Michael Lasco's Blog
June 11, 2025
Book Cast for KEEPER!
Niel's Book Blog wrote a glowing review for the first Dragon Brood title today. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
On his website version, he's created an amAzing cast for the book's main characters. Go check it out for a smile. I agree with all his choices (though I'm not sure how good Mr. Quaid's Aussie accent would be for Tyler haha).
https://lectoremandbooks.wordpress.co...
Thank you Niel!!
On his website version, he's created an amAzing cast for the book's main characters. Go check it out for a smile. I agree with all his choices (though I'm not sure how good Mr. Quaid's Aussie accent would be for Tyler haha).
https://lectoremandbooks.wordpress.co...
Thank you Niel!!
March 29, 2025
New Epic Fantasy from Pete Aldin
Last Among Equals by Peter J Aldin.
If you're a fantasy reader--even if you're not--this is a book to check out. Launching first on Kickstarter where backers are rewarded with exclusive perks, it's live now, and it funded in under 4 hours (meaning backers will definitely get their rewards).
Go look at it if only to goggle at the beautiful artwork. https://tinyurl.com/4un47ejv
Teaser blurb reads,
For years, the nations of Ollaj and Kardalan have flourished under an uneasy peace.
Now, the Trell have come.
And with the Trell, comes war...
If you're a fantasy reader--even if you're not--this is a book to check out. Launching first on Kickstarter where backers are rewarded with exclusive perks, it's live now, and it funded in under 4 hours (meaning backers will definitely get their rewards).
Go look at it if only to goggle at the beautiful artwork. https://tinyurl.com/4un47ejv
Teaser blurb reads,
For years, the nations of Ollaj and Kardalan have flourished under an uneasy peace.
Now, the Trell have come.
And with the Trell, comes war...
January 20, 2025
New Year, New Book
HNY! And I hope it's going to be happy for all of us!
I've started this year with two new releases.
First, the final Space Librarian novella which you can find on the Zon and Kobo, or on other stores here via: https://books2read.com/u/3LXQZ5
Second, I've compiled all three Space Librarian novellas into one paperback volume. This paperback will go live in the next couple of days (only on Amazon at this stage, I'm sorry).
Last piece of news: I've moved my ebooks to other platforms besides the Zon, so if you're into Kobo, B&N, Apple Books or any variety of other means of nabbing your reading material, you should find it on your store.
Happy new READING year.
I've started this year with two new releases.
First, the final Space Librarian novella which you can find on the Zon and Kobo, or on other stores here via: https://books2read.com/u/3LXQZ5
Second, I've compiled all three Space Librarian novellas into one paperback volume. This paperback will go live in the next couple of days (only on Amazon at this stage, I'm sorry).
Last piece of news: I've moved my ebooks to other platforms besides the Zon, so if you're into Kobo, B&N, Apple Books or any variety of other means of nabbing your reading material, you should find it on your store.
Happy new READING year.
December 5, 2024
My Books have 'Gone Wide'
...meaning they're not just found on Amazon, but on Apple Books, Kobo, Smashwords, B&N...and more. Please spread the word.
Currently working hard to get a final Space Librarian novella first draft done by Xmas. Wish me luck. Always lots of distractions, but I'm very happy with where the story has taken me...and taken Aerlys.
Next year it will be back to completing the Dragon Brood spinoff I started months back which stalled for a while. I really liked what came out of my pen (erk) for the first half of the draft...the second was a mess, so there's some heavy replotting going on there. But I can see the ending now and although it's a little darker than the Ro McKinley stories, it suits the character I have as the lead and broadens out the world of these stories.
That's enough for now. Gotta go draft a chapter. Happy days!
Currently working hard to get a final Space Librarian novella first draft done by Xmas. Wish me luck. Always lots of distractions, but I'm very happy with where the story has taken me...and taken Aerlys.
Next year it will be back to completing the Dragon Brood spinoff I started months back which stalled for a while. I really liked what came out of my pen (erk) for the first half of the draft...the second was a mess, so there's some heavy replotting going on there. But I can see the ending now and although it's a little darker than the Ro McKinley stories, it suits the character I have as the lead and broadens out the world of these stories.
That's enough for now. Gotta go draft a chapter. Happy days!
