Monthly Update: August 2025

Imperial Heart is over 90% to its wordcount goal! The final sequence is going to take us above the projected word count, but that’s what editing is for. I’m really excited about how this book is shaping up, but I think I’ll be taking a break from Crystal Empire for a little bit this Fall. I have a few small projects I’ve wanted to work on and that time will be great to do it.

Magical Girl Demara | A Crystal Empire Story

Magical Girl Demara takes place in an alternative, non-canon universe remixing elements of the Crystal Empire series. It contains some characters that may be unfamiliar to those who have not read Book 2, Imperial Heart.

Demara walked, not ran, down the middle of the echoing hallways of Imperial Heights Academy, stepping as softly as she could on the cold linoleum floor and hoping nobody asked her for her hall pass. If they did, the dutiful teachers would have no choice but to send her back to Mister Rhens’ classroom after writing her up. None of them could afford that kind of delay, especially not after the school went into lockdown when they heard the alert over the radio. Then she’d be stuck and the police would have to stop the monster rampaging through Manhira without the help of Crystal Warrior Amethyst.

2025 July Update

Another month come and gone. July moved quickly, unlike Imperial Heart, which is now at 80% complete on its first draft. The book is really shaping up. I think its some of my best work yet. While I’m behind my goals, it’s definitely rounding the final stretch!

Most of the month was spent on travel. July is a great month to get out of Florida and visit family up north. The kids had a blast. We haven’t gotten many places this year, its hard with little kids, but we’re excited to do more now that number two is walking.

Monthly Update: June 2025

Progress on Crystal Empire has been slow and not very steady. Work’s been a bit of a mad dash lately, and it’s been harder to get back into this crystalline state of mind. We did hit 73% of the projected word count with about 10 chapters left in the outline. I have a feeling Imperial Heart is going to come in a bit above its planned 100,000 words.

We’re also making some progress on the Constellara Project’s first anthology. I’m excited to be lauching a few sample stories on the website. We’ve created a Patreon for anyone interested in sponsoring the project!

Doctor Who: Timekeeper

I would love to write Doctor Who for a few years. Just saying.

I hope you enjoy this sample, the full 5000 word story is up on ao3.

The Doctor has been retired. It’s been a long eternity of saving worlds and resetting universes. Finally, it’s the Doctor’s turn to just sit back, relax, and watch the ends of the worlds.

Lira, officially Lambda-3, trudged hot and sweaty through underbrush, and like the rest of Green Team was far too somber for a zookeeper after a successful expedition. She was proud to say she led the best team of keepers on the preserve. On this trip to the Jungle Island of Vbaath, they had successfully captured representatives of every species within the preserve’s catalogs and preparations for relocation were well underway. Where they were relocating to was the open question.

Monthly Update: May 2025

Gosh I should set a reminder or something…

My professional life overshadowed my authorial one most of May. Between sick kids and making up a new job role as a I go, I didn’t get much writing done. Though what I did write I’m pretty proud of. These are some of the best chapters of Crystal Empire I’ve written yet.

I also spent some time with the Starchasers crew in May. It’s good to be back with that chaotic group of ragamuffins, doubly so since it was just a fun little side-story.

Monthly Update: April 2025

Weekly updates were not it. Sorry if you were excited about weekly updates, maybe they’re something we can do in the future. For now, end-of-month updates will be the goal.

Progress on Crystal Empire has been slow. Things at my day job have been crazy, and I’ve been feeling the same kind of pressure for my time and metal energy as I did before The Gap. Don’t worry, we’re not looking at another one of those this time around. We push on. I’ve made some changes on the professional front that should have some positive benefits over the coming weeks.

The Shadow | A Crystal Empire Story

And before you ask ‘why’, it’s because you have kept us weak Danen. Starved us. If you won’t take care of us, I must.

Set hundreds of years before the events of The Crystal Empire, witness a dark truth buried under a millenium of secrets.

Danen opened his eyes to a splitting pain in his head and blinked blearily through tears in the bright morning sun. That was a bad sign for how his day was going to go. Rolling himself up out of the puddle of sewage and rainwater he’d made laying his tired, emaciated bones down to rest last night, he realized he recognized the alley, and even remembered choosing it last night because he could stop at Rose’s for a drink when he woke. Silver linings there.

Weekly Update: March 19, 2025

Between a busy day job and some sick toddlers, finding the time to write’s been harder the past few weeks. Luckily, the words are flowing in the time I’ve been able to carve out.

Crystal Empire (Epic Fantasy Trilogy) Writing has been progressing really well on Crystal Empire’s second book, Imperial Heart. This sequence has been one of the most difficult to get right, having been through three iterations already, and I think everyone’s really going to enjoy this sequence in the final book. I’ll just say this: Demara and Kinro have never faced this kind of danger while Mal was around to look out for them.

Limbo

Been quiet here lately.

Not for lack of love, life just got busy in the New Year. Lot’s of changes happening professionally that have, unfortunately, slowed down progress on some of my writing projects. Mostly good things, but change is often painful while its happening.

I’ve recently been submitting short stories to literary magazines again. I’ll be incredibly excited to share the news of any success if or when that finally happens. There are a few other things in the works, hopefully some good fiction for y’all to enjoy soon!

Pathways of Constellara Teaser

Hello out there my weary Way-walkers!

If this message has made it to your eyes, ears, tongue or any other sensuous sensory input that tickles your brainstem, find yourself some place to settle in a little while, we’ve got good things coming your way. Thank you for tuning in Constellara, you’re here with Pathwadio.

Come with us for a stroll through the university gardens of Astrent to set the mood. Then we’ll head on over to Ginvaris for dinner at Zarani’s, the sauteed bo-ash nuts are out of that world. Next we dance with the train across Bera. We’ll hit a DUFC-ees on our way out to the edge, try not to lose your head. And don’t worry, before the night is through we’ll catch ourselves a ride back to Astrent with a Star Sage.

Episode I: The Starchasers and the Santum of Ktheron

WARNING: Hostile meteorlogical conditions detected. Recommend exiting atomosphere until storm-

The Starchasers are a down-on-their luck, rag tag group of alien misfits just trying to make it in this crazy galaxy they call home. Led by Captain Goose, they’re sassy, they’re scrappy, and they’re broke.

The full text of Starchasers and the Sactum of Ktheron is available on the Constellara website.

The gas giant Tasiliset VII should have loomed in the sky of its sixth moon, but the air was thick with yellow dust and ash, shrouding them in twilight. The Bronco bucked at an errant gust from the roiling, whirling storm, and Captain Goose tightened his grip on the bridge console. The indicators that read “engine” flashed red for a moment before returning to their dead gray. He decided to count that as a victory, nothing else about this landing was going right.