As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: Drag Queens in Space

Drag Queen in Space - Deposit Photos composite

One of the most loathed questions among my writer friends, and the one asked by almost every interviewer, is “Where do you get your inspiration from?” This question comes in many forms: The honest-to-God short answer is that no one f@cking knows. Writer’s brains are a little like those mazes the white coated lab scientists train rats with – dark, twisty, and with a bit of rat fur (and quite possibly droppings) around almost every corner. Writer brains are like a complex piece of machinery handed to a two-year-old child, who shakes it up and down energetically and turns it … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: Coming Down

Coming Down - teen on floor with book on his face - deposit photos

Release week is over. The Dragon Eater came out last Thursday, and it was a freakin’ amazing experience. Although it didn’t top the Amazon charts – TY, Amazon algorithm, it sold well – my best new book launch in years. But it wasn’t the sales that fed my soul. It was the Zoom book launch on Saturday that Steven at Water Dragon Publishing set up for me. Steven says that normally they get 5-10 folks at these things, and have reached as high as twenty. We had double that, a wonderful cross section of folks from the various parts of … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Other Worlds: The Origin Stories (or By Golly, We’re Almost There)

This is the last newsletter before my first novel release in almost two years. I am beyond thrilled to finally bring this series to you – I think it’s my best work to date. It takes so much work behind the scenes to get here – coming up with the concept, writing the story, rewriting the story, working it over with beta readers, finding the publisher, edits edits edits. And then the whole marketing machine – crafting a blog tour. Recruiting friends to help push the book. Buying ads for librarians and bookstores finding ARC readers/reviewers. Writing guest posts, interviews, … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: The Dragon Eater Teaser #6

The Last Run

Hey all… we’re just 10 days (and counting) away from my first major release in twenty months. I’m thrilled to bring The Dragon Eater (Tharassas Cycle Book 1) to you, thanks to Steven Radecki and Water Dragon Publishing. Each week I’ll share something special about the book and/or the series. In the first excerpt, you met Raven the thief (and titular Dragon Eater). In the second excerpt, I introduced Aik, Raven’s loyal friend (and inconveniently for a thief, part of the Gullton city Guard). In the third one, it was their friend Silya, an aspiring Hencha Queen who has a … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: The Dragon Eater: – Evolution of a Cover

The Dragon Eater final wrap

One of my favorite things is to share how a cover came about, and this one was really fun to put together. I say that, though I wasn’t the one who actually did it – that honor goes to Kelley York at Sleepy Fox Studio. Kelley’s a good friend, and a former almost-neighbor – she lived in the greater Sacramento area until a few years ago, and was a part of our Queer Sacramento Author’s Collective. Now she’s moved somewhere up north… Redding? Seattle? Nome? But we still keep in touch, and when I started discussing the cover design with … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: The Dragon Eater Teaser #5

HC cover wrap - The Dragon Eater

Hey all… we’re just 24 days (and counting) away from my first major release in twenty months (and three days from the cover reveal and opening of preorders). I’m thrilled to bring The Dragon Eater (Tharassas Cycle Book 1) to you, thanks to Steven Radecki and Water Dragon Publishing. Each week I’ll share something special about the book, and an excerpt. This week, it’s some “concept” art of Aik I commissioned from the amazing L.J. Phillips. In the first excerpt, you met Raven the thief (and titular Dragon Eater). In the second excerpt, I introduced Aik, Raven’s loyal friend (and … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: The Dragon Eater Teaser #4

Hey all… we’re just 33 days (and counting) away from my first major release in twenty months. I am thrilled to bring The Dragon Eater (Tharassas Cycle Book 1) to you, thanks to Steven Radecki and Water Dragon Publishing. Each week I’ll share something special about the book, and an excerpt. This week, it’s some “concept” art of Aik I commissioned from the amazing L.J. Phillips. In the first excerpt, you met Raven the thief (and titular Dragon Eater). In the second excerpt, I introduced Aik, Raven’s loyal friend (and inconveniently for a thief, part of the Gullton city Guard). … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: The Dragon Eater Teaser #3

Raven from The Dragon Eater - LJ Phillips

Hey all… we’re just 40 days (and counting) away from my first major release in twenty months. I am thrilled to bring The Dragon Eater (Tharassas Cycle Book 1) to you, thanks to Steven Radecki and Water Dragon Publishing. Each week I’ll share something special about the book, and an excerpt. This week, it’s some “concept” art of Raven I commissioned from the amazing L.J. Phillips. In the first excerpt, you met Raven the thief (and titular Dragon Eater). In last week’s excerpt, I introduced Aik, Raven’s loyal friend (and inconveniently for a thief, part of the Gullton city Guard). … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: The Dragon Eater Teaser #2

Hey all… we’re just 47 days (and counting) away from my first major release in twenty months. I am thrilled to bring The Dragon Eater (Tharassas Cycle Book 1) to you thanks to Steven Radecki and Water Dragon Publishing. Each week I’ll share something special from the book and an excerpt. This week, it’s the map of the whole “known” world – from the Heartland to the Highlands. Last week, you met Raven, the thief (and titular Dragon Eater). This week, I’m introducing Aik, Raven’s loyal friend (and inconveniently for a thief, part of the Gullton city Guard). The cover … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: The Dragon Eater Teaser #1

Gullton Map - The Dragon Eater

Hey all… we’re just two months away from my first major release in twenty months – I released Dropnauts in May of 2021. I didn’t mean for it to take this long, but there were reasons. That said, I am thrilled to bring my new Tharassas Cycle to you thanks to Steven Radecki and Water Dragon Publications. It’s loosely connected to The Ariadne Cycle and Dropnauts, and to The Oberon Cycle too, falling somewhere in the middle of these two time-wise. It’s my boy-eats-dragon, other boy-wears-gauntlet, girl-becomes hencha queen YA/Adult crossover sci-fantasy four book trilogy. Isn’t that a mouthful? To … Read more