The Bad Writing Habits the Internet Wishes You’d Stop
Today’s writers and authors have to learn how to wear many hats in order to get their words in front of readers, but in my view, the worst is editing. I hate editing. I really do. Michael says I’ve got a good eye for it, and maybe…
VIP Exclusive Content: Concept Art, Kingdom of Vin-Nôrë
The Kingdom of Vin-Nôrë survived the century-long Great War by the slimmest of margins. Those who remained after the last Confederation forces were driven from the coast faced challenges that would have defeated many. Their way of life had to…
How Do You Know If You’re A Writer?
How do you know if you’re a writer? It’s the question every writer asks themselves. I don’t know one who hasn’t, at some point in the struggle to get words on paper, just thrown down the pen or chucked the keyboard at the wall in…
Fantasy Sailing Ships: The IMMC Golden Dawn
Fantasy sailing ships are the front line war machine of The Great War. In the fantasy and fiction world, there are several definitions of the "schooner," but in the 18th century, a schooner was defined as a two-masted, fore and aft gaff-rigged vessel.…
A Dream for the Indie Publisher: Six Books, One Binding
As an indie publisher, we love our multitasking, multi-functional phones, tablets and e-readers, but it seems our ancestors have been rocking that "all in one" vibe at least since early modern times.
For the Fandom of Fantasy World Maps
This is an essay about a lifelong love affair with fantasy world maps. I could have written it; so could my husband have, and any of several of my friends for that matter. We who are fans of maps just generally can be inordinately fond of fantasy maps,…
Middle Class Life in Fernwall, Part II — Of Deals & Uniforms
Police Inspector Barbara Cole first appears in Raven's Tears and her story continues throughout the Raven & the Iris Series. In this series of shorts we go back in time to Barbara's preparations to become a police detective, and take a peek at what…
North Across the Caspian
This photo might have been taken from a riverboat traveling north across the Caspian River. The picture looks north to the hills that separate the Caspian Valley from the highlands of Nothern Cascadia. On the left hand side, where the meadow meets the…
Thinky Thoughts
Michael had some thinky thoughts for you last week, and started a post, but computer troubles are delaying his ability to complete it. The working title I saw was “The Cost of Everything,” and I took away from our discussion that it involves…
The Price of Everything
One of the things that used to drive me crazy was finding, or figuring out, believable prices for stuff. If you're a scifi/fantasy author, gamer, or game designer, you can probably sympathize. Whether it's the price of everything, or the prince of…