Denice Garrou's Blog - Posts Tagged "dragon"

Book Description

To avoid being hung as a witch, young Shion sets herself on a harrowing journey only to be further engulfed into the hidden realm of forbidden magic.
Unbeknownst to her, for centuries, she is has been one of thirteen others like her with the daunting task of helping to bring balance back to Mother Earth, a time when man walked harmoniously with the Fae and dragon.
With the world now in the dark ages ruled by the Church, Shion, with the help of handsome Ryven Blackmour, must find and take refuge with the Gypsy, to be taught the Gypsy Shuvani way, in hopes of remembering who she truly is.
There, she will meet and save her greatest teacher; a dying horse named Nero. Through him she will be swept into a whirlwind of tests. Assisted by her new found coven of young witches, her heart and determination will be challenged, bringing her and them to the very brink of death and back in order to seek the forgotten knowledge, kept by the horse and the dragon; the dark secret of dragonhorse.

After all these years of research and study, my book has finally come out. What a great feeling of accomplishment. I was pressured by three of my greatest teachers to persevere and push through all the road blocks. Those three teachers are the three main characters of my book. Even though they now dwell in the non-physical dimension, I can still access them, and they know quite well what has transpired with their story.
This is all the "magic" that is so readily available to us. Those of you who believe in magic and are seekers of your own "Forgotten Knowledge" would greatly enjoy reading my faerie tale base on true events. A tale that has taken me 8 years to right...

Below is review from a reader who does not do Goodreads or really doesn't read much at all. She knew I had written this book and was intrigued enough to read it.
Her name is Nan Scully-Collins and lives up in the mountains of Colorado not far from me. Most people in this area are not big computer people so I added her review here.

This is her email to me:
Oh my God!... or should I say Goddess! I have been crying reading the last chapter and I am blow away by the visions you create.I felt as if I have been watching a 3d movie,complete with smells! Your passion for horses is felt so strongly in this book. When you said Shion could hear the thundering sound of hooves I cried ,knowing it was the horses!It makes me sad I don't ride any more.What a wonderful message and what an amazing imagination you have! I have to pick your brain about this, but first will read about the background on your web sight. Thank you so much for a wonderful adventure!I want others to read this!

Nan has graciously gone to Amazon and written a complete review of the book. I was hoping people would view this story as much, much more than just a fantasy story and she has!

Through my many years of practicing magic I have become very good at manifestation.

After I brought Ciara (my latest horse) home, I realized I had actually manifested her through my writings of Freia, (an actual character in Dragonhorse) having fallen in love with that little fiery character and longing for one of my own just like her...

But, first I must back up a bit...Ciara came after I had given my big, 17 hand percheron/TB gelding Wynter, to my sister. I had owned him since he was 5 months old. He was a PMU rescue out of Canada. When he turned five we moved from Elizabeth up into the mountains. It was not long before we realized Wynter and the high Rockies with it's marauding mountain lions were not a match. He was forever afraid and spooky. I had finally made the agonizing decision to send him back to the Front Range (Denver Metro area) by my sister where he is now a schooling jumper. He is content to just work in the arena, still not wanting to venture too far from the confines and safety of the barns.

So, I had a few weeks without a horse, it was painful looking at that empty pasture. It was especially awful for my poor sister, since I cried and blubbered too her quite often how much I missed Wynter.

Okay, need to back up some more! Our previous house on that mountain was now for sale, and since the economic crash was still going on, buyers were slim. So, my husband kept telling me I needed to find another horse that had been raised in the mountains and used to the wildlife. I wasn't sure what to do since I knew our house would sell one day and than I would have to find a place to board the new horse while we built the next house.....bla,bla,bla.
Okay, back to my story. So, still undecided as what to do and missing the company of a horse, I buried myself in finishing Dragonhorse. I was doing re-writes and was really enjoying the character Freia. I found myself thinking many a time (putting thought into form) how I needed a nice little horse that loved to trail ride and did not need any healing or a ton of my time...just like Freia.

A few days after finishing up on the first re-write, we just happen to be heading down our mountain road and there was Ciara...(read the whole story about her in the character section on my website
www.denicegarrou-dragonhorse.com).

I have now come to the conclusion I am never to be horseless...the few times I was, it was unbearable! It has dawned on me that every writer must have a muse! And yes, my muse is horses.

My poor, poor husband who must put up with my very expensive and time consuming "disease". But, I do know that my attachment to the equine world goes beyond my control and full understanding. So together, my horses and I explore the world of magic!

Today that little fiery mare showed me some of her magic. You see, I have been teaching her tricks, and all winter long I have been envisioning a new trick, which is rearing straight up in the air. This, morning SHE decided to show me the trick that I had conveyed to her all winter long, via my thoughts! During circle work she stopped and looked at me, than took two steps back and went straight up into the air, just like a trained show stallion! All I saw was her left eye and pretty brown belly! Yes, horses; my muse--my constant connection to the realm of magic and manifestation.

Shion meets Ryven Blackmore for the first time...unbeknownst to her this was not the first time Ryven had seen Shion...was this meeting just chance?

