This is the end of a long road. Who knew that I'd be telling one story across three books, for three hundred thousand words? Give me just a moment to say, "I'm amazed."
Join me next Friday for the release! In the meantime, pre-order your copy here:
https://www.amazon.com/New-Dragon-Soaring-Shadows-Book-ebook/dp/B0B7KR3NBM/
Well, 2023, for one, right?
I'm hoping your new year has gotten off to a boffo start. If I use "boffo" enough, can I bring it back into fashion?
My fantasy trilogy, Dragon Shadows, is coming down the home stretch and I couldn't be more excited! You can pre-order your copy of the last book NEW DRAGON SOARING here:
https://www.amazon.com/New-Dragon-Soaring-Shadows-Book-ebook/dp/B0B7KR3NBM/
Or you can wait until its release on Friday, February 10th and buy it then.
"But Gayle, I don't want to wait," you plead.
I know, and I aim to please. NEW DRAGON SOARING is complete and copies are on the way to my humble abode. Join with me in praying that they arrive by January 27th because on January 28th, I will be at the "Handmade with Love" festival presented by the Yorba Linda Arts Alliance Foundation from noon to 4 pm at the Yorba Linda Town Center.
Here's the flyer:
If you're local (or local enough) I hope to see you there!
If, for some insane reason, you haven't gotten 'round to getting the first two books, here are those links (or contact me to get your own autographed copies):
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Dragon-Rising-Shadows-Book-ebook/dp/B09XQV24DW/
https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Dragon-Falling-Shadows-Book-ebook/dp/B0B6QMB2WZ/
Otherwise, my next adventure will be in February at the Southern California Writers Conference in San Diego, where I shall have more copies available.
Life is delicious, Peeps. Savor it.
No, not for the holidays. I know better than to ask that.
I mean, are you ready for Book 2 of the Dragon Shadows Trilogy? It's Moon Dragon Falling and it will be officially released on December 9th. Unofficially...
On Sunday, December 4th, I will have a booth at the Placentia Round Table Women's Club (901 Bradford Ave) from 11-4. It is the Placentia Shop Small Boutique and I'm a proud vendor at the event. And because it's local and I will always love my local peeps, MOON DRAGON FALLING will be available in paperback for those who would like to continue to read about Lisette de Lille and her adventures as a noblewoman/pirate/dragon in the Caribbean.
Of course, at both events, I'll have copies of the first book, BLOOD DRAGON RISING, as well as my Peri Minneopa Mysteries for sale, and of course, they will be discounted because (say it with me) I love my local peeps.
What are reviewers saying about MOON DRAGON FALLING? Here's what D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer at Midwest Book Reviews thought about it:
"Moon Dragon Falling is the genre-busting Book 2 of the Dragon Shadows series and picks up the story of Lisette de Lille, who is now pregnant and looking forward to marriage in the aftermath of a battle.
Readers of the first book will recall that she is now a moon dragon, but she faces ongoing challenges from this transformation and her uncertainty about how to use her new abilities. The learning curve isn't easy, especially when she's with child and recovering from the events in Blood Dragon Rising.
To make matters worse, her love Tristan has fallen victim to a potion that has made him forget Lisette and her child. She must win him all over again—and apparently re-fight a too-familiar battle—to win back control over her life, future, and the life of her unborn child, the result of two blood dragons' union.
Many elements of fantasy would seem to make Moon Dragon Falling appropriate for the fantasy genre reader. But, wait: is that a pirate injected into the story? And, how can Lisette embark on an effort to save her love and herself if she can turn from dragon back to a vulnerable human being at any given moment?
As the romance, confrontations, and unusual milieu coalesce, readers will find Moon Dragon Falling a powerful saga whose characterization and setting continually place it outside any pat definition.
Replete with the action of a thriller, the fantasy elements of a dragon dilemma, and the romantic concerns of a new mother-to-be who must battle herself and the world around her bereft of her life's love, the story is designed to attract novel readers as well as fantasy genre followers and fans of a rollicking good read.
From dukes and kidnapping plans to firebrand Lisette's determination to once again quell the forces that threaten her happiness and world, GS Carline has created another compelling story that could stand alone, but more readily adds another chapter to the tale that prior fans will relish.