August 13, 2024
Sandbox Book 3, Kickstarter
Yo. You can now preview the crowdfunding page for the final Sandbox trilogy book here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
This is being put together by my editor Pete Aldin for me. You can be amongst the first to preview the beautiful artwork by Tom Edwards. And you can see the kinds of exclusive rewards available for people backing this campaign (which will go live towards the end of the month)
Be sure to hit the "Remind me" or "Notify me on launch" buttons on the righthand side so you're alerted when it goes live.
Can't wait to get this book into your hands! Been a long time coming.
This is being put together by my editor Pete Aldin for me. You can be amongst the first to preview the beautiful artwork by Tom Edwards. And you can see the kinds of exclusive rewards available for people backing this campaign (which will go live towards the end of the month)
Be sure to hit the "Remind me" or "Notify me on launch" buttons on the righthand side so you're alerted when it goes live.
Can't wait to get this book into your hands! Been a long time coming.
July 21, 2024
Dayside, Nightside - what's going on?
Well. What's going on is I've completed the working draft. And I'm excited about it.
It's with a developmental editor currently. Expecting it back by the end of July. Upon which time I'll ask the amazing Tom Edwards to prep a paperback cover. And...
I'll begin organizing my first Kickstarter to fund this. The artwork in particular for this trilogy has cost a mint. Plus Kickstarter should reach a different audience than Amazon buyers.
I'm also planning on taking this series 'wide' in 2025, so that Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook readers can get copies.
Thanks for hanging in there. Rest assured that Dayside, Nightside completes Skip's and Darrek's stories rather than leaving it open ended (though there's always the possibility for more tales in this universe with some of these characters). Book 3 brings back Aziz and Fehlis (and Mankayozo) as characters with their own goals and character arc. I'm so looking forward to getting this into people's hands and Kindles.
Also: it's about a 33% longer than Book 1 was, so there's lots more story there.
It's with a developmental editor currently. Expecting it back by the end of July. Upon which time I'll ask the amazing Tom Edwards to prep a paperback cover. And...
I'll begin organizing my first Kickstarter to fund this. The artwork in particular for this trilogy has cost a mint. Plus Kickstarter should reach a different audience than Amazon buyers.
I'm also planning on taking this series 'wide' in 2025, so that Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook readers can get copies.
Thanks for hanging in there. Rest assured that Dayside, Nightside completes Skip's and Darrek's stories rather than leaving it open ended (though there's always the possibility for more tales in this universe with some of these characters). Book 3 brings back Aziz and Fehlis (and Mankayozo) as characters with their own goals and character arc. I'm so looking forward to getting this into people's hands and Kindles.
Also: it's about a 33% longer than Book 1 was, so there's lots more story there.
December 17, 2023
Keeper Sequel live now
Sequel to Keeper becomes live as the dateline moves around the planet, turning the 17th to the 18th of January.
KYU: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN8DDHBV/
Greater stakes, more action, more baddies, more goodies, and many more magical hijinks.
KYU: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN8DDHBV/
Greater stakes, more action, more baddies, more goodies, and many more magical hijinks.
November 13, 2023
Good news, everyone :)
With reference to my previous post about series...
I have had the most fun ever writing the sequel to KEEPER these last couple of months. The manuscript has literally just headed off to my editor. Once I have it back from him (and smooth it out), it'll have a final proofread...
And then it'll be released into the wild!
Looking at mid-December release for both the Kindle (also Kindle Unlimited) and paperback releases. There'll be a pre-order page up in a few days on Amazon.
This new book's a little longer than the first because there were so many cool plot-lines to explore. Still felt zippy and pacey when I did my final read-through. Can't wait to see it out there in the wild.
PS To be the first to see the new cover's art, head to https://www.michaellasco.com/books.htm now
I have had the most fun ever writing the sequel to KEEPER these last couple of months. The manuscript has literally just headed off to my editor. Once I have it back from him (and smooth it out), it'll have a final proofread...
And then it'll be released into the wild!
Looking at mid-December release for both the Kindle (also Kindle Unlimited) and paperback releases. There'll be a pre-order page up in a few days on Amazon.
This new book's a little longer than the first because there were so many cool plot-lines to explore. Still felt zippy and pacey when I did my final read-through. Can't wait to see it out there in the wild.
