Current Story Status

Over the years I've completed over thirteen unpublished short stories and novellas about my characters and their world, and I'm currently working on a number of entirely new stories which I am intending to publish once they are complete.

All of these stories are set within a shared fantasy/steam-punk universe, and follow an assortment of diverse characters that are very close to my heart. At this point in time, I am working towards completing the premiere novel of what is intended to be an eight book series.

***** 

Book One: "The Wolf and the Clockwork Hummingbird" (Novel)
 

 

Brief:  Vargas spent his childhood immersed in tales of adventures that were a far cry from his parent's modest book shop, but when a visit to the city of Rook ends in tragedy, Vargas and his unlikely allies must uncover what secrets lie in the underbelly of the dangerous and fantastical city of Rook.
Main Characters: Vargas, Turvey, Mechanical Hummingbird, and many more
Status: Originally written as an unreleased short story, this piece is being rebooted as the first novel in an expanded series. The novel is currently in its first draft of it's fourth version. View all blog posts labeled "The Apprentice of Rook."

*****

[Sketch Story] Tranquility

I told myself that by the end of this month, I’d finish a piece of art that was laying around unfinished, and in this case I chose a piece I’d started way back in 2003 and then revisited once in 2011 and again this month in 2014! Originally, I was trying to combine three things I loved: tigers, hawks, and the woods.

Some things never change!

I tried to stay true to the spirit of the original and push it forward. I honestly never intended to do the tiger, forest setting, and all those feathers without any solid references.  As such, it was a very, very messy process, which you can check out below. But on the whole, I’m really pleased with how it all came together, and I've written a tiny Sketch Story to go along with it.

This piece is dedicated to the late Caroline Muchmore, who continues to inspire me, even now.

I hope you enjoy it!

"Tranquility" - Completed on August 25th, 2014

"Tranquility" - by K. LeCrone

Tranquility's home was among the far-off bluffs and canyons that cradled the edge of wide western sea. Her great feathered wings took her high above the stony outcrops and towering precipices, but they also carried her inland to the lush forests that grew along their many winding tributaries.

Here, it was green as far as her eyes could see. From the wide throngs of moss and finger-like ferns that nestled themselves among the cool grass, through to the endless expanses of trees that held hands and whispered among themselves, this was a foreign place to her familiar rocky views and wide open skies. This was a sacred place. And as Tranquility laid down on a bright patch of sunlight, she let the warmth of the moment flow through her. She cast away her cares and worries, and bid the forest into her heart.

There, in the shimmering dappled light, the towering woods offered up their many secrets to she with the gentle grace.

Close-Ups:

One could say I went a bit overboard with painting this piece. I never really intended to render individual feathers, but, well, sometimes it just happens.

Above: I also hid my little mechanical hummingbird in the background. I wonder what he's up to?

I played around with my palette a lot for the front part of the tiger. I really wanted to contrast a lot of saturated colors against one another to create the illusion of fur catching the light. 

Process:

This piece has evolved quite a bit since its early inception, and I thought you might enjoy seeing how it progressed.

 

 

  

(Above) On the left was where I left off in 2003, and on the right is where I first revisited the piece in 2011. At the time, I was only intending to tighten it up a bit and block in the hint of a background, but that quickly evolved from there... ;)

  

 

(Above) This was my progress I made in 2011 before I retired the piece again, and picked it up earlier this month (below). Initially I thought its main pain-points were the tiger's posture and the ways I had been rendering the lighting, but soon enough, I ended up enlarging the composition multiple times to help give the piece a better sense of setting and mood. 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It's a weight off my shoulders to know that over 11 years later, it's finally done!

[Short Story] That Twisted Sickness - 2007

For this #ThrowbackThursday, I thought it would be fun to share an older piece of writing I did way back in 2007 that pertained to some of what was going on off-camera from the primary events of my novel.

This short story was originally written to Peter Gabriel's haunting track "Passion" from his soundtrack to "Passion: the Last Temptation of Christ," which you can find below:

"That Twisted Sickness" - By K. LeCrone 

Short Story Written on August 24, 2007

The sickness came.

Like a rolling wave in the shadows, it crept. Churning, turning, thick and heavy. The darkness concealed it, certainly, but all the same it moved, as if reaching out to slip its tendrilous fingers along soft, warm skin.

It moved in silent waves, stroking man, woman, and child with its sweet allure. Calming, calming beast.

Childlike, it played. Songs of old, merriment and splendor did it entrust and glorify.

Maidenlike, it whispered in the night. Sweet comforts, lingering promises that flickered and faded only to spark and tease once again. Colorful dancer, entrancing temptress.

