Dragons—fierce, spikey-wikey, literate, loyal-to-a-fault Dragons—and I have been hanging together since I was knee-high to a Vilnius smij. They were guardians and teachers, helping me through dark times and into the vibrant realms of the strange and mysterious—of myths, art, literature, music, religion, sciences, and the occult. On the way, they introduced me to a plenitude of creatures, seen and unseen, real, cryptic, great, and small.
Minnesotan by birth, I spent a year in England as a kid. Lots of Dragons there. Amid castle ruins and Dartmoor wilds, standing stones and Cornish crags, my nascent writer was nurtured, along with my love of language and medievalist leanings. Back on this side of the Pond, the lush hills of New England were an inviting echo of that time in Britain. When I came to Bennington to go to college, it felt like coming home.
Now, in the shadow of the Green Mountains, I share my life with eight cats, two rats, an Amazon parrot, and various Dragon enchantments who deign to drop by. Constant inspirations all. With their permission, I tell their tales in essays and fictions, stories short and long. I hope they approve.
I am the author of The Dragon Keeper’s Handbook; Dragons for Beginners; Llewellyn’s Little Book of Dragons, and the Tarot of Dragons (Llewellyn, 2022), as well as numerous shorter pieces.
I’m currently working on The Amazifying World of Eze’l Katz, a fanciful tale of adventurous – and artistic – cats, mice, and their friends in Paris.
Various thoughts, ramblings, and a taste of my fiction can be found at http://www.mackenziesdragonsnest.com.
A special acknowledgment to Carmen Durand for her “Dragon Dreams” on my banner. Inspiring always.
MacKENZIE's Dragon's Nest 
Hi Shawm
Could you please contact me … for some mutually beneficial discussions
Thanks, Goldie
I have nominated you for the Reader Appreciation Award. Check it out here http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/06/09/readers-appreciation-award-nomination/. I hope you like it. the secret keeper aka jennifer
Why, thank you–a lot to live up to.
you definitely have it within you. i felt that specialness & creative energy from the first day we met. your plays were the 1st writing of yours i read. there shined your brilliance. jen
I have nominated you for The Sunshine Award. Check it out here http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/06/12/the-sunshine–award-nomination/ . I hope you like it. “the secret keeper” aka jennifer.
would you believe that i screwed up the url link in the first message above. this one is correct. jen
I have nominated you for The Sunshine Award. Check it out here http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/06/12/the-sunshine-award-nomination/ . I hope you like it. “the secret keeper” aka jennifer.
Hi! I’ve nominated you for a Beautiful Blogger award. If you’d like to accept you can read more about it here: http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/10/17/beautiful-blogger-award-nomination/
GOOD MORNING!
I have nominated you all for an award!!!
http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/10/24/the-look-challenge/
Jennifer Kiley – Writer. Poet. Screenwriter
Jennifer Kiley – Blogger-http://thesecretkeeper.net/
Jennifer Kiley – https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.kiley723
Jennifer Kiley – @occultguardian-https://twitter.com/occultguardian
Thanks, JK.
Shawn, thank you for stopping and following my blog today. I will have to spend some time checking yours out. There looks like a lot of material and other sites to cruise around. I will look forward to that as I follow you.
Take care,
Ivon
Welcome, Ivon. I hope you come back and visit often. Best–Shawn
I will.
I have nominated your blog for several awards you just need to go to this link: http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/12/07/bloggers-are-writersartists-more-awards/ to discover what they are. Congratulations! J.K. Jennifer Kiley the secret keeper…
Thanks, JK. It’s an honor.
I nominated you for the “Blog of the Year 2012” award & The Very Inspiring Blog Award. Please go to and go to this link at http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/12/18/blog-of-the-year-star-1-very-inspiring-blogger-award/ Congratulations!
I nominated you for the “Blog of the Year 2012” award & The Very Inspiring Blog Award. Please go to and go to this link at http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/12/18/blog-of-the-year-star-1-very-inspiring-blogger-award/ Congratulations!
