You would be relatively hard pressed, especially within the topic spaces of science fiction and fantasy, to find narratives that do NOT hinge around the actions of a villain. The Lord of the Rings has Sauron. Harry Potter and the [ALL OF THEM] have Voldemor…He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Star Wars has Darth Vader, the Emperor, Kylo Ren (sorta), and Snoke (for…
The idea for this came from something simple: a piece of broken mirror on the side of the highway that nearly blinded me while driving. Pained, I exclaimed, “Ugh, it’s like the sun’s on the side of the road!” And something about the rhythm of that phrase stuck with me. As I thought more about…
One of the things that really concerns me regarding the growing divide between Americans (politically, ideologically, etc.) is the concept of “anything’s fair if we win” or “the ends justify the means.” From those sentiments comes a neverending spiral that drags everyone down. What does Batman become when he kills wantonly in order to “stop” evil?…
As of today, I am beginning the process of querying my latest novel, Iri and the Spirit World, a Young Adult Fantasy set in Tdhoro, where explorative tribal cultures coexist with mighty elemental spirits whose power comes from their color. Much of my inspiration for this novel comes from my lifelong study of Native American mythology,…
First: it’s been far too long since my last post, and for that I apologize. This new novel I’ve been working on has really been gobbling up my time (in the best possible way). Still, I wanted to ensure that some of my writing consistently finds it way into the world, so here’s a new…
Another day, another heavily rhythmic poem exploring the themes I find most frustrating in the current national debates. We need conversations; not yelling matches. We need understanding; not “agree to disagree.” The longer this goes on (and it’s already been going on for quite a long time), the farther we’ll get into the: Deep End…
As promised, I’ve returned with another poem to share. Like the last, this work is driven by my ongoing heartache and frustration with the way many prominent political leaders have responded to the tragedy in Parkland. More than that, though, today’s poem takes a stab at the breakdowns in communication that have been ongoing with…
It’s been over a week, now, since the tragedy at Parkland. If you are at all like me, you were devastated that such horror could happen again…and again…and again over these last years. Though I cannot imagine how those directly affected feel, in the days that followed I read the burgeoning crop of stances, responses,…
Thought I would share another poem that I put together. Lately, I’ve been meditating on myself and what gives my strength. Naturally, love–both God’s and my family’s–sits foremost on that list, but writing comes very close after. With that I mind, I wrote this: Syntax Phonemes crisscross my injuries, binding ragged-edged hopes fraying into doubt….
As I believe I have mentioned in the past, much of my writing time has been focused on finishing prep on my newest novel (RUNNER) as I will be querying it within the next few days. Nonetheless, I’ve found an itch to do something that I haven’t done in quite some time (i.e. years): write…