The Magiq of Aenya Production Diary #3

I am 130k words into my fourth novel, The Magiq of Aenya, and should have a completed draft around August. But before then, I'll be heading to my wife's home country of Morocco, a real-world fantasy setting, to better realize the Arab-North African inspired City of Shemselinihar. This is a rough map of the area... Continue Reading →

Seriously, don’t be a writer

Are you thinking about becoming a writer? Well, don't. That's my advice. Don't do it. Please. Too many of you think that after watching a few YouTube videos, you can become the next Tolkien, Sandersen, or whoever's hitting the bestseller charts these days. But the real world doesn't work that way. I get tired of... Continue Reading →

Aenya Newsletter, May 2025

In a recent podcast, Nick Alimonos shares updates on his participation in the first Tarpon Springs Book Fair, where he successfully sold his books, particularly "Princess of Aenya." He addresses challenges authors face with algorithms that misrepresent his work by associating it with nudity, despite its broader fantasy themes. Alimonos emphasizes the importance of storytelling beyond monetary gain, reflecting on the market trends favoring emotional narratives that resonate more with female readers. He discusses his ongoing project, "The Magiq of Aenya," aimed at younger audiences, and how he is rethinking cover designs to better connect with readers.

Doctor Sleep: A Worthy Sequel

A whopping thirty-six years after first releasing The Shining (from 1977 to 2013), Stephen King finally gets around to giving us a sequel, Doctor Sleep. That almost makes the wait for Winds of Winter reasonable! Of course, The Shining was in no need of a sequel. There were no loose plot threads to tie up nor... Continue Reading →

Planet of the Apes: Review

Unless you've been living underground awaiting the coming apocalypse, or maybe you just don't like movies, you've probably seen the famous scene with Charlton Heston and the Statue of Liberty. Or perhaps you're a lot younger than me, and you watched the newer series with James Franco and the CGI apes. There is even a... Continue Reading →

Year End Review and The Shining

As a personal social experiment, I lived for a month like it was 1985. Now I'm back with some insights and observations. First and foremost, it's not easy pretending it's four decades earlier when nobody else is playing along. The Internet has become mandatory for making restaurant reservations, planning trips, or buying insurance. Going without GPS,... Continue Reading →

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