PS To be the first to see the new cover's art, head to https://www.michaellasco.com/books.htm now
August 29, 2023
I get it: cliffhangers can be annoying
I remember watching Breaking Bad (for the first time). Every season (except that weird first one) finished on some kind of cliffhanger. I loved them. I hated them.
Same with Star Wars Episode 5: that ending with Han in the carbonite and the relationship between Luke and Vader just burning a hole in my brain...Loved it, hated it.
The hate was because I had to wait...
I'd been chipping away at four novels over many years before I finally got my act together and polished three of 'em. Then published them. (The fourth, I'm still trying to get right).
Dawn Star (my light-hearted space opera adventure) and the second book in that sequence which ends on a cliffhanger...
Keeper (my dragon baby urban/modern fantasy) which finishes open-ended (although a recent reader felt that "Nope, dude, that's a cliffhanger...and it's annoying there's not a second book to resolve it").
In retrospect, I jumped the gun in publishing these books when they were ready. But when their sequels weren't. (TBH, I wasn't sure until I had some feedback from writing buddy mid-July that I had a second dragon book in me...Turns out I do!).
What I should have done was finish the third space opera book and the second dragon book, THEN published all five close together. Lesson learned.
I make no promises about the time it'll take me to finish those two sequels. I don't want to publish something I've rushed. I want to be proud of it...and present something that I'd be happy to pay for if it was me.
But I do promise I'm working on them. I have a complete outline for the second dragon book (and I'm planning that it doesn't end with a cliffhanger, that it wraps up ... without slamming the door on future spin offs or sequels). I'm on chapter 8 of the write for that book. And I'm really enjoying it.
The third space opera book ran into a massive plot hole when I started it (also my family had some health issues lately but that's another thing). So I'm having to rehash the plot and stop it spiraling into a 600 page epic.
Thanks for bearing with me. Thanks for taking the journey with me. In the end, I just want to entertain you and give you some fun.
Mike out.
Same with Star Wars Episode 5: that ending with Han in the carbonite and the relationship between Luke and Vader just burning a hole in my brain...Loved it, hated it.
The hate was because I had to wait...
I'd been chipping away at four novels over many years before I finally got my act together and polished three of 'em. Then published them. (The fourth, I'm still trying to get right).
Dawn Star (my light-hearted space opera adventure) and the second book in that sequence which ends on a cliffhanger...
Keeper (my dragon baby urban/modern fantasy) which finishes open-ended (although a recent reader felt that "Nope, dude, that's a cliffhanger...and it's annoying there's not a second book to resolve it").
In retrospect, I jumped the gun in publishing these books when they were ready. But when their sequels weren't. (TBH, I wasn't sure until I had some feedback from writing buddy mid-July that I had a second dragon book in me...Turns out I do!).
What I should have done was finish the third space opera book and the second dragon book, THEN published all five close together. Lesson learned.
I make no promises about the time it'll take me to finish those two sequels. I don't want to publish something I've rushed. I want to be proud of it...and present something that I'd be happy to pay for if it was me.
But I do promise I'm working on them. I have a complete outline for the second dragon book (and I'm planning that it doesn't end with a cliffhanger, that it wraps up ... without slamming the door on future spin offs or sequels). I'm on chapter 8 of the write for that book. And I'm really enjoying it.
The third space opera book ran into a massive plot hole when I started it (also my family had some health issues lately but that's another thing). So I'm having to rehash the plot and stop it spiraling into a 600 page epic.
Thanks for bearing with me. Thanks for taking the journey with me. In the end, I just want to entertain you and give you some fun.
Mike out.
August 15, 2023
Urban fantasy now available
It's with excitement I announce the arrival of a newborn book.
KEEPER is a dragon-based urban fantasy with humour and magical shenanigans. Initially set on a Scottish island, it combines many of my loves.
Quick read is a good read. I've cut out the slack from this and kept it to what's important, moving the story forward. Two people have contacted me already to say how much they loved it (and I love them haha!)
Go check it out to buy or read on Kindle Unlimited...https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CC4YBC34
KEEPER is a dragon-based urban fantasy with humour and magical shenanigans. Initially set on a Scottish island, it combines many of my loves.
Quick read is a good read. I've cut out the slack from this and kept it to what's important, moving the story forward. Two people have contacted me already to say how much they loved it (and I love them haha!)
Go check it out to buy or read on Kindle Unlimited...https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CC4YBC34
