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Beautiful Journey
Reigning Fire tells the story of a princess raised in a world built on Smokeveil magic, rigid hierarchy, and brutal expectations, whose Emberkin arrives too early and in a form that is forbidden. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Reigning Fire grew out of two long-standing fascinations: mythical creatures inspired by East Asian folklore, and the question of what it costs a person to exist in a world that often values conformity over authenticity.
As a late-identified neurodivergent writer, I’ve spent much of my life feeling out of sync with the rhythm everyone else seemed to follow. When I was younger, a head teacher once described me as “a square in a world of circles.” It took years to realize she was right, but also that I wasn’t a square at all. I was a triangle. And ultimately, the problem wasn’t my shape, but the assumption that everyone should be the same.
That realization shaped the world of Reigning Fire more than anything. The Emberkin system—smoke creatures that take the form of real-world animals and bond with Weavers—became a way to explore identity, hierarchy, and the rules we’re told to accept without question. Characters in this world are taught that the timing of the bond and the “acceptable” Emberkin forms dictate their social status. Through that lens, I could examine the tension between who we’re expected to be and who we actually are.
As children, many of us inherit a set of rules about “how the world works.” But as we grow, we start looking closer and asking: Who created these rules? Why do they exist? Who benefits from them?
Xun’s Emberkin arriving too early and in a forbidden form allowed me to explore what happens when someone’s identity refuses to fit the timeline—or the template—that society sets for them. It’s a fantasy world, but the emotional truth beneath it is very real: the quiet, painful, and sometimes beautiful journey of learning to take up space as you are.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Beyond the question of identity, Reigning Fire explores three main themes that felt important for me to write about: historical erasure, loyalty, and the politics of perception.
First, I wanted to examine historical negationism—specifically, how societies can outlaw an aspect of human variation and then gradually erase all record of its existence. In the world of Reigning Fire, certain Emberkin forms are not only forbidden but deliberately removed from documented history and rewritten as “abnormal.” That dynamic mirrors the way real-world institutions sometimes control which narratives are preserved, which are buried, and which are reframed as taboo.
The second theme is loyalty, especially the form that exists between child and parent. I wanted to explore what happens when that bond is used as a tool—when a parent treats a child’s love and devotion not as something to nurture, but as a vessel for achieving their own agenda. It’s a painful tension: the longing to honor the people who raised you, and the slow, shattering realization that they may not always have acted in your best interests.
The third theme centers on power and perception. Throughout human history, the most enduring form of power hasn’t always come from weapons or armies—it has come from whoever controls the narrative. In Reigning Fire, characters constantly navigate a world where truth is malleable and obscure, and those in authority will go to extraordinary lengths to maintain their version of events. I wanted to explore the quiet, insidious ways people manipulate stories, memory, and even “facts” to protect their position.
All three themes—erasure, loyalty, and narrative control—shape the emotional core of the book. Even in a world of magic and mythical creatures, the human consequences of these forces are strikingly real.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
One of my biggest goals with Reigning Fire was to write a story that felt deeply human, even inside a world full of magic, myth, and political danger. To do that, I challenged myself not only to explore the emotional territory I naturally gravitate toward, but also to sit with characters who unsettled me. I would ask them, “Who are you underneath your facade? What drives you? And how exactly did you become this version of yourself?”
Writing from perspectives that diverged sharply from my own was unnerving at times. There were chapters where stepping into another character’s inner world genuinely messed with my head for a while. But those were also the moments I’m proudest of because they made the story richer and more honest.
Another goal was to portray human choices in all their moral complexity. I wanted to move away from clean categories of “good or evil,” “loving or cruel,” and instead explore how intentions, fear, loyalty, and survival instincts collide. In real life, choices rarely fall into neat boxes—even the most well-meaning intentions can sometimes cause harm. One question that guided a lot of my writing was: At what point do good intentions stop being able to justify the consequences they create?
