New works in progress

Devoted readers,

Just checking in. I realized today that I haven't posted since March. While that seems negligent on my part (and it kinda is), I wanted to keep you posted on a few new updates.

1. My real world job was busier than ever. For those in the know, I am actually a teacher, which means once the school year starts, I am a ghost. Gone, vanished. Not just from the public view, but from the family scene as well. I've lost several good friendships over this fact, because people don't seem to get that a teacher easily loses track of time, like I have.

2. Due to the issues I suffer from in #1, my spare time can be quite limited. Rest assured that every day I could have posted here, I was in the process of writing instead. If you look at my earlier blog posts, I complained about people who talk about writing, but don't seem to do it. So, there you go. Instead of talking about it, I've been doing it.

3. Currently, I've got a new work in progress that does not involve Kimberly or Auviarra proper. My newest tale is about a young girl who receives a new heart before her junior year of high school. Of course, in true Leckman fashion, the heart actually came from an angel, which results in paranormal shenanigans all around. If you are curious about progress on this story, I will tell you that book one is about half complete and book two is 80 percent complete. That's right. I've been writing two books at the same time. You can follow my progress on Wattpad. The title is the WIP title, so it will likely be changed.

http://www.wattpad.com/story/25141236-angel-heart


4. Of course, not all my time has been devoted to a paranormal romance. I have also been making notes on TLOK 4 (which promises to be much longer than its three predecessors). The dreaded Phantom Valley, a stand alone horror novel, has also been slowly shaping up in the rafters. Harvesters has been moved from back burner to middle burner (you can find the first unedited chapter on wattpad). And, of course, Otherside. My beloved Otherside. That story, which has been back burnered for the last few years, is officially dead.

Just kidding. While I will be the first to admit that my writing still needs to improve, I am waiting until I am adequately ready to tell that story. Otherside isn't just about the characters. It is also about the land of Otherside itself. Every story I tell is a practice in the art of story telling. One of my weakest areas right now, in my opinion, is world building and landscape description. Otherside promises to be three parts Alice in Wonderland, six parts LOTR/GOT (the death count is rather high), and nine parts mythology from various parts of the world. It will be a large story, and I want to be able to give it the best chance of success by telling it right.

Today is Thanksgiving. Be thankful for all you have, and I will see you in my worlds.

J.R. Leckman