Alice’s Dragon

Dragon Charmer—taking care of your pesky dragon problem—for a price.

Business is good for Alice, right until her dragon goes crazy and bites off her arm. To make matters worse, a tall, dark stranger kills the cash-cow dragon before her eyes.

Instead of dying from her wounds, Alice finds herself under the tender care of Bade, a gentle-handed Bulgarian far from home with secrets in his satchel.

If they can scratch each others backs, the secrets might live on and Alice might still have a job. She’s never backed down from a challenge, but she’s in for more than she bargained for with the tall, dark stranger.

Buy Link: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=787&osCsid=eaca3c4s2tgmforniclpaklse1

About The Author:
Stephanie Beck is a fulltime mom, busy writer and amateur speller.
She’s been writing since she was fifteen. Her first novel, “Love on the Mats” was a graphic, heartwarming tale of a wrestler and a cutie coed which was lovingly edited by the c-squad basketball team on the long bus rides throughout the season. They were all sure it would be published and it still has a home in a folder…somewhere.
Stephanie Beck loves romance and all things romantic, heart warming and usually funny, though a more serious piece will find its way in occasionally.
In her spare time she knits and sews, walks the dog, plays with her three wonderful children and tries to get her husband to act out the naughty things she researches…oh the sacrifices she makes for her craft.
Stephanie lives in Minnesota.

Website: http://www.stephaniebeck.net
Blog: http://www.plotmamas.wordpress.com
Twitter: @StephBeck123

Excerpt:
People milled about the dock, many scowling at the ship. The prevailing fashion resembled the practical slacks and sweaters of his homeland. One especially bearded fellow stepped forward when the hands lowered the gangplank.

“Well,” he said. “Been a while since we had visitors, but I reckon my men still know how to unload. What’s your cargo?”

The captain stepped forward. “This bloke’s junk. It’s below board. My men will get it ashore.”

“Can’t interest you in a few days docked?”

The captain scowled. “I’d sooner spend my coin where the lasses are lovely, the beer flows, and I won’t be set afire by a dragon.”

The mention of dragons made Bade listen harder while the crew unloaded his cargo into the waiting hands of the stevedores.

“Well now,” the oldster said. “We have ourselves a charmer, no sense worrying. The girl is working up on the hill with Rusty right now. He won’t bother you none.”
Bade spun to face where the man pointed and his heart froze. A giant red beast with a wingspan at least five times his height towered on its four legs, circling a tiny woman. He grabbed his sword and ran for the hill.

“For crying out loud,” the man said. “She has it handled. It’s what we pay her for.”

Bade ignored him, racing over the rickety dock to a narrow, pitted main street which ran straight to the base of giant cliffs. He mounted a long set of crumbling stone stairs, the sounds of growling and giggling getting louder. He didn’t know what a dragon charmer did, but Bade recognized an animal ready to pounce. The one on the hill showed all the signs of losing control.

He crested the hill and confronted the largest dragon he’d ever encountered. The pure magnificence of its size humbled him and brought tears to his eyes. How many times had he witnessed a young one cut down before it reached such wondrous proportions? To see this one alive and vibrant, even on the edge of homicide, heartened him. He’d chosen the right home.

A small woman dressed in bright colors danced around with a shield on her arm. The metal shone in the sun. Bade cringed as clouds rolled in, his bad feeling amplifying. She knew her way around a dragon, but the clouds and serpent were about to join against her.

Beverly’s Review:
OMG! He killed her dragon! Bad Bade! Well I suppose since he took her arm off, Rusty did need killing. Maybe Bade was just a bit presumptuous? Alice was a dragon charmer after all! She might have stopped Rusty-maybe.

Injured and heart broken, Alice doesn’t really care now that Rusty is gone. She lets Bade take care of her. Maybe, just maybe with Bade Alice has a future. Bade has his work cut out to convince her. But maybe, with his secret it won’t be so hard to do.

Bade had heard about this place. A prince (one of a large brood) in Bulgaria, he has become a dragon herder by choice. Rumors of dragons surviving here brought him sailing over. Unfortunately Rusty was the last dragon on the island, the largest Bade had ever seen-and hello! he killed him. With a secret in his pocket, he gets permission from the lord of the island to stay and create his flock.

I loved this! I’m a dragon junkie, so really no surprise! Alice was abrasive, but couldn’t help being fascinated by the stranger and well, she was in a whole lot of pain. Not to mention, it was hard to have lost an arm. Alice is nothing if not determined. I liked her, a lot.

Bade was fascinated by Alice. Whether it was her survival instinct, her love of dragons or just Alice herself, I wasn’t really sure. He was honest as the day is long. Matched up with Alice who loved to get what she wanted by any means necessary (not necessarily honestly!) They were an interesting and entertaining match.

I cooed, I laughed. Alice’s Dragon, other than the tragedy of Rusty’s death, was an enjoyable tale. I didn’t get a huge impression of deep and abiding love at first, it seemed more of a practical love due to common interests between Bade and Alice, but I really enjoyed reading it. Of course, that could be because Alice was not always very lovable! But Bade was! Alice’s Dragon is one of those books that you remember and in a good way!