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Happy 16th to Me

Today marks the 16th anniversary of my very first book release. If you’re doing the math, that’s about a decade before AI became a thing, right as eBooks and self-publishing started to have a moment, and couple of years before individual author sales started trending down while the book market as a whole boomed. I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on all that I learned throughout my journey, because it’s been a hell of a ride so far.   When I was your age… Back in 2010 and earlier, the Internet was a very different place. It was actually useful and had a lot of good, reliable information that still showed up at the top of search results.… Read More »Happy 16th to Me

I Just Never Had The Time

Tell me if you heard this one: At a casual get-together, a group of strangers share something personal about themselves. One person says, “I’m a writer,” and immediately, someone in the group responds with, “Oh, that’s so cool! I always wanted to do that, but I just never have the time.” I can pretty much guarantee that every writer has had this interaction multiple times in their life. I am also about 95% sure that writers are the only type of creatives who experience this. No one looks at a professional ballet dancer, singer, or artist and says, “I always wanted to do that, just never have the time.” No, they might say something like, “I always wanted to learn… Read More »I Just Never Had The Time

The Story Ends on December 8th, 2025

Given that title, I now need to specify that this is a book release announcement, not a call to arms. What a world we live in… *cue me sitting in silence for a full 5 minutes, trying to get my brain back on track and figure out what I actually want to say* It’s a lot. Turns out, I have much to say today so, TL;DR: The final installment of the Blood & Shadows series, War of the Shadows, has an official release date on December 8, 2025. Mark your calendars, and click that pre-order button when you find it. The Long Of It Blood Moons was the book that first got me published in 2010. Back then, it was… Read More »The Story Ends on December 8th, 2025

Seemed Relevant…

I have this book called Wolfen. It was released in 2014, and ever since, readers have been asking me to write a sequel. I guess it’s one of those stories that resonates. I get that. And I have been wracking my brain about it for over a decade now. It’s not about writing more. It’s about writing more in a way that won’t cheapen or undermine the original story. There is a book 2 in my head. It’s dark, heavy, traumatizing in some parts. It’s the first story I ever started writing for which I knew right away I would need a very clear trigger warning in the intro. The story is half-written already. And it’s been stuck in that… Read More »Seemed Relevant…

The Lie Becomes History

“It only takes one desperate generation to change history—even erase it. […] One generation to change the text. One generation chooses to teach that text. The next grows, and the lie becomes history.” – FOURTH WING (Rebecca Yarros) Honestly, I could have picked up any dystopian novel from the last century and easily found quotes that echo the above. I chose this one because it’s fresh enough for the source to be relatable and popular enough that just the title or author name will be recognizable, even if you have never read the book. For the purpose of this post, both are vital. Because, had I chosen a similar quote from an older book whose title is a four-digit number,… Read More »The Lie Becomes History

The Other Side of the Conversation

Boy, it’s been a while since this blog saw some love… Hello, world! How are you this fine Malthusian era? I have been terribly absent from here, but it’s all for a good cause: story magic. In between life in general kicking my ass, as I’m sure it’s done to everyone, I’ve been hard at work on multiple projects, one of which is now in the trusted hands of my editor. Shadow Hound is loosely scheduled for release in December but, due to the recent natural disasters, we’re playing this one by ear. More info and the cover reveal coming soon! Today, though, I want to talk about book reviews. More specifically, what they do, what they don’t do, and… Read More »The Other Side of the Conversation

Romance And Why Everyone Should Read It: An Essay

Brief (TL;DR):
Romance gets more hate and ridicule than any other genre of books, yet continues to outperform all genres. Maybe there’s a reason for it. In this essay, I will discuss why romance books are not just valid but essential for everyone, regardless of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, but especially for cis-het men and women.

What Is Love

I have this thing I like to say any time the topic comes up: “I like my men like I like my books—fictional.” Because, really, what avid reader out there hasn’t at one time or another fallen in love with a fictional character? If you’re one of the Lucky People whose minds are able to translate words printed on the page into vivid images and scenes in your mind’s eye, it’s almost a foregone conclusion. And if you’re a writer on top of that, well… infer from that what you will. LOL The joke is meant to be funny, but it speaks to something much deeper: the love I have for books and writing. And I know I’ve talked about… Read More »What Is Love

The (Non-)Reading Habits of the Terminally Distracted

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When I was a kid in Europe, I remember bookstores were almost luxury destinations. I would walk into one and feel overwhelmed and awed, and I’d touch the volumes with utmost reverence. Books were expensive. All of them, except for a handful of children’s books and pocket atlases, were hardbound with gorgeous covers that were as much works of art as the words held within. They were also a universe unto themselves. Getting an autograph, or even running into an author of any kind was almost unheard of. Seeing one made into a movie was a Very Big Deal.

My great uncle would collect books just to show them off on his shelves. His brother, my grandfather, on the other hand, would borrow them from him to read, because he loved the written word, but couldn’t afford to buy the books he wanted. My mom had entire shelves filled with series by her favorites, all black spines with white text, and a clear number on the bottom indicating its order in the series. She never touched them after they were read, except to wipe dust off the tops.

Read More »The (Non-)Reading Habits of the Terminally Distracted