Last updated: March 10, 2021
Unique, Fantastic, Interconnected |
My Writing Style |
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All of my books and series are based on this premise:
There are many worlds in the universe, each with its own unique natural laws and collection of Gates that lead to other worlds. These Gates are passable only by the World Wardens, specially selected and empowered ordinary people with extraordinary missions. Who selects them? Where do their powers come from? Each fantastical series answers a little more, ultimately leading to a crossover series in which Wardens from various worlds join forces in an epic, world-hopping quest to overcome an evil that threatens all the interconnected worlds. You can read at whatever level you enjoy. Casual readers can jump straight into each series and enjoy them as stand-alone tales, while more dedicated explorers can trace the quests of particular World Wardens through different series, learn the Language of the Worlds, and take note of common elements. Note: I am currently in a "publishing freeze" as I plan extensive crossovers amongst my series. (It's gonna be AWESOME!) In the meantime, I'm publishing flash fiction and other short material through various venues, such as Havok Publishing and the Faith in Fiction anthologies. If you join my email list, you'll get once- or twice-monthly emails that give you periodic updates as I write novels, publish short stories, and share bonus material related to my worlds. |
I write speculative fiction for YA/NA/adult readers who enjoy:
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I'm a genuine fan! |
I love to learn. |
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I write for a mixed-gender adult audience of readers who love geeking out about favorite fandoms and fan theories, exploring lore and constructed languages, and playing video games and Dungeons & Dragons. They believe that the good guy wins in the end and that stories should offer resolution and hope.
I don't just write speculative fiction. I love to read it in books or watch it in TV shows or movies. I am personally a fan of J. R. R. Tolkien, Brandon Sanderson, Stephen Lawhead, C. S. Lewis, Megan Whalen Turner, Lloyd Alexander, and Brian Jaques, among others. I can geek out about Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. I can affirm that I am a divergent Gryffindor hobbit. I can tell you that I usually play as a mage or intelligence/agility character in video games and I can describe my D&D character. In short, I'm a genuine geek too! |
As a kid, I read the dictionary and the encyclopedia for fun. I don't read just fantasy and science fiction, but I also read books about history, science, personal development, the writing craft, theology, and more. All of this information offers details both large and small that I often incorporate into my writing.
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I incorporate personal experience. |
I research my topics. |
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Much of what I write comes from my own experience, whether from my own internal struggles or from events or realities that I have encountered first-hand. Areas in which I am especially knowledgeable are:
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When I am writing about something I have not experienced firsthand, or when I'm reaching beyond the rules of the real world, I research the relevant material to provide a level of authenticity and fair representation. I ask people to share their first-hand experiences to help me better describe or understand the material that I am using in my world. This especially applies to topics of greater sensitivity, such as race, disability, or trauma. If you read any of my books and feel that I can better represent a topic, I would warmly welcome your expertise via email here.
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My Standards of Story |
Culture with Authenticity |
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Often, authors who try to portray the full grittiness of life inevitably sacrifice the support of readers who prefer cleaner content. Authors who shy away from heavier content sacrifice the support of readers who want an honest treatment of real-life themes.
In contrast, I strive to represent life both accurately and artistically. The strength of fiction is its ability to comment on real life while also providing an escape from it. I see value in representing life with enough accuracy to resonate with mature readers, and with enough artistry to resonate with more sensitive readers. This is not so that I can appeal to all readers (that's impossible!) but so that I can authentically express my strong belief that life is a duality of the real (struggles & conflicts) and the ideal (integrity & nobility). My books include wars and violence, though I do not describe graphic and gory details, preferring to focus on the psychological affect of violence on the characters. My treatment of sex assumes that sex should be a mutually loving expression, even while including mentions of sex in a variety of contexts (from loving marital sex to rape, mentions of virginity, and scenes with sexual harrassment). Any sexual encounters occur "off screen" and details are not given. My books may include occasional moderate language such as crap, hell, damn, bastard, and ass. The majority of my books avoid these altogether. I avoid f***, G**d***, sh**, and similar words, because I personally dislike them. In summary, if my books were rated according to MPAA standards, they would range from G to PG-13. I will include full disclosure of any potentially offensive elements in both my book description on my website and my book's front matter. |
The real world is a big place, and fantastical worlds should not be any different. I strive to go further than the traditional European medieval fantasy or first-world futuristic sci-fi.
I write about a variety of cultures and ideologies, drawing from historical contexts to color my fantasy and science fiction. This can result in some portrayals of gender, race, religion, etc. in ways that diverge from modern Western ideologies and even my own personal beliefs. While I do not comment directly on the morality of these various factors, I strive to foster thoughtful evaluations of the issues and their nuances. Depth of StoryToday's speculative fiction fans are living in a noisy environment of easily-accessed content designed for shortened attention spans and trending markets. At the same time, they are weary of cookie-cutter fiction with little depth and tired tropes.
The growing popularity of J. R. R. Tolkien, Stephen Lawhead, Brandon Sanderson, and George R. R. Martin shows a hunger for rich world-building, psychological depth, unpredictable plots, and innovative worlds drawn from historical contexts. I intend for my books to offer an opportunity to immerse in a unique, detailed, connected fictional universe that satisfies the reader's hunger for more richly-woven stories. |