This has been such a long time coming. I remember starting to brainstorm the novel back in March 2022. Some notes:
Category: Novels
Talio’s Codex Is Now Available!
I’m very proud to announce that my new novel, Talio’s Codex, is now available for purchase. This universal link should take you to the appropriate online bookstore(s). It’s been a long time coming. I started working on it in early 2022, and found a publisher almost exactly a year ago. Thank you to everyone who…
Rethinking ‘Cozy’ Fantasy and Talio’s Codex
So I’ve been thinking… My podcast, Lavender Tavern, was cozy fantasy. My next book, The Library at Eventide, is cozy fantasy. But Talio’s Codex…? Originally, I’d categorized it as ‘cozy fantasy noir.’ But now that people are reading it and giving me feedback, I’m having second thoughts. Cozy fantasy noir may sound like a contradiction…
Space Wizard Science Fantasy Year 3 Campaign Launched!
Want to be the first to get my new novel, Talio’s Codex (pub date July 16), along with some cool swag? Check out the Space Wizard Science Fantasy Year 3 BackerKit campaign. Space Wizard is trying to raise $12,000 in the first 48 hours to pay authors and pay for covers. If you like queer…
COVER REVEAL: Talio’s Codex, coming July, 2024
I’m super-excited to reveal the cover of my next novel, Talio’s Codex, coming from Space Wizard Science Fantasy this July: I think they did a great job with Talio’s facial scar, the saffron robes of the Incarnites, the general Dutch/Venetian vibe of the city, and the airborne skyship traveling the magical watery skyline at upper…
Cracking the Marty Stu
For those who are unfamiliar with him, the Marty Stu (or the female version, the Mary Sue) is an unwelcome character trope in fiction. He’s flawless, fearless, is beloved by all the other characters, and has the answer to every problem. Readers can’t stand him, for good reason. When you’re writing a main character who…
Fiction Technique: Foregrounding the Background
Talio’s Codex is a legal thriller and courtroom fantasy set in the secondary-world city of Nuciferia. When my publisher asked for a description of Nuciferia for cover art, I wrote: “Dreamy medieval Dutch/Venetian city of canals” is how I always pictured Nuciferia. Imagine my surprise when I got to the end of my first full…
Calibrating the Cozimeter
I got halfway through the first draft of The Library at Eventide last summer and gave up. It was too much of a downer. One of the main character’s parents passed away. The world was post-apocalyptic. The other main character was struggling with a chronic illness. There was a heavy, unpleasant feeling of sadness and…
Research As a Source of Brainstorming
Going back through my notes for Talio’s Codex, I discovered some research I did at the very start of the project. I wanted to see what kind of cases, terminology and legal concepts were used in medieval England. Fortunately, the proceedings of the Old Bailey (the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales) are online….
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reusing material you’ve already written is a huge help during revisions. Don’t get rid of anything permanently! Whenever I delete a scene, or even a part of a scene, I tuck it away in a OneNote notebook in case I’ll need it later. In the case of Talio’s Codex, there was an entire pages-long scene…