My Writing

The Loyalty Factor is my epic fantasy novel, currently in its sixth or seventh draft (at some point I quit keeping track). I think I’m getting closer to having it ready for publication, though I know it’s not ready yet. My goal is to see it published before the novel is 30 years old…because right now I’ve been working on it since 1990!

When I post about my “epic epic-fantasy novel rewrite,” this is the novel I’m talking about. If you’re interested in my posts about the revision process, check out this link.

The Loyalty Factor Novel Synopsis

The king is ill–struck down by the Just Goddess, some say. Betrayed, say others. Baronet Brandon Shrike, the king’s most trusted knight and friend, has been accused of the crime. Exiled and abandoned, unable to protect the king from further treachery, Brandon must find a way to stop ambitious General Kalt–the man Brandon knows is behind the schemes.

In the north, Lady Bria Perregal’s mother has been murdered, and if her suspicions are correct, it was her father, Earl Rostis, who committed the crime. The earl seems poised to seize power, but Bria has no proof, only fear and doubt. With her twin brother hundreds of miles away in the capital city, Bria realizes she must act alone in order to avoid becoming a pawn in their father’s power games.

Pursued by soldiers and mysterious monsters that look like men but aren’t, Bria flees south. Brandon, risking capture and torture, returns to the kingdom to find proof and stop General Kalt from destroying both king and kingdom. Renegade baronet and rebellious noblewoman are on a collision course to thwart not only Kalt’s plans, but those of someone even more sinister…

The Dark King.

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Other Writing

I have written first drafts of three novels in an urban fantasy series set in Illinois, but I have currently put those on hold to finish the revision of my epic fantasy novel. My participation in NaNoWriMo has also produced an urban fantasy novel set in Indianapolis that ties in to the series, but can easily stand on its own.

Two years ago during NaNoWriMo I wrote a paranormal crime novel, and last year I made a return to the epic fantasy genre with a novel about dwarves. In 2012 I come to the realization that, for now at least, I’ve learned all I can from NaNoWriMo, so I’m not planning to participate in future, as much as I loved it.

I have also written several short stories, but to be honest, I’ve never been very good at short stories. In college I was always the girl who made people in critique group groan when I handed out my 20-page stories. I have been working on this off and on for the past several years, but brevity is still a challenge for me.