If readers walk away from the book holding more questions than answers, then I’ve achieved what I set out to do. Complex questions aren’t meant to have simple resolutions—but it doesn’t make them any less important to ask.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m currently working on the sequel to Reigning Fire, which will be released in late 2026. Without giving away any major spoilers, this next book explores how Xun—now going by Ling—ironically grows more in her years as a fugitive than she ever did as a princess. Stepping outside that gilded palace cage gives her the freedom to redefine who she is when no one is scrutinizing her every breath, even when her path is still fraught with danger.
Readers can expect to encounter more mythic Emberkin and new characters, as the world expands far beyond the political and cultural boundaries of the first book. Some familiar faces from Reigning Fire will return, while others may be absent… and I’ll leave it to readers to decide which disappearances should worry them.
One of the core themes of the sequel is reclamation—of identity, of history, and of personal power. That’s all I’ll say for now, but I’m excited for readers to see where the story leads next.
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In a realm where power is sealed through smoke and blood, Yan Xun was born to inherit a crown-or be destroyed by it.
When her Emberkin arrives far too early, and in a form the world has no place for, Xun becomes a danger to the very empire she was meant to serve. As she uncovers long-buried truths and navigates a court built on silence, loyalty, and control, her existence alone threatens to unravel everything.
Set in an ancient Chinese-inspired empire of myth and ash, Reigning Fire is a lyrical fantasy about forbidden power, political unrest, and the ghosts we carry. Through richly layered worldbuilding and emotional depth, this debut novel explores the complexities of trauma, neurodivergence, and what it means to survive when your truth has no place in the world.
Perfect for readers who love introspective characters, slow-burn rebellion, and myth-infused storytelling, Reigning Fire blends co
The Adventure of Writing
The Beast Keepers follows a young veterinarian who takes a job in rural Ohio and discovers that his new patients include mythological creatures hiding in plain sight. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Several years ago, while my flat-coated retriever, Mr. Bingley, and I waited at the holistic vet for a chiropractic adjustment, I studied the poster showing the acupuncture points for dogs. I wondered if animals such as turtles, frogs, snakes, porcupines, etc., had acupuncture points as well.
While the vet worked on Bingley, I asked him whether he learned acupuncture for animals besides dogs, cats, horses, etc. He replied that there were classes for “other” animals. Though I think he probably meant animals such as goats or sheep, there was something about the way he said “other” that caused me to think:
“You meant Gryphons? Centaurs? Fauns?” Showing a modicum of restraint, I did not ask that aloud. I did, however, spend the remainder of the day contemplating how you would treat medical issues in mythological animals. If a Gryphon had a lung infection, would you be treating bird lungs or mammalian lungs? Can centaurs get gout, and if so, how would it manifest? Can unicorns get laminitis?
Thus was born the idea of The Beast Keepers, an adult literary novel with a twist.
I enjoyed the depth of the main character, Jonathan, who is flawed and relatable, making him likable. What was your process to bring that character to life?
The first thing that helped me to get an idea of who Jonathan would be was getting his name right. I tried a lot of different names, especially for his first name, but Jonathan seemed to have the right sound, feel and be appropriate for his age. His last name is particularly dear to me. St. Roch is the patron saint of dogs (St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals, hence Jonathan’s middle name), and a favorite of mine since visiting a church in France where his story was carved into the staircase for the lectern. Being a dog trainer for almost 20 years, it seemed a fitting way to honor the many wonderful dogs and clients I had over the years.
Next, I fleshed out his character. The book Story Genius, by Lisa Cron, was really helpful in that process. I created a backstory and wrote about critical events and people in his life up to where the book started. Knowing him as a full person (with doubts, strengths, fears, longings, etc) helped me to shape his reactions, dialogue, and ultimately how he would respond to the challenges of the people, and events that he encountered.