Hello, I have nominated you for “Blog of the Year 2012” and “The Very Inspiring Blog Award”…You can find the awards and the pick up at the following site: http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/12/18/blog-of-the-year-star-1-very-inspiring-blogger-award/ Congratulations!
http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/12/18/blog-of-the-year-star-1-very-inspiring-blogger-award/ I have nominated you for “Blog of the Year 2012” & “The Very Inspiring Bog Award.” Go to the above link to pick up you awards and check out the post that tells you what you need to do. Congratulations!
Hi, Shawn, Hope you are having a great Holiday month and it carries through to the New Year 2013. Love, J.K. 😉
so far so good. I see this one got posted. 🙂
Hello, I have nominated you for “Blog of the Year 2012” and “The Very Inspiring Blog Award”…You can find the awards and the pick up at the following site: http://thesecretkeeper.net/2012/12/18/blog-of-the-year-star-1-very-inspiring-blogger-award Congratulations!
Hello, I have nominated you for “Blog of the Year 2012″ and “The Very Inspiring Blog Award”…You can find the awards and the pick up at the following site: http://thesecretkeeper.net/ Congratulations! ps.look for the title from above re: Blog Awards j.k. the secret keeper
Hello, I have nominated you for “Blog of the Year 2012″ and “The Very Inspiring Blog Award”…You can find the awards and the pick up at “The Secret Keeper(dot)net” Congratulations! ps. for some reason you blogs will not accept a link in your comment boxes.
I have nominated you for the super sweet blogger award.
http://jenkinskatie847kj.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/my-super-sweet-blogger-award/
Why, thank you, Kathryn.
Your welcome 🙂
Why does my dragon alway trick me, what must I say to make them do it my way?
They are Dragons and will always do it their way. But they might convince you that their way is your way – then you won’t feel so bad about it. 🙂
Hi! Shawn, Congratulations,
I, Jennifer Kiley aka ‘Jk the secret keeper’ want to nominate you for the Most Influential Blogger Award. I feel your blog is creative, inspiring & insightful that it deserves to be recognized by giving you this special Award. If you would like to take a look to accept it, here’s the link: http://thesecretkeeper.net/2013/12/10/nomination-most-influential-blogger-award/
Jk 😀
Hi! Just got to tell you that I love your gravatar pix! Always puts a smile on me when I see it! 😃😄
So very glad! 😀
Greetings from Dragon Egg Inn,
May this find you well. We came to you thanks to Topaz Drachen’s (Dragon Dreaming) listing of Dragon websites. As fellow folk of the dragon we would like to introduce ourselves, so we can be mutually aware of each other’s presence and dreams. Your work is very intriguing to us and precisely the kind of project we desire to be in community with. We look forward to someday hosting you at Dragon Egg Inn and/or collaborating otherwise.
We are a small and growing family dedicated to play in learning and learning in play. In addition to sharing games and organizing festivals, we are on a quest to open the doors to a more permanent physical Dragon Egg Inn. We envision a grand grounds of immense learning on land containing a wide variety of amenities and services suited to locals and travelers from near and far. All who occupy the space of Dragon Egg Inn contribute to and benefit from its ever evolving magics, knowledges and decolonial vision. The grounds of the inn produce all manner of sustainable foods and medicines in using methods of permaculture, Indigenous horticulture, and Natural farming. The building(s) will house a great diversity of peoples and will simultaneously function as a pay-to-stay inn and a public/commons housing effort for displaced people from near and far. Those who come and pay for a room for whatever period of time will be helping to provide a roof for local and refugee individuals and/or families. Yet it is so much more than a place to stay, it is a sort of non-institutional and decolonial university which delivers enchantment to all in attendance.
You can find out more and contribute at youcaring.com/dragonsegg
We are also currently seeking collaborators and accepting applications to join our team:
dragonegginn.wordpress.com/join
Peace, Love and Blessings,
Cody and Epiphany Serengiât
Wonderful blog and inspiring concept! I was happy to find Brunuhville’s music refered to as well! He is one of my main inspirations ❤ If you are interested I publish similar fantasy / celtic music myself under Celestial Aeon Project – would love to hear your thoughts! For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PWUe-TcfMs – best wishes from Finland!
Welcome and thank you for the kind words. Thank you also for directing me to the Celestial Aeon Project. Beautiful! (not to mention most welcome after a very crazy, crazy day)