I've already been a victim of hate speech. This wasn't your normal troll variety flaming. This guy got eerily personal, digging deep into my life to attack my lifestyle, my beliefs, my career, and most disturbingly, the person I chose to marry. Sadly, he concluded I should leave the country. People like him have never understood what America is and what it stands... Continue Reading →
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
My family and I are big Potter fans. One year, my daughter was Hermione for Halloween, and my wife went as Madam Hooch (she had the hat). We've also been to Hogwarts and Diagon Alley at Universal Studios, and incorporated our Wizarding World wands into our D&D sessions. Personally, I feel that J.K. Rowling's epic... Continue Reading →
Martin Has a Heart: A Review of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”
I am here with my friend and partner in crime, David Pasco, to discuss George R.R. Martin's new book, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Now I think it's safe to say that David and I have a slightly different outlook on Martin. While I don't technically dislike the Game of Thrones series, or as it... Continue Reading →
The Giver
Lois Lowry's dystopian novel was awarded the John Newberry Medal for outstanding children's literature, though I found it too uneventful and dark for my 11 year old daughter, even after we agreed to add it to our summer family reading list. The Giver reminded me of other dystopian books, like A Brave New World, 1984, and The Hunger Games, but mostly of Kazuo Ishiguro's superb... Continue Reading →
The BFG
To get my daughter to take a break from Pokemon Go this summer, my wife insisted she read a total of three books, and not just the comics she loves (Dork Diaries, anything by Raina Telgemeier) but something appropriate to her grade level (she is entering middle school this year). So I suggested on a pact. My daughter, my wife, and I would each pick a novel,... Continue Reading →
Songs from Aenya: At Sternbrow Hill
At Sternbrow Hill the armies came with copper on their heads all gleaming and copper swords in belts a shining and copper spears in hands a bristling met men with men to kill and maim at Sternbrow Hill they came they fought till from the hills they bled met sword with spear till all lay... Continue Reading →
The Princess of Aenya Query Letter #1
Dear Editor, The Princess of Aenya is a fantasy adventure reminiscent of Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn and Michael Ende's The Never Ending Story, with a little bit of Song of Ice and Fire injected for good measure. It stands roughly at 125,000 words. What’s the story? She is known for her arresting beauty and mismatched eyes. One is turquoise, like the greater moon, the other is violet,... Continue Reading →
Olympia Publishers and the Art of the Soft Scam (Updated 2018)
Nobody has time for yours. This post was going to be something else entirely, a celebration. My wife and I received a positive response from a publisher, and the other night, we made a special toast at P.F. Chang's, "To passing the second gate!" See, there are three main obstacles to getting your book in... Continue Reading →
Ages of Aenya Kickstarter Video
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 →

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