I had a lot more of his background story in the first draft of the book, but my developmental editor helped me to trim it back so that it was suggested and you could see how it had shaped him, but it didn’t overshadow or interfere with the story being told.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One important theme is: What is the quality of mercy that we owe our enemies? And, how do we implement that mercy? Other themes include: How do we find balance in our lives? The importance of integrity in our actions and in our relationships, and how does one manage mistakes or difficult situations?
Will this novel be the start of a series, or are you working on a different story?
I have been asked to do a sequel (or a prequel explaining how the mythological animals got there), but I don’t have plans for either at the moment. Right now, I am working on a novel I’ve tentatively titled The Boy Who Danced For The Moon. I was about 2/3 of the way through it when I decided it needed to be revamped, so I am in the process of starting over. I have some parts I can save, but the adventure of writing a book is partly the process of finding your way to the story. Once I have the story, the writing tends to flow.
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The Concept of a Living World
Claw & Ember follows a young rider bound to her saber-tooth black panther companion as she navigates treacherous politics, tangled loyalties, and a power simmering under her skin that could remake the world. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Fantasy has always been a genre that appealed to me. As I grew older – and some, not many, would say wiser – I also noticed that a lot of it was quite naive, typically written for a very child-like audience, with very morally black and white characters and situations that are not very “sticky.” I decided that I wanted to tell this story in a Romantasy genre, where you still get the elements from fantasy, but scaled up for adults. That was the first part. The second part flowed from there. I could’ve written a whole series on Nyra’s time at the Academy and have it as a Harry Potter quasi-clone, but I was more interested in discovering and exploring the world, not has a teen in a school setup, but rather as a young adult discovering that the world is not simple and that outside of the walls of the Academy there are situations and people that are not as clean cut as one might think.
Nyra is an intriguing and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I wanted a strong female. That was important. Someone who takes no bullshit from anyone. She’s her own person. I also wanted someone who had a very strict – but good – upbringing; someone who knew that hard work and sweat were important, even though the easy path is sometimes easier. I also wanted someone who was not ashamed of herself or her thoughts. Someone who would process them and not necessarily assign a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ epithet to them, but rather “these thoughts are me; they are part of me, let’s see where they go.”
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Uniqueness. Friendship. Desire. Politics. Sexuality. Each by itself and intertwined with the others (especially in the subsequent books). There’s also the concept of a living world. Not everything that’s important happens to – or when – Nyra is there. Some events that change the story happen in the background, even though they have a major impact on Nyra.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
Flame & Veil. It is currently on pre-order on Amazon and will launch November 28th, 2025. Then in 2026, we will have Ash & Oath and Crown & Covenant. There are many strings that will lead us to many more stories in this world in the future. We’ve seen this world through the eyes of Nyra from the Felinar Empire which is centered around big cats, but there’s The Voruun around canines, the Glyptan Kingdom around bears and armored Glyptodons, the Keshari Dominion with its woolly mammoths and woolly rhinos, and the Skyborne on their birds, there are other segments as well, mages, nobles, etc. Expect many more stories.
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Riders are made to obey. To patrol the line. To bleed without question.
Nyra’s done her part, bonded to her panther, trained to serve, and hardened to survive.
But when a strange heat stirs beneath her collarbone, it isn’t duty calling. It’s desire, and it answers to Kaedric, the silver-eyed Voruun rider with a voice like a blade and a dire wolf at his side.
One glance, and something ancient wakes.
Forbidden magic. Dangerous hunger. Power that shouldn’t exist in her blood.
If the Towers find out, she’ll be caged… or worse, claimed.
And with war looming, secrets won’t stay buried for long.
For fans of slow-burn tension, shadow-bound magic, and fierce heroines who refuse to kneel. Perfect for readers of Rebecca Yarros, Sarah J. Maas, and Carissa Broadbent. This is your next obsession.
Defenseless Sea Life
The Tralls of Colum follows two siblings from the Tralldom of Colum, who face challenges tied to environmental changes, friendship, courage, and discovery. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I was a primary school teacher for many years, and on rainy days, I’d tell my class stories of the tralls and their battles to protect their environment.