Libraries looking for strong examples of action-centered books that feature powerful female protagonists on the cusp of many changes will find Moon Dragon Falling recommendable to patrons who look for non-formula writing that steps out of its own definition as a 'fantasy' to reach out to and immerse other audiences."
So what are you waiting for? You can pre-order your copy online (paperback from any bookstore, or ebook on Kindle only), or you can add one of the dates above to your calendar and visit me for a discounted, autographed copy.
I can't wait!
The first book in my fantasy trilogy is being released this Friday. I've written the entire trilogy, over 300,000 words spread across three books. It feels like I just wrote them, and yet I began this journey in November of 2015. Seven years! Here's the original blog post in which I take the first step: https://gaylecarline.blogspot.com/2015/11/mrs-carline-builds-her-dream-dragon.html
The story has gone through iterations of sometimes immense proportions. I began writing it in third person, changed it over to first person, and changed it back again. At one point, I believed I might have accidentally ended up in Hades, doomed to spend eternity rewriting a manuscript from first to third person and back again. The only good thing to come from that is there would be some new word invented meaning, "to do and redo a task over and over," like sisyphean.
Gaylepovian: The act of relentlessly changing a story's POV until the writer's brain collapses.
This is where the book started:
I have an old boyfriend, Perry Kaufman, to thank for introducing me to used bookstores in Chicago, where I found this magnificent copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, revised and published in 1894.
I began writing a microscopic version of the count's story, gender-twisted to a tale of a young noblewoman who is betrayed by her so-called friends. I was thinking it would be perhaps a novella, but nothing more than a standard novel.
And then the dragons came, dragons that arrived for a reason and refused to leave until the entire story was told in all the books and all the words.
As with each book, I'm tremendously proud of its release and consider it my favorite. I've worked hard to help it find its readership and I hope they love it, too. If you read it and love it, I promise you will love the second book and the third.
And after the third book, who knows where else we may go?
It's a month until BLOOD DRAGON RISING is released to the public. Here's what you should know about that:
1. The Kindle version will be on sale for 99 cents for about a week. Its regular price will be $6.99, so get it while it's hot. You can still pre-order it on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Dragon-Rising-Shadows-Book-ebook/dp/B09XQV24DW/
2. The paperback version is available at any online bookseller, or you may order it from any physical store.
3. The AUTOGRAPHED paperback version will be available at my author booth in Tri-City Park during the Placentia Heritage Day Festival on October 8, 2022. Stop by if you're in the neighborhood!
In the meantime, here's another excerpt to tease you:
Lisette had never witnessed an actual sword fight. Her own
training had been done with Jules and kept a secret from Mama. Even the most
vigorous matches she’d seen had the look of a dance. This was ruthless, no
fancy footwork or graceful thrusts. The men battled around the table, over the
bed and back toward the door, jabbing and taking wild swings, each aiming for the
other’s torso.
She tried to find a safe corner, but it was nearly impossible.
As she backed around the table, attempting to avoid them, she became aware of
the dagger in her hand. She had not let go when she stabbed the Spanish pig.
The Spaniard had trapped Rocco against the wall. Rocco stepped
aside, tripping on the edge of her discarded gown. His leg slid out from under
him and slammed him to the floor. The Spaniard raised his sword to bring it
down on the captain’s vitals.
Without hesitation, Lisette leapt behind the stranger and
pushed the dagger into his back. It slid easily between bones through the meat
to the softness inside. She kicked the back of his knees and shoved him down
beside Rocco. He fell, his weight pulling the dagger out, leaving the hilt in
her grip. Blood covered the blade, up to her hand. She froze, staring at the
body, blood staining the Spaniard’s coat and pooling on the floor.
He groaned and attempted to stand. Rocco jumped to his feet
and put an end to the man’s complaints with a slash of his longsword. He ran
toward the door, turning at the last moment.
“Thank you. Now, bolt the door behind me.”
Lisette continued to stare at the dead man. Blood formed a
ribbon of red around his waist and gathered under his arm. His last breath had
stopped the fountain. She was glad his face was turned away, where his eyes
could not see her. His sword lay just beyond his right hand.
