Authorpreneur Dashboard – LRW Lee
Venom of the Serpent's Cunning (Andy Smithson Book Two)
Children's Books
"This series has everything a kid could want, action, adventure, excitement and mystery. Even a dragon!" - Erik Weibel, This Kid Reviews Books (Erik is 12) Venom of the Serpent's Cunning is the continuation of L. R. W. Lee's well-received debut novel Blast of the Dragon's Fury and the next offering in this seven-book Andy Smithson allegorical, coming of age fantasy, adventure series for middle graders. Eleven-year-old Andy Smithson returns to medieval Oomaldee to retrieve the second ingredient needed to break a 500-year-old curse. But Imogenia's spirit, bent on thwarting Andy to preserve the curse, is now in league with the evil, scheming, seven-headed dragon Abbadon. Things go from bad to worse when a creature Abaddon, conjures through sorcery from the darkest magic steals the Stone of Athanasia, the source of Hercalon V's immortality, causing the king and his wizard Mermin to fall gravely ill. Andy must now not only locate the second ingredient, but also retrieve the stone. Will he succeed in battling his adversaries in time to save the King?
Book Bubbles from Venom of the Serpent's Cunning (Andy Smithson Book Two)
The Stone of Athanasia
If you are at all familiar with the plot, the Andy Smithson series has as a central figure, a king who has been sentenced to eternal life as part of the punishment for a crime he committed.
As I wrote this portion I wanted a name for the object that kept the king alive eternally, to have a name worthy of the distinction, but I also sought a name that would be unique to this story.
After much racking of my brain and consulting a thesaurus, I happened upon the term 'euthanasia,' or putting to death painlessly. I needed the exact opposite and a word I had never heard before appeared as an anatonym...Athanasia. It means deathlessness or immortality.
Eureka! I knew I'd found THE perfect name for this object.
Resurrection of the Phoenix's Grace (Andy Smithson Book Four)
Teens
“L. R. W. Lee’s best book of the Andy Smithson series to date!” - Richard Weatherly, Author
When Andy landed back home, little did he realize the hunt Abaddon would initiate to capture and punish him for thwarting his plans for eternal life for yet a third time. Meanwhile, when Methuselah unexpectedly extends in Mom's hand while in Texas, something it has never done for him, it triggers more revelations about her past.
After a frustrating and, at times, terrifying year, Andy returns to Oomaldee and joins Hans’ quest to locate the only surviving heir to the throne of Cromlech. In the process, Andy and company discover the Giant’s Ring, the center of Cromlech’s healing powers, has been destroyed by Abaddon’s evil sorcerer. The situation grows dire when Andy finds that the phoenix who rose from that land millennia before has returned to be reborn and the evil mage has trapped her inside the decimated Ring. Without the freedom to collect the materials she needs to build a pyre, she will die. Andy knows failure is not an option for he needs a feather from this phoenix as the next ingredient to break the curse. Will Andy and his friends free the phoenix in time? Will they be able to fix the Ring and restore Cromlech’s healing powers? Will Andy collect a phoenix feather?
Book Bubbles from Resurrection of the Phoenix's Grace (Andy Smithson Book Four)
Gut Wrenching Choices
Many times, we find ourselves in situations that pit us against our worst fears. The situation grows dire if we do not act.
At those times, all we can do is give our best...and be okay with it. This is a particularly difficult lesson to learn at any point in life but Hans, the healer for castle Avalon, finds himself in such a situation in this part of book four and must persevere through.
I invite you to wrestle with him through his gut-wrenching choice.
Disgrace of the Unicorn's Honor (Andy Smithson Book Three)
Teens
FINALIST in 2015 IAN Book of the Year Awards!
Kirkus raves: "...its appealing protagonist and high personal stakes provide an excellent read for young fantasy fans."
Twelve-year-old Andy discovers a mystery when his parents reveal his mom's past. He is heartbroken when he realizes she will die when he breaks the curse unless he intervenes. Andy returns to Oomaldee to find unicorns in the land and he and his company soon embark upon a quest to retrieve the horn of a unicorn. But a seductive voice calls to Andy, tempting him to surrender the unicorn horn in exchange for a promise to preserve his mom. Will he jeopardize his ability to end the curse to save her?
"A long-lasting story that is part of one of my favorite series."- Erik Weibel, This Kid Reviews Books Blog (Erik is 13)
Book Bubbles from Disgrace of the Unicorn's Honor (Andy Smithson Book Three)
"We are as strong as the love we choose to share."
I think we would all agree, love is a choice. And when life throws unpleasant people or circumstances our way, that choice reveals much about who we are, at the core.
Sirius Black said it well when he told Harry Potter, “We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.”
And so, at this point in the story, our protagonist Andy Smithson learns the valuable lesson that the measure of our strength is not in loving those who are easy to love, but when we make the choice to love even the unlovely,
Blast of the Dragons Fury (Andy Smithson Book One)
Children's Books
Winner of the Readers' Favorite 5 Star Award!
Do you love dragons? Fire breathing dragons? Dragons bent on conquest? Shapeshifting seven-headed dragons? Then buckle up because this book has all manner of dragons!
"I LOVED it! Totally hooked and want to hear more, especially about the dragons, epic fantasy & magic!" -- M. Tate, Book Reviewer
Ten-year-old Andy Smithson believes he is merely a kid too often in trouble with his overambitious parents--until his destiny as the Chosen One to break a 500-year-old curse is revealed. Swept away to the land of Oomaldee of medieval times, he discovers he must collect several ingredients for a magic potion to defeat the oppressive curse that plagues the land, the first of which is the scale of a red dragon, the fiercest of all dragon species. There's just one tiny problem, he's never battled dragons, except in his Dragon Slayer video game. Armed with only his wits, an ancient sword and a magic key, he must overcome grave peril at every turn before he can even attempt the feat. No pressure, but it's his skill alone that will save - or condemn - the kingdom forever.
Book Bubbles from Blast of the Dragons Fury (Andy Smithson Book One)
Who Was Methuselah?
The figure Methuselah is mentioned in the historical record. What caught my fancy and had me give the sword, a central protagonist in this series that name, is that his life span as recorded as 969 years; he has survived in legend and tradition as the longest-lived human. I thought this fact lent itself to having the sword with its successes known only in legend, become an object of awe and wonder to Andy, it's bearer. In this excerpt, he gets clearly the weight that has been placed on his shoulders. The question becomes, how will he respond?
What's more, while history attributes paternal lineage to Methuselah, he pretty much appears out of nowhere. This fact played a significant role in my decision to have the sword appear out of nowhere, furthering its mystery and intrigue.
