Cozy-adjacent fantasy author
I finished the (8th) draft for Talio Rossa and the Elixir of Life, the sequel to Talio’s Codex. My first sequel! And boy did I learn a lot. One of the most interesting things was that the book(s) before the sequel you’re writing start freezing certain details in amber. Mentioned how big a trial jury…
I’m so pleased to announce that the audio rights for Talio’s Codex have been sold to Tantor Media. I’m really looking forward to hearing it. Announcement J. Alexander Cohen’s TALIO CODEX, an epic fantasy and legal thriller in a city of canals and holy magic, where a secret relationship between a disgraced legal advocate and…
I recently had a great chat with Janet and Roger Cardin of the Halfling and the Spaceman podcast about my newly-published book, Talio’s Codex, and a whole other bunch of writerly things. They were warm, welcoming and very funny. You can tell they have been doing this for quite a while, and have the rhythm…
Had a great time talking with Tricia Copeland on the Finding the Magic podcast! Not only did we talk about my current novel, Talio’s Codex, but also the sequel that I’m working on – Talio Rossa and the Elixir of Life. The sequel’s all about medical-legal court cases and ethical issues, and we discussed how…
Here’s another bit I cut out of a very early draft of Talio’s Codex. Originally I deleted this scene for length, and then I decided it was better left out. First mention of ‘personal grease’ (lubricant). Cale’s original name was ‘Ched.’ This scene was intended to be a compare-and-contrast between Cale and Pazli: while sex…
I was so excited to speak to Elizabeth Miles on the Power to Pivot Podcast about cozy-adjacent fantasy, my writing, Talio’s Codex and a whole bunch of other topics (how to introduce kids to adult topics, for example)! She’s a great interview – have a listen!
Here’s a bit I inserted into a late draft of Talio’s Codex, but decided to remove. After their eventful evening in Aurania on the committee junket, Talio decides to seek spiritual counsel at the local Incarnite Temple. This played up the theme of religious difference and Talio’s lack of belief, and finally showed at least…
Here’s a bit I cut out of a very early draft of Talio’s Codex. Note that in the version Dovuta is the one accused of murder, ‘Magistrate Jilani’ is ‘Magistrate Palane,’ and ‘source and return gutters’ are ‘service and utility gutters.’ Lots of non-canon things in this excerpt. This scene was intended as worldbuilding to…
Here are some excerpts from reviews for Talio’s Codex:
In this deleted scene from Talio’s Codex, Talio attends Clemente Jilani’s class, only to find himself quizzed on legal knowledge (in the final version, Jilani’s lecture is a bit more pertinent to the plot and much less technical…). This scene served a few purposes: to show Talio’s quick legal thinking, to show that Clemente is…