Category: Virtues

• July 4, 2024

  Thankful Thursday: thankful that God is stretching me.

  Until the last couple of weeks, things had been comfortable for me at my day job for quite a while. I enjoyed my duties. I thought they were a good fit for me. I more or less enjoyed them and felt competent at what I had to do. I could clock in, do my job,…
• June 13, 2024

  Thankful Thursday: Thankful for my characters who inspire me the most

  I love my characters so much. They’re honestly like old friends, and they deeply inspire me. Well, some of them, haha. For sure. I love Lanokas, 1000%. His arc of growth throughout all three novels is incredible. I adore it. The way he matures, learns to step up, and does what needs to be done…
• June 12, 2024

  Reflections on resilience through different phases of life

  If there is one constant in life, it is that nothing is constant. We are constantly progressing through one phase of things to another. Sometimes the transition is gradual. Sometimes it happens suddenly. Sometimes we choose it, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes entering a new phase is unavoidable; other times, it’s a deliberate progression on our…
• June 9, 2024

  Herezoth and the theological virtues

  I‘ve written before about how, though I do not write explicitly Christian fiction and people from all kinds of backgrounds and views have enjoyed Herezoth, my stories do come from my deep-rooted faith, and they build upon a natural law ethos. I realized recently how/why it is that book two, The Magic Council, is my…
• June 8, 2024

  We are creatures of habit. This can work for or against us. Tap into it!

  I’ve been thinking about how we are creatures of habit, because I used to schedule all my posts here to release at 6:55 AM. I took a break, and when I came back to blogging daily, I decided to try releasing posts a little later in the day, at 10:00 AM. Because I still have…
• June 6, 2024

  Humble, unassuming characters are the BEST!

  Some of my favorite characters are the humble, unassuming ones–who do what’s needed, without caring about whether it’s recognized, because it’s needed and it’s the right thing to do. They tend to be sidekicks or minor characters. Helpers. Supporters. They don’t mind sharing, or even giving up, the spotlight after it falls on them here…
• May 26, 2024

  The difference a good woman makes (August vs Malzin)

  I wrote yesterday about my villain Zalksi Forzythe and one of my favorite heroes, his nephew Vane Unsten. I went a bit into the ways they are similar. One of my favorite things about them is that they are incredible figures in and of themselves, for good or ill. They are principled. They have goals,…
• May 25, 2024

  Is Vane a lot like Zalski?

  I’ve been thinking a bit lately about Vane and Zalski. Vane is the protagonist of The Magic Council, and I just adore him. He’s not perfect, but he’s a hero at the end of the day–because he’s selfless. He strives to live up to the example of worthy role models, has a deep sense of…
• May 20, 2024

  The stories we tell ourselves

  I recently wrote character spotlights of King Rexson’s three sons: Valkin, Neslan, and Hune. Before The Magic Council: The Fight for Home starts, the princes are kidnapped by a group interested in the politics of magic and in advancing magic’s cause politically. While they are held captive in Ursa Hincken’s basement, Ursa’s sister August tells…
• May 12, 2024

  How hard work can be its own reward

  By temperament, I’m quite risk-averse. I often need to step back and assess what metrics of risk, failure, and success I’m using. As a Christian, I believe I am called to be faithful, not “successful” as the world judges. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” Whatever you believe or don’t believe in terms of…