Droids & Dragons Author D.K. Lindner

D. K. Lindner

Pub 518 welcomes D.K. Linder to the Droids & Dragons team. She lives in New York USA.

"I've been writing a long time.  I don't actually remember my first story.  I do remember the first time someone made me feel like a writer. My fifth-grade teacher had paired the class up to write short stories.  A friend and I wrote a short children's story about firefighting from the Dalmatian's perspective.  Not only did we get a great grade, but my teacher went out of his way to pull us aside and explain how much he loved the story. I think I've been chasing that validation ever since!?

DK is a technical and regulatory affairs writer by day, and has several peer-reviewed journal articles under her maiden name.  However, this is the 1st time her fiction literary works is being published. "With this anthology, I hope to start publishing and marketing my creative writing."

When we ask DK which author influences her the most, her response, "Anne McCaffrey, of course."  

DK's short story in Droids & Dragons is 'Potato Dragon'. "The inspiration ultimately came from a failed science experiment where I tried to hatch a cockatiel egg in an incubator.  A local bird owner told me the best way to transport an egg was in a potato.  The potato must have worked because the cockatiel egg continued to develop after I brought it home.  I was able to track its growth for my science project with a flashlight.  Although that egg didn't survive, I did wind up getting a hatchling from her.  My bird lived for about 30 years and has only recently passed away."   

Here is a standout snippet from 'Potato Dragon' that will make you want to read on.

"The riders have an unofficial dead-stock list.  They get rewarded based on what they kill. The cheapest beast, a green male dragon, is also the most common.  The rarest and most expensive beast, a white female dragon, has never actually been found. The dragon I gave him was bronze, which is at least in the top five. I haven't seen the list in a long time."

We ask DK what her favorite book and author is and she couldn't put her finger on a single one. "Asking me to name a single book/author is like asking me to pull down a star from the night's sky.  I know some very bright constellations, and they guide me.  I wouldn't be who I am today without The Dragon Riders of Pern, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games, Throne of Glass, Fourth Wing, and Dungeon Crawler Carl. Please don't make me choose!"

All writers have superpowers and with DK, she volleys the question back. "You tell me.  What part of this story jumped off the page for you?"

'Potato Dragon' is a wonderful quick read. You can find it in Droids & Dragons which is available on Amazon and drops 9/25/2026.