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What If You Could Start Over?
One Chance follows a middle-aged man haunted by the consequences of his own choices who is offered an unexpected way out through a doorway leading him into a world of giants, witches, and enchanted objects. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
I think it started with the idea that if I could live my life over again, would I do anything differently? I think most people have that thought from time to time, and the main character exemplifies an extreme of that. It’s not just that he would change one thing or another, but that he would change the person he was. From there, the book explores ideas around why people make the decisions they make and ultimately become who they are as people. Finally, can we change and start over, or are we trapped by our place and circumstances? The challenges and obstacles he faces in the story, although pure fantasy, in many ways can be related to the challenges we face in everyday life.
Why did you choose a middle-aged protagonist instead of the younger heroes often found in portal fantasy?
One of the main issues for the character was a life filled with regrets. He had regrets about decisions he had made, possible life paths that he had not taken, and even regrets around the very person he had become. Those character issues fit much better with an older character with a lifetime of mistakes rather than someone younger. As he goes through the portal, he becomes young again, a change that is far better appreciated for an older character. I think the theme of starting over and becoming someone new wouldn’t have made as much sense with a young protagonist.
How long did it take to build the world of Wisteria before you began drafting the novel?
I actually started by developing the characters in the story and an overall theme. After that, I developed the general storyline and the first couple of chapters. The bulk of the world-building happened as I was writing the story. I wrote the storyline I had outlined and essentially built the world around it as I wrote. So I really didn’t start building the world until after I began drafting the novel.
What do you hope readers discover about themselves while following Chance’s journey?
In the story, Chance faces a lot of obstacles to becoming the person he wanted to be. Of course, the outward things included traps, monsters, and villains threatening him, but the greater obstacles came from within himself. He faced selfish temptations, old habits, personal vanity, and good old-fashioned fear. I hope readers would recognize that those same challenges exist in our own world, in different forms, but the greater barriers to growth and success are the ones we create ourselves. He’s only truly able to acknowledge those personal challenges and move forward when he fully lays down his own desires in order to become the person his friends needed him to be.
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What he finds there is a world in crisis, with danger around every corner. He meets two friends who each have a unique power, and together they’re given a quest to save everyone from impending destruction. They will have to overcome monsters and villains as they are pursued by a legendary bounty hunter. Can Charlie and his friends overcome dragons, giants, and magic spells to save mankind? Can he overcome old habits and become the person that he’s always aspired to be?
One Chance
James Chamberlain’s One Chance is a portal fantasy about Charlie Baker, a middle-aged man whose life has become a stack of bad choices, unpaid debts, and missed opportunities. When a strange doorway gives him a way out, Charlie steps into Wisteria, a world of giants, witches, enchanted objects, bounty hunters, dragons, and old grudges. The setup is simple and effective: “He was always in trouble.” From there, the book turns that trouble into a second life, one where Charlie becomes Chance Arizona and has to decide, again and again, what kind of person he’s going to be.
What makes the story easy to settle into is its mix of adventure and playful humor. Chance is rarely the most capable person in the room, and the book gets a lot of mileage out of watching him survive through nerve, luck, and the occasional ridiculous idea. Periwinkle, Indigo, Marigold, the Crimson Blade, and the larger cast give the quest a lively, storybook feel, while Wisteria itself feels built for motion. There’s always another strange path, dangerous creature, magical rule, or hidden history waiting around the corner.
The heart of the book is Chance’s slow movement from self-preservation toward loyalty. Early on, he imagines becoming someone people would admire, someone who doesn’t abandon his friends, and the story keeps testing that wish in practical ways. The line “You only get one chance” becomes more than a portal rule. It’s the moral engine of the book. Chance’s growth works because it doesn’t make him suddenly noble or polished. He’s still funny, impulsive, vain, and scared, but he starts choosing people over escape.
The novel also has a warm sense of compassion for its side characters and even some of its antagonists. Gamboge’s arc, in particular, gives the giant conflict more emotional weight than a simple men-versus-monsters battle. The book is interested in grief, bitterness, courage, and forgiveness, but it handles those themes through action and character rather than slowing down for speeches. Marigold’s sharp wit and fierce independence bring a lot of spark to the story, and her relationship with Chance gives the later chapters a sweet, earned emotional payoff.