Trembling, she looked down at the dagger, her heart pounding
viciously. The blood on the blade turned her stomach while adrenaline pumped
her with excitement. Her head felt light and her eyesight blurry. Above, the
sounds of swords and guns and guttural screams seeped into the room, but inside
these four walls, there was an absence of noise as if silence swallowed even a whisper.
Rocco told her to bolt the door, stay inside, but that seemed
impossible. The sounds of the battle frightened and intrigued her. If she
stayed one more moment, she would start screaming and never stop. She reached
across the dead man to take his sword, feeling its heft.
This is not my fight. I have no experience. Well,
practically none. Julian taught me to fence, but we didn’t actually battle. Not
like this.
Still, she could not stay here without going mad. Desperation
took her out the door and up the steps. If she could get away from the dead man
and breathe fresh air, she might feel better.
On deck, however, there were more dead men and less fresh air.
Her eyes watered from the stench of smoke and gunpowder and men and death. Most
of the fighting was on El Águila Negro,
but there were still a few Spanish sailors trying to claim the helm of Rocco’s
ship.
A burly man in a uniform caught her attention. He was hacking
at the rope that held the mainsail. His attempt to disable the ship alarmed her—what
if she was stuck in the middle of the ocean with these brigands?
“Stop that!” She stomped her foot.
The man turned his head, spit the word, “wench,” and went back
to sawing at the ropes.
“I am not a wench. I am a lady.” She swept the long blade through
his midsection, squealing as she did. He crumpled, and she squealed again.
This alerted another Spaniard, who ran to engage her, his eyes
wide. “You’re a girl.”
“Lady.” She slashed at him.
He held his own sword up in defense and parried. His skills were
lacking, but he was keen on killing her, which kept her blocking his swings and
unable to advance. He had backed her to the helm and around the wheel when
Lisette tried a different tactic. She gave him a sly, coquettish smile and
lowered her sword a little.
“My, how strong you are,” she told him.
He smiled back, no doubt anticipating a very personal
surrender. Stepping into him, she pushed his blade away and brought her knee up
between his legs. He doubled in pain, and she struck upward, catching him square
in the chest. The tip of her sword hit bone, deflecting before sinking into his
body.
He fell and she found she was no longer shocked by putting her
blade through flesh. Her pulse racing, she looked around for more uniforms to
puncture.
Captain Rocco stood, mid-deck, bodies piled around. Men were
screaming on the galleon where Rocco’s crew slashed their way to any and all
treasure. His men who had remained on L’Implacable
set to work clearing the decks of the bodies, uniformed and pirate. The captain
glanced up and pressed his way through the carnage to the wheel, where she
stood.
Lisette met him, sword in hand and glaring in defiance. He
leaned into her, stinking of gunpowder, and sweat. His fingers caressed her
shoulder and traveled down her arm. She winced and glanced down, noting a line
of bright red running to her hand, and dripping from her little finger. He
wrapped his hand around the hilt of her sword. She let him take it.
“Pretty good with a strange blade.” His voice was low. “You
seem to have a scratch.”
She looked back up at him. “It seems that way.”
“Let’s go back to the cabin and clean it up.” He picked up her
long shirttail and wiped at her face. “And dry those tears.”
She brought her hand up to her cheeks and felt the wetness,
now aware of the catch in her breath. How long she had been crying, she did not
know.
He towered over her, and she swayed, her head spinning from
the fight and her body still pulsing with agitation. If the captain took her
now, she wouldn’t fight him—or maybe she would. Maybe she’d mount him in a
frenzy and enjoy it. Maybe she’d kill him. She no longer knew what she was
capable of.
All she could do was turn and walk down the steps, back to Rocco’s cabin, where they would be alone. Behind her, the Spanish crew continued to scream.
I once heard Willard Scott say, "When you're green, you're growing, and when you think you're ripe, you're rotten."
I probably put too many commas in that sentence, but it's a sentiment that has stayed with me and I believe its truth. The most ageless senior citizens I know are the ones who are always learning new things, re-examining life, and capable of being amazed.
What does that have to do with the release of my fantasy series?