I noticed that after a storytelling session, my young audience would become more conscious of their effect on the surroundings and more interested in the local flora and fauna.
So, when I retired from teaching, I decided to publish the stories in the hope of reaching a wider audience
and making more children aware of the ways they could protect their own environments.
What were some ideas that were important for you to personify in your characters?
The Tralls of Colum was written for two of my grandchildren, and the main characters Jai and Emi were fashioned on them. They are often complimented on their co-operation, resourcefulness, perseverance, and tolerance, and I wanted to focus on those characteristics in the hope they would resonate with, and influence, my young readers.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
I live near the coast, so I often see the deleterious effect that plastic waste is having on our beautiful oceans and our defenseless sea life. I wrote The Tralls of Colum to highlight those problems and make our younger citizens aware of the problems that we will face in the future if we don’t act to rid all our waterways of this dangerous material.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
The Trall Series consists of five published books, and each one revolves around a different environmental problem.
The Tralls of Nindarry – displacement of people due to mining.
The Tralls of Mundi – watercourses, aquifers, lakes, and rivers being diverted or polluted due to mining.
The Tralls of Maruchus – the dangerous effects of fracking on the environment.
The Tralls of Colum – the danger our oceans and sea-life face due to plastic waste.
The Tralls of Nosa – the danger faced by native flora and fauna when invasive species are introduced.
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When Emi overhears her grandfather and two of his chars making plans for them to leave their ancestral lands she is devastated but the next morning a huge island of fresh green kelp and thousands of plump jellyfish miraculously appear off-shore, and she quickly realizes this precious gift from Mother Ocean will change everything.
Emi and Jai are determined to collect as much of the unexpected bounty as they can before the sea creatures devour it all but unfortunately, their dugout is overturned by a mysterious creature. Emi is almost drowned and Jai is lost at sea, and sadly, their exploits were in vain because the kelp and jellyfish are not what they seem. They are an unknown substance that is inedible and very dangerous for all living things.
Eventually, the tralls are forced to leave their beloved tralldom and begin their trek south in search of a new home.
Could this signal the end of the Tralldom of Colum?
The Tralls of Colum is the fourth book in The Trall Series – a collection of environmentally-themed portal fantasies that are set in the Sunshine Coast region of Australia. Each book in the series can be read individually but when read in sequence, they introduce the reader to an enchanting world full of unforgettable characters and locations..
The series is suitable for competent middle-grade readers.
Psychoactive-Aided Divination
Darkness and Blight follows a shaman as she claws for survival in a collapsing world of carrion ghouls, fractured tribes, and cruel magic, where every act of endurance blurs the line between humanity and despair. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Defying Expectations and Dragon Pedicures
My goal as a writer is to subvert expectations, a role I may sometimes take too much to heart, occasionally progressing even to the sentence level. Like many readers of fantasy, I grew tired of the medieval European settings, omnipotent gods, brave knights, and damsels in distress. Lydarc may be in almost constant distress, but she’s no damsel, not by a long bow shot, mister!
I also wanted to set the story in my own backyard, the forests of the Siletz Valley, where I hunt and explore. The Valley of the Giants, a real old-growth preserve, formed the idea for the blastforms. Valsetz, at the end of the book, is a real abandoned town in this rugged coastal forest.
But from there reality takes a severe hit. I always wanted to incorporate shamanism in a story. The spirit journey, spirit animals, and psychoactive-aided divination are all a very real part of that ethos. What seems like a crazy dream to us is the natural state in a shamanic worldview. Who’s to say that our reality is the most correct version?
Lydarc’s voice is so distinct. How did you develop her perspective without softening the harshness of her world?
