Couple of big announcements today: as promised, today I released the first chapter of my YA romantasy adjacent epic fantasy THE LOST SCIONS, Book One of THE RETURN OF THE FALSE LORDS series on Royal Road. I would greatly appreciate you checking it out.

I discovered a new SiriusXM channel today called North Americana. I’m listening to it while I’m running errands and I feel like I’m a character in some 90s era indie movie that’s returned to his hometown.

I really enjoy the movie The Departed but honestly it would’ve been so good as a 10 episode limited series. I feel like the William/Madolyn/Colin triangle is underdeveloped and that lack of development hurts the paying the end of the movie.

So I’m doing creepy short stories with my 11th graders and decided to bring creepypasta into the fold. I’m going to use Candle Cove. It plays with a trope I really like: the forgotten/never existed TV show. I want to write one but I’m afraid it’d be too much of a riff on Candle Cove.

It was almost like they felt obligated to respond to the package then offer me their services as an editor. Other times I got some good feedback and some nice encouragement. I don’t think I’m doing it this time.

A writing/pitch event opened up today and if you know me, I’m not one to ignore such things. I’ve entered this one before and gotten mixed results. The last time left a sour taste in my mouth because it felt like the editor just whiffed on what I was doing and was angry about it.

One of the great failures of the education system is the complete acceptance amd adoption of the “meet students where they are” philosophy.

Feel free to DM and we can figure it out.

This is honestly a ripping fantasy series with incredible but not overwhelming worldbuilding, a complex and intertwined plot, mashed up genre combinations and spectacular characters. Really one of my favorites of the last decade.

My Nine Books

There is hope folks. This morning my students were working on writing narratives. One young man asked me what was the best way to describe young men going out to check out and meet girls without being disrespectful or inappropriate. We turned the moment into a brief classroom discussion.

Never read it. Bought it over the summer to read it and haven't gotten to it yet.