It is the new year and this post is long overdue. For me Christmas doesn’t have that much meaning since I don’t quite celebrate it the so-called Christian way, but I was very glad I was able to do this very simple thing for a very special girl.

One of my former students texted me about a friend who teaches English in Vietnam. He teaches a little girl who is afflicted with one of the world’s deadliest monsters–cancer. My former student wanted to send her my book, and asked me if I could autograph it. Soon, it was shipped off, I think, but that wasn’t the end of the story.

On Christmas, or was it Christmas Eve? Anyway, on that day, I received a video of the girl opening the present. Her teacher read the dedication to her and I saw that she was at a loss for words. I hope she enjoys the book. I hope she knows that she can fight, and being a girl is a wonderful, wondrous thing.

This is why I wrote Dragonhearted. I wanted to empower children, especially girls, and I am so very glad that I get a chance to do so with this book.