I normally wait for some great milestone, before I make a posting to my weblog. It's been nearly two months since I last made an addition, and thought now would be as good a time as any. Currently, "Shadow of the Thunderbird" is long finished, with a 3rd edition 40 pages longer than the original, making it by far and away the largest of my novels, to date. "Track of the Bigfoot" is holding its own, however I intend to pass the manuscript back to my editor and my proofreader for a final passover. Don't want to tamper with it too much, as it is currently the highest rated Bigfoot/Cryptozoology book on all of Amazon.com. "Wake of the Lake Monster" is in its 5th and final draft, and the story has exceeded all my expectations. It is much easier, I believe, to write about cryptids that have a distinct species. It is much more difficult to make the case for a specific aquatic animal given a single name, but representative of a breeding population. There are so many different river, lake and sea monsters across the myths and legends of the world. I concentrated on the Altamaha-ha, as the sightings are so compelling, and the creature itself an amalgam of a creature that would have to span all three types of body of water. I accepted a challenge in doing so, and in working with the incredible Rick Spears to arrive at a species and a look to the creature. Currently, my first manuscript is awaiting review by Pequoh Press, the largest private publisher in the United States. They have yet to crack the manuscript open, but they are willing and I am patient. I am grateful for their willingness to do so, and will let you know if they accept the trilogy for publication. By the time "Wake" comes out, it will have been four years since I last published. "Chupacabra" appeared in Craig Heinselman's "Elementum Bestia", an anthology of articles and stories on the subject of cryptozoology. I am honored to be a part of such a fine cross-section of authors and researchers. You can find more info on it under the Books tab of my web site at http://www.dltanner.com. Because I feel so empowered by the quality of my work, I am gearing up to have this as my long-awaited second career. With publication at a major house, I will be able to scale back on working for others, which has long been a desire of mine. So many others far greater than I will ever be made the transition, and were no more well-known then than I am today. There has been a renewed driving force behind my writing in particular, and my life in general. I have a friend who has become such a source of inspiration and joy to me, that I have seen myself in light of who I can become, as much as who I want to be. This person has no real interest in the fact that I am an author, researcher, or radio show host - only that we are complete opposites. Normally, you wouldn't think that such a juxtaposition would be the basis for mutual respect and admiration, but I assure you it works. Complimentary and complementary - we both have our lives, and have never actually met - but still we motivate one another to try the things that work so well for us in one another's lives. If things were different, I would seek every opportunity to be around this person, and to spend time getting to know myself in light of this individual better. I feel that I can do anything I set my mind to, and want more than anything to take my novels to the next level. Each of us has such a person in our lives already - we just need to understand the basic fact that we like and gravitate towards people not because of how we feel about them, but how we feel about ourselves, when we are around them. To that end, I will be expanding my repertoire of novels next to include subject matter that is as far removed from cryptofiction as it can get. I can't say much now, except that it will involve alot of my technical abilities, as well as past hobbies and aspirations. I have talked it over with several acquaintances, who have chimed in that it is a compelling concept. It is also based on real life, and the consequences of giving ourselves over to the incredible amount of information and entertainment available online. Although sometimes, because I have taken a hiatus to work on several other areas in my life the past 2 or 3 years, I feel that I write these journal entries for myself, I feel strongly that at some point in the near future, the site will resume the level of activity it once enjoyed. Once "Wake" is finished sometime in July, I will turn my sights on a new novella or two that I will publish online. Once I am finished with all three, I will release them as a single book. D.L.Tanner is not through yet, not by a long shot. With the completion of "The Cryptids Trilogy", I am going after an agent with a vengeance. I know these books are as good anything else out there in the genre of cryptofiction. I have to, or it wouldn't have been worth the 5 years I invested in writing them. So, for the moment, I am revving steadily in writer's mode, as I make my final pass on the biggest and best story I ever wrote - until the next one. And, with that being said, I invite you to visit me online and browse the considerable amount of information available there, as well. I am grateful for the chance to do what I love so much, for so many across the world. Take care, and drop me a line if you get a chance! ~D.L.