I know, I was doing really well with posting on time twice a week, and I’m slacking. This is late, but it still counts, as it was posted on Wednesday. Unfortunately, it is budget time in higher education, and the situation is especially grim this year. Thus, my time is being consumed by work, andContinue reading “Quick update and a piece of gold”
Category Archives: Thanatos
Searching for need
I constantly struggle between being a writer and a bookseller. Really, I just want to write, but why write if no one reads it? So, one necessitates the other. I’m a decent writer. I can at least give myself that credit. It is hard-earned after struggling with self-doubt for years. But I’m not such aContinue reading “Searching for need”
Preview of The Monk of Thanatos
Well, I’m still sick and trying to catch up on my real job, so I will need to be lazy once again. I should have some time on Friday to write about my trip, but for today, it is another sample. Seeing that I am working on two books at once, I thought I shouldContinue reading “Preview of The Monk of Thanatos”
Salt and Lucardia’s magic system
Salt in Lucardia is never merely a seasoning. Across worlds—ours and theirs—it has always been a thing of reverence. Empires rose and fell upon the salt trade; soldiers were once paid in it, their salary stems from sal, the Latin word for salt. It purified wounds, sealed oaths, and guarded the living from what lingeredContinue reading “Salt and Lucardia’s magic system”
Starting Over: What I Learned Scrapping 94 Pages
There’s a special kind of heartbreak that comes from deleting thousands of words you’ve poured your soul into. But there’s also a quiet kind of triumph. A freedom. And sometimes—if you’re lucky—a better book is waiting on the other side. I want to talk about what it means to start over and why I decidedContinue reading “Starting Over: What I Learned Scrapping 94 Pages”
The Silence Between Pages: On Loneliness in My Books
I’ve always been comfortable being alone. Not in a performative, monk-on-a-mountain sort of way—but in the quiet, backyard-on-a-summer-evening kind of way. I’m an introvert by nature. Growing up, there were stretches when there were other kids in the neighborhood and stretches when there weren’t. During the quiet times, I turned inward. I imagined stories, builtContinue reading “The Silence Between Pages: On Loneliness in My Books”
Defining my world
Recently, I undertook a major project for my website. I’ve always wanted to produce a glossary for my Lucardian world, primarily for my readers but also for myself. Currently, I have completed eight books set in Lucardia (five published and three yet to be published). On top of that, I have about 25-30 other projectsContinue reading “Defining my world”
How Ruins Shape My Imagination
A few weeks ago, standing amid the remains of the Herculaneum in Naples, I was reminded why ruins have such a hold on my imagination. A decade ago, I visited Pompeii — vast, sprawling, monumental in its decay. Pompeii overwhelms with its scale, but it also distracts with its size. The Herculaneum, smaller and moreContinue reading “How Ruins Shape My Imagination”
I Don’t Write Heroes—And Here’s Why
I didn’t set out to avoid heroes. But every time I tried to create one—the kind who stands tall, speaks clearly, and always knows right from wrong—I felt like I was lying. The stories I needed to tell weren’t about saviors. They were about survivors. About what happens after the battle, after the prophecy, afterContinue reading “I Don’t Write Heroes—And Here’s Why”
Not Just Stars: How a Tiny Click Changes Everything
A special kind of magic lives in the smallest moments—those quick, quiet affirmations that slip in while brushing your teeth or brewing coffee. For authors, one of those moments is the soft chime of a new book rating. This morning, I checked my notifications and saw it: a single five-star rating for The Novice ofContinue reading “Not Just Stars: How a Tiny Click Changes Everything”