One Chance is a fast-moving, funny, and heartfelt fantasy adventure about getting the chance to become better and actually taking it. It has the feel of a classic quest with a modern comic voice, and its best moments come when danger, absurdity, and sincerity all land on the same page. Readers who enjoy portal fantasies with unlikely heroes, magical oddballs, and a strong friendship-driven core will find plenty to enjoy here.
Pages: 304 | ASIN : B0GRKGQZ4J
The Winter Forest
The Winter Forest, by Catherine Cruzan, is an epic fantasy novel about Prince Kade, also called Kadwin, and Lythea, an Elvin Warden, as their worlds collide against a growing threat tied to stolen people, corrupt power, ancient magic, Grahl, Wyrms, and the dangerous promise of the Winter Forest itself. It has the shape of a large-scale fantasy adventure, with kingdoms, councils, magical stones, hidden betrayals, and a journey that keeps widening until personal loyalty and political survival are tangled together.
I was pulled in most by the book’s sense of motion. Cruzan writes action with a very physical feel: chains bite, dust gets in the mouth, horses wear people down, and magic often feels less like sparkle and more like a force that costs something. I liked that. The fantasy genre can sometimes float above the ground, but this story keeps boots in mud and hands on weapons. Kade’s early rescue of the captured Tallenfolk tells us a lot about him without needing a grand speech. He is impatient, brave, protective, and not especially fond of ceremony. That made him easy to follow, even when the story expands into a much larger cast.
What I found more interesting is how much world Cruzan wants to place on the page. There are Elves, humans, Wyrms, Dwarves, Wardens, kings, mages, ancient grudges, and several moving political pieces. At times, I had to slow down and let the names and alliances settle. Still, I could feel the author’s affection for this world. The maps, the different regions, the titles, the rituals, and the small cultural details all give the book the texture of a campaign that has lived in someone’s imagination for a long time. That can make the pacing feel slow, but it also gives the story its charm. It feels like a world with real history and deep lore.
The ideas that stayed with me were about duty and the danger of power without empathy. Kade and Lythea both carry heavy expectations, but neither of them feels like a simple chosen-one figure. They make choices under pressure, sometimes with incomplete information, and the book seems genuinely interested in what leadership does to the heart. I also appreciated the way the story blends friendship, romance, war, and sacrifice without letting any one element completely take over. The darker material, especially Creegar’s work with the Grahl, gives the adventure real stakes.
I would recommend The Winter Forest most to readers who enjoy epic fantasy with a classic adventure feel, especially those who like layered kingdoms, magical creatures, battle-ready heroes, and a strong thread of emotional loyalty running through the plot. Fans of character-driven fantasy with political tension and big-world mythology will probably have the best time here. It asks for patience, but it rewards readers who like settling into a dense fantasy world and watching its pieces slowly lock into place.
Pages: 334 | ASIN : B0GPD4YJQB
Storytellers
Dragons, Demons & Demigods follows a mill girl with a sharp tongue and a buried past who learns she’s the heir to a dragon throne and the spark that could ignite a mythic civil war. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The description of Clío as a “mill girl” made me smile. I had considered her many things but not a mill girl. That said, it is an appropriate appellation. The rich, and often unread, landscape of Celtic Mythology and Celtic culture provided the inspiration for Dragons, Demons & Demigods as it did for my prior historical fantasy novels. The difference is that in writing an “urban” fantasy, I had more freedom to explore the rich characters of Celtic mythology.
In Dragons, Demons & Demigods, the supernatural associated with the Land of Immensity is balanced by the reality of wartime Northern Ireland. The alternate location is largely my birthplace—East Belfast, Northern Ireland—although in the awful times of World War II. I lived and played with my mates in the streets named in the story. I lived in the house of my grandfather, Lazarus. His was a name I could never resist as a character. I spent most of my adult life in East Belfast, and to this day, from steamy hot Texas, I love the city and its people.
