Lap Cat vs. Laptop

Yesterday marked the first day of my Masters course in Creative Writing.  Since my classes are online, I have to use an Apple laptop instead of any of our Windows computers (not compatible with my classes).  However, I soon discovered a little problem.  My black cat, Slinx, is very jealous of the laptop as it has taken priority over him.  Well, at least over his seating arrangement.

Slinx is different than most cats.  His mother has 25 toes, and he was born with 22 toes.  He's a lonely kitten.  The only sibling he would have had was stillborn.  Once his mother went into heat again, she has had absolutely nothing to do with him.  So, he adopted me.

He's the most unique cat I've ever had.  You can see the jealousy in his attitude, which cats are known for, and now he follows me from room to room more than ever.  He is the first cat I've seen that begs for you to play with him (feathered toy on a stick is his favorite).  He knows where the toy is kept and stares at it, crying until you play with him and tire him down.

Of course, if you've read my series you know I have a soft spot for cats.

Just a note, but Morton says you'll see him again.  He's already plotting to get into the fourth book in my series.  Hmm.  I wonder what he'll do this time.

Devils' Den Progress

I have passed the 50,000 word mark for Devils' Den.  This is the first book of my dark fantasy series, and quite a different genre for me, too.

One of the best compliments I get for the Darkness Series is the originality of plot and characters, which is good because it apparently works.  I have no doubt that Devils' Den is filled with originality of its own.  In fact, it's so different that I hope I don't alienate my audience.  Perhaps it's my self-doubt that makes me question the uniqueness of the story.  I don't know.  But in The Game of Pawns, I introduced a quartet of new characters that I almost cut from the story because I didn't believe my audience would like them.  Feedback has been overwhelming at how much they are LOVED.  So cutting them would have been like cutting my own throat.

Being a novelist is a lonely occupation because I sit and write what I hope will become a great story, but yet, I will question myself unmercifully until the end.  I actually held off sending Beyond the Darkness to print an additional six months because of this inner doubt.  I believe other authors experience this as well.

At the rate Devils' Den is progressing I believe I should be finished with the novel this month.  However, that's in what I consider the first draft.  I will have my editing friend, Ann, take a read through and possibly one other.  When I am writing a novel, I start back with the previous three pages from the day before and revise them.  I do this to refresh my mind on what I've written, plus tighten up the prose and dialogue.  At each 15,000 word point, I will go to the beginning of the manuscript, read and revise until I reach the end point.  This way I keep polishing the novel until I've finished the first draft.

Once I've reach the end of the novel, I will reread the entire manuscript two more times, and sometimes more than that.  Even after it goes to print, I still wonder if I've done enough.

Little Sister Lost

Isn't it strange how much emotion can flow inside your mind when you look through family photos?  Good, bad, or sad.  But the memories are there.

My sister and I used to go through our family albums dozens of times as kids.  We'd tell each other stories about how we remembered certain instances at the time the photos were taken.  But those days are gone, at least for her.

About ten years ago, she got mixed in with the wrong crowd because of a guy she fell head over heels for.  If love is blind, often doing things while in this "love" stage inhibited her from making clear decisions.  Before we knew it, he had her smoking pot.  A few months later, her behavior became so erratic she was no longer the sister we knew.  She began seeing things.   Little demons running through her house.  People who weren't there.  She destroyed her house, shattering pictures, windows, and once threw a broom so hard that it went through a closet door without splintering the broom handle.

She was finally put into a mental health hospital, and we found out that she had been using meth.  The drug use had done so much damage, they kept her there for months.  Doctor evaluations later diagnosed her with dementia.  The drugs had eaten holes in her brain.  And sadly, she'd never be the same.

Now, I look at family pictures differently.  When I see us as kids, I try to remember the things we did, but I cannot escape the remorse that the sister I knew and loved is no longer here.

Winner of Predators of Darkness: Aftermath Proof

Congratulations to Holly Bourque!  You are the winner of the Predators of Darkness: Aftermath proof. 


Next contest at 100 Followers!  Have to make it something good, eh?

Giving Back to My Alma Mater

As previously mentioned in a blog, Plainview High School (my Alma Mater) was hit and partially destroyed by an EF-5 Tornado on April 27th, 2011.  In an effort to help raise money for the school library I'm donating 50% of my royalties for the next six weeks.

Currently all Kindle versions of my novels are priced @ $2.99 each and will remain as such for the next six weeks.  Nook versions are also $2.99 each.  All new paperback novels under my publishing imprint, Deimosweb Publishing, are available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or through your local book store.

Please spread the word!

Blessings to you all,

Leonard

For A Limited Time: Kindle & Nook Versions $2.99

For a limited time all Kindle and Nook versions of my series are priced @ $2.99 each.  Times are tough, and this is a price cruncher!  Get my entire series for less than $9.00.  That's a lot of reading, too.

Cheers!

Paperback Editions of My Darkness Series Are Now LIVE on Amazon.

Predators of Darkness: Aftermath is now LIVE on Amazon.com.  This is the second edition of the novel and has some revisions and additions made that the previous Predators of Darkness did not.  Beyond the Darkness, Book 2, has had some revisions and additions as well.

My series is now published under my publishing logo: Deimosweb Publishing.  And, I've made certain that books 2 and 3 are cheaper than what my former publisher (Outskirts Press) had them priced.

New editions, new covers, and better prices.