The Fruit of the Dendragon Tree

<br><br><br><br><b><i>The Fruit Of The Dendragon Tree</b></i>is a fantasy novel with crossover appeal to adult and young adult readers. The author%u2019s writing style and theme also provides crossover appeal between fantasy lovers and those readers who might not ordinarily read in that genre. <br><br><br><br>As the story opens seventeen-year-old Jake Patel%u2019s mother is dying of breast cancer. Jake is furious at his father David for accepting this fact and bargains with the universe to save his mother%u2019s life %u201Cno matter who has to die.%u201D Assisted by his schoolmate Jenny Blackwood a well-intentioned but inexperienced witch Jake is transported to the world of Tiramonde a world that like himself is on the brink of catastrophe.<br><br><br><br>Guided upon his arrival by the witch Ureth Jake learns that the only thing that can save his mother%u2019s life is the fruit of the Dendragon Tree a tree that has not bloomed in living memory. But legend holds that plucking the Dendragon fruit will release the dragon Kildraig from his thousand-year imprisonment and Kildraig was imprisoned for very good reasons. <br><br><br><br>But here the novel departs from the standard %u201Cquest%u201D fantasy epic. For when David also arrives in Tiramonde looking for his son both Ureth%u2019s and Jake%u2019s choices become excruciating: Ureth must choose the true liberator of Tiramonde. And Jake must choose which parent in the end he will save. <br><br> <br><br>Vibrant with magic and alive with centaurs elves werewolves and vampires (not to mention a deliciously evil dragon) <b><i>The Fruit of the Dendragon Tree</b></i> speaks to our fear of inevitable death and to our hope for continued life. It is a story of premature loss and repaired love of learning that there are worse things than dying and that cancers both real and metaphorical often require poisons to defeat them.<br><br><br><br>In an eerie demonstration of life imitating art author Paul Deepan%u2019s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after the <b><i>Dendragon</b></i> manuscript was completed. This coincided with his own son (the inspiration for Jake) turning seventeen the same age as the character Jake in the story. <br><br><br><br>Half of all author royalties from sales of this book will be donated to charities that fund breast cancer research prevention education and support.