In hindsight, I probably would have given Clíodhna (Clío) a different name, if only because I missed an opportunity to base a novel around Clíodhna, the Queen of the Banshees.
Clío is brash, funny, and unapologetically raw. How did you shape her voice?
I think Clío shaped her own voice! In essence, she is an amalgam of many of the girls I knew in my home city of Belfast, who could chop you off at the knees with their caustic remarks, and several females, famous in Tuatha Dé mythology. The latter includes her namesake Clíodhna, Queen of the Banshees, who, despite her terrifying name, was beautiful, charming, and promiscuous, and Queen Maedbh, whose nickname Maedbh of the Friendly Thighs testified not only to her libido but also her negotiating style.
Clío is a millennia-old adolescent suddenly faced with a harsh reality. She is a paradox in that she is the ultimate party girl but has amassed a wealth of knowledge by witnessing human history for thousands of years. Brianag, in the Blood Queen Chronicles, Clío has a strong moral core at odds with how others perceive her.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I am not sure I have “themes” in any of my books, and I do not deliberately set out to explore specific themes. That said, I am often fascinated to read the theses attributed to them post-publication. From my perspective, being an author is being an entertainer, not a teacher or preacher. My starting goal is always to write a well-researched and excellent “yarn” in the tradition of the ancient Celtic seanchaithe—storytellers— a tale that will take the reader away from their daily lives.
I do not avoid supposed “controversial” topics, e.g., Clío’s lesbian lovers, in the novels, but then, to the times and people of my stories, such issues were not controversial. Maybe civilization has regressed, not progressed.
Can you tell us a little about where the story goes in book two and when the novel will be available?
Book 2 of the Tuatha Dé Chronicles is titled: Eater of Souls and has an expected release date of Autumn 2026. As might be anticipated by the title, the sequel is several shades darker than the first book. Eater of Souls also has an earthly location. This time, it is mid-1950s Galveston County, Texas, which, by all accounts, was a wild place in the 1900s, with its Red-Light District and widespread criminal networks. The novel provides more backstory on the Goddess, the origins of the Womb-Born and Dragon, and the antagonist An-Ársa, but hopefully, not enough to bore my readers. Eater of Souls brings more interaction between the supernatural and human characters and more moral dilemmas. “How many dead humans are acceptable, Etta? One, ten, one hundred, one thousand, or ten thousand? If we don’t eliminate this nest of vipers, the alternative is a world enslaved and millions butchered by An-Ársa and the Nemed.”—Lazarus
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Mythology and faerie tales provide comfort and safety for humans and supernatural creatures alike. Facts are dangerous.
What if you discovered you were a dragon and the queen-in-waiting of the Dragon Throne? What would you do if challenged by a brother you had never met to a duel to the death for the throne? What if you found out those you loved and trusted had betrayed you? What if this was only the beginning?
It is Northern Ireland in the 1940s. To her friends at the linen mill, Clío is a beautiful young woman who is an expert in partying. What they do not know is that her age is counted in millennia. What Clío did not know is who or what she was until the morning she woke up wailing, “I’ve got scales!” Dragon puberty had arrived.
Dragons, Demons & Demigods is the first book of The Tuatha Dé Chronicles. The two-world, portal story merges historical and urban fantasy with Celtic mythology.
Content Warning: Dragons, Demons & Demigods contains language, minor scenes of sex, and fantasy violence, which may not be suitable to those under the age of 14 without the parent’s permission.
Dragons, Demons & Demigods
David H. Millar’s Dragons, Demons & Demigods opens in mythic prelude, dragon-queen Bráchthine laying twin eggs under the shadow of a prophecy and extracting a promise from Nuadha, High King of the Tuatha Dé, to protect her daughter Clíodhna (and to keep the son from becoming a civil-war fuse). Then it snaps to 1940 Belfast, where “Clío” (the same Clíodhna, glamoured into a young woman) wakes from demon-haunted dreams and tries to live a rough-and-ordinary life with “Lazarus” (Nuadha in disguise) until two dead girls appear on their doorstep bearing a thorny rose sigil and the supernatural starts leaning hard on the wallpaper of the everyday. From there, the book cracks open into the Land of Immensity, Tuatha Dé courts, Fomorian schemes, artefacts like Daghdha’s Cauldron, and the dragons’ Arena, until Clío is forced to stop being an unanswered question and become a queen in full view of enemies, allies, and gawkers who suddenly want her bloodline to mean something.
