I am in pretty good spirits right now, in the afterglow of completing a polished draft of my longest work ever. However, I was seeing some mopeyness and doom and gloom elsewhere on the web, so I thought I would post this prayer. It is not original to me: even Wikipedia allows that it dates back to the fifteenth century. This prayer, and the Lady it is addressed to, have always been helpful to me.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

From The Napoleon of Notting Hill, abridged for brevity. Everything he says about the beginning of the 20th century, also applies to the beginning of the 21st.

Continue reading “More Chesterton for Dark Times” →

I try to stay away from political arguments in general, because they get me too aggravated to do useful things, like writing or cooking. Right now, with the entire political spectrum of my country locked into DOOM AND GLOOM mode, it’s particularly aggravating.

So, instead, Continue reading “A Bit of Poetry for a Dark Mood” →

Journey to the country of Jaiya, in a world not quite like ours. Here the humans wield magical powers and fight against an Empire which seeks to enslave them, but they share their world with insect people and trollfolk, and stranger things lurk in the shadows…

Sena is a Jaiyan secret agent, sent to warn a neighboring country about an upcoming attack on them by an insane general. When the invasion happens sooner than she expected, she must work with the handsome Taavid, a wealthy businessman and Jaiyan exile, to help save the other Jaiyans trapped in the occupied zone. But General Drozniya controls the occupied zone, and he is obsessed with the Quantum Tree, a legendary source of mystical power which could destroy the world!

Hope everyone is having a great November!

I just published the Ancestors of Jaiya series, the prequel series to my Jaiya series of urban fantasy/paranormal romance novels. The Ancestors of Jaiya series starts out nearly two hundred years before the events of Marrying a Monster and the other books in the Jaiya series, and ends about 35-40 years before the Jaiya series starts. The final book in the series, Seeking a Quantum Tree, is now available on all the major ebook stores, including Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, and Google Play.

Happy Thanksgiving to those in America! And to everyone else: Happy Reading!

My project this year for Nation Novel Writing Month is my most ambitious to date.

The Novel: one space opera, in the same setting I used last. Four POVs: Continue reading “Plans for NaNoWriMo2019” →

Well, it’s been a shade under two months since my last update, and now the rewrite on Slaying a Tyrant (Ancestors of Jaiya, Book 1) is finally done. A few thoughts on the process: Continue reading “One Rewrite Done, Three to Go” →

I am almost done editing Slaying a Tyrant, the first book in the Ancestors of Jaiya series. I had hoped to be much further along in the process of editing this series by June, but family commitments and health issues have slowed me down. At this point, I am aiming for a late 2019 release for the Ancestors of Jaiya series.

My space opera is also going forward very slowly. I hope to have it finished by September, so that I can work on preparing for NaNoWriMo2019.

Sands of Eppla

Just Heard About a Cool New Novel!

Cassandra lives in a world where you fall in love at first sight—or not at all. Too bad she’s blind, and being blind makes her not only immune to love, but also a criminal. She must now live alone or face being sentenced to a life of slavery.

Though she’s grown accustomed to her solitude, everything changes when Cassandra stumbles across a mysterious man in her domain….
Continue reading “Just Heard About a Cool New Novel!” →

Happy Easter! Speculative fiction writer Patty Jansen has graciously organized a giveaway of short stories in the science fiction and fantasy genres.

All free, all available on Prolific Works, the website formerly known as Instafreebie! She was gracious enough to include my short story, “Lost in a Dream,” in her basket of goodies, but there’s lots more to choose from-just click here to see the complete list.