We're about half way through the "Save the Dragons" experiment and we're running out of paid for chapters. There's still a few weeks left at one chapter a week but we need more visitors to read the book so far (11 chapters) and donate. If we don't get any more donations then Dave Free will be leaving some of his pets behind in South Africa.
The good news is we have outstanding cover art - art that you understand if you've read Chapter 10 - and two different layouts using it (as illustrated above and below). I think #2 is better but we have a poll on the Save the Dragons LJ community to see what others think.
It is perhaps also time for a review of the book so far. Our hero, Squigs, is a tall skinny geek whose parents sent him to English boarding schools and who then went to Oxford to read Alchemy (it's a little known fact that Oxford University has an Alchemy Faculty). Unfortunately his alchemical studies are terminated by a visit from some gentlement from the Carpaccio Corporation - specifically the Chief Executive Office (emphasis on Execute) and his henchmen. Squigs manages to put his alchemical knowledge to good use and and escapes the Carpaccio Corporation into another world. Where he lands in a pile of hippo turd in front of a short but beautiful young lady in a green skintight costume. Since he's been on the run for a while and since he managed to leave his right hand behind in the most recent maneuver he promptly keels over in a faint.
When he recovers he discovers that the young lady, and her father, also short but built like a brick shithouse, are dragon hunters on a quest to save the dragons from being mowed down by machine-gun wielding maniacs on hovercraft. Squigs volunteers to help (thanks in part to a large mug of medicinal distilled alcohol product) and the story, with some of the previously described backstory weaved in describes the quest and the rocky road to romance of the alchemical geek. Oh and there's a ghostly parrot that becomes attached to him.
It is, IMO, very funny. Reminiscent of Tom Holt - the earlier and funnier ones anyway - or perhaps a combination of Pterry and Tom Sharpe. Read it, enjoy and don't forget to drop a few $$$ in the paypal tip jar!
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