I really enjoyed how textured the story is. Millar’s Belfast is not a generic “gritty city” stage-set; it’s weather, vinegar, coal smoke, trams, the social physics of working-class streets, and a heroine who is both ancient and impatient in a way I found oddly endearing. Clío’s voice is brash, horny, funny, and occasionally raw enough to sting; she swears the way some characters pray, and the book lets that be characterization rather than decoration. Even when the plot turns cosmic, the story keeps dragging its boots through real human spaces, parlours, doorsteps, police stations, so the magic feels less like glitter and more like a hidden engine finally grinding into view.
The worldbuilding is exuberant, sometimes gloriously so. We’re handed names, bloodlines, artefacts, factions, and ancient grudges with the confidence of a bard who assumes you can keep up (and often you can, because the momentum is real). When it lands, it lands big: the political venom of the Tuatha Dé, the Fomorians’ hunger for leverage, and the dragons’ brutal legalism converge into set pieces that feel like ceremonial violence, beautiful and appalling at once. The Arena chapters, in particular, have that “watching history be made with teeth” sensation; I caught myself wincing and reading faster.
This one is for readers who like urban fantasy, historical fantasy, Celtic mythology, Irish folklore, dark fantasy, and mythic adventure with adult edges, sex, profanity, and violence that aren’t coy about being there. If you enjoy the modern-myth collision of American Gods, but you want it less highway-trip dreamy and more Belfast-brick immediate, more “portal in the parlour” than “omen on the open road,” Millar’s approach will likely scratch that itch. And if you’re the sort of reader who likes a heroine who becomes dangerous not by being chosen but by being cornered, you’re in the right place. Myth doesn’t knock in this book; it leaves bodies on your doorstep and calls it an invitation.
Pages: 396 | ASIN : B0GFY2GD9D
The Love For Truth
PHOENIXA: THE NEST is a story blending history and fantasy and follows a spirited girl growing up in turbulent time in China’s history. Where did the idea behind this novel come from?
I AM PHOENIXA. PHOENIXA: THE NEST is my personal, lived history, and a passionate initiation of dialogue between myself, my grandfather, and my ancestors—whose connection to me was, in essence, cut off by politics and by time. PHOENIXA: THE NEST can be viewed as a bioepic, in which a real-life story is elevated to mythic, historic and moral significance. I was born and raised in Beijing in Mao’s China, and with only a small dose of private education from my family- one that had been essentially torn apart – I was able to somehow survive the very sweet, sugar-coated terror of collectivism and brainwashing. I am eternally grateful to the motherland that has nurtured me. Yet there is something greater than the love for your motherland, that is the love for truth – truth that lies beyond familiar borders and comfort zones.
The idea behind this novel came from my midlife cry for roots. After leaving my job as a CCTV anchor/journalist in the late 1980s, and living an adventurous, self-exiled life in the United States for two decades, I grew increasingly restless, uncertain of who I was, or what—or where—home truly meant. After a willful search for Cheng family history – I stumbled upon my grandfather’s name – one that my father had hidden all his life, one that struck me like lightning: Cheng Zhenjun 程振鈞, a western-educated Chinese pioneer and leader who died on duty in 1932, advancing China’s modernization. In that moment, I trembled, shocked by the magnitude of family drama as well as the voice of history itself—muffled, suppressed, and long silenced. I felt betrayed, lied to by omission. Someone—or something larger—had cut off my roots, my very source of becoming.
I picked up my pen and my camera. What followed was more than a decade of research into the life of my grandfather and the forces that shaped him into a hero and a martyr, I have traversing not only the physical terrain of China, but also the inner fabric of Chinese civilization including Chinese mythology. Here you are, PHOENIXA: THE NEST, the first in PHOENIXA trilogy.
