Dreamwalkers, I’m happy to announce that the new paperback and e-book editions of THE DRAGONS OF NOOR are now available. It’s a lovely season to send them flying out into the world. Fellow author, Holly Cupala, was kind enough to interview me about the new release.

THE DRAGONS OF NOOR, new paperback and e-book 10/12/2025
Miles, Hanna, and Taunier are swept into a new adventure in the haunting sequel to THE BEAST OF NOOR. The tale begins when a mysterious wind steals Miles’s and Hanna’s younger brother, Tymm. Tymm and other wind-stolen children are swept east across the sea. The three teens sail after Tymm and are driven into a Dragon war. Siding with the Dragons of Noor fighting to save the ancient trees is the only way to bridge the broken worlds, the only way to reach the missing children.

Those who comment below are eligible to win a free copy.
Should you want to gift the book to anyone this holiday season, you can find the editions Here.

Holly: The Dragons of Noor is a timeless and timely classic, and I’m thrilled to see it ready for a new generation of readers. And in such a gorgeous paperback and e-book edition!

Janet: Yes, I love it! I’m so grateful to find such a talented cover designer. Your daughter, Lyra Cupala, did a magnificent job. We still have to connect the paperback and e-book to the hardback version, so the editorial reviews and customer reviews show up in the new editions, but we’re working on it. I love her artful cover so much, it’s now front and center on the website welcome page.

Holly: She has been a devoted fan since she was a young reader and could not have been more excited to work with you as an adult just getting started in book design and editing. She kept it under wraps until the big reveal! I’d love to hear about the process—first, can you tell us why you decided to bring The Dragons of Noor out in paperback and e-book form?

Janet: The hardback version went out of print when Egmont USA folded. In this time of great social upheaval, when it feels as if the world is breaking apart under our feet, I kept thinking about the worlds breaking in The Dragons of Noor. Neil Postman said, “It’s certain that no culture can flourish without narratives of transcendent origin and power.”

The story feels timelier now than it did when it first came out. So, I decided to offer The Dragons of Noor to a new generation of readers in paperback and e-book form. Deepest thanks to Lyra Cupala’s help with formatting (no easy task), proofreading, and the brilliant cover. She was detailed enough to ensure the printed paperback would complement the Beast of Noor paperback, creating a complete set. I couldn’t have done it without her.

Holly: So true—now, more than ever, our world feels broken and in need of the healing power of story. I feel so hopeful for the new readers who will have a chance to experience Miles, Hanna, and Taunier’s journey. Would you tell us some of the stories behind the story, how The Dragons of Noor came about?

THE DRAGONS OF NOOR began one autumn day. The wind blew in, swirling the leaves ahead of me on the trail, and I thought. What if a wild wind blew in, lifting children up like that? In a kind of trance, I saw a mysterious wind sweep in, steal a child, and blow him across the sky. Whoosh! I followed the dream to see what lay behind it. As I asked questions, the dream expanded on paper. I was soon traveling across the Noor Sea with Miles, Hanna, and Taunier to find Miles and Hanna’s little brother. When I began, I didn’t know they’d meet up with Dragons who were fighting their own fierce battle. I didn’t know how the Dragon’s battle for the last great forest of Noor intertwined with the missing children. I discovered it as I wrote my way in. Hanna is a Dreamwalker. In a way, I, too, Dreamwalk into my stories and write as I move along.

This haunting phrase came to me on that fall walk in the woods and became critical to the book.

Holly: What do you most hope your readers will take away?

Janet: A stronger sense of self. And a deeper connection to the natural world.

The book will envelop readers in a battle to save the Ancient Trees of Noor. Forests play a pivotal role in the book: the Tree Deya, Evver, says this to Hanna as they part:

~ Feel the ground beneath your feet as you walk. Heart to root; remember the ones who hold you up ~

Trees hold us up. We celebrated the new paperback and e-book versions with a contribution to The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees. To quote the site: “Forests are the lungs of the earth, storing enormous amounts of carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen in a never-ending life cycle.”

Readers inspired to do something about the same problem in our world today can pop over to the Plant a Billion Trees in the Giving Back pages on my website to donate directly to The Nature Conservancy.

Holly: Any final secrets you might be willing to share?

Janet: For years, no one wanted to buy my fantasy. My editors told me to stick to realistic fiction. After all, I was doing fine in that genre. But I was driven. I wrote The Beast of Noor in secret. Very few people knew about the book other than my beloved critique group, The Diviners. I wrote it against sound professional advice. I wrote it because I had to write it for myself and my sons, and was thrilled when the publishers changed their minds. That first Noor book opened the way for all my other fantasy books.

If I have any advice to offer new writers, it’s this. Listen to yourself. Write what you long to write. If a story haunts you, tell it. Someone out there might just need to hear it.

Thanks, Holly, for the great interview.

Dreamwalkers who comment below are eligible to win a free signed copy of The Dragons of Noor. We’ll pick the winner on All Hallows’ Eve.

Until next time. Walk well.

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