Matchmaker Summary

If Janice Phillips gave in, if she surrendered to the loneliness within her, the failing would reawaken a Black Death on Earth nobody could cure.

Matchmaker Blurb

First and foremost, Dr. Janice Phillips was a soldier, a silent shield for existing life on Earth. Her forefathers had sworn to uphold the Dragon Oath and she had promised to do the same. Her happiness was a small price to pay for human life, but valor was a thankless job, and over time the occupation had chaffed at her soul. If she surrendered to the loneliness within her, the failing would reawaken a Black Death on Earth that nobody could cure. She needed to escape the temptation.

Janice Phillips had been a beautiful woman and made a lasting impression on U.S. Marshall Ronald Alastair. He couldn’t think about anything else. Once he’d realized she’d left their chance meeting with his jacket, part of him was okay about tracking her down. He didn’t expect to find a car bomb. When she ended up sitting next to him on a airplane out of town, he had two and a half hours to get the entire story. Then he’d decide to arrest her or protect her.

Author Commentary

Title: Matchmaker

I floundered on the title. It’s not original or captivating, but it accurately describes the character. In the Dragon Ring Legend, I wanted to write about a worldwide group of determined strangers coming together to protect Earth. It all starts with the Matchmaker because she has the tools to identify each dragon and she knows the secret legend better than any of the others. This series comes full circle. The Matchmaker is the one who cures the threat of Black Death forever.

Chapter One

Doctor Janice Phillips fell to her knees atop shredded lab notes while errant emotions waved through her mind. Muscle cramps made her shake as she huddled in a fetal position. Tears pooled in her eyes and streaked down her heated cheeks. Sweat dampened the ruined shirt under her thick sweater. The man’s leather jacket she wore did little to fend off the chill. Her slender arms hugged her wrecked body for comfort.

I wanted to stress how alone she felt and the power of the ring over her from the beginning. Holding this secret and traveling the world to keep the secret wears on all my Dragon Masters, but Janice struggles the most. Despite her desire to sire a normal family, she spends hours in the lab trying to find a cure and has few friends because of her situation.

If she couldn’t get herself together the search was all for naught. Where one unmatched ring could kill millions with a small virus, two rings together released a deadly pandemic with no cure.

This is the introduction to the Legend. The ring she wears consists of three different biogenetics. It’s a high concept concoction carried throughout the book. One part of the ring is animal DNA that calls to its counterparts in the virus’s genetic code. This makes it difficult for Janice to leave another ring behind.

Not only does Janice struggle with her personal aspirations, every time she locates a new ring to place on a new Master, she goes through this lonely withdrawal. Almost like a drug addict trying to resist using.

Debbie blew out a long breath. “Okay, I’ll destroy all our research and clear the lab.”

Deborah Blaine plays an important role in this book and the others to follow. She starts out naive about the entire situation she’s gotten herself into, but she soon wises up when she falls for the Hunter.

Chapter 2

She (Deborah) might’ve died along with the other innocents who screamed and cried. Not the way he had planned to attain the rings. Doctor Janice Phillip’s ring would remain intact despite the bombs heat. She wouldn’t have the other ring on her though. He couldn’t be so lucky.

I wanted to create a complex villain. Cole McKnight is empathetic, yet a mercenary. He adored his mother and when she died he had spiraled onto a path that landed him indebted to a crazy man wanting this fantastic power harnessed in these dragon rings. Cole plays along to gain his freedom, but he’s never really free to do what he wants. His interaction with Deborah has his mind and body tied in knots. I enjoyed putting him through the wringer.

He looked at the aftermath of the bomb. The Hunter knew questions would be asked. An investigation was already underway as uniformed police officers milled around. This was not good. If the investigators found out he was a Hunter, a hired mercenary assigned to kill a specific person, they would arrest him whether they believed in the Dragon Ring or not. That was the last thing he needed right now.

As complex as the Black Plague legend, the Hunters legend consists of rules and restrictions. Due to the nature of hunting and killing for power, the rules were constructed for a Hunter’s safety. Unfortunately, most mercenaries didn’t care for rules. Cole is one of the oldest Hunters on staff. This section shows that he didn’t have anything to do with this bombing. He follows the rules because they work. I wanted the reader to wonder who was he working with and why.

Chapter 3

A beautiful woman (Janice) flashed him and he couldn’t think about anything else. Long hours and years of bachelorhood did that to him. Geezus, it was good he had a reason to leave town.

U.S. Marshall Ronald Alastair is Janice’s love interest. I wanted to make a memory with their first contact, something so strange that it’s funny. When they meet, her shirt busts open.

Years in public service had rendered him without a family. Now, he’s at a point where he wants to start one. However, two must play the game. Ron is an upstanding man who doesn’t believe in legends. I wanted to inject a sense of reality in this complex and outlandish conspiracy theory. I chose Ron as my level-head.

Ron nodded. He buckled up and then looked back at her. After she’d secured the belt, their eyes locked. Astonished to see her alive, he declared, “You look like you’ve been through hell and back since last I saw you.”

I wondered what it would be like to meet a dead person. I took the challenge in my book. Ron thinks Janice had died in a car explosion. I enjoyed writing their dialogue when they reunite on the flight to Colorado. Expect the unexpected.

Write to Judy@judydawn.com to acquire sample chapters.

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