Karlie Lucas - Blog

here's a mid September update

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:39:18 GMT

Hey, y'all. It's your favorite kid/YA fantasy writer!
I thought I'd just give everyone a bit of an update as to what's coming down the pipeline.
I may or may not have mentioned that I am writing a new book, but, hey, if I haven't, know you know. The manuscript is all finished. I've made a mockup/storyboard for what I want the layout to be like, plus an idea of how I want to illustrate it.
Here's the deets: working title "The Washing Machine Likes to Eat My Socks". It's a fun little story about a child's curiosity over why his or her socks keep going missing, imagining it somehow must be because of the washing machine. Backed by a child's imagination, and some basic fact building, we go on a journey to try and discover what happened to all those socks.

I won't tell you the ending, but I think it's a fun little book. And I've finalized the design for our main character, the washing machine! I was thinking of naming him Willy, but that's already taken, so if you have any ideas, feel free to let me know!
I'll give more updates as I can on this project, but I'm aiming for a late Winter/early Spring release with this one.

August 22nd, 2026

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 14:44:44 GMT

I wanted to let y'all know I appreciate you guys. It's been over a week now since my latest release, The Things Dragons Do, and I appreciate your support through this journey to get everything done. It was a really fun book to not only write, but to illustrate as well. I even used new mediums I hadn't previously explored, which is a bonus. I hope the result is more than pleasing to y'all.

I also hope you like the little tidbits I've shared about the various dragons from around the world. I tried to get a good representation in the best light possible. And, honestly, I had a blast making this work of love for y'all.. It definitely helped me get through what has already been a difficult year, so thank you to those who have already purchased a copy, or who plan on purchasing a copy.

In other news, in case you hadn't heard, I am already working on the next children's book. The manuscript is still in draft form, so I'll refrain from giving you the working title, since I'm not sure if it will change yet or not. But I already have a general idea of what I want the illustrations to look like, as well as the medium I'll be using to color them. As always, I'll be drawing them by hand first. and I anticipate a Spring 2027 release date, so keep an eye open for that.

I am also working on writing a dystopian novel, though I have no generalized release date for that one, since I'm not sure how cooperative the story, let alone the characters, will be. I've got a lot of projects in the works and I'm slowly trying to check off each one, including updating my script adaptations of my previous YA novels. Fingers crossed those changes will make them more palatable to the various contests available to me.

Other news, I am working on other art, and a few sewing projects, though I did finally finish one that I'd started way back last year.... Took me look enough. lol. But that one's done, and I have a new one in my sights. Gotta keep the creativity going when the stories are giving me the middle finger, after all. Maybe I'll post a pic or two of my latest sewing project once it's done, if it turns out the way I hope it will. We'll see. ;-)

As always, please continue to support me. And keep writing!

The Things dragons do is live!

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:59:38 GMT

Sneak peek into the world of dragons

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 17:27:12 GMT

We're just two weeks away from the launch of The Things Dragons Do, and I'm thrilled to share a sneak peek into the book. In this book, you'll get to explore the different cultures of dragons and learn about their unique traditions and activities.

From counting treasure to playing on rainbows, my book is all about showing the fun and playful side of dragons. I've included a few sample pages from the book, so you can get a feel for the story and the illustrations. If you have any young readers in your life, I think they'll love this book. Let me know if you have any questions or if you'd like to learn more about the book.

(You can pre-order at Amazon or Barnes and Noble)

Get Ready to Soar into the World of Dragons

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:18:32 GMT

I'm excited to share with you my upcoming children's book, The Things Dragons Do, launching on August 11th. As someone who loves dragons and fantasy, I think you'll really enjoy this journey into the secret lives of these magical creatures. My book explores the unique things that dragons do, from playing games to hoarding unexpected treasures. I want to take you behind the scenes and share some of the inspiration behind my story. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing sneak peeks and fun facts about dragons on my social media. Stay tuned for more updates and get ready to join the adventure.

Cover Reveal: the things dragons do

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 18:01:52 GMT

Ya'll have been patient and the time is finally here! I have the official cover for my newest book, The Things Dragons Do!

Here's the blurb: We all love dragons, in one form or another. But the funnest thing is learning what they do and the ways they help each other. Come follow along as we explore various things that dragons do, each from its own unique culture.

And, without further ado, here it is!

I'm still working on setting up the links, so no pre-order links just yet, but they are coming. This will be released in both a hardcover and paperback edition. Expect the hardcover to retail at $25.99, and the paperback around $15-18. I'll know for sure once I get everything uploaded.

