Droids & Dragons Author, Jay T. Levy

Jay T. Levy

Pub 518 welcomes back Jay T. Levy. Jay lives in the state of Delaware, USA and has been writing since high school, but didn't take it seriously until his senior year.

"I was originally going to go to art school but changed my focus from painting and drawing to the written word instead. I didn’t start sending stories out for publication until 2019, after joining a critique group."

Jay is a well-published author. He has stories in 16 different anthologies dating back to 2019. His short story, 'Passing Grade', is in Pub 518's 4th anthology, 'A Guide to Useless Sidekicks'.

The title of Jay's short story in 'Droids & Dragons' is 'The Woodcutter and the Dragon'. Jay told us how he came up with the idea. "It was inspired, in pieces, by different European and Asian folk tales about making and keeping promises."

The standout snippet from 'The Woodcutter and the Dragon' will make eager to read on.

“I was drawn by your fire,” it said, “as I flew in the light of tonight’s full moon.” The dragon leaned and opened its mouth over the bonfire, inhaling the blazing glow from the wood like a stream of water, leaving only charred and smoldering charcoal. “Delicious heat… so good and warming on the inside. But…it isn’t enough. I need more.”

The dragon gave a long, hard look at Rhys, and a tear formed in its eye, like a shiny diamond getting caught in its massive eyelash. Only then did it shift its gaze to Yarden. “You, the old one. You’ll do.”

Like with the bonfire, the dragon placed its open mouth over Yarden’s head and sucked the air. Wisps escaped from the woodcutter’s head like steam from a hot cup of tea. It drifted up into the dragon’s mouth, and whenever a mouthful had been obtained, the dragon drew the breath inward, as if filling its chest.

Yarden stood motionless, unable to move, and silent. His eyes were wide; his jaw was slack. He dropped his arms to his sides and stared at the giant mouth gaping above his head.

With each full inhalation by the dragon, the color in Yarden changed. It started subtle, but by the third intake, Yarden’s arms were blue. Soon his chest, and then his head followed.

“Much better,” the dragon said.

Yarden had become as ice, frozen from his toes to the tip of his head.

“I’m so wonderfully full of delicious heat.” The dragon drew back its head, held its belly, and burped a blast of steam, seemingly satisfied. Illumination formed beneath the dragon’s scales and specks of filtered light cascaded around the trees, mixing with the light of the full moon and filling the night in lieu of the bonfire.

Then it looked down and seemed to notice the young woodsman again.

Rhys tried to look away, but couldn’t. He knew he was next.

Jay's favorite book is the classic 'Frankenstein'.

To find out more about Jay and his writing, consider checking out his social media.

If you love dragons and mythology, then you got to read Jay's story, 'The Woodcutter and the Dragon'. Droids & Dragons is available on Amazon and drops 9/25/2026.