About the Book

Book: Drandar and the Quest for Redemption (Book 2)

Author: Terrie Hellard-Brown

Genre: Middle School Fantasy Chapter Book

Release Date: June 15, 2026

What do you do with an enemy who tried to destroy you?

Drandar didn’t expect to find the answer in a dungeon.

Seaton the knight betrayed the king, hunted Drandar, and lost. Now he’s locked up and miserable — and somehow, Drandar can’t stop thinking about him. When Drandar was ready to give up, Seraphina and the fairy believed in him anyway. Maybe Seaton needs the same thing.

The king has a different idea. He’s sending both of them on a quest to find the kingdom’s greatest treasure. Together. Whether they like it or not.

The problem? Drandar isn’t sure he trusts Seaton. And the quest is harder than either of them expected.

Drandar and the Quest for Redemption is a story about second chances, unlikely friendships, and discovering that the greatest treasure isn’t always what you went looking for.

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About the Author

Terrie Hellard-Brown is an award-winning author, speaker, and missionary with over thirty years of experience as a teacher and homeschool mom. That time at the classroom and kitchen table convinced her of something she writes into every story: every child’s journey matters, and no one is too far gone for redemption.

Terrie works with families — especially mixed-needs families (those raising both neurodivergent and neurotypical children) — to disciple their kids and build a peace-filled home culture. She hosts two podcasts focused on equipping parents to raise the next generation to follow Christ with their whole hearts.

She holds a BA in sociology and psychology, an MA in education, and is currently pursuing her DMin.

More from Terrie

Forgiveness, redemption, purpose, trust, truth – these are so important for children to grasp early. Those are the motivation and foundation behind the Drandar the Dragon series.

Drandar and the Quest for Redemption is the second book in the Drandar the Dragon series of chapter books. It picks up where book one ended, but it also can stand alone on its own as long as readers begin with the understanding that Drandar is a knight in a Medieval, fantasy kingdom.

I began writing these stories for my daughter who is autistic because I saw such potential in her and God’s blessing in her life, yet I watched her struggle with doubt and fear. (She is also the illustrator for the series which is exciting for both of us).

Interview with the Author

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I do. I love when children share how much they like my books. That is a blessing that is hard to describe. They tell me how much they love the story, love Drandar, and ask when the next book is coming out. You can’t ask for much better than that as a writer.

How do you overcome writer’s block? Do you have any advice for others in finding their process to overcome it?

I rarely get writer’s block because I keep a list of ideas. Each January, I create a list of at least 30 ideas that I can draw from whenever I need a new idea. I have several of these lists now that I can always look through when I need a new idea.

The other contributing factor for writer’s block is fatigue. If I am tired or too stressed with whatever is going on in life, creativity can dry up. I find if I can just rest, really rest, and spend more time with God, all of the sudden, creativity returns in a big way.

Those two things help keep writer’s block away. But I’m also not afraid of writer’s block. I just figure I need a break, and I know the ideas will return again. A writer has so many things to do, that I use those times of taking a break from writing to focus on other things like my podcasts, marketing, or live events. I focus on encouraging other writers and spending time with friends and family. The writing waits until the creativity returns. In the meantime, I enjoy the break.

Do you read the genre you write? Why or why not?

Definitely yes. We learn from others. We see how others tell stories, and it helps make us better storytellers. I’ve read some stories, and I’ve thought, “Wow! I wish I’d written that.” There are so many great writers in the world, and I love getting to experience their stories.

However, if I am in the middle of writing a story, I don’t read other stories like mine. For instance, I don’t read other dragon stories when I’m working Drandar stories just because I don’t want to find something that I wish I could include in my story or start comparing the two stories. That usually leads to me doubting myself as a writer. I can start thinking, “Why bother writing this story. This other writer is better than I am.” We can beat ourselves up and not share the story God has put in our hearts and minds when we compare ourselves to others.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

The best advice I ever received was, “Write. Write terrible scenes, tell stories that are just awful, and don’t edit as you write. Just write.” It gave me permission to create terrible stories which helped me get words on the page. We can always edit or start over, but there is something amazing about just getting words on the page. It allows the idea to breathe and to begin to develop into the story it needs to be. Until we start writing it down, it just can’t grow. I used to try to write 500 words each day. Now, I just write and don’t often pay attention to the word count until I’m done and ready to start editing. I just write and enjoy the process.

Do you participate in writing challenges on social media? Why or why not?

Sometimes I do, but not often. I have a few favorites each year that I try to do. The main one is Storystorm where we create at least 30 story ideas each January. I love starting the year that way, and then I have a list of ideas or “story seeds” I can look over and choose one to start working on when needed.

The main reason I don’t get involved in too many of them is simply time. I have so many projects in the works already, I just don’t have time to do most challenges.