John Shors -- Author With a Mission (and some great books!)

I recently had the opportunity to read Dragon House, the latest book by John Shors.  It made such an impression on me, that I contacted Mr. Shors and asked if he could grace us with a visit.  I was more than delighted when he agreed!  Over the next few days, I will be sharing with you an interview with John Shors, information on Dragon House (and a bit on his other books) and on Blue Dragon's Children's Foundation, John's passion outside of writing :-) 

Set in modern-day Vietnam, Dragon House tells the tale of Iris and Noah—two Americans who, as a way of healing their own painful pasts, open a center to house and educate Vietnamese street children.


Iris and Noah find themselves reborn in an exotic land filled with corruption and chaos, sacrifice and beauty. Inspired by the street children she meets, Iris walks in the footsteps of her father, a man whom Vietnam both shattered and saved. Meanwhile, Noah slowly rediscovers himself through the eyes of an unexpected companion.

Resounding with powerful themes of suffering, sacrifice, friendship, and love, Dragon House brings together East and West, war and peace; and celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.

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After graduating from Colorado College, John Shors lived for several years in Kyoto, Japan, where he taught English. On a shoestring budget, he later trekked across Asia, visiting ten countries and climbing the Himalayas. After returning to the United States, he became a newspaper reporter in his hometown, Des Moines, Iowa, winning several statewide awards in journalism. John then moved to Boulder, Colorado, and helped launch GroundFloor Media, now one of the state’s largest public relations firms.


John has been lucky enough to spend much of his life abroad, traveling in Asia, the South Pacific, Europe, Africa, and North America. Now a full-time novelist, John spends his days writing and going on family outings with his wife, Allison, and their two young children, Sophie and Jack.

John’s first two novels, Beneath a Marble Sky, and Beside a Burning Sea, have won multiple awards, and have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Until tomorrow, please enjoy this video of John Shors discussing Dragon House and reading a brief excerpt:



Dragon House can be found at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and IndieBound, as well as local bookstores