Every story begins with a spark. For me, it was a forgotten name in a 13th-century chronicle—Lucardis—an obscure figure accused of heresy and erased from history. That mystery became the seed for Lucardia, the dark, myth-steeped world at the heart of my writing. Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Grendel Press toContinue reading “Interview with Grendel Press!”
Tag Archives: Paranormal
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”
Wrong Turns, Right Stories
Writing is a system of choices. That sounds simple, almost mechanical, but when you are in the thick of it, the simplicity disappears. Every word is a crossroad. Every pause is a possibility. Every decision branches into another, until a forest of paths stretches out behind you. Some lead to brilliance. Some lead to ruin.Continue reading “Wrong Turns, Right Stories”
Koen arises!
The journey began on January 27, 2023. As I worked through the first three books of the Absolution of the Morning Star (AMS) series, I felt compelled to explore the three-year disappearance of Prince Koen the Gray, the father of Erikson Gray, the protagonist of the AMS series. I finished the first draft on AugustContinue reading “Koen arises!”
Chasing ghosts
I don’t believe in ghosts — not in the flickering, sheet-draped sense of spirits rattling chains in the night. My rational mind resists that. And it’s not as if I didn’t conduct my own tests to arrive at my conclusions. Throughout my teens, I searched. I wandered into places that must surely have been haunted:Continue reading “Chasing ghosts”
A Million Words in Lucardia
When I first set foot in Lucardia, I never imagined I would still be walking its shadowed roads a million words later. The very first scene I wrote was simple, almost innocent: a rainbow-barked tree within a cave, sparkling in the sunlight pouring through a fissure. At the time, I thought I was sketching theContinue reading “A Million Words in Lucardia”
Playing with Schrödinger’s cat
There’s a strange pattern in my life: whenever I say something with absolute confidence, I end up being wrong. Not just once or twice — consistently enough that my wife has noticed too. It’s become a running joke between us. I’ll declare something as fact, and the universe seems to grin and say, Oh, really?Continue reading “Playing with Schrödinger’s cat”
Alan Watts and Writing Fantasy
Alan Watts (1915–1973) was a philosopher, writer, and speaker who gained fame for introducing Eastern philosophy to Western culture. His lectures often blended humor with an almost mystical clarity, challenging the way we think about reality. One of his most haunting ideas was that human beings might be “the dreams of gods” — that whatContinue reading “Alan Watts and Writing Fantasy”
Sylvanus makes his entrance
The in-laws are back safe in China, and the house feels quiet again as my wife and I adjust to their absence. They didn’t stay quite as long as last year, but two and a half months is still a long time to share a life so closely. Saying goodbye is always bittersweet. On theContinue reading “Sylvanus makes his entrance”
