What's a Wyvern?

All About Osbert

and His Possibly Bitey Relatives


Hi!
If you've seen the magnificent cover of my soon-to-be-released book The Mermaid's Sister, you've probably noticed the dragonny fellow twined about the title. If not, have a look now:
 
His name is Osbert, and he's a wyvern.
 
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a wyvern (pronounced wye-vern) is
"a mythical animal usually represented as a 2-legged winged creature resembling a dragon." The word is an "alteration of Middle English wyvere viper, from Anglo-French wivre, guivre, from Latin vipera," and its first known use dates back to 1610. The wyvern is frequently seen in heraldic crests, especially in Wales.

Often depicted as having a dragon's head, a reptilian body, and barbed tail, the wyvern is sometimes said to have a poisonous bite. (My dear Osbert doesn't bite. Not usually, anyway.)

In The Mermaid's Sister, Osbert is the household pet. He's one hundred pounds of exuberance and drool, as loyal as any dog. He's kept hidden from most people, since wyverns and dragons are not supposed to be around in the nineteenth century.

On a side note, there is a lot of unintentional symbolism in the book, and it's dawned on me that Osbert is the representation of my sister's sweet black lab Emma. So, if you can imagine a dragon with the personality of a black lab, you have Osbert!

Thanks for visiting the blog!
You can find out more about (and order) The Mermaid's Sister here: http://www.amazon.com/Mermaids-Sister-Carrie-Anne-Noble/dp/1477820884/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411144021&sr=1-1&keywords=the+mermaid%27s+sister

P.S. My cover artist was M.S. Corley, and I am in awe of his talent!





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