It played in its game, pleasant rhythm of the unseen. It danced and lept, rose and fell, tide of memory and snare entwined, it moved. Beautiful, beautiful beast.

Oh, black fire in the night, the sickness came, and when the light crept in again to check on his children, he found them as they once were: safe and cradled where they slept.

Safe, for the twisted sickness had already whispered its way into them. And there it rested with bright, concealed eyes.

There, it danced. Oh, how it danced.

[Sketch Story] Jack

A lunchtime sketch gone awry.

"Jack" - Completed on August 2nd, 2014

"Jack" - by K. LeCrone

Jack had bright eyes, silken fur, and a button nose. He also had a quite unusual pair of large, crested horns that arched majestically over his fluffy head.

While his mother insisted there had never been anything remotely strange about Jack's father, over the years Jack had concluded that there must have been something more to their mysterious sunset courtship than his mother let on.

Process:

  

  

[Sketch Story] The Whispering Tree

I've been enjoying putting a bit of narrative to some of my sketches. Here's a tiny sketch story done in graphite on toned paper in my story journal.

"The Whispering Tree Sketch" - Completed on July 9th, 2014

"The Whispering Tree" - by K. LeCrone

No one knew who tied the silk-fine threads around the old forest oak. It had fallen out of memory who named her. Her mighty roots stretched deep into the warm, wet earth, and she had long-since shucked off the need for her golden crest of leaves. Now, she simply waited, and she whispered.

[Short Story] The Princess and the Dragon - 2013 Edition

For further information on the art and story seen here, please refer to this in-depth blog entry.

This is a standalone short story and is not intended to take place in the same world as my main series.

The Princess and the Dragon - 2013 Edition

"The Princess and the Dragon - 2013 Update" - Originally Created on September 12, 2006
Revisited on June 22, 2013

"The Princess and the Dragon - 2013 Update" - Originally Created on September 12, 2006
Revisited on June 22, 2013

I realized when I did this that I couldn't really get the story across between the two
 because of the massive difference in scale between the dragon and the Princess,
but hopefully the magic in the tower hints that something magical is taking place. :)

"The Princess and the Dragon" - By K. LeCrone 

Short Story Written on October 1, 2005

Revisited on June 22, 2013

Long ago, there lived a Princess, whose love to one of the castle guards was such legend that it was whispered about by both the royalty as well as the peasant-folk. While war loomed, however, the two knew they could never wed, but each worked as they might to bring an end to the fighting: he with his sword, and she, with her wise words which she shared with the king, and all who would listen.

When the war grew closer, the brave Knight was called out more frequently to defend their homeland, but for each time he answered the call of his countrymen, he was away for longer and longer periods of time. Regardless of what dangers awaited him, each time before he left he would gently kiss his lady on the hand and tell her how he loved her. He would speak certainly of how he would always return, and that she would always and forever be the one he returned to. "That is a promise I swear to, Milady," he'd say. And every evening, as the light began to fade, the Princess would climb to the highest tower in the castle, and look out: just hoping to get a glance of her knight riding home. It was there, high above the rest of the world that she would softly sing a tune the two of their heart's shared, as if it might perchance call him home if he couldn't find his way.

Days turned to weeks, turned to months, and she would pray for his safety, and hope for the day when the two of them could be reunited once more. Without fail, every evening she made her way up the spiraling stairs to the highest tower of the castle and sang out her wishes to the far horizon for her brave knight.

One day, however, a sinking feeling set upon her heart, and though she knew not why, she was certain ill-fortune had come to her knight. Not a moonturn later, she saw a rider-less horse slowly approach the castle, and she knew for sure there would be no happy ending to their story.

She wept, as a mother for the loss of her child, and though many consoled her with well-intentioned words, none of their words could soothe the hollow ache she felt deep within.

Daylight faded and the vibrant colors of dusk transpired to night and yet she stayed awake against her will. But as the first stars of the evening peered into the night sky, she crept once more to the tallest tower of the castle, as if she might yet find peace there that she lacked in her heart.

Her tear-filled face looked out over the eerily-still horizon. Though she knew there would be no brave figure crossing the grassy plains to return to her, she began to softly sing the tune she'd carried so often for her Knight. She closed her eyes and let the music fill her. Her heart poured into every syllable, and though her voice cracked and faltered, she would not let the melody be contained within her breast until the final phrase had passed through her soft lips and carried into the waiting darkness. Only then did silence again greet her.

