The hardest step is to pass from the dreamy midnight of what one wants to be to the cold morning of what one is. — The Last Time Alex had lost weight. Her black-and-navy fatigues belonged to someone much larger. Along with the oversized clothing and wild brunette curls, her wide green eyes deceived if they suggested childlike innocence. “You’ve looked better, Alex,” said Virtue. “She’s not going back,” said a dark-skinned woman standing with Alex.

She had done what her father had failed to do, what the legates said no one could do. — This story is a prequel to Darklaw Saga, published by Tantalizing Tales and Redemption Magazine. Read the series here. The legions were Avestine’s joy, their strength resounding in the pounding of thousands of hobnailed boots on hardpacked roads. She swelled at the thought of the bodies, thousands upon thousands of…

Like a flame, desire kept me warm, and sometimes it devoured me. — Before my death, I had been a sensualist. The only moments that mattered were the ones filled with pleasure. Maria said that was the reason the darkness claimed me in the first place. I knew that wasn’t true. The darkness cares nothing for pleasure. It was 1927, and the Army…

From “my little girl” to “my handsome young man” — My son shares some of his journey in this story, but this post is mostly about my journey as his mom: the concerns I had, why I had them, and how he helped me move beyond them. Most of my objections came from my own experience. That’s where being a…

Character Design and Development — Writing is my way of living. Ending up with a product you (hopefully) enjoy is a bonus. I’m a pantser. That means I write without an outline. That doesn’t mean I have no notes or ideas or plans. I develop characters and relationships before I write. Stories are all about…

The next few hours would either put Avestine’s head on a pike or change the face of the empire forever. — This story continues from here. This story is a prequel to Darklaw Saga, published by Tantalizing Tales and Redemption Magazine. Read the series here. The following day, the envoy reached the city ahead of schedule but not ahead of Avestine’s ability to plan. She stood beside Rook on Stede’s wall…

Having stood behind her father for over a decade, Avestine had learned to make the first cut the deepest. — This story continues from here. This story is a prequel to Darklaw Saga, published by Tantalizing Tales and Redemption Magazine. Read the series here. Avestine was in the throne room listening to another excuse for why the city walls were not repaired when a messenger arrived with an urgent request…

Dark motives and deception between two species of man — What It Means to Be Human is morally meaty and action-packed. It was also originally a novel. Maybe you’re wondering how an author edits down a seventy-thousand-word book into a five-thousand-word story. Maybe you’re wondering why she would. Virtue is a psychiatrist and agent for the Protectorate of the Virens…

What guaranteed her victory was that she was utterly ruthless. — This story continues from here. This story is a prequel to Darklaw Saga, published by Tantalizing Tales and Redemption Magazine. Read the series here. When warm skin rubbed against her, Avestine awoke. She rolled onto her back, and her chambermaid climbed on top of her. The small, naked body slid…