LeRoy's Blog

My newest book, Cold Knights is available through Amazon Kindle. While I have not made the usual notifications yet, having completed it gives me that warm feeling of accomplishment. In my opinion, this is my best book (other than the next one I'm writing). I allowed a little more humor to slip in and the story takes the reader in one direction, then changes. Below is the cover my wife made, and I think it perfectly draws readers to it.

Halfway through December 2017 and I have just finished the draft of Cold Knights. Now comes the hard part. Editing and Rewriting. Then I will send it to my beta readers and if they don't want me to change too much, I can get ready to publish it. The cover is done, thanks to my wife, and I'll post it below because I like it so much.   

Holidays! Great times with family BUT no writing gets done. Now it's time for a sprint of writing before the next one. I'm doing well on the books I'm working on, but have given up on having anything ready to publish before January. Just to make things more confusing, I'm changing laptops and trying to make the new one look and feel like the old. A smarter person would just accept the differences and fight their way through it. AND THEN--Windows decides to update the whole system so I'm on another PC watching the update (8% done). I have so many great things to put in the book I'm working on and sit here frustrated. If I ever finish the next book, it will be a first draft. Then a rewrite. Then editing followed by Beta reads. Then more edits. It also needs a cover designed. At one time, I thought writing was easy. Windows Update 13% so I'd better end this and watch closer. I have a couple of great Beta readers, but can use a couple more. If you're inter...

I'm into the latest book 50,000 words and decided it was not what I wanted. It didn't work. The plot, story and main character are good, but overall it was lacking "something" critical. It had become predictable. Normal. I set it aside a few days and realized what was wrong. So, I sucked it up and went back to page one. A few changes here, another over there, and suddenly the words on the first eight pages sing and dance. Chapter one is much better. Now all I have to do is the same for the next couple-hundred pages, tie it all together with another twenty or thirty, and write an ending that will make the readers sit back and wish for more. I got this! Maybe.     

Technical problems with getting this promo to work the way I want. So . . . if you want a Kindle edition of The Dragon Clan -- In The Beginning, just email me with the link on my webpage and let me know. I'll gift you one to your email address. It is a short, 20,000 page book that is the beginning, and intended as an introduction to the next eight or so other books. If you like it, maybe you'll buy more, at least that's my hope. Sign up for my email list and send me a note that you want the book and I'll get it to you in a day or two. Thanks. 

I found myself in an odd situation this week. While working on Cold Knights, the plot was becoming predictable. While thinking of a possible way to resolve the issue, I worked on The Last Dragon and came up with several unique ideas to follow for it. At the same time, I resolved the plot issue with Cold Knights and wanted to get it onto "paper" before I forgot. So, I wrote a chapter of one book, then switched to the other. Then back again. For about three days I entered one world of place and characters, and wrote with one voice, then changed to another world and writing style a few hours later. I honestly expected to confuse a place or character--and didn't. Then I wondered why. Writing for me, is a process where I have to engross myself totally in the story. I can see, hear, touch, taste. If my character is in snow I need another shirt and maybe turn the heat up. I have to speak with my characters, and often say their words out loud to make sure they are speaking li...

So, this is more of a test of the new blog program. My new book Dragon Clan #8 Creed's Story is now published and available to buy. It pulls together much of the last two books and the new character is fun and irreverent. I think it is the best of the series. While finishing it, I've also been working on a tale of brothers called Cold Knights. One brother is a prince. The other is the illegitimate son of the king and unknown to all. I have it outlined and am enjoying writing the book but it needs a lot of work. The other is The Last Dragon, which is a book about a dragon (of course) and a servant who can work a little magic. Not much magic because he isn't powerful like a mage, but he can persuade someone to drink to excess and talk too much, or other minor acts that go unrecognized. He is the personal servant of a royal woman his age, and she is devious and adept at palace intrigue. He is more of a scamp. If anyone has any clever ideas . . . the outline of the book...