OK, so it's probably no secret that I am camera shy. Being a writer and all, I definitely feel most comfortable behind the page. But we live in an age of video. My 5 year old kid is addicted to YouTube. She can watch hours of kids unboxing toys. And it bums me out, knowing... Continue Reading →
The Hurdle of Reading and Dealing with Hubris as an Undiscovered Writer
Is it??? So, the other day, a fan of mine (I do have them) suggested I act more enthusiastically about my book. I need to sell it like it's the greatest thing since movable type. This was in response to my disappointing Kickstarter campaign. As of today, I have only managed to raise about $900... Continue Reading →
Thelana: Feminist Icon?
Can a totally naked heroine become a feminist icon? I can already hear the detractors, the angry feminists calling me out as a sexist. Their argument, I imagine, will go something like this, Thelana is the lead heroine in Nick Alimonos' fantasy epic, "Ages of Aenya," and she is everything we love to see in... Continue Reading →
SNEAK PEAK #4: THE ONE SEA
Every now and again, I like to take a mental detour from whatever book I am writing, to explore the goings on of my favorite naked heroes, Xandr and Thelana. This is a very early rough draft from the upcoming sequel to Ages of Aenya and The Princess of Aenya, tentatively titled, The One Sea (originally Skyclad Warriors). Previously, as seen in parts #1, #2 and #3,... Continue Reading →
2014 Year End Review
Radia Noora, the Princess of AenyaWell, folks, this is it, another year gone at the Writer's Disease. I would like to say this was the year that my dreams came true, that I found a publisher for my work and sold millions, but alas, Fate has yet to smile on me. Like Frodo Baggins, I... Continue Reading →
Dungeons & Dragons: A Memoir: 2nd Edition: Hell Breaks Loose!
Climb up to the roof! What's the worst that could happen? By this point, Dr. Van Richten was begging. "Please, please I don't want to; I'm scared of heights!" But Dr. Van Helsing was insisting, and he was holding the shotgun. Somehow, they needed to learn what was going on in the mansion, and Helsing was not... 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 →
World Building Aenya
Since Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, world building has become a mainstay of fantasy fiction, gaining a resurgence among budding novelists after the release of the film adaptations. Much of the love lavished on George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire has a great deal to do with world building. But this phenomenon is unique to the... 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 →
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