Looking back, I’ve come to realize that I paid a dear price to preserve my naïveté, my idealism, my conscience and, ultimately, my freedom as an individual human being. I am so thrilled today that I am now able to share “the pearl of life “with you – formed over the course of my entire life, but cultivated into shape in the solitude of the three-year COVID lockdown. I feel I have been metamorphosed through creating PHOENIXA and reinventing myself as an author and mythic thinker— and I hope my readers will be too, through reading and listening to this novel ( yes, as an audiobook, too), through pursuing something truly meaningful, something that allows each of us to make a contribution to this troubled yet beautiful world.
What is it that draws you to this period in history?
The dominant narrative throughline centers around PHOENIXA’s life inside CHENG COURTYARD during the onset of the Cultural Revolution in 1966 — echoes of which a careful reader will recognize not only in today’s China but also other parts of the world. It is the violent nature and its insidious chain of indoctrination that I defy, and from which we must break free; PEACE – world peace – must begin with inner peace. But how does one attain inner peace as an individual? Let the ancient wisdom of Chinese sages guide you. The novel detours into, and occasionally references, several sub‑timelines, each designed to illuminate the depth of Chinese culture, history, and philosophy, which runs at the core of Cheng values and education. Some explore the dynasties and the Enlightenment of the early twentieth‑century Republic of China; others drift into the timeless, fantastical realms of the Chinese Phoenix and other magical beings. My hope is to lift the spirits of readers, guiding them to navigate this troubled world. Glide with me, and soar on the wings of a child’s imagination!
What was your writing process to ensure you captured the essence of the characters?
As the Cheng family historian, I have devoted years to meticulous research on my grandfather’s life—his struggles, his achievements—and the tumultuous era he lived in: China at a crossroads in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, transforming from a wounded, fragile imperial dynasty into a young, hopeful, and vigorous Republic. I am fortunate to read both simplified and traditional Chinese, as well as classical Chinese. I have delved deep into the layers of centuries, savoring the flavor and absorbing the nutrients of Chinese antiquity. My research will continue across China, the United States, and soon, Europe, in preparation for the PHOENIXA Trilogy.
Writing, to me, is confessional and a deep act of soul-searching—therefore, an act of courage. You cannot lie; you must lay yourself bare in order to connect with, and perhaps even be rescued by, a higher power—be it your ancestors, a guardian angel, or God.
Can fans of PHOENIXA: THE NEST look forward to a follow-up soon? Where will it take readers?
Yes, I have created my life’s work and brand: PHOENIXA or P.H.O.E.N.I.X.A. Each acronym has its distinct meaning. please discover yours and share with me.
Here is the PHOENIXA Trilogy: THE NEST, THE FLIGHT, and THE RETURN.
From the enchanted childhood and coming-of-age in tumultuous China in PHOENIXA: THE NEST, to the evocative youth odyssey in America in PHOENIXA: THE FLIGHT, and onward to her middle-age return confronting the dark fate of Cheng Courtyard and enacting a Cheng ancestral resurrection, Cheng continues her bioepic fantasy storytelling deeply rooted in her intimate personal adventure and the unflinching history of China.
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A Mystical Quest for The Cheng Legacy
A novel
by J.J. Cheng
Phoenixa, rising from the ashes of her ancestors, the six-and-half-year-old kite-flying, Phoenix-riding, Chinese girl embarks on a mystical journey into China’s tumultuous past searching for her Renaissance Grandpa who read her Shan Hai Jing, The Lore of Mountains and Seas, seeking cures for human greed.
From the interior of a traditional Beijing courtyard to the tip top of a giant Wu Tong Tree, Phoenixa found her nest being moved from safety to danger. Fortunately, the enduring incandescent Feng Huang, the Phoenix, has kept her amused and protected as a secret guardian from a relentless hidden Red force ready to strip her home bare.
Written in the genre-defining style now called“mystical realism”, Cheng tapped into the subconsciousness and beyond in search of human goodness. Cheng’s debut novel is stunningly visual, fantastical, dreamlike yet achingly real, demystifying China, as it offers a luminous insider’s view on why and how the dragon roared.
