has been prophesied. He will help the king build a strong, safe kingdom as one of his faithful knights. But Drandar doesn’t seem to fit what a knight should be or even what a real dragon should look like. He’s what Seraphina calls a “late bloomer.” Drandar is droopy, discouraged, and doubting. Will he ever become the knight he’s supposed to be?
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About the Author
Empowering families to disciple the next generation every day and everywhere is Terrie Hellard-Brown’s mission. Sparking Everyday Discipleship, the podcast hosted by Terrie Hellard-Brown focuses on discipleship in the 21st Century, great books, and sparking important conversations with our children. Terrie is a writer, speaker, missionary, and mom with a BA in sociology and psychology, an MA in education, and is currently working on her DMin.
Her books include:
- Up, Down, and All Around: A Handbook for Discipling Our Children Based on Deuteronomy 6
- Building Character Through Picture Books: 25 Family Devotions Based on Favorite Picture Books
- A World of Pancakes (a picture book on flexibility and culture and including recipes from around the world)
- Izzy’s Notebook (a picture book about forgiveness, Harper and Izzy, Best Friends Forever Series: Living the One Anothers)
- Drandar the Dragon Knight (chapter book about being who God created us to be).
Terrie creates jewelry, bookmarks, and mini books (décor) with biblical and literature themes.
Her writing has appeared in Starlight Magazine, Upper Room, and Inspire Christian Writers Anthologies and blog.
Interview with the Author
- What does success as an author look like to you?
What a great question! Of course, I would love to sell a bunch of books and feel like I’ve done a good job because people like my books, but in reality, it comes down to hearing a child say they love my book, or a parent say my book helped them. I had one little boy ask his father to buy him Drandar, and he was so excited to get it. He read the whole book that night and came back the next day to see if we had the second book out. His dad told him I had said it would be out next year, but he insisted that his dad check. He couldn’t wait to get the second book. That felt like success. Every reaction like that makes an author feel like we’re on the right track and have been successful in telling a compelling story.
- Which part of the book was the most difficult to write?
The battle scene was the most difficult. The story needed the battle between good and evil. It needed Drandar to be the hero he was meant to be, but I didn’t want to overdo the tension or make it too dark for young readers. I hope I found the right balance. I had friends and their children read it and give me feedback, and I think that helped me find the right story to tell.
- What inspired this book?
My daughter who has autism inspired this book. She is so wonderful and is an amazing artist, but she had a hard time with perseverance when she was young. She loves dragons and illustrated the book. I wrote it when she was much younger to encourage her to keep trying and that God has a purpose for her life.
- Describe your view as you’re sitting in your writing chair.
I love to write at my desk in my home office. It’s not as exotic as being out in some of the places my friends write in or as cozy as a little comfy spot they’ve set up with pillows and coffee. I need my desk where I can focus on writing and prayer. I have some of my favorite quotes on the wall in front of me such as a quote from C.S. Lewis and Winnie the Pooh. I have artwork that makes me smile when I see it including a pillow on a chair next to my desk that has a picture one of my illustrators created on it. I have lots of color too because I love bright, vibrant colors. My office would drive an ADD person crazy, but for me, it makes me smile and feel ready to work.
- If you could have one book or piece of art or music on a deserted island, what would it be and why?
That’s a tough question. Of course, the obvious answer is the Bible. How can we live without God’s Word? But if you’re meaning any other book, art, or music, I’d have to say I would want Toby Mac’s music. He’s a Christian musician that I really love. I guess on a deserted island, his song “Help Is On the Way” would be my first choice. 😊
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 12
Simple Harvest Reads, September 13 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, September 13
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 14
For Him and My Family, September 15
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 16
Fiction Book Lover, September 17 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, September 18
Stories By Gina, September 19 (Author Interview)
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 20 (Author Interview)
A Reader’s Brain , September 21 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, September 22
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 23 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, September 24 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, September 24
For the Love of Literature, September 25 (Author Interview)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Terrie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card, signed copy of the book and Bible study that accompanies the book, three stickers, a dragon velvet bookmark, and an armor of God necklace!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.