A year ago

It has been nearly a year since I posted. Beside finishing another round of edits on my latest, our two oldest kids moved out, I tested for my third dan, I’ve traveled quite a bit (Pacific Northwest), and lost three family members.

I had been looking forward to turning 42 (since it is the meaning of life) but now that it has happened, I have the additional outlook that a new year means a new season. I think I’m looking forward to Christmas for the first time ever.

Anyway, I updated my website in preparation for publishing a brand new series next year. I know I haven’t started  the third in the Breaking Bonds series, but this new story started brewing inside me and I couldn’t focus. I do promise to return to it, and I’ll tell you the title when I have a rough draft. She is speaking to me though…

But I’ll tell you a little about the “Dance of the Crane” first. It’s set in Idaho, 1863. The story is a fantasy retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo. (I took some liberties of course.) It involves a stone found in Idaho, martial arts, shape-shifting and Korean lore.

The Count of Monte Cristo is set in a very volatile time and place. So the true wild-west, during the civil war was perfect. I had fun researching, but the project took two and a half years to complete. The good news is, there will not be indefinite waiting for each installment.