H.A. May's Blog
March 20, 2023
Have You Ever Wanted To See A Dragon?
[Book:A Gift of Leaf|123279803]
Welcome to Dragonspeak
25/02/23
When I was little, I looked up in the clouds finding pictures, but never found a dragon there. Even today, I would still love to see a fire-worm. And if, incredibly, a needy, stray dragon turned up on my doorstep, I’d be the first to rush out with a collar and lead like a Ninja dragon-warden. Then I’d bringing it home to look after it as I did for a couple of my dogs. Who can ignore a distressed animal? Not me.
So, that’s one reason why, a few years ago, I first decided to begin what turned out to be the first book in The Chronicles of Leaf, the story of a girl growing up as drastic changes occur in her life. Some drastic things a bit like these happened to me - but then, they happen to all of us at times, don’t they? In this first part of the story, Jinny finds that, as ever, persistence helps you to win through, and looking back, I suppose it finally worked for me, too.
I was a-going to write a novel for umpteen years, but other things always got in the way: family, work, and my art, which is a huge part of my life, even when I never pick up a pencil or brush.
I tried writing many times and think I had some reasonably good ideas. But these toe-dips never came to fruition. There was always something else to do - and I was never sure if I could actually do it properly anyway. So, the novel never really got done, and I messed about writing poetry (which l LOVE) and read a huge amount.
After that, when I had more time, I did some writing courses which spurred me on to start a fantasy story in earnest - which grew and grew in my head until, I had written a lot more than a hundred thousand words. One of my tutors suggested I offer it to an agent, but then I began dithering about whether to make it an adult or young adult novel. It was then I realised that I have apparently never really ‘grown up’. As my husband says, I am simply a dotty artist who enjoys children’s stories as much, if not more, than adult fiction).
Anyway, after all that dithering I asked a few folks what they thought and decided to go with YA to Adult for the manuscript, in which case it was hugely too long, and had to be cut down. But that meant I had to either lose a lot of the actual story or make it into more than one book. So, I cut it in half, and the first half became ‘The Gift of Leaf’.
The middle book I am working on about how Jinny gets on with finding the second half-stone is well on the way, yet the third book which brings all the elements together is merely a figment, as yet: but this will appear, even if I set fire to my keyboard in the process!
I still wish I could see and talk to a dragon, but until this happens, I’ll make do with my basset hound, who has some vestiges of swamp-dragon about her, and my small Romanian muttlet.
I hope you’ve enjoyed being here with me and reading this introductory blog, and I hope you will join me for many more. Thank you.
Find me at: https://www.chroniclesofleaf.co.uk/
Please check out the other areas of my website to find my map of Leaf and a selection of my artwork.
Welcome to Dragonspeak
25/02/23
When I was little, I looked up in the clouds finding pictures, but never found a dragon there. Even today, I would still love to see a fire-worm. And if, incredibly, a needy, stray dragon turned up on my doorstep, I’d be the first to rush out with a collar and lead like a Ninja dragon-warden. Then I’d bringing it home to look after it as I did for a couple of my dogs. Who can ignore a distressed animal? Not me.
So, that’s one reason why, a few years ago, I first decided to begin what turned out to be the first book in The Chronicles of Leaf, the story of a girl growing up as drastic changes occur in her life. Some drastic things a bit like these happened to me - but then, they happen to all of us at times, don’t they? In this first part of the story, Jinny finds that, as ever, persistence helps you to win through, and looking back, I suppose it finally worked for me, too.
I was a-going to write a novel for umpteen years, but other things always got in the way: family, work, and my art, which is a huge part of my life, even when I never pick up a pencil or brush.
I tried writing many times and think I had some reasonably good ideas. But these toe-dips never came to fruition. There was always something else to do - and I was never sure if I could actually do it properly anyway. So, the novel never really got done, and I messed about writing poetry (which l LOVE) and read a huge amount.
After that, when I had more time, I did some writing courses which spurred me on to start a fantasy story in earnest - which grew and grew in my head until, I had written a lot more than a hundred thousand words. One of my tutors suggested I offer it to an agent, but then I began dithering about whether to make it an adult or young adult novel. It was then I realised that I have apparently never really ‘grown up’. As my husband says, I am simply a dotty artist who enjoys children’s stories as much, if not more, than adult fiction).
Anyway, after all that dithering I asked a few folks what they thought and decided to go with YA to Adult for the manuscript, in which case it was hugely too long, and had to be cut down. But that meant I had to either lose a lot of the actual story or make it into more than one book. So, I cut it in half, and the first half became ‘The Gift of Leaf’.
The middle book I am working on about how Jinny gets on with finding the second half-stone is well on the way, yet the third book which brings all the elements together is merely a figment, as yet: but this will appear, even if I set fire to my keyboard in the process!
I still wish I could see and talk to a dragon, but until this happens, I’ll make do with my basset hound, who has some vestiges of swamp-dragon about her, and my small Romanian muttlet.
I hope you’ve enjoyed being here with me and reading this introductory blog, and I hope you will join me for many more. Thank you.
Find me at: https://www.chroniclesofleaf.co.uk/
Please check out the other areas of my website to find my map of Leaf and a selection of my artwork.
