Brakebills. Mystwick. Avalon Academy. And, yes, Hogwarts. Fantasy is full of schools where discovery is part of the (literal) magic. They serve as places where students can grow, stumble, and slowly figure out who they are. In many ways, they’re not just a home away from home – they become home. Which is what made […]
Guest Post
Five Films & TV Shows that Inspired ‘A Murder Most Fungal’
My new Fungalverse standalone novel A Murder Most Fungal is out in just a few weeks, and I can’t wait for everyone to dive into this fast-paced story full of food, fungi, gangsters, blackmail, and (of course) murder. This book traces its roots back to so many different mediums, from Hong Kong action cinema and Pixar films, to food shows and documentaries. So, to give all of you a better sense of how A Murder Most Fungal came to be, I’ve compiled a list of the five biggest media inspirations for its story, world, and characters.
Guest Post: Why Adults Should Consume Fantasy, Even When Living in a Dystopia by Zara Marielle
With the real world crumbling a little more beneath our feet every day, the urge to escape into fiction is strong, am I right? Tolkien said as much in his essay On Fairy Stories, likening escapism to a heroic act. Indeed, escapism can be a powerful tool in preserving our collective sanity, but it is […]
The One Thing I Always Prioritize
The One Thing I Always Prioritize Written by Tao Wong The one thing that always creeps into any of my work – even the cozy works – has always been about the cost, or the price, for choices. I think without considering, or valuing the cost of actions, the sacrifices one makes, work and life […]
Books That Ought to Go On the Same Charcuterie Board as THE TRIDENT AND THE PEARL
A guest post by Sarah K. L. Wilson about the inspirations and compliments to THE TRIDENT AND THE PEARL.
Guest Post: The Algo Stole My Digital Identity by Jake Korell
Welcome to your feed! Curated for you, by you, with only a little help from us. And no one else, I promise—except for those that have a monetary interest in your personal data. Let’s begin. Whipping up a batch of cat videos and dog clips. Got it—you’re a dog person. No more cats. Here are […]
Guest Post: Inspiration for The Chambermaids by Leigh M. Hall
As a teen, I fell in love with Anne Rice, probably earlier than I should have. Reading The Witching Hour at a very young age. I loved the graphic, gothic allure books like that offered. In my twenties, I moved on to smuttier reads. That is when I discovered Charlaine Harris. She has mastered the […]
Guest Post: Blending Sex, Tech & Sorcery in Dot Slash Magic by Liz Shipton
Blending Sex, Tech & Sorcery in Dot Slash Magic The simple answer to the question “Why did you decide to combine AI with fantasy romance?” is that I used to be a software engineer, and now I write speculative fiction. The more complicated answer has to do with my goals as a writer, my opinions […]
Guest Essay: Face/Off: Digital Avatars and Emotional Armor by Seth Haddon
We all wear masks—some digital, some emotional, some made of military-grade tech, as in my novella Volatile Memory. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with masks—not because they conceal, but because they reveal. Across art, games, and fiction, I’ve found that masks don’t just protect identity, but reshape it. Often, the […]
Guest Post: Authors, Should You Relaunch? by Michael Michel
I have no clue if you should, but hopefully after reading this, you will. First, let me share a little win… May 2025 was my first ever time hitting 100,000+ page reads in a single month. I also went over 1k in revenue and 600+ sales for The Price of Power, book one in my […]
Guest Post: The Seed of a Character by James Lloyd Dulin
The Seed of a Character When I began as a fiction writer, I had no idea how to create a character. My method was trial and error with an emphasis on the error. Eventually, I stumbled on to characters who I felt were authentic, fleshed-out people, but I couldn’t tell you how I got there. […]
GUEST REVIEW: The Pawns of Havoc (The Envoys of Chaos) by Dave Lawson
Synopsis No Mercy, No Questions Asked. Cork has quickly made a name for himself among the Kosellan mercenaries, but now his boss has come to him with an unusual job. Cork’s erstwhile countrymen, the Winn, have hired to him to travel into the barren Frozen Lands and destroy a convoy, leaving only one survivor. Cork […]