Selena IR Drake

Author and Artist

Selena Inali Raynelif Drake is the author of the acclaimed paranormal mystery series The AEON Files, as well as the Dragon Diaries Saga, WEIRD Chronicles, and the upcoming sci-fi adventure featuring shape-shifting weapons.

Selena has been drawing and painting since she was six and started writing when she was eight years old. She often got in trouble in school for writing and doodling instead of focusing on homework. The idea for her first novel, then titled Dragon Quest, came after reading Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey for a book report. The story evolved further after Selena read more books by Anne McCaffrey, Jane Yolen, Frank Herbert, Marjorie Kellogg, RL Stine, and others.

The first half of Dragon Diaries: The Rising Arc, Ascension, was self-published in 2009, with the second half, Culmination, following suit in late 2010. The remaining two Arcs of Dragon Diaries are currently in the process of being written, with the story of the Dragon Keeper Amorez taking center stage in Memorandum.

In 2012, Selena took part in National Novel Writing Month and started her third novel, then titled The Demon Within. After many rounds of editing, the tale evolved into the first stand alone novel of The AEON Files titled The Archfiend Artifact, which has gone on to win multiple awards. Three more titles--The Lycan Pharaoh, The Lullaby Shriek, and The Bone Prophet--have joined the series, and several more are still in the works.

In 2024, Selena took an extended break from writing to challenge herself to draw and paint twelve dragons during the Year of the Dragon Challenge. Friends, family members, and strangers participated in voting on which dragon she would paint each month, and Selena managed to finish the challenge with just four days left in the year.

She currently lives with her dad and a quartet of dogs in Minot, North Dakota, where she owns a small metaphysical shop and continues to work on several projects.

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