It's sad that social media always appeals to our basest instincts. It's why YouTubers make millions---YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!---and why Amazon authors find success writing ENF (Embarrassed Naked Female), harem, and dinosaur erotica. Unfortunately, my readers have fallen into the same trap with my latest book, The Feral Girl, but in reverse. They buy... Continue Reading →
I sit (virtually) with my artistic conspirator and college-attending daughter, Jasmine, to discuss one of our favorite pieces of fiction, Howl's Moving Castle, comparing Diana Wynne Jones's original fantasy novel with Hayao Miyazaki's cinematic interpretation. We also get into anime in general and the differences between Western and Japanese storytelling. Love Studio Ghibli? Or books... Continue Reading →
After finishing Coraline, my 13-year-old daughter begged me to read it. I told her I would if she would agree to discuss it on my podcast, Story Matters. And, I am happy to say, Coraline was a real treat. Despite skewing towards younger readers, there's a lot here for older fantasy fans to enjoy. As... Continue Reading →
I finally got around to reading one of this generation's most beloved and successful fantasy authors: Brandon Sanderson. Is the guy all he's cracked up to be, at least judging by his debut novel, Mistborn? While I found much of the book a bit too formulaic for my tastes—we are treated, yet again, to another... Continue Reading →
R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War starts as a typical coming-of-age fantasy about a girl from humble beginnings who discovers she has special powers. Despite a cliched beginning, the first chapter had me hooked, as it's probably the best bit of writing in the novel --- not surprising given the knock-them-dead-from-page-one nature of publishing today. The... Continue Reading →
While it may not be the popular opinion to hold, like most things on social media, and especially for every frothing-at-the-mouth critic on YouTube, hatred for Amazon's "The Rings of Power" has reached a fever pitch and is entirely overblown. Is it a great show? Not really, no. Is it worthy of Tolkien's masterpiece? Certainly... Continue Reading →
Noora's song features prominently in The Princess of Aenya. When Radia goes on the run, disguised as a serving girl named Noora, she sings her song in the Cosmos Theater, only to have the wilting flowers on the tables bloom. She sings it once more near the end of the story, before her gruesome confrontation... Continue Reading →
Christmastime is here again, and what better story to celebrate the holidays than Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol? No, wait. Actually, we're doing Lois Lowry's The Giver, a classic tale of the original giver of gifts, Santa himself . . . Actually, no, this dystopian novel has little to do with Old Saint Nick. But,... Continue Reading →
Hey, Aenya fans! The long wait is over . . . The Feral Girl: Gamer Edition for your Kindle-enabled device is finally HERE. What you get: Included in The Feral Girl: Gamer Edition for Kindle, you get Thelana's heart-wrenching origin story and prequel to Ages of Aenya, over 30 beautiful illustrations with many new, full-color art... Continue Reading →
OK, I've dissected enough of other people's books on my podcast. Now it's my turn. That's right, folks, it's time I get to toot my own horn. So here is your introduction to Aenya, a world blending the best of fantasy and science fiction. The books in the Aenya Series have possessed me for over... Continue Reading →
The Art of Storytelling 
You must be logged in to post a comment.