Seeing the wolf and half-naked girl, the muscular, black horse came to a sliding halt, his deep, red nostrils flared.
“Steady there, my friend, I do doubt this half-naked waif can harm us,” soothed the young rider. The great horse spun; the raven-haired young man craned his neck around. His crystal-green eyes locked upon Shion. His thick, dark brow came together as he studied her and her wolf.
“Are you not afraid of the ghosties?” the young man asked, a slight grin spreading across his face. The black steed reared, pawing the air. “There, there, Black, ‘tis rude not to stop and chat when you come upon a true and lovely faerie of the woods!”
So, he thinks he is charming, she thought. Sticking her nose in the air to peer at him sideways, she replied, “I have no reason to fear the spirits at this place. I have been coming here since I was a wee girl.” She could feel the heat in her face rise from the fluttering sensations of attraction. Besides his elfish—yes, that’s the word—elfish good looks, she had never seen a man handle a horse in such a controlling, yet gentle manner. That intrigued her more than his appearance—granted, he did have great appeal sitting so confidently upon his stallion, but it was his horsemanship that made her forget she was half dressed. So lost in her self-banter, she was startled when he spoke to her.
“Well, my lady,” he said, then let out a loud laugh, “I will carry on and leave you to your—endeavors. Might I give you a warning first?” He flashed a toothy smile, his eyes expressing the enjoyment of her manner of undress. “I would cover yourself…you just never know who you might meet in these woods. Not all are as honorable as I.” With that said, he clucked to his black steed and they loudly cantered off. He managed to turn his head to take one last look before he disappeared into the tag alders.
Shion stood silent, watching the rider leave. She didn't realize her mouth was agape until a fly flew in; she coughed, trying to dislodge the bug from the back of her throat.

P.S. I have just started compiling character boards on my pinterest account. They depict my ideal image for each of my characters. This is in the works so stop by often to see what is new. Also, some of my boards have more, shorter excerpts from my book.
www.pinterest.com/dragonhorses

http://pinterest.com/dragonhorses/cha...

This is so much fun! On Pinterest, I have made a couple boards depicting some of my characters and a few excerpts to Dragonhorse. This will give you more of an imaginative view of the world I have created. Copy the link above in your browser to go there.

For those of you who have not ventured to my website www.denicegarrou-dragonhorse.com or read my book yet.

I thought you might be interested in reading the preface to the book...


When the student is ready, the teacher will come.

Let me begin by giving a definition of magic. Putting it simply, it is the power of influencing the course of events by using natural, mysterious, or supernatural forces.
Beware to those called to the path of magic for you will be tested beyond your limits. The path to Earthkeeper, shaman, healer, wizard, or witch—whatever you choose to call it—is not an easy path…and is for those true and pure of heart; for possessing such power can be subject to misuse if it falls into the wrong hands. The White Wizard is symbolic of the true and pure heart, so if one shows up in your dreams, he is telling you that you are on the correct path. Heed his words wisely…

From a very small child, I wanted to be a healer and knew there was something special I needed to do. It was a nagging feeling deep within I could not suppress no matter how hard I tried, and still to this day it has not gone away. As I became older, I could no longer ignore the calling and set myself upon the path of healer. I remember someone saying on the first day of my first metaphysical class, “Hold on, you’re in for one heck of a bumpy ride!” Little did I know how profound that statement would be.

But for me, as with most women young and old alike, I had to reclaim my power in order to walk successfully upon this path. What I mean by this is, I had to find my voice and speak my truth no matter how it or whom it affected. I had to jump out of the proverbial “box” and walk to the beat of my own drum. It was time to feed my own soul and not feel guilty about it. Though I tried to leave this path many a time, I soon realized I could not ignore who I was and the path I was to lead.

So the last fifteen years I hungrily absorbed everything I could learn about earth-based religions, herbology, animal communication, crystal and energy healing, and more.

I have always had a special way with horses and have always been an advocate for their humane treatment. After graduating from Reiki Level One, I found my first and greatest teacher in the middle of a pasture dying from cancer. Little did I know what I had signed up for, because he tested me to the end and back…literally! This began my journey into true Shamanism and the tests one will have to endure.
With these tests I rescued two more very sick horses and a wolf dog. In turn they have taught me as much as my heart could stand, with the toughest lesson of all being the lesson of death. Since the horse teaches us of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, a good apprentice must conquer and accept this cycle…as sure as the sun rises, sets, and rises again each new day.

Yet, I must also mention the dragon, a very big symbolic part of the story. Yes, the dragons, such misunderstood beings having gone from our third-dimensional plane many millennia ago only to be found in your dreams and journeying. They are very similar to the horse, more similar than you would have guessed, teaching us about death and resurrection. But importantly, they are the keepers of the Forgotten Knowledge and wait for seekers pure of heart to come and claim this knowledge.
These lessons of reclaiming your power, to life, death, rebirth, and resurrection, are the foundation of this story, which all of us have faced and will face within each lifetime.

And so, hidden within rich symbolism and wrapped in words of fantasy, I have written our journey—the fervent wish of my teachers. We tell this story in hopes of setting you upon the right path—interestingly enough, called Tacho Drom by the Gypsy, who is also a large symbolic part of the story.
So before you venture into these carefully written words, let us, the horse and dragon, the wizard and witch, the Gypsy and Fae, leave you with one important, yet the simplest secret to all true and successful seekers of magic: Reconnect to the realms of nature, learn their Creede, and all else will follow.