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So, Mary Trimble and I flew down to San Antonio, Texas in October for the yearly convention. We had a wonderful time there, and enjoyed the hotel so much that the next time Paul and I are in that area, we'll make a point of staying there again. My experience at the convention this year was much more positive than it was in 2018. My stories, being about two men rather than two women, were not accepted with open arms. I even had more than one suggestion that I should re-write the whole saga and change the protagonists to women. That wasn't going to happen. I also got hit with negativity concerning the layout of my saga. Several publishers and agents said that cliff-hanger endings are not done in Westerns. It's okay to do them in SyFy etc., but not Westerns. Again came the suggestion that I re-write my saga and make each book a stand alone. This, also, was not going to happen. Image taking a book, spiting it into three sections and making each section a stand alone. It can't be done. The story was already written. The experience was so negative that first year, that I considered the wisdom of attending again. I'm glad I did though. This time around the response to my saga was far more promising. Though stories about women are always going to be the main focus, I didn't get quite the same snubbing as I had the first year. Also, the publishers I spoke with this time around didn't have any problems with cliff-hanger endings. The problem now is that I already have the first book "The Lost Shoe" published through Amazon. And of course, the only reason I did that was because last year, I was told that no one would take it, so I figured I'd just go ahead and self-publish! Oh dear. Anyway, on-ward. If the traditional publishers don't want my story for one reason or another, I will simply continue to self-publish. All is well. Here is the current cover design for book two "Aftershock" I expect to have Aftershock available in May just in time for the Studio Art Tour here on Camano Island, WA! 
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It's been a busy summer with conventions, writing, drawing and shows. Here a a couple more illustrations for the second edition of The Lost Shoe. It'll be a while before this edition is available, but sneak previews are always fun.
THE NAVARRE LINK: CHANGE OF LEADS
IT'S HERE! This follow-up to ICE is everything I hoped it would be. It is both harrowing and heartbreaking. Life changing events occur during a reunion with the Marsham family. As hard as it is, they stay true to their word to see things thru to the end, whatever that may be. Very much looking forward to part two.
THE FIRST REVIEWS! TWO LOVELY REVIEWS FOR ICE
It was a year of bliss and excitement. I never missed an episode, and Hannibal Heyes, the outlaw trying to go straight, became my creative inspiration that has never been equaled. I was drawing and painting constantly, and my western theme art was improving in leaps and bounds. I tried my hand at writing western stories and found another creative outlet that has come and gone, and then come back again. It was a perfect year.
Then heart break. On December 31st, 1971, to the shock and dismay of his family, friends, and fans around the world, Peter Deuel tragically took his own life. Graphite on Paper (April Brauneis © 2018) Jump forward forty years, and Peter is still very much a part of my creative inspiration. Now, through contact with people who had known Peter, and through Paul Green's well researched and informative biography, first and second editions, I came to have a better understanding of the man that Peter was, and the demons he had been fighting. Five years ago, I decided to write my first full-length novel, combining what I knew about Peter, the man, with Hannibal Heyes, the character he had brought to life on the screen. It's an exploration, as such. A journey down a difficult road that upholds the importance of friendship and loyalty. About choices made, and why, and how acknowledging and accepting the choices that we make is the only way to over-come the negative and grow beyond it. It's also an exploration of suicide. I have experienced the effect of this tragic choice more than once throughout my life. I have even considered it as an option for myself, but fortunately, was able to step back from that abyss and hang on to what I had. But there are many others who go the other way. Desperate depression, leading to suicide is the hidden disease. Nobody wants to talk about it, nobody wants to acknowledge it, and yet, it runs rampant through all societies. What is it that drives a person to make such a cruel choice? How does someone go from being happy, outgoing and with an optimistic view to the future, to deciding that life isn't worth the effort anymore? What happens to the people left behind? How does the choice of just one person effect the lives of all those friends and family members who are left, having to deal with enduring loss and heartbreak? These are some of the question I explore in what turned out to be an epic tale. Once I started writing it, I couldn't stop. It possessed me. I wasn't the one writing the story, the story wrote itself, and brought me along for the ride. It was a whirlwind of typing that lasted for two years, and I sure did learn a lot about Wyoming history along the way! Now, after more time of re-writing, fine tuning and intense editing, the first volume is ready for publishing. The only thing holding it back now, is the completion of the cover design. I must be a glutton for punishment; I couldn't simply use a free image for my cover--no, I had to insist on creating it myself! See my artist's blog for more details on how that is coming along. So, stay tuned. I will keep everyone up to date on how things are progressing. It's been an amazing ride, so far, and it's sure not over yet! HERE IT IS! My first sojourn into self-publishing is now available through LuLu! This has been quite a learning curve, and a good trial-run in preparation of my epic! I hope you all enjoy this little snippet! LINK
The novella, titled Ice is a preclude to the The Navarre Link. Some of you will recognize this story, but it will be entirely new to others. This will help to fill in some of the blanks. I am working on making a download of ICE, in PDF available shortly.
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"The Navarre Link" book cover
"Change of Leads" book 1
"Change of Leads" book 2
"Ice" book cover
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