Dragon Slippers
Creel, the heroine ofDragon Slippersis hardly a damsel-in-distress. After her aunt   totes her out to the local dragon in desperation (with the hope that the local prince will   rescue her from certain death and marry her), Creel refuses the haughty prince and finds   friendship with the dragons, who set her on a journey to the center of the kingdom with a   pretty pair of what onlyseemto be ordinary slippers. Along the way we discover   Creel’s enormous talent at embroidery, and you can’t help but linger over the rich   descriptions of her lovely tapestry-like gowns, which quickly make her the most sought-after   dressmaker in the kingdom. But soon enough those mysterious slippers begin to wreak havoc,   and it’s up to Creel to save the kingdom from disaster and defend the dragons from certain   doom. Creel’s feisty spirit breathes fiery new life into this epic world at every turn,   making this one of the most memorable and fun fantasy debuts to hit shelves since Cornelia   Funke’sInkheart.Five Questions for Jessica Day   GeorgeAmazon.com: In fantasy novels, dragons are typically fierce and fearsome. InDragon Slippershowever, Shardas and Feniul are peaceful, caring creatures who are   dangerous only under the sway of human control. What was your inspiration for re-imagining   this legendary species?Jessica Day George: I had a number of imaginary friends growing up, all of them   talking animals: a wolf, some horses, a tiger.  And a dragon.  Oh, I wanted a dragon for a   friend so badly!  (Still do!)  There are books where the dragon is not the bad guy (Anne   McCaffrey, Gordon Dickson), but I wanted still more.  I wanted the dragons to have their own   lives: friends, hobbies, food allergies.  I saw no reason why large, magical, intelligent   creatures couldn't be just like humans--only scaly and winged.  If humans can be good or   evil, vain or kind, why can't dragons?Amazon.com: Your descriptions of Creel’s "fancywork" are so rich with detail and   color that I have to believe that you must be an expert sewer yourself. Are you? Can you   tell us more about why you chose this particular talent for your heroine?Jessica Day George: I can sew, although I doubt very much a duchess would hire me to   make her a gown!  Creel sprang into my head as a fully formed personality with her own   talents and opinions firmly intact, I just knew that her name was Creel, she had freckles,   and she wanted to be a dressmaker.  The "fancywork" developed as a way for her to pay homage   to her friend Shardas and his collection.Amazon.com: Why do the dragons inDragon Slippershoard treasured human   possessions like shoes and dogs instead of gold? Shardas’ collection of beautiful stained   glass is particularly unique--does this tell us anything about his true nature?Jessica Day George: People collect all kinds of crazy things: spoons, stamps, books.    I once lived next door to a woman with sixty (yep, 6-0) toy poodles.  So why should dragons   not all hoard the same thing?  Why not tapestries or pets or shoes?  And what makes Creel   and Shardas such good friends, I think, is that they both have a good eye for color and   form.  They can both appreciate the way colors combine, the way light changes the look of   things and plays off the colors.Amazon.com:  Of all the fantasy literature you’ve read, is there a particular author   who inspired you to write your own novel? What would be your top five favorite books in the   genre?Jessica Day George: The first time I read Robin McKinley's Damar novels (The Hero and the   Crown,The Blue Sword) I thought "Yes! This is what goes on in my   head! I could do this!"  If I had to narrow it down to five favorites (only five?!), I    would say:Beautyby Robin McKinley,Tam Linby Pamela   Dean,The War of   the Flowersby Tad Williams,His Majesty's Dragonby Naomi Novik, and J.K.   Rowling'sHarry Potterbooks.   (Those all count as one big book, right?)Amazon.com: What’s next in store for Creel and Luka? Will they have more dragon   adventures in your next book?Jessica Day George: My next book is not connected toDragon Slippersat all,   but the one after that will be a sequel.  I hate to spoil any surprises, but we will get to   see what happens when a dragon turns evil (of its own free will).  There are also two   weddings, Marta gets a pet monkey, and Feniul falls in love.