Book Nook - The Great Texas Dragon Race

 

 Perfect for fans of the Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland, The Great Texas Dragon Race  has all the qualities to make it a young reader favorite: edge-of-your-seat adventure, an underdog to root for, and oh, yeah – a realistic world where DRAGONS exist! 

Thirteen-year-old Cassidy Drake wants nothing more than to race with her best dragon, Ranga, in the annual Great Texas Dragon Race. Her mother was a racing legacy, and growing up on her family's dragon sanctuary ranch, Cassidy lives and breathes dragons. She knows she could win against the exploitative FireCorp team that cares more about corporate greed than caring for the dragons. 

 

Cassidy is so determined to race that she sneaks out of her house against her father's wishes and enters the competition. Soon, Cassidy takes to the skies with Ranga across her glorious Lone Star State. But with five grueling tasks ahead of her, dangerous dragon challenges waiting at each one, and more enemies than allies on the course, Cassidy will need to know more than just dragons to survive. 

I had a chance to interview the author to learn more.

Where did you get the inspiration for this story?
Well, here's the thing: before The Great Texas Dragon Race, I had a manuscript that just wasn't working out. I was feeling a bit stuck. So I took a step back and thought about what I love, what I hate, and ultimately, what I KNOW! The truth is, I'm just a diehard fantasy geek with a mind filled with dragons and a heart bursting with (sometimes conflicted) love for the Lone Star State. So I decided to create a story that would transport readers to the wild, unknown landscapes of Texas, where dragons lurk at every turn. And I couldn't resist the idea of a young girl in red cowboy boots, racing through the Texas sky on her dragon companion. (I mean, every girl deserves a dragon, right?!) And to add some classic Western flavor, I threw in the underdog rancher battling against the big, bad landowner. The inspiration came from my deep love for dragons and the spirit of Texas, and I just had to bring it all together in The Great Texas Dragon Race!

What do you think is the best thing about combining the real world and fantasy elements in a story?
Epic fantasy, low fantasy, contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy, fairy tales, sword and sorcery... I love them all. But as a writer, I am a big fan of avoiding magic systems and firmly grounding my characters in the modern world. The best thing about blending our reality with fantasy is that it gives so much to draw from—the abandoned gas station on a Lone Star highway or a jug of sun tea on my mom's porch. (Ew!) So many excellent writers embrace this form of storytelling, and it's a blast to write the everyday, ordinary world we know and sprinkle it with wonder. As a reader, it helps me see magic in the mundane. It's not just about escapism; it's about finding new perspectives and exploring deeper meanings. By weaving fantastical elements into our real lives, we can tap into emotions and experiences everyone can relate to. A real-world Texas with dragons in it might be just what we need...

How do you create characters that are relatable in a very non-realistic setting?
Since The Great Texas Dragon Race is really just our world with dragons, it's not much different than writing any other character. Even though I play in a world full of dragons, my characters are still human. I hope readers will cheer for them, cry with them, and feel like they're right there in the thick of it all. So, like so many fantastic writers before me, I give my characters big dreams, fears, and desires that everyone can connect with. I make them flawed, just like you and me, because perfect heroes are soooo yesterday! ;) It's all about the vulnerabilities and quirks that make us human. By blending relatable emotions—like love, fear, and friendship—with extraordinary worlds, authors can create characters that feel like old friends. Even if they do have dragon companions.

 

Kacy Ritter is a fantasy geek who has lived all across the Lone Star State. She holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of North Texas, and currently resides in Houston with her partner and their daughter. She daylights as a healthcare professional, and loves writing at the intersection of fantasy and Texas Americana.