But then, without explanation, a warm breeze caught her face and somehow bid her to look skyward. Heaven itself opened up and turned before her, pouring out light and a peculiar sense of otherworldly peace unlike anything she'd ever seen or felt before. As it did, a strange, ancient music seemed to play on the wind in tune to the rhythm of her beating heart. Like a dream, the heavens began to shimmer and move as if they were churned to live. And, like a ghost, they took shape before her eyes. A massive dragon's face and form manifested before her and floated effortlessly, watching her. Its huge, flowing mane moved gently with the wind, and its iridescent scales twinkled lightly. In one smooth movement, it wrapped its strong tail around the castle, and calmly looked down to the Princess, and smiled.

"Dear Lady, I've traveled through the lands of the living and the dead to find you again. Your song called to me, and even after a cruel sword felled my body, the song shook me and awakened who I truly am. I have the soul of a dragon, of the noble race that loves deeply and protects truly. And as in my last life, I pledge to you in this one: I will keep you safe from harm and always be with you. And when old age comes to you after so many more great deeds on this Earth, I will be here still, and on that day you will join me in the clouds, for you have the soul of a noble dragon as well."

The Princess looked up at the dragon, and through a tear-stained face she smiled, and believed.

Revisiting "The Princess and the Dragon"

The Creative Time Machine

One of the constants I've learned over the years is that there are always new ideas to chase and old projects to revisit or continue. This is true for both my art and writing. I have projects that I consider complete, and plenty of others which remain in my own mind to have some degree of imperfection to them.

As the years roll by, it’s ever-more easy to become critical of them, to look back at old writing and cringe at its juvenile flaws, just as I sometimes page through old art and can see a wide range of inadequacies that seem blatant to my eye. This evolution is to be expected, certainly, but sometimes I find it difficult to appreciate some of my older work because the flaws seem to become more apparent to me with time, much like crackling bone set out in the sun to bake over the years and be exposed to the elements.

Amid trying to push my own art and writing forward, I still maintain a drive to selectively go back and “improve” certain old pieces. I don’t necessarily believe it’s always a good use of my time, and in many cases I've found that in trying to “rework” or “update” a truly ancient piece, I actually ends up losing something precious that was there to begin with.  But every now and then, I keep returning to an old piece and am tempted to try to draw out and improve whatever is innately nestled within.

This is one such piece, except in this rare case, it’s both art and writing intertwined.

"The Princess and the Dragon - 2013 Update" - Revisited on June 22, 2013

Curious Metrics

Over the years, I've posted over 300 pieces of art on DeviantART alone, and aside from the pieces which won Daily Deviations, the one piece that has consistently attracted the most engagement from viewers is a piece of art and writing I did way back in 2005. It's extremely touching to me that so many people have enjoyed it, but it actually has a much deeper story.

The History of the Princess and the Dragon

Many years ago, way back in 2005, I sketched a lot of dragons. Saying a lot is probably putting it lightly, but it was a phase I’ll admit that was brought upon by the desire to combine two things I really adored: oriental dragons, and kudu horns. They were everywhere, nestled in sketchbooks and hidden along the ruled edges of my college notes. It was never the same dragon twice, and none were really “characters,” per say, they were simply fun experiments with design. In September, this fella popped up in my sketchbook at a mere 4 by 5 inches:

"Oriental Kudu Dragon Sketch" - Completed on September 20, 2005

And while not intentionally a homage, I recalled that a few years earlier in January 2003 (which for anyone reading this entry, is over ten years ago: yikes!), I realized I’d doodled a dragon in a strikingly similar pose:

"The Light of the Dance - Sketch" - Completed on January 1, 2003

"The Light of the Dance" - Completed on January 9, 2003

During that era, I didn't do much in the way of digital art, and that’s putting it lightly. Nearly all of my art from that period was traditional art, and the vast majority of that was photographed (poorly) rather than scanned. So when Emily Coleman hosted a contest to design our “dream sculpture” in 2005 my entry was a mish-mashing in Photoshop, certainly, but my intent behind the piece actually meant quite a lot to me, and what I wanted to do was to create a sense of scale between the dragon and the added castle and figure below.

"The Princess and the Dragon" - Completed on October 1, 2005

This tiny castle has faked perspective, with an emphasis on "fake."

I realize that figure really isn't to scale... >_>

Months later, my dear friend Jason actually commissioned Emily to create a sculpture based off of my art. It’s the first time someone had ever done something like this for me, and to see my 2D concept turned into a sculpture was just… incredible. It was like seeing a sketch come to life, and I just adore it!

"The Princess and the Dragon" by Emily Coleman - Completed in December 2005

"The Princess and the Dragon" by Emily Coleman - Completed in December 2005

Then, in 2006, I decided that I would try to digitally paint the original 2D art I'd submitted for the contest. I really had no idea what I was doing at the time, and I’d never really hunkered down on a piece in Photoshop before, but I gave it my best shot, and at the time I was generally really pleased with how it turned out.

