Salvador Mercer - Dragons That Breathe Fire, Ice and Acid

When Salvador Mercer isn't trying to keep the peace between his three boys, who he calls the Elf, Hobbit and Orc, he writes fascinating fantasy novels. In today's interview, Mercer tells us more about the chromatic dragons in his dragon series, talks about his latest book, The White Dragon, and gives us a sneak peek into what to expect from him next.

Please give us a short introduction to The White Dragon

The White Dragon is the fourth of five chromatic dragon books based in the Claire-Agon fantasy world. The white dragons breathe frost or ice instead of the usual fire that most dragons are associated with. Each dragon also has a special ability or talent based on their color.

How does this book tie in with the rest of the Dragon Series? Is it a stand-alone story or do you have to read the previous books first before getting into this one?

Each dragon book is a stand-alone novel that can be read independently of each other, though the one common character in all the books is the royal historian, Diamedes, who chronicles the dragon wars. The books tie in very closely with the main epic Ranger Series that take place a thousand years later, so each book has a perspective and story to tell of the great dragon war that nearly wiped out all the inhabitants of Claire-Agon. So to summarize, a reader can start with any dragon book and not be lost, though the reading order may help the reader in digesting the information/story.

What fascinates you about the fantasy genre?

I grew up on Tolkien and TLORs so I'd say the epic scale of the stories told, the alternate, rich histories of the fantasy worlds and of course the creatures and magic that arouse our imaginations so vividly.

Do writing about surreal worlds present any particular problems? How do you keep track of everything that is going on in your world?

It is a challenge to keep everything straight so I have a comprehensive glossary for every book that I write in the world of Claire-Agon and include it in the book so that the reader can also keep track of who's who and what's what in my fantasy world.

Why did you decide to focus on the dragons for this series?

Dragons play a crucial role in the overall story and plot of the history of Claire-Agon and I wanted to write a story about each dragon type (color) to allow my readers to understand better what each dragon is capable of.

How are your dragons different from those in other fantasy books?

As one reviewer noted, "These dragons are apocalyptic in nature". They are wicked, evil and just plain old bad, yet they have their own almost human type qualities and distinct perspective of the world that they live in and hunt in. They also have a very unique living arrangement with this world since they actually originated in another world in the same system and they have a unique sleep/slumber cycle that sets them apart from other dragon stories.

What inspired you to give a dragon ice, instead of fire, as a power?

All chromatic dragons have different breath weapons, Fire, Ice, Lightning, Acid & Gas. Whites are masters of ice, frost and cold and rule the winter creatures of Claire-Agon.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I'm fluent in three languages (English, Russian & Spanish) and am an expert in feeding babies, having had seven of my own.

What inspired you to become an author?

The love of reading.

What are you working on right now? Can you give our readers a sneak peek into what the Red Dragon will be about?

The Red Dragon will be the fifth and final book in the dragon series. If any of the dragon books have been read, then the reader will know that the red dragons are the largest, most evil and tyrannical of all the dragons. The queen dragon is always a red dragon and they rule the dragon species with utter control and ruthlessness. This final book will tie together the many stories told and shed light on how the dragon war started and ended.

Where can our readers interact with you or discover more of your work?

 I love to receive emails and my website has some pretty comprehensive information on my books and the world of Claire-Agon. I also respond to Facebook posts.