Red Wolf Blogs

    The term red wolf must have been floating around in my subconscious when I conceived of Clifford Crane, the supernatural werewolf protagonist depicted in my Red Wolf Saga . Crane (you can check out the “My Books” tab), whom I imagine to be a cross between an Irish setter and an eight foot grizzly, bears little resemblance to the coyote-colored canid that once roamed the eastern North American continent in large numbers a few hundred years ago.     But, yes, there are real red wolves! And it wasn’t until I was almost ready to publish The Draculata Nest that I discovered they are living practically in my own back yard.     Like its grey wolf cousin, which already haunted the dreams of European settlers, the red wolves were regarded as everything from a threat to domestic livestock to agents of Satan. The “new Americans” went about systematically destroying the wolves’ natural habitat and hunting it to near extinction. Today, Canis rufus can be f...

 Okay, I told you I wasn’t going to be posting much while I approach the deadline for my next novel, and I guess you guys were beginning to believe that since it’s been over a month. But I had to give respite to the silence of the blog and take a short break from working on Red Wolf Rising (I’m getting tantalizingly close to the end!) to share this cool cover for Red Tash’s soon-to-be-released dark fantasy novel… In the spring of 2012, while my editors ripped my first draft of The Dragon of Doughton Park to shreds, I was looking for something to read and stumbled upon Troll or Derby, which I promptly devoured. I was so taken with the cleverly written tale of Roller Deb and Harlow the rock-star troll that I dashed off a quick five-star review and posted it on my blog. (Just so you know, an unsolicited review from me is unusual. I’m a tad on the lazy side when it comes to writing about anything but my own stuff.) It was just that good. A day or so later I was surprise...

Hi, folks. This week’s post is a little late, so I’ll apologize to the dozen or so loyal readers of this blog. I’ve had to literally drag myself online the lately for the simple fact that I’m so immersed in finishing up Red Wolf Rising. The third novel in the Red Wolf saga is coming along nicely and I’m excited about how the various characters and their stories are falling in line. Since the last several weeks were spent sharing an excerpt of Claire’s last visit to The Dragon, and since readers have expressed an interest in the dragons of the Red Wolf universe in general, I thought I’d share some background of the one who originated the Prophecy of the Red Wolf. I meant this to be a character profile. But dragons are such enigmatic creatures. What follows is more of a history lesson. I’m not sure how much insight it provides into Pieter’s true character. I gave it my best shot. But first… What I’m Currently Reading… … is (still) Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s Brim...

Hi, folks. Had enough to eat yet? Yeah, this is my favorite time of year, the Thanksgiving holiday season here in the United States. It’s all about feasting and… (Well, okay, it’s actually supposed to be about giving thanks, but…) It’s a time when we loosen our belts and eat as much as we possibly can. I love it. Unfortunately, I just joined Weight Watchers. I know. It’s an insane time of year to start that, but my employer is supplementing a group at work in an effort to support a healthy lifestyle, so what are you gonna do? So it’s been feasting for everyone else and famine for me. Oh, well. Thank god for my writing. I’m taking out my frustrations on my characters. Someone’s going to pay for this, and it ain’t gonna be pretty. But that’s another story. This week’s blog wraps up Claire’s visit to the Dragon, part of the back story of Clifford and Claire that will be told in the upcoming Red Wolf Rising, slated for publication in the spring of 2014. But first… What I’...

Hi, folks. I missed you guys last week while I was a bit under the weather. But, I’m back now, none the worse for wear, and ready to continue with Claire Deerfoot’s last visit to The Dragon. But first, let’s check the old TBR list… What I’m Currently Reading… …is nothing. Well, not nothing. I’ve been reading over my first novel, The Draculata Nest, in preparation for a re-edit, which may include an additional story line and even a re-release under a different title. At any rate, I don’t know if that counts as reading. (I did enjoy it, though. It’s a good book. J ) I finished   Devyn Dawson’s The Legacy of Kilkenny . I’m only giving it three stars. I honestly liked the story, its characters and pace, but I can’t recommend it due to some major flaws, all of which could have been corrected with a bit of editing. The novel is written from the first person, present tense, point of view. So (so, so, sooooo) many writers are using this POV these days. It has to be...