My first D&D book! Once upon a time . . . there lived an elf named Hektor and a half-orc named Lattice. Hektor and Lattice were strolling through the woods when they came upon a group of lizard men. Lightning streaked the sky, and shortly after it began to rain, but the elf and the... Continue Reading →
Is "Tarzan" Racist?
Long before Superman and Batman became household names, there was Tarzan. Originally published in 1914, Tarzan predates Superman by a good twenty-four years. In many ways, he is the first superhero. Children growing up in the '20s and '30s were as familiar with the ape-man as the most beloved DC/Marvel characters of today. He appeared... Continue Reading →
Marrying Sci-Fi and Fantasy
I knew the genre I would be writing in by age six, in 1981, after I'd just unboxed my first He-Man action figure. Masters of the Universe was my introduction to all things fantasy and Sci-Fi. With his furry loincloth and rippling muscles and interchangeable sword, ax, and shield, He-Man set my imagination ablaze. Even... Continue Reading →
It was a dark and stormy night, and this book sucks . . .
I try not to do this. Honestly, as a fellow writer, I don't want to. But there's simply no way around it. The book I am reviewing today just isn't very good, not for me, at least. For many people, this is a classic. I know this because the cover states, "50th Anniversary Edition" and... Continue Reading →
Inverted World
My Norwegian friend, who is studying to become a philosophy professor, is currently taking a Science Fiction and Philosophy course, and I am intensely jealous. Where was that class when I attended USF? Despite the anti-philosophy taboo trending or perceived to be trending in fiction these days (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone had to be re-dubbed the Sorcerer's... Continue Reading →
The Quest for Literary Greatness
The greatness of literature cannot be determined solely by literary standards--- T.S. Eliot Was it crazy to believe in this? Many said it was.In her post, Top 10 Ways to get rejected by your dream agent, Barbara Rogan talks about fellow agent Pam van Hylckama Vlieg, who was attacked on her way to her car by... Continue Reading →
Watership Down
Not about naval warfare, as you might think.Did I ever mention that I love rabbits? Bar none, they are the cutest animals on the planet. Kittens? Puppies? Hamsters? Not even close. When I was a kid, a friend bought me a pet rabbit as a birthday gift (didn't go over so well with my mom).... Continue Reading →
The Writer’s Disease: Parting Thoughts of 2013
I am sitting in my wife's H3 in the parking lot of my kid's dance studio. As my nine year old daughter practices tap, I suggest to my mother that I sell the restaurant. Her response is typical, the same it has been for the past twenty years, "What are you going to do when... Continue Reading →
Why We Love the Hobbit
I had this post dated since last year to coincide with Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. My intent was to explore people's love for Tolkien and his work, which includes The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, because my job as a writer is to figure out why people enjoy certain stories. Tolkien stands... Continue Reading →
The Princess of Aenya: Chapter 3: Eros
“The world is full of black hearts, but mine is the blackest heart of all. I like the sound of that, don’t you? The alliteration, the poetry. But I will not bore you with names of poets.”Eros sat across the table from a man long rumored to be a monster, not merely a savage, but... Continue Reading →

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