Blog

February 17, 2026

Hello,

Strangest Intelligence: Book 2 in Legend of Order and Chaos is coming together. After my little vacation from it while I wrote the first chapters of Four Old Women Go to Machu Picchu, I’m back to work. The memoir will have to wait until after May when we make the trip.

Thank you, by the way, to all those people who let me know they enjoyed the opening chapter. I’m having fun with it. The style of writing is so far removed from what I normally do—and as an added bonus, I...

February 14, 2026

Hello,

Aidan and I write fantasy. I love piecing intricate lore together to form a world and peopling it with characters. And Aidan loves crafting a story line filled with battles and wondrous magic.

For example:

Get Rebels of Halklyen

But last week, I woke up with a new idea. So I gave myself a vacation from fantasy. Aidan was a little concerned—but I assured him that I can do both. I would take ten days to get the new project underway and then split my time evenly so they both...

Hello,

Have you ever noticed that names in fantasy books can be difficult to hook your mind around? Or is that just me?

Tolkien, the man who built the cornerstone for modern fantasy, started the ball rolling with the complicated, unpronounceable names. As a professional philologist (scholar of historical languages), he drew heavily from Old English, Old Norse, Finish, Welsh, Gothic, Latin, Greek and others. Plus, he invented at least 15 languages—6 or 8 of which are fully developed with...

Hello,

We write fantasy books—wild tales packed with adventures, featuring bold characters who wield dangerous weapons in worlds that seem to have nothing to do with our own. Or do they?

I'm not sure that everything comes straight out of our imaginations. Aidan and I speak almost daily. The goal is to connect on the progress of "The Book" (as in, the current project). However, we are both scatter-brained conversationalists and rarely manage to stick to the topic of "what comes next".

We try. But...

December 27, 2025

Hello,

Do you use Goodreads? I swear, as a librarian, it was my secret weapon. I couldn’t believe the depth of the reviews—people dissect plots like surgeons, point out strengths, note weaknesses, and then kindly tell you who will enjoy the book. Choosing new titles is always tricky, but choosing for a couple thousand students? That’s like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle. Goodreads made it possible.

As a reader, it’s still my go-to when I need something fresh. I...

December 20, 2025

Hello Dear Readers,

I had the privilege of visiting a Creative Writing 11 class this week, and what an experience it was. The students welcomed me into their creative space and shared pieces of their writing that blew me away. The quality was remarkable—not just polished sentences, but vivid, living images that pulled me straight into their worlds. I could feel the texture of their settings, hear the voices of their characters, and sense the emotions woven through every line.

...