Let’s wake up those brain cells a little bit, shall we? In an appropriately-inappropriate manner of course. If our universe doesn’t have an edge, how is it expanding? Why is the alphabet in the order it is? Why didn’t they put X at the end? Or O before N?…
The monster is coming. You hear its shuffles down the hall. The door won’t budge. No way out! We’re all familiar with this trope. Seen it a hundred times in movies, books, TV. On some level we know what will happen. Yet somehow, whenever this moment arrives, it sends a…
The first real “Traitor” character I remember reading as a kid, was Cephelo from “The Elfstones of Shannara.” Smarmy slimeball, completely amoral, ego the size of a small planet…this guy could make used car salesmen uncomfortable. His actions messed up a lot of things in the storyline. Fortunately for everyone…
How Obscure Mythologies Can Become Powerful Story Characters I can’t claim expertise in urban fantasy yet – only written one book in it (so far!). So, when working out the storyline for “The Stiamaq Emerald,” I had to figure out a good solid plotline without too much complexity. First major…
I did plan for some character histories from “The Stiamaq Emerald.” As this is the first, I figured I’d start with a reader favorite! A number of you love Meilianna. It’s not hard to guess why. Even my beta readers thought she was a blast. I don’t often write such…
Where Did “The Warrior” Come From? Nobody needs help picturing this archetype. It’s one of the biggest the world over. At some point in every great story, characters must fight. Whenever they pick up a weapon, prepare a spell, or steel the mind, the Warrior is there. To fight is…
Years ago I learned the surprising history behind a certain English word. (It’s in the list below…can you guess?) The curious story of its evolution stuck with me. Almost without looking I came across more such words, each with strange origins. Since you too enjoy a bit of the curious,…
It’s the beginning of a new year. We’re all trying out new things, looking to improve life a little more. Yes, even me. I know it seems odd for such a perfect specimen to ‘improve’…but one can try. To such an end, let’s finish January with some pithy sayings for…
It could finally enter. It had invaded the boy’s dreams for weeks now. On and off, small touches, whispers and promises slipped into his growing mind. The entity could make the pain in his legs stop. It could bring Daddy back home. It could give them all the money they’d…
How’s this for a name? Yes, we’re talking about “Zwarte Piet” today. That is an actual name for an actual legend. He’s a companion for St. Nicholas, like Krampus, but in different countries than where you’d find Krampus. Zwarte Piet shows up in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and surprisingly, Indonesia. (Old…
