Joy Lynn Fielding's Blog

I’m thrilled to share that The Red Dragon of Oxford is available as an audiobook on Audible. I was fortunate to secure Rufus Love as a narrator, and he brings a wonderful warmth and humour to Rufus and Mark’s adventures in — and over — Oxford.

If you’d like a refresher on some of the places in Oxford mentioned in the book, there’s a pictorial guide on my post here.

Meanwhile, my planned re-release of The Strength of the Pack series hit a slight bump when I was unwell for a few weeks, but I’m getting back on top of things now and hope to have more news for you soon.

I’d planned to work on the fourth book in the Wings over Albion series over the last couple of months, but a few unscheduled hospital stays have sadly got in the way of that. The book will come, but with more of a delay than I’d hoped for. Thanks so much for your patience!

In the meantime, I have some other pieces of news to share:

A new chapter for the Strength of the Pack series

I’ve regained the rights to my Strength of the Pack series and am looking forward to releasing this on Kindle Unlimited. The books just need a little reworking here and there (I wrote them some years ago) and some new covers, and they’ll be good to go. I’ll post here as soon as they’re available.

The Red Dragon of Oxford audiobook

A very talented narrator is working hard on this at the moment, and it should be available early next year.

Large print editions

Now that I have the rights to almost all of my books back, I’m slowly working through them to release large print editions of each book. Blowing off Steam is already available as a large print paperback, and A Star to Sail By will follow shortly.

German translations

The Wings over Albion series is also spreading its wings a little further – I’m thrilled to have signed a contract with Dead Soft Verlag for German translations of the existing three books.

So, although I haven’t been able to do much writing recently, there’s been plenty happening behind the scenes. Thank you, as always, for your support. I’ll share more updates soon and look forward to what’s to come in the new year.

Those of you who’ve been following me for a while know to expect a visual guide to the places in each of the Wings over Albion series. With Dragon’s Folly coming out on October 9th, it’s time for me to share some pictures of Avebury and Winchester, which both feature heavily in the book. As always, photo attributions are at the end of the post.

The beginning of the book features the Avebury Ring, a late New Stone Age stone henge in the Wiltshire countryside, constructed sometime in the third millenium BCE. The stones are massive, standing between twelve and eighteen feet high and weighing up to 50 tons, and the entire site covers 28 acres. The stones aren’t fenced off, so it’s possible to wander around them, taking in the atmosphere while wondering who built the monument (spoiler: it was probably dragons).

Avebury Stone Circle

No one knows the purpose of Avebury henge for sure, but there are repeated claims that it once formed the shape of a serpent, which is very useful when it comes to my dragon-shifter books! 

Aerial view of Avebury

Silbury Hill lies fairly close to Avebury—close enough for Ollie almost to destroy the largest prehistoric mound in Europe by managing to fly into it.  It’s 130 feet high and is estimated to have taken about four million hours to build, equivalent to a hundred people working for more than ten hours a day, every day, for ten years.

Silbury Hill in the landscape

Again, no one knows why it was built. It has been excavated a few times, but no burial chamber has ever been found. Whatever its purpose, there’s something very atmospheric about the way it looms over the surrounding landscape.

Once the dragon Moot disbands, Ollie is sent off to stay with Archer at his home just outside Winchester. Although Ollie doesn’t spend long in the city, he does a little sightseeing, including visiting the Great Hall, the only part of the medieval Winchester Castle that remains standing.

The Great Hall of Winchester Castle, complete with fake Round Table

On the wall of the Great Hall hangs a round table, thought to have been made in around 1290 for a tournament to celebrate the betrothal of one of Edward I’s daughters (I don’t know which one). Sometime during the sixteenth century, King Henry VIII had it painted with the Tudor Rose and a portrait that’s thought to represent Henry as Arthur. At the same time, names of legendary Knights of the Round Table were added at each place setting. The table is 18 feet high and weighs 2,645 pounds.

Sadly, Ollie never gets to the military museums in Winchester, so I have no excuse to share pictures of uniforms, even though I do love a good 19th century uniform!

Dragon’s Folly will be out on October 9th and is available for pre-order.

