• 6 Clichés in Fantasy and How to Avoid Them

    6 Clichés in Fantasy and How to Avoid Them

    Fantasy tropes, while familiar, can become clichéd if overused, leading to boredom among readers. Key clichés include “The Chosen One,” “The Evil Dark Lord,” “The Magical Artifact Quest,” overused races like elves and dwarves, “The Farm Boy Hero,” and “The Wise Old Mentor.” Writers should reimagine or avoid these to…

  • Behind the Scenes: Aeolian Dunes

    Behind the Scenes: Aeolian Dunes

    The Aeolian Dunes of Muspelheim were inspired by the gypsum sand dunes at White Sands National Park in New Mexico.

  • Changed Release Dates

    Changed Release Dates

    I had originally planned on releasing The Shackles of a Mountain Lord on October 1, but I’m pushing it back to October 31 so that I have a bit more time for edits. I left myself about a month to work on my final draft, and I’ve been making good…

  • My Writing Companions

    My Writing Companions

    Now that all my kids are in school, I have all the time in the world to write! Right? Well, ok, maybe not quite. But the house is blessedly quiet for a few hours a day now. I’m not alone, though. Like a witch with her animal familiars, I have…

  • Sci-Fi Serialized Fiction on Patreon!

    Sci-Fi Serialized Fiction on Patreon!

    After spending way too long trying to figure out what I want to do with my Patreon page, I’ve decided to use it to make my new episodic sci-fi story available to you. This new story is about a bounty hunter named Torin Keth and his android sidekick, Jasper. The…

  • Writing When Times Are Tough

    Writing When Times Are Tough

    When I first started writing in earnest, I read that Stephen King and Brandon Sanderson and other write daily, rain or shine, in sickness and in health. I heard that if you want to be a better writer, you need to make it a habit and write every day. The…

  • Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Reading Order

    Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Reading Order

    If you don’t already know, I am a huge Sanderson fan. Strangely, though, I haven’t managed to finish all of the Cosmere books that are out. I’ve put a good dent in the list, for sure, but not all of them. I’m starting to run into a problem, though: the…

  • Update May 8, 2024

    Update May 8, 2024

    Lots of news today! Read on to learn more about the progress of the beta read for The Shackles of a Mountain Lord, more details on the 1st Annual Rocksaber Run for Literacy, news on a Patreon page I’ve just set up, and details about a new stats page on…

  • Muspell’s Sons Title and Cover Reveal, Release Date

    Muspell’s Sons Title and Cover Reveal, Release Date

    Get ready to dive back into the world of Muspelheim with my newest book, the sequel to Muspell’s Sons: In The Shackles of a Mountain Lord, Cadmus Brand continues his struggle against the demonic kashmari that rule the desert realm of Muspelheim. The dark kashmari High Lord Fafnir now knows…

  • Update March 21, 2024

    Update March 21, 2024

    What do you get when you cross a writer and a deadline? A very clean house, or in my case, a revamped website.