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Showing posts with the label The Dragon of Doughton Park

The Real Red Wolves

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    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...

Troll or Park Cover Reveal

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 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...

History of The Dragon, Part 1

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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...

Claire Visits The Dragon, Part 3

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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...

Clifford and Claire, Scene 9

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     Hi, folks. Happy Halloween. This week’s blog post contains plugs for a couple of good horror-filled books and another installment of the background story of Clifford and Claire, the first omega werewolves. Let’s get down to it. Seasons Readings… …and for a good cause. I just purchased my copy of Death By Drive-In , this year’s CoffinHop offering. It’s a collection of short stories for the Halloween season put together by a group of indie horror writers. Proceeds from sales go to support LitWorld, a non-profit literacy organization. The ebook is only $3.99. Good, gruesome, philanthropic. I recommend it.                                                           ...