Photo attributions:

Avebury Stone Circle by Rxfelix. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

Avebury Aerial by Detmar Owen  This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Silbury Hill in the landscape: Stevekeiretsu Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Interior of the Great Hall, Winchester Castle by Christophe Finot. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license

I’m excited to share that the third book in the Wings over Albion series, Dragon’s Folly, will be coming out on October 9th. It’s currently available for pre-order.

Writing Dragon’s Folly was a blast, especially with the contrast of an endlessly upbeat, relentlessly talkative optimist clashing with a stern, self-contained dragon who’s used to controlling everyone and everything around him. Forced proximity is one of my favourite tropes, as it means neither can run away from the other, and they have to find a way to get along. Or not…

Falling for him would be pure folly. I know that. Now all I have to do is convince my heart…

Allowing a strange dragon into my home was not my idea.

The Assembly assured me it was necessary, though. And that’s how I ended up with him.

Ollie Shaw is clumsy. Unfairly hot. He stumbles through my life leaving a trail of chaos and sunny charm in his wake.

And I hoard every moment with him like he’s my greatest treasure.

But with an entire dragon territory to rule, bills to pay, and treachery brewing in my family, I can’t afford to be distracted by Ollie’s copper-gilded beauty and boundless enthusiasm.

I especially can’t give in to my dragon’s primal urge to claim him.

Because loving him could cost me everything I’ve fought so hard to protect. And that would eventually come back to bite us both—with dragon’s teeth…

The book can be read as a standalone, but contains cameo appearance from some old friends.

Today is release day for In the Dragon’s Lair, and I’m so pleased to be able finally to share Nate and Alex’s adventures with you. Obligatory disclaimer: their views on Jane Austen are not necessarily mine!

A brief guide to some of the places in Bath featured in the book can be found on my blog post here.

It’s available as ebook, paperback and on Kindle Unlimited.

Nate Mortimer is hot, funny, and kissing him is like falling into the sun.

He’s also the last man I should ever be with.

He’s smooth, wealthy, and practically dragon royalty. Me? I’m just a dragon from the Cornish countryside. Or so I like people to think.

I’m investigating the Fortescues, one of the richest, most powerful dragon families in Britain. Problem is, I’m not the only one who’s undercover. Every time I turn around, Nate’s in my way.

Can I trust him? He has his own issues with the Fortescues. Those dragons are dangerous, and his plotting could draw me into a lethal power struggle. His emotional baggage and troublesome ex? Also problematic.

And none of that helps me keep my mind—or hands—off him.

If I’m not careful, falling for the wrong dragon-shifter could cost me so much more than just my heart…

In the Dragon’s Lair is an m/m paranormal romance. Book 2 in the Wings over Albion series, it can be read as a standalone.

In the Dragon’s Lair introduces Alex Teague, a dragon-shifter whose family comes from Cornwall. When writing this story, I took a few liberties with English folklore—tales of dragons are less common in Cornwall compared to the rest of the country.

One intriguing explanation for the relative scarcity of dragons in Cornish folklore is that the region suffered fewer attacks by Vikings. It’s suggested that, without the dragon prows of Viking ships, dragons didn’t occupy the forefront of people’s minds. I’m not entirely convinced by this explanation. I live in a landlocked part of England, yet there is still a strong local tradition of dragons—or rather, one dragon: the one killed by St George at Dragon Hill, near Uffington Castle.

Dragon Hill, seen from White Horse Hill.

Dragon Hill is a natural chalk mound with a top that was flattened artificially sometime before the Roman invasion of Britain. The patch of chalk on which no grass grows is said to be where the dragon’s blood spilled. Dragon Hill is also mentioned in Arthurian legends as the place where Arthur’s father, Uther Pendragon, was killed in battle and laid to rest. As if that wasn’t enough, the hill is thought to have been the inspiration for Weathertop in The Lord of the Rings.

The Old Post Office, Tintagel

Despite the relative dearth of dragons in Cornwall, when I visited Tintagel village, I was told that dragons were responsible for the wavy roof line of the fourteenth-century Old Post Office. Apparently, they used to perch there. Alex would like to assure you he would never be so thoughtless as to cause a roof to sink.

Tintagel has been intertwined with Arthurian myths and legends ever since Geoffrey of Monmouth suggested it was where King Arthur was conceived. It wouldn’t be right to mention the place without sharing a picture of the bronze sculpture that was erected at Tintagel Castle in 2016. English Heritage, who installed the sculpture, insist that it isn’t a representation of a single person, but it is commonly referred to as King Arthur. It’s striking, whoever it is!