Book Update

Fri, 29 May 2026 21:43:46 GMT

I thought I'd give y'all a book update for my latest project, The Things Dragons Do.

I have finished the line art and have moved onto coloring. I've decided to give illustration/alcohol markers a go. So far I am not disappointed with the results.

I have also decided on an official release date of August 11, 2026, and will have some cover art to share soon so stay tuned! In the meantime, here's a sneak peek of what to expect, from one of the quick sketches I did prior to actual line art.

May 07th, 2026

Thu, 07 May 2026 16:45:38 GMT

Author musings:

Why do I write? I've answered this a few times before on various social media platforms, but the main reason? To make a difference.

I don't necessarily care about the fame and fortune. I usually don't sell many books as is. But as long as I can make a difference in at least one person's life, that's what matters to me.

We all go through crap, some from choices we make, some from choices others make, and some just because... life. But if I can help at least one person feel seen, valued, like their struggles matter, that's enough for me.

As to the actual craft of writing, I love to create. I love to tell stories. And I love to share those with anyone who's willing to give them a go. I suppose you could call it my passion.

Passion can go either way, zeal (positive), or fleeting but intense emotions (not so positive). In the end, it's all about what you do with it that matters.

Passion + Drive + Perseverance = Productivity

To me, Passion is a gift, a starting point for something that has to be carried out. Think of it as the initial flame to start a fire. It gets things going, but it, alone, cannot keep them going. That is where drive and perseverance come in. All three are needed to becomes masters of your craft. and part of perseverance is discipline. Without that, your passion is the fleeting but intense emotion that is not so good because that is the kind that hurts people. It may ignite a fire, but the fire we want isn't a burning inferno that dies quickly, but the controlled, calm fire that we can feed over time.

Passion - the initial flame
Drive - what really gets us going
Perseverance - the force that keeps us going
Disciple - the force that keeps us safe

It's not about Ego. It's not about letting it control you and become your god. It's about using the talents given you to do something that will help others (even if that someone is yourself). If you can transcend to that level, then you have reached the level of master. But even masters acknowledge there is always more to do, more to learn.

For me, writing is my passion, my gift from God, which I can then, in turn, give to the world. And if it helps make even that one person feel seen, heard, acknowledged, or like they're not alone, then yeah... that's why I do it. And for the love of creating, because to create is to touch a piece of the Divine.

Working on a new project

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:41:01 GMT

Hey all,

As usual, I suck on doing updates. I know. I know. i need to do better. But there is some good news for y'all.

I'm working on a new children's book!

As of this moment, I'm taking a short break before diving back into doing line art for my illustrations for the newest addition to my young children's books lineup, The Things Dragons do, which I hope will be more than ready for an early Fall release. Dates yet to be determined.

I've already gotten the manuscript finished, with a "dummy book" created to split it into pages, with rough sketches for what each page will look like. Now I'm on to the line art while deciding what color medium I want to use on this puppy. There are several to choose from, but I want it to look the most awesome possible.

Short history behind why this book: my hubby gave me the idea after he had a dream that I'd already written it and was reading it at local elementary schools. Apparently they liked it so much it inspired several listeners, so I figured, why not? Thus began the epic journey of trying to decide what all I should include in my idea of what dragons do.

As part of this journey, I researched dragons from various cultures, and will try to convey those cultures through depictions of their dragon types, fingers crossed. There were a lot of good ones, but I wanted to keep this upbeat, kid friendly, and fun, so I had to limit what i represented, and how I'm presenting the various types of dragons.

The journey will continue for a while, until I"m happy with the end result, which might take a while, since I"m still maybe a third of the way in, but, fingers crossed, it will be awesome!

Now, back to work before the current system of storm fronts demands i turn off my computer so it doesn't get fried.

Toodles for now!

Sometimes technology hates me

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:01:03 GMT

So.... I know I'm horrible about updating things, but I thought it would be a good idea to let everyone know that I've experienced some technical difficulties recently, which included a Trojan somehow getting on my computer and wiping out my primary hard drive. Thankfully, none of my pertinent files were deleted, as they were on a separate drive, but I lost a lot of other stuff and am still trying to get everything back up and running, remember what apps I used etc.

In general, I have several new ideas for books that go in different directions than what I usually do. These are budding ideas, and I'm not sure where they'll go just yet, but there's a lot of "rebuilding" of my computer and work area after my computer was wiped, so we'll see how things go. Most of those projects will probably have to wait until January, but we'll see.

Until then, as we head into the holiday season, i wish you all Happy Holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, and hope all goes well you with all.