Is Refusing the Power of Magic Noble or Irresponsible? The Reluctant Magic-User: When Inherited Power Is Refused Epic fantasy often celebrates power passed through bloodlines, but some of its most compelling stories begin when a character looks at t...

The Power of the Warrior: When Command Is Inherited Okay, we've talked about power as it relates to magic warriors, now let's switch over to the warrior or soldier class. In fantasy books that deal in sword and sorcery, the knights are som...

At What Point does Destiny become Coercion? Epic fantasy is filled with heroes who never asked for the burden placed on their shoulders. They did not seek crowns, prophecy, or ancient magic. They were told it was theirs. In these stories, power does...

I'm of Royal Birth, the Kingdom is Mine (Plus, I have Magic) In epic fantasy, few ideas are as enduring or as quietly controversial as inherited magic. The notion that power and magic flows through bloodlines, passed from generation to generation li...

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.    Anais Nin I read this quote yesterday, and it brought up so many memories of when, with shaky legs and my heart beating a million beats a minute, I ventured to try something ...

Which is More Powerful? The Dragon or the Wyvern? Dragon vs. Wyvern: What’s the Difference (and Why Fantasy Fans Care)? I'm reading a fantasy novel right now, and the author uses wyverns instead of dragons for his characters to interact with. It le...

Crown of Velidred is Back from the Copy Editor The good news is the final book in the Mountain King series has passed through the copy editor's perusal and is now in my hands to finish. I'm excited about the story, and I'm looking forward to going t...

Goals Achieved in 2025 I set these goals at the beginning of 2025, how did I do? Publish 4 books in 2025 Crown of Velidred Spire of Teskara Champions of Velidred Alpherge the Mighty - Book 4 I ended up publishing two novels and three novellas in ...

How many Books Did You Read in 2025? The year 2025 is quickly coming to an end. As I write this on December 9th, we only have 22 days till the end of the year.. Yikes! Did you have a reading goal for these 365 days? I don't have a hard and fast goal...

Love in the Inbox: How Three Movies Reimagined the Same Romantic Twist Across Eighty-Five Years I don't write much about romance, but I do watch the Hallmark channel with my wife. When she recommended we watch a movie, Maintenance Required, from Ama...

A Celebration of All the Things That Make Thanksgiving Day Magical Thanksgiving—and its increasingly popular companion celebration, Friendsgiving—has a unique power. It pulls us out of the blur of everyday life and gives us a reason to gather, feas...

Black Friday Just Became Legendary Grab 5 Fantasy Adventures for Only $4.99! Are you ready to claim an epic Black Friday victory? (And honestly . . . shouldn’t Black Friday *be* a holiday by now?) For one magical week, you can snag five full-length ...

From Bronze to Chain Mail: The Evolution of Armor on the Medieval Battlefield When we imagine medieval warfare, gleaming knights in shining plate armor often come to mind, steel-clad warriors thundering across battlefields beneath fluttering banners...

Fortress of Stone and Strategy If the early medieval motte-and-bailey was a child’s first sketch of power, then the 14th-century concentric castle was the masterpiece, a symbol of might, intelligence, and endurance carved from stone. To stand before...

From Torsion to Counterweight: The Evolution of Ancient Siege Engines In my final book in the Mountain King Series, Crown of Velidred, Lord Hubert is marching toward Velidred Castle to begin a siege of the castle. His army has several siege engines ...