Sculpture at Tintagel Castle

I’m looking forward to sharing Alex and Nate’s adventures with you on June 10th.

Photo credits:

Dragon Hill – photo by https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Frasmacon. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Source.

Old Post Office, Tintagel – photo by Lewis Clarke. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license Source.

Gallos sculpture, Tintagel – photo by Brian Henley. Licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. Source.

I’m thrilled to share that Nate and Alex’s story, Book Two in the Wings over Albion series, is coming out on June 10th. It’s available for pre-order now, and will also be available on Kindle Unlimited.

The book is set in the English city of Bath, and a photographic guide to some of the places mentioned can be found here, in an earlier blog post.

Nate Mortimer is hot, funny, and kissing him is like falling into the sun.

He’s also the last man I should ever be with.

He’s smooth, wealthy, and practically dragon royalty. Me? I’m just a dragon from the Cornish countryside. Or so I like people to think.

I’m investigating the Fortescues, one of the richest, most powerful dragon families in Britain. Problem is, I’m not the only one who’s undercover. Every time I turn around, Nate’s in my way.

Can I trust him? He has his own issues with the Fortescues. Those dragons are dangerous, and his plotting could draw me into a lethal power struggle. His emotional baggage and troublesome ex? Also problematic.

And none of that helps me keep my mind—or hands—off him.

If I’m not careful, falling for the wrong dragon-shifter could cost me so much more than just my heart…

In the Dragon’s Lair is an m/m paranormal romance and Book 2 in the Wings over Albion series.

Things have been quiet here of late because I’ve been working hard on the next book in my dragon-shifter series. In the Dragon’s Lair is about Nate, Rufus’s brother, and the mysterious dragon he meets in the English city of Bath.

It will be released early in June. In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy a quick guide to parts of Bath featured in the book (credits for photos are at the end of the post).

Above: Aerial view of The Circus; street view of The Circus.

The Circus is a ring of Georgian townhouses built in creamy Bath stone. It’s central to the book.

Georgian Bath was designed in large part by John Wood the Elder and his son, John Wood the Younger. The Elder was responsible for The Circus. Although I know the place well, I didn’t realise how much mystical symbolism is present in the architecture until I began researching In the Dragon’s Lair. Without giving too much away, that’s rather apt for the book.

The Elder believed there had been druidic temples on one of the hills just outside the city, and along with various Masonic symbols, there are acorn finials adorning the houses in The Circus.

John Wood the Elder was fascinated by myths and legends as well as Freemasonry, and he’s said to have taken inspiration from Stonehenge when planning The Circus. The Circus is supposed to represent the sun, the Royal Crescent the moon, and Queen Square, where Nate and Alex have their first proper conversation, the Earth.

Apparently, the street connecting the Royal Crescent and The Circus follows the path of a ley line.

In the aerial view of the The Circus, you can see the Upper Assembly Rooms at about one o’clock. They’re a treat to visit if you’re into Georgian history. My characters, Nate and Alex, attend a function there. Sadly, neither is the type to describe the setting in any detail — never have I been so tempted to add a picture to a book!

Above: exterior of the Upper Assembly Rooms. Interior, looking towards front door.

Above: the ballroom, with the balcony where the band played; the ballroom’s moulded ceiling.

The Tea RoomThe Great Octagon

Just down from The Circus is Queen Square, so named because it was dedicated to Queen Caroline, George II’s wife. Palladian townhouses surround a garden, in which a tall obelisk is the focal point. The obelisk was erected in 1738 by Beau Nash in honour of the Prince of Wales. It used to rise from a circular pool of water, but sadly that pool is long gone, along with some of the obelisk’s height (it was damaged in a gale in 1815).

Most importantly, for my purposes, the garden has benches and privacy.

Above: Pulteney Bridge and weir; The Royal Crescent.

Something I discovered when writing this book — two of the angels on the carving of Jacob’s Ladder on the front of Bath Abbey are going down headfirst. Or perhaps they’re going up bottom-first. It sounds uncomfortable, whichever way it is.