In getting the three books ready for consumption, I've had to write the dreaded synopsis of each book, and a synopsis of the trilogy. It's true, the majority of authors can write 70-100k masterpieces and yet balk at writing 250 words to sum up the story. I'm definitely in that group.
Part of my difficulty is deciding how much to divulge. My fantasy holds secrets about the humans and dragons that I'm not certain I want to reveal immediately because I'd like the reader to be surprised. Hell, I was surprised when I wrote it.
My first thought was, "Why would anyone go to these films now that the whole thing's been revealed?" And then I understood why it worked.
If I had never seen the film, I'd still watch it because:
1. These snippets have no context, so I'm just watching six seconds of dramatic dialogue or a fight or struggle--or even a humorous entanglement, and
2. If one of those snippets is at the end of the film, you can bet I'm going to watch for that scene. (Spoiler alert: The very last line of "Now Voyager" is in the trailer!)
A light bulb moment for my trilogy. I'm not saying I'm going to tell the whole story in the synopses. But I'm no longer worried about what I conceal and what I reveal, as long as what I reveal tempts a potential reader into picking up the book and turning the page, then looking for Book 2. Rinse and repeat for Book 3.
EXCERPT:
Would
she be able to kill him? She imagined trying to run the knife into his body.
There would be but one chance. If she hesitated, it would be worse than if she
never tried.
Eat now, she told herself. Escape later.
As
she reached for the potato, she looked up to see the captain standing over her.
She froze as she met his eyes. They were deep blue and set in a sharp, tanned
face. Dark curls framed his shaven cheeks and a short goatee encircled full
lips. His muslin shirt was open, revealing a curious amulet tied around his
neck with a dark cord. A golden hand with folded fingers and a heart in the
palm—protection against the Evil Eye. The heart was inlaid with a red stone.
She
had expected an older man, grizzled, and scarred from battle. While mature, he
was muscled and good-looking. And stupid and cruel, she reminded herself. And
beneath her. A pirate.
She
met his glare with her own regal sneer. “Thank you, Captain. I was quite
hungry.”
He
picked up the pitcher and poured its contents into two goblets. “Rum?”
“Yes,
please.” As she extended her hand, he moved the goblet away. She stood and
reached again, and he continued to step away, keeping it just out of her grasp.
The entire time, his eyes never left hers.
Pining
for drink, she continued to follow him, staying a cautious distance away. As he
gazed at her she could feel heat rise in her chest, the blush spreading up her
neck to her cheeks. No man had ever dared to stare at her thus, not even Eric.
The corners of his eyes crinkled, no doubt at her embarrassment, though he did
not smile.
At
last, she stood by the window with him. The harsh midday sun exposed everything
without shadows. Still staring, he handed her the rum. She took the goblet and
moved back before taking a small sip. It burned but it also quenched.
He
stretched his arm in a wide gesture. “Mademoiselle, welcome to the ship L’Implacable.”
“The
Merciless.” Lisette nodded. “A fitting name for a pirate ship.”
* * * * *
AVAILABLE IN KINDLE AND PAPERBACK OCTOBER 7, 2022
PRE-ORDER IT HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Dragon-Rising-Shadows-Book-ebook/dp/B09XQV24DW/
The fantasy trilogy is nearing completion. All three books are written. The first is ready to go, the second is in the hands of my fabulous editor, and I'm completing the edits on the third so I can hand it off to her for her valuable insights (and corrections).
I've also figured out the release schedule, far apart enough for my sanity while being close enough to keep readers captivated--I hope!
So look for Blood Dragon Rising in October 2022.
Moon Dragon Falling in December 2022.
And New Dragon Soaring in February 2023.
Color me excited.
And then there came the day when I was in the shower and I thought, there's not enough books about girl pirates. As usual, I thought I'd write a little diddy, perhaps a novella or a short story, about a girl pirate and be done with it. But we know that's not what happened. Not with my little lets-go-down-the-rabbit-hole, whats-behind-this-door brain.
Just when I was about to toss a dragon into the middle of things, my buddy Jeff Michaels showed up (talk about the winds of Fate!) and reminded me to make the dragon mean something to the story. As lovely as they are, dragons can't just pop into our stories, helter-skelter.
