Have you ever met a Trowl?

I’m so close to being done with Midnight Wildes, it hurts. At the same time, there’s so much left to do!

But first, let me shout out a huge thanks to my beta readers. The notes they gave me have my mind exploding. There are so many little things I know about the places, the characters, and the magic of the Wildes that I totally missed putting onto the pages. Not sure how long it’s going to take to get it all together, but I will publish before the end of the year.

In the meantime, meet Jonesy. Being a Trowl, an ancient order of Trolls who’ve developed more Goblin features than Troll, he’s hard to define. This image, created by MidJourney, isn’t half bad. 

Unlike most Goblins, Trowls don’t like to dress with pomp or flair. At least MidJourney got that right.

Two things MidJourny hasn’t been able to get right: Jonesy’s smile, he’s a friendly guy, and his human form. I keep trying, but so far, all the images are so weird, they’re not worth sharing. I haven’t given up.

That’s it for this week, aside from the usual recommendations and book fairs. Hope you’re enjoying our last weeks of summer.

Peace,

L.K. Latham

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Zoe Calloway and The Temporal Tides: Unraveling the Secrets of Time Travel

What will it cost to keep her secret?

Lukie’s been murdered. And she needs answers.

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Where dreams may come from

There’s something about sitting in a spot wrapped in nature while overlooking the city skyline. I’ve been itching to go to one of my favorite spots, Mt. Bonnell, but looks like I’m in with rain all week. 

If you get the chance to visit Austin, make sure you plan an hour or two at Mt. Bonnell. I suggest going on a weekday to avoid the crowds. And not on a summer afternoon. Too hot to climb the stairs leading to the top. Can’t wait until I once again bath in those wonderful views.

Would love to say I took this photo, but I didn’t. Thank to Mitchell Kmetz on Unsplash for this great new.

For as long as Austin has been a city, Mt. Bonnell has been a place for family picnics, romantic rendezvous, and soul cleanings walks. A sometime broken but easy to follow trail leads you high above the river. (Well, it’s high for Central Texas.) The vistas allow you to immerse into a landscape that captured early pioneers and led them to what would become the capital of Texas.

Last time I walked the Mt Bonnell path, a paddler past me with this cutie. Maybe this was who I saw. Maybe not. Awesome picture.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

Of course: You need some imagination to see what was here for the early inhabitants of Texas. Pretend the grand homes bordering the river are not right below you. You’ll also need to squint to see the view sans the modern skyline of Austin. 

Isn’t using our imagination fun? I don’t know what some of my characters would do without these Mt. Bonnell.

Peace,

L.K. Latham

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So many free books! So little time to read them all.

Just my luck that I’d be turned into a vampire and that my sire wouldn’t stick around to show me the robes!

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Goblins Everywhere

I’m having a blast playing with Midjourney. As I suspected, it’s not really as “cool” as everyone makes out. Yes, I’ve been able to create character based on descriptions in my novels and short stories, but the images are nowhere close to the description or what I pictured in my mind.

Caveat: Yes, I’m playing with an AI. No! I will not replace my Cover Artist or anyone other artist I may need in the future. This is for fun.

Thinking about it now, the way my cover artist reads my mind is scarier than any AI nightmare. 

Here’s what the AI gave me for Teaser in his human form. Looks nothing like the man in my head except for his suit. It’s it wonderful?

And here’s Teaser in his Goblin form. Cool, but not as I imaged nor as I described him.

However, his suit is lovely. Goblins love to dress well.

Peace,

L.K. Latham

Looking for your next read? Check out the latest sale on Smashwords. And yes, you’ll find my books there, too.

I don’t know about you, but I get all warm and fuzzy inside when I see “free books.”

Even more free books!

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Back in Full Swing

Fully back in work mode after my trip to Italy (and recovery from COVID), and it feels great to have butt-in-chair each day letting words flow. I’m also feeling good because after weeks and weeks of making changes to Midnight Wildes, it’s with beta readers. 

Now I can have fun writing some new fiction, including a new series of shorts, Home & Dragons. This is where I could use some help.

A principal character in Home & Dragons is Dilys. She adores all music from Willie Nelson, as long as he’s singing. She says she even moved to Texas so she could be close to him. (No, nothing obsessive or creepy.)

Here’s my predicament: I enjoy listening to Willie Nelson. He’s a great musician! But I am not a super fan like Dylis. Does anyone have a favorite Willie song you’d share with me, along with the reason why you love it? Warning (or promise) Dylis will talk about your favorite song somewhere in Home & Dragons.

Peace,

L.K. Latham

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Not all dead remain Buried.

A tenacious Egyptologist. An ancient secret. A vampire with a mission…

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Italy is Bellissimo!

Not going to bore you with a long slide show or details about my trip, but just a brief recap of my journey to inspire you to visit Italy.

Rome – could spend weeks there and still not see everything. 

  • Vatican and Colosseum – Oh my gosh! Only touched the surface of all there is to see, and mind blown.
  • Best caffè doppio (that’s a double espresso for us in the US) ever! And in a service station/rest stop along the autostrada.

Pompeii – would love to take the 3 day tour, and still wouldn’t see everything. 

Capri – ready to move there right now. Of course, I’d live in La Villa Mezzanotta.  It’s not a real place yet, but I bet it would look a lot like the Villa San Michele. (Wouldn’t that make a good place for a story?)

  • Again, terrific caffè at these ENI petrol stations/rest stops. I ordered fresh pasta for my lunch. They cooked right in front of me. Don’t find this in the US.

Assisi – have to admit, I wasn’t looking forward to our stop there, and the day was cold and wet, but then we arrived. Talk about your picture perfect, classical, medieval city! The stone walls, the church on top of a church on top of another church. So glad we had a day there.

Venice – Very crowded, but after the Duomo, we meandered Murano and Burano. Glass, lace, and wonderful people.

  • Once again, ENI for our rest stop. I’m thinking something is up. I asked our guide about the six legged, fire-breathing dog. She said it was symbolic of energy, cooperation, etc. A good cover story.

Pisa – What do you know? It really leans. Pictures do it no justice. The fine details are incredible.

Florence – So full of history and love and magic. I’d hoped for time to see where the Brownings lived. I’ll get there time. 

  • The ENI emblem blazed before me yet again as our bus pulled over for another rest stop. I have to wonder, is the caffè doing something to me? The image on that sign. It’s everywhere.  

San Gimignano – beautiful, medieval town on top of the hill. The views of the Tuscan countryside – picture perfect! Also had the BEST gelato! Yes, it really was the best gelato! https://www.gelateriadondoli.com/home-uk.html

By the time I got back to Rome, I was exhausted and ready to come home. Now that I’m fully recovered from my trip, I’m ready to go back.

On our way to the airport, there were, once again, ENI service stations and that sign. The company website provides a nice story about the mascot’s development, but a fictional creature? I think not.

Peace,

L.K. Latham

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