storyteller and friend
“The gigantic red dragon was absolutely destroying the Azure Shores Luxury Resort. Its wings smashed through a row of glass-domed gardens, raining tropical orchids and steel beams onto the pristine infinity pool below. A cabana exploded in fire as its tail lashed sideways, scattering deck chairs and sending jet skis cartwheeling across the sand. The…
My main character is coming to kill me. In my bestselling novel Lucian Lightbringer & God’s Bounty, Lucian is an exiled angel who hunts gods for bounty. To do it, he uses an old Colt revolver and a black, rune-inscribed gladius with the demonic soul of his ex-girlfriend trapped inside. Yeah… Imagine traveling the cosmos…
Feel good now. I was about to fail my black belt test. It was the end of a two-and-a-half-hour workout.I was exhausted.I had done countless push-ups, jumping jacks and squats.I had been drilled on every form and every move I’d learned for the past ten years. All I had to do to earn my black…
Feel good now. “That’s a magnificent sword,” I said to the man with the sword. “I’m partial to it,” he admitted, squinting down the blade at me with a weather-faced grin. We were standing on a deserted stretch of road in the Tai Po forest between Kiori and Ad Bhajjan. The man with the sword…
The frog hit the brick wall.SPLAT! And then…with a shimmer of magic in the air…the frog transformed into a handsome prince. Did you know that’s the original ending of The Frog Prince? Truly.Terrifying. But it makes you think: How often do we believe that getting upset, throwing up our hands, or (sometimes literally) throwing something…
“I’ve died three times in my life…” My eyebrows shot straight up my forehead. I was sitting on a bench behind the funeral home in West Virginia.The weathered man in front of me was my Uncle Tom. We were gathered for my grandmother Mary Anne’s funeral service and, as is always the case with big…
Feel good now. One of my favorite ways to feel good now is through the power of gratitude. Earlier today I was walking slow circles around the pool, just talking out loud to the universe — listing some of the many things I’m grateful for. I’m grateful for my healthy, strong body.I’m grateful for an…
Feel good now. Did you know I used to write erotica? It’s true. I’ve always been a writer — ever since I was five years old. When I was a teenager, I self-published my first short story.(You can still download it here for just $3: https://www.amazon.com/Gentlemans-Holiday-Adventures-Book-ebook/dp/B00AT2ZL8U) Then, when I was in college, I discovered that…
It began in an attic apartment in Paris. Smoking little cigars out the window.Barely enough space to walk between the bed, the desk, and the tiny shower in the corner. Days spent at the keyboard.A noon walk to the park for a baguette and cheese.Then back to the keyboard again. This was where Lucian Lightbringer…
Feel good now. The old port of Marseille was bustling at dusk. We had just left the apartment and were wandering down cobblestone streets toward the fort. I was a little cranky.Tired from a long day of travel, wanting nothing more than to flop onto the Airbnb bed and shut my eyes for ten minutes….