To me, Lydarc epitomizes the human experience. Through the endless pain and struggle, all she really desires is someone who cares about her, a home, and maybe a tiny measure of peace in the end. It’s no grand victory. Life is not guaranteed to be easy or even rewarding. It just is. Deal with it.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Strength through adversity and over time. The incredible—and sometimes neglected—value of found family. The evolution of romantic love into something even truer. The deep-seated desire for dragons everywhere to just make it to their pedicures on time.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
Originally, I intended for Darkness and Blight to be a standalone novel. How can anyone write fifteen sequels? Then a thought kept nagging at me: what if Achus, the head witch from hell, actually survived and followed Lydarc and her companions back to the human realm? The second book—the working title is The Drunken Corpse—is currently writing itself and should be available in early 2026.
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In the broken wastes of post-apocalyptic Oregon, reality has split into three realms: the scarred human world, the damned underlands, and the Overs—godlike beings hungry to invade.
Lydarc, pierced with a cursed shard of an Over, suffers endless pain, berserker rages, and visions of a blood-soaked future. When her tribe is slaughtered and their souls trapped in the underlands, she leads a desperate band into hell itself—through battles with mythical monsters, betrayal, and a hellgate that demands death as the price of entry.
Among her allies are a cryptic mentor, a spirit-bound apprentice, a dragon who hoards books instead of gold, and an ex-lover begging her to save his lost daughter. But one of them hides a devastating lie. And awakening the shamanic power inside her could destroy what’s left of humanity.
Darkness and Blight is a brutal grimdark fantasy odyssey where myth collides with quantum horror, and one fractured soul must face traitors, monsters, and her own guilt to save her people—or shatter the last remnants of reality.
The Beauty of Life
A Sea Tail follows a retired dentist who is shown a dead fish with scales and skin, leading him to embark on an adventure to determine if mermaids exist. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I started working on A Sea Tail on a week-long vacation to Topsail Island, North Carolina. I had recently finished my first book, Shall Die by the Sword, and had gotten bogged down in the sequel. So, I was in a space where I was not writing anything major at the time. Being the father of two daughters, however, I was always trying to write books that appealed to them. And nothing appeals to a preteen girl like a mermaid. Furthermore, since I was a child, I have always been interested in fantasy and folklore. The final stimulus was a small sequence in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies that had a side story about a mermaid. That got me writing. And as for Venice, it is the most beautiful city in the world, and what a place to merge water, fantasy, and story.
What was your inspiration for Dr. Manque’s character, and how did you craft his outlook on life?
For the lead character I wanted someone with some quirks, and in contrast to my first book, I wanted to write the main character as a little older. Also, I wanted to paint him as someone who could be stone deaf to the beauty of Venice.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
That’s a good question. There are a lot of things I could talk about: how our modern age can be so sterile for one, and how we have distanced ourselves from our past for another, but maybe the theme I was most interested in was beauty, and by that I don’t mean physical beauty, although the mermaid is portrayed as staggeringly beautiful, what I was exploring was the beauty of life, and becoming aware of how a beautiful life is one connected to others. And how discovering that someone needs us is just about the most beautiful thing in the world.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
Thank you for asking. My next book is The Ordinary Adventures of Somerset Soames von Hesse. This is a coming-of-age novel about a young boy growing up in a missionary family in Egypt, Lebanon, and the coming back to the states in the 60’s. The story centers around the fourth child, Somerset, and his quirks, and his fascinations. It also deals with the tension because he likes the Beatles and fiction, and both of those are highly discouraged in his faith group. The book will be out in paperback within the next couple of weeks.
Beyond that, I will be working on Volume 2 of my epic fantasy series.
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Audible version coming soon!
How Magic Operates
Azazel’s Scriptures follows a trio of friends who find themselves entangled in a mystery surrounding dark folklore and demonic beings. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
I read a lot of historical fiction and love history in general, especially English history. When my eldest son, who is a huge fantasy fan, asked me to read one of his favorite books (The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss), I did. And I like it. A lot. I decided to combine the magical elements that initially drew me into this fantasy with my interest in historical fiction to create a unique blend of “realistic fantasy.” The concept for the plot developed gradually. I first imagined three friends sitting around a table, with candles flickering, wine poured, and a fire crackling beside them. Then I named these friends, and with each name, their distinct personalities began to emerge, and with that, their story.
