Well, here I am...

[longknife]

I find myself waiting for my publisher to send me my latest historical novel proof copy so we can finally get it to the printers.

But, I'm not sitting on my hands. I've spend hundreds of hours conducting research and have finally started a total re-write of a historical novel I thought I had completed over a year ago.

I thought it was complete at 88,000 words but have come to the conclusion it is going to be a real humdinger - at least 200,000 words.

Leatherjacket Soldier is the story of Fernando Javier de Rivera y Moncado, a man of 18th Century New Spain who overcomes the limitations of his birth to rise to the rank of Captain and Chief Judge of California - only to be demoted by the arrival of a new governor tasked to explore the north to establish Spanish presence in current California. His steadfast loyalty to the crown earns him promotion to governor of California. He is once against replaced but continues to perform his duty and ends up losing his life while trying to take settlers to Los Angeles. A true hero of Mexico and California.

20,000 words of the first draft done and I've barely reached the first step of his saga.