I have a dark creature on my back. Something old and cloying has wrapped itself around my neck and learned the shape of my thoughts. It hangs there with its mouth near my ear, whispering in a voice that sounds too much like my own. It tells me what is wrong. It tells me whatContinue reading “Feeding the Future”
Category Archives: Life
Flashback Fridays #1
I have made 378 blog posts since I started this writing journey. The very first post was on April 3, 2020, soon after the publication of the Island of Stone. It was a shout into the void, and many of those earlier musings had little to no audience. Looking back, I think some of themContinue reading “Flashback Fridays #1”
Stepping Beyond Lucardia
I have lived in Lucardia for five years. That is a strange thing to write, because Lucardia is not real. Not in the common sense. You cannot point to it on a map. You cannot buy passage there by ship or rail. You cannot walk its roads unless I build them first. And yet, inContinue reading “Stepping Beyond Lucardia”
Quick update
Yes, I missed my usual Saturday post. My in-laws are visiting again from China this summer, and we took them on a road trip across upstate New York to Cleveland. On Saturday, I was in Rochester, NY, on our way back. It was a 1,700-mile round-trip journey, which is nothing to sneeze at. We sawContinue reading “Quick update”
The Road Is the Story
I have never been very interested in destinations. That might sound strange coming from someone who writes fantasy, because fantasy is full of destinations. Towers. Cities. Mountains. Lost kingdoms. Temples buried under old stone. A throne that must be reached. A gate that must be opened. A relic that must be found. A monster thatContinue reading “The Road Is the Story”
Leveraging rejection to be a better writer
First, I would like to thank you all. After posting that I was stepping back from blogging to focus on rediscovering my passion for writing fiction, I received a considerable amount of support. There was also concern that I may be giving up. Don’t worry. I am still writing. In fact, I’ve been doing itContinue reading “Leveraging rejection to be a better writer”
Pulling back to move forward
For years, this blog has been my space to share fragments of the worlds I build — glimpses into Lucardia, reflections on the craft, and thoughts from the strange, quiet corners of storytelling. I’ve been grateful for everyone who has followed along, offered encouragement, or simply taken the time to read. Engagement on my websiteContinue reading “Pulling back to move forward”
350 posts and going
When I started this blog, I had no idea what I was doing. I read somewhere that writers were supposed to have one. It felt like part of the job description, some unspoken rule of authorship—if you write books, you also keep a blog. So I started one. I thought readers would somehow find meContinue reading “350 posts and going”
Relativity, Memory, and Twenty Years of Marriage
On a warm fall day, we took the train to Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province in China. It was only the second time I had been there; the first was for a medical checkup. The city bustled, strange and foreign —a blur —as we searched for our destination: the magistrate’s office. We were onContinue reading “Relativity, Memory, and Twenty Years of Marriage”
October 1 approaches: a three year journey
October 1 is coming, and with it the release of Koen: Quills from the Raven’s Nest. I’ve been sitting with this story for almost three years now, and to finally be able to share it feels surreal. It isn’t “just another book” for me—it’s a piece of my life, a rollercoaster, a soul that’s beenContinue reading “October 1 approaches: a three year journey”