Phoenixa: The Nest, A Mystical Quest for the Cheng Legacy, is a story of courage, of hope, of madness, of redemption, of humanity at the brink of self-destruction.
PHOENIXA: THE NEST, A Mystical Quest for the Cheng Legacy
J.J. Cheng’s Phoenixa: The Nest is an enchanting and emotionally rich journey through memory, heritage, and identity. It tells the story of Phoenixa, a spirited girl growing up in Beijing’s Cheng Courtyard during a turbulent time in China’s history. Blending myth with memory, Cheng ties the magical imagery of the Feng Huang, the Chinese phoenix, to the struggles and rebirth of her protagonist’s family. Through vivid storytelling, she bridges centuries of Chinese philosophy and Western narrative grace, crafting a novel that feels part myth, part memoir, and part historical reflection. It’s a lush, multi-layered story about roots, loss, and the unbreakable bond between generations.
Cheng’s writing is lyrical yet grounded, full of color and heart. The dialogue between Phoenixa and her grandfather glows with tenderness and wisdom, while the scenes of the Cultural Revolution sting with fear and sorrow. I found myself caught between awe and ache, drawn by the book’s rhythm like a song I didn’t want to end. Sometimes the prose wandered into philosophy, looping through abstract reflections, but even then, I stayed hooked. It wasn’t just about what happened, it was about what it meant. The ideas of reincarnation, ancestral duty, and peace after turmoil stayed with me long after I closed the last page.
There’s a personal courage in the way Cheng writes. You can feel the author wrestling with memory, with love for a homeland that both nurtured and wounded her. I admired how the author never rushed the emotions. It’s dense at times, poetic in a way that demands patience. But it rewards that patience with quiet beauty and truth. The illustrations throughout the book blend generational joy with cultural myth. The artist uses a loose, sketch-like style that is eye-catching.
I’d recommend Phoenixa: The Nest to readers who love lyrical storytelling and mythic realism. It’s perfect for those drawn to family sagas, Eastern philosophy, or stories that blur the line between dream and reality. If you enjoy books that make you feel something deep and unexpected, this one will stay with you. It’s not just a story about a girl, it’s a story about belonging, transformation, and the quiet magic of remembering who you are.
Pages: 538 | ISBN : 978-1956427059
Let the Story Unfold
Forbidden Runes follows a girl stolen from her royal past and raised in hiding, who grows into a bold young woman using forbidden rune magic to save others, till she is faced with the man she both fears and loves. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My inspiration for this novel was a combination of a couple of TV shows that I was watching at the time, along with a few novels that I was reading or had read. Your review seemed to pick up a couple of those inspirational items, which surprised me. I did not believe that I was successful in adding those elements into the story, but I am happy to see that I did.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?
I don’t want to give too much away, but the setting came from the thought of what happens to magical places when the magic starts dying out. I set this on a ‘small island’ in this world. The magic is dying, although the characters don’t know it. The thing I love about science fiction and fantasy is that I can make anything happen. I hope the changes that take place in the next book will surprise the readers.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I don’t write like other authors. Most authors begin with an outline, with themes, etc. When I write, I base my story on a character and how that character shows me events unfolding. In this book, I didn’t start with a main theme. I knew I wanted it to be on the love story for Anna and Ben, and I knew I wanted the Rune powers to be prevalent. After that, I let the story unfold as I wrote.
When will Book Two be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
I am working on book two now and hope to have it ready by September 2026 (if my day job doesn’t get too busy). Book Two will bring to light that the magic was slowly dying off and how they can bring it back to life. It will also expand the setting greatly. More information on the Rune powers will be brought to light along with a few new characters.
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Ben has been hoping that one day he will find his missing childhood love. He never dreamed that they would find her smuggling a caster child out of his kingdom. Now his struggle is to get her to remember her past, avoid a marriage to the new princess of the bordering kingdom, solve the blight issue with his crops, and reunite the two kingdoms. Can his love for Anna be enough to solve all these problems?