"The Princess and the Dragon" - Completed on September 12, 2006

Over the years, I've had some nitpicks about it, and decided that this morning I’d take a couple hours and fix a few things on both the art and short story that had always bugged me so that I could share them with all of you.  I opted not to change either very much, because I didn't want to stray too far from the original versions. The story is intended to be a standalone piece.

The Princess and the Dragon Revisited

"The Princess and the Dragon - 2013 Update" - Revisited on June 22, 2013

"The Princess and the Dragon - 2013 Update - Close- Up" - Revisited on June 22, 2013

I realized when I did this that I couldn't really get the story across between the two
 because of the massive difference in scale between the dragon and the Princess,
but hopefully the magic in the tower hints that something magical is taking place. :)

"The Princess and the Dragon" - By K. LeCrone 

Short Story Written on October 1, 2005

Revisited on June 22, 2013

Long ago, there lived a Princess, whose love to one of the castle guards was such legend that it was whispered about by both the royalty as well as the peasant-folk. While war loomed, however, the two knew they could never wed, but each worked as they might to bring an end to the fighting: he with his sword, and she, with her wise words which she shared with the king, and all who would listen.

When the war grew closer, the brave Knight was called out more frequently to defend their homeland, but for each time he answered the call of his countrymen, he was away for longer and longer periods of time. Regardless of what dangers awaited him, each time before he left he would gently kiss his lady on the hand and tell her how he loved her. He would speak certainly of how he would always return, and that she would always and forever been the one he returned to. "That is a promise I swear to, Milady," he'd say. And every evening, as the light began to fade, the Princess would climb to the highest tower in the castle, and look out: just hoping to get a glance of her knight riding home. It was there, high above the rest of the world that she would softly sing a tune the two of their heart's shared, as if it might perchance call him home if he couldn't find his way.

Days turned to weeks, turned to months, and she would pray for his safety, and hope for the day when the two of them could be reunited once more. Without fail, every evening she made her way up the spiraling stairs to the highest tower of the castle and sang out her wishes to the far horizon for her brave knight.

One day, however, a sinking feeling set upon her heart, and though she knew not why, she was certain ill-fortune had come to her knight. Not a moonturn later, she saw a rider-less horse slowly approach the castle, and she knew for sure there would be no happy ending to their story.

She wept, as a mother for the loss of her child, and though many consoled her with well-intentioned words, none of their words could soothe the hollow ache she felt deep within.

Daylight faded and the vibrant colors of dusk transpired to night and yet she stayed awake against her will. But as the first stars of the evening peered into the night sky, she crept once more to the tallest tower of the castle, as if she might yet find peace there that she lacked in her heart.

Her tear-filled face looked out over the eerily-still horizon. Though she knew there would be no brave figure crossing the grassy plains to return to her, she began to softly sing the tune she'd carried so often for her Knight. She closed her eyes and let the music fill her. Her heart poured into every syllable, and though her voice cracked and faltered, she would not let the melody be contained within her breast until the final phrase had passed through her soft lips and carried into the waiting darkness. Only then did silence again greet her.

But then, without explanation, a warm breeze caught her face and somehow bid her to look skyward. Heaven itself opened up and turned before her, pouring out light and a peculiar sense of otherworldly peace unlike anything she'd ever seen or felt before. As it did, a strange, ancient music seemed to play on the wind in tune to the rhythm of her beating heart. Like a dream, the heavens began to shimmer and move as if they were churned to live. And, like a ghost, they took shape before her eyes. A massive dragon's face and form manifested before her and floated effortlessly, watching her. Its huge, flowing mane moved gently with the wind, and its iridescent scales twinkled lightly. In one smooth movement, it wrapped its strong tail around the castle, and calmly looked down to the Princess, and smiled.

"Dear Lady, I've traveled through the lands of the living and the dead to find you again. Your song called to me, and even after a cruel sword felled my body, the song shook me and awakened who I truly am. I have the soul of a dragon, of the noble race that loves deeply and protects truly. And as in my last life, I pledge to you in this one: I will keep you safe from harm and always be with you. And when old age comes to you after so many more great deeds on this Earth, I will be here still, and on that day you will join me in the clouds, for you have the soul of a noble dragon as well."

The Princess looked up at the dragon, and through a tear-stained face she smiled, and believed.

The Princess and the Dragon Ten Years Later

This has been a journey in more ways than one, but it feels great sharing this art and story with a new audience. If you're interested in looking at the 2006 version of the art or short story, they are available here on DeviantART. There are also a wealth of questions I answered in the comments there, if you're curious about the inspirations for it.

I hope you enjoyed both the art, story, and their history!