Roman Baths – Photo by David Iliff License: CC BY-SA 3.0

Bath Abbey – Photo by David Iliff. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this dragons’ eye view of another of my favourite cities. I can’t wait for you to meet Nate and Alex!

Photo credits:

Aerial view of The Circus – photo by Iliya Grigorik. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en. Source.The Circus – photo by Keith Edkins. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Source.Assembly Rooms Ballroom – photo by https://www.flickr.com/photos/dschander/. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Source.Queen Square – photo by Richard Croft. Licensed under licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Source.The Roman Baths – photo by Paul Harrop. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Source.Pulteney Bridge and weir – photo by Pedro Szekely. . Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Source.The Royal Crescent – photo by Mike Searle. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Source.Unattributed photos are by Joy Lynn Fielding.

I’m delighted to be able finally to share Mark and Rufus’s adventures with you. Their story is now available both to buy and on KindleUnlimited here: https://bookgoodies.com/a/B0CQ39QGXF

Dragons aren’t real. Or so I used to think.

Oxford isn’t exactly what I’d imagined. Sure, the colleges are romantic, and everyone is brilliant enough to trigger my impostor syndrome. I expected that.

The dragon, however, was a big surprise.

I saw him on my first day. The beautiful beast spoke to me, then disappeared. I’ve been looking for him ever since. When I’m not on a wild dragon chase, I spend my time in the library. I’d like to think I’m only there to study, but who am I kidding?

I’m there for him.

Rufus Mortimer is the world’s hottest librarian. He’s strict, enigmatic, and sexy. He makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. 

But he has a secret. One that could destroy everything.

So now, all I have to do is find a dragon, earn my doctorate, and try not to let my new romance burn my life to the ground. Easy, right?

I wish…

And if you’d like a quick, pictorial overview of some of the places in the book, you can find that here.

The Red Dragon of Oxford is released on 15th January, and I thought it would be fun to share pictures of some of the places featured in the book. Credits for photos are at the bottom of the post.

Much of the action takes place in the library of fictional Mortimer College. Given the importance of libraries in the book, it feels wrong not to include pictures of the university’s central research library, the Bodleian.

Bodleian exteriorOldest part of the Bodleian Library, dating from 15th century.

The iconic Radcliffe Camera, which forms part of the Bodleian. It was built between 1737 and 1749:

Radcliffe Camera from St Mary’s towerRadcliffe Camera from Radcliffe Square

And just because it’s beautiful – Queen’s College upper library:

The Queen’s College Upper Library

Just to the side of the Bodleian is the Sheldonian, with the mysterious heads on pillars outside that leave Mark so unimpressed. Rufus’s favourite bridge in Oxford is to the right of the Sheldonian.

The SheldonianHertford’s Bridge of Sighs

Mortimer College is, of course, fictional, but in the book it’s one of the 39 colleges that make up the University of Oxford. Please don’t ask me which one I booted out to make space for it!

Mortimer is, like most of the colleges, built around quadrangles:

Quad at Merton CollegeNew College quadAll Souls College quad

Mortimer’s accommodation and tutors’ studies are arranged around staircases leading off the quads:

Merton College quad showing staircase entrances

Mortimer is a most superior Oxford college because it’s one of the select few that has cloisters. The ones below are at New College and, if memory serves, were used in one of the Harry Potter films:

And finally, the dining hall. Or simply Hall, as it is known. Mortimer College’s is very much along the lines of Balliol’s below, and leaves Mark somewhat overwhelmed. High Table, where the dons dine, is actually on a different level from everyone else. At least the Balliol High Table dais doesn’t have red carpet like the one at Christ Church!

Hall, Balliol College

And that’s it for this particular whistle-stop tour! I hope it’s given some insight into the place that Mark encounters for the first time.

Photo credits:

Exterior of Bodleian – pic by Adam.thomp07. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Source.Interior of Bodleian – pic by annetgent. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Source.Radcliffe Camera – both pictures copyright Joy Lynn FieldingQueen’s College Library – pic by Odicalmuse. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Source.The Sheldonian – pic by Ozeye. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Source.New College quad – pic by Nick Smith. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Source.All Souls quad – both pictures copyright Joy Lynn Fielding.Merton staircases – copyright Joy Lynn Fielding.New College cloisters – copyright Joy Lynn Fielding.Balliol Hall – pic by Smb1001 licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Source.