How did you handle balancing the power and use of magic in the story?
I aimed to develop a logical framework for how magic operates, linking it to folklore and history. The enigmatic and wise Druids appeared to be the perfect choice for battling the evil Daegons, who are the foot soldiers of Azazel, a demon from the Bible.
What were some books or movies that you think were your main sources of inspiration for this novel?
I appreciated the medieval vibe from Game of Thrones and aimed to create something similar, but set in the English Tudor period.
What is the next book you are working on, and when can we expect it to be available?
I’m working on a novel set in the 1970s. A young girl who is bullied discovers her ability to enter people’s dreams, using this power to navigate her difficult life.
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In 16th-century England, Newt, a reluctant monk, discovers that a demonic book with a chilling history—Azazel’s Scriptures—has been hidden in his monastery for centuries. Intrigued and terrified, he shares the story with his friends Simon and Hugh. When Hugh decides to publish a version of this incredible tale, it triggers a series of events that lead to the resurfacing of the Daegons—a group of immortal beings who harvest innocent souls to fuel the dark ambition of the demon Azazel. This also draws the attention of a knowledgeable professor and three powerful Druid sisters—Ravenel, Sibyl, and Elswyth—whose ancestors once battled the Daegons and knew their dark ways. After Thomas Bromwell, the Daegon leader, persuades the unsuspecting King Henry to break with the Catholic Church and close the monasteries to search for the scriptures, his men recover the book and resume turning and reaping souls. Now, the three friends, along with the professor and Druid sisters, must unite in a race against time to find the scriptures and stop the Daegons from destroying humanity
Azazel’s Scriptures
Azazel’s Scriptures, by S.F. Parkhurst, is a richly textured novel that blends historical mystery with magical realism, immersing readers in a vibrant medieval setting laced with supernatural elements. It follows a trio of friends, Simon, Hugh, and Newt, as they become entangled in dark folklore involving the demonic grimoire of Azazel, the ancient Druids, and mysterious beings known as the Daegons. As secrets unfold and tensions rise, they find themselves confronting forces that blur the lines between reality and myth, testing their courage and friendships in unexpected ways.
I found myself completely absorbed by Parkhurst’s lyrical yet accessible prose. The vivid imagery and atmospheric storytelling evoked genuine emotional responses, sometimes fascination, sometimes unease. The author effortlessly drew me into a world where the mystical seems entirely plausible, making even the more fantastical scenes feel believable. Particularly impressive is the way Parkhurst crafts dialogue: each character speaks with a distinctive voice that genuinely matches their persona, providing a sense of depth and realism. Though the writing flows well overall, at times it felt slightly dense, requiring deliberate attention to fully grasp the subtleties of the narrative.
The ideas Parkhurst explores are captivating and unsettling. Themes such as immortality, friendship, and the dangerous allure of forbidden knowledge run deeply throughout the story. Parkhurst does not shy away from portraying complex moral dilemmas, which often left me pondering the ethical gray areas presented in the book. While I appreciated the layers of intrigue and symbolism, the volume of interconnected plots and historical references sometimes made me lose track. That said, the confusion was fleeting and never severe enough to detract significantly from my overall enjoyment.
Azazel’s Scriptures is not a casual read. It demands a willingness to engage deeply with its historical mysteries and magical undercurrents. I recommend it to readers who enjoy thoughtful storytelling blended with dark folklore, especially those who appreciate narratives that explore the boundaries between reality and legend. This book would resonate particularly well with readers drawn to medieval settings and characters whose humanity shines brightest against the backdrop of supernatural darkness.
Pages: 375 | ASIN : B0FGGVHJYV
LITERARY TITAN 