Prince Adam’s Quest follows an entitled prince reputed to always win, who sets out to slay a murderous dragon with an apprentice bard who values truth above all else.  What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Truth matters.  Honesty matters.  Character matters.  Today we see all three buried in a mudslide of daily propaganda.  Vital social safety systems are destroyed by oligarchs who never hunger.  The smack of privilege – often unearned, or minimally earned – troubles people all over, even as they rationalize policies that are far from their own best interest.  

Prince Adam has a near-perfect record in competition at home, while remaining clueless about the deference he has always known.  Well, we all had some growing up to do when we were twenty years old.  Hard knocks yield lasting lessons.  But does Adam learn?  Ever?

Every time Adam mentions a dragon, he splutters.  A negative adjective accompanies every sentence with “dragon” in it: murderous, destructive, deadly – on and on, without fail.  

As the story unfolds we learn a lot about dragons, their culture, social responsibility and hierarchy.  None of it squares with Adam’s hatred.  In fantasy, that can stand as speciesism, but as we learn how sentient dragons are, his hatred looks more like racism.  

Adam possesses status before he earns anything, while Minnow gradually acquires status through demonstrated ability. Was that parallel deliberately built into their arcs?

Definitely.  The contrast is purposeful.  Plus, as a young woman of twenty years, Minnow must earn her status despite social assumptions that disfavor women.  Even her name is cutesy.  And yet, she roars and is heard – by everyone but Adam.  

The novel’s vision of heroism is established through conduct rather than title, spectacle, or repetition. What made that theme urgent enough to anchor an entire comic fantasy, and what’s the most important thing you want readers to understand about how heroism actually works?

Many people have met real heroes.  If you’re not sure, go visit a station of your fire department.  Every firefighter does courageous things but most will never mention it unless you ask.  Even then there will be plenty of modesty.  

As a military veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, I have absolutely rubbed elbows with people who demonstrated heroism, and some had medals to prove it.  Many of them didn’t want any fuss made.  “Just doing my job, and what about the rest of the team?”  

Leaders who talk a great fight are not heroes.  Deeds matter.  Sleepless nights matter.  Weeks and months of standing boring watches matter.  That’s how character is built.  Honor.  Integrity.  We do not hatch heroes from shells.  Every hero has scars – inside or outside, scars guaranteed.  Does Adam?  Well, maybe at the very end, but you must read that for yourself.  

True heroism goes much farther.  The travails of parenthood have much in common with heroism, but quieter.  We might not see that until we have grandchildren.  Parents in general are heroes, even with all their imperfections that bedevil us as adults.  

What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?

I am excited about a book of stories about Judge Sydyk, who is really a Phoenician god of justice who has had nothing to do for a couple thousand years and decided to show up.  The legend, the myth, the god?  People don’t need to know any of that.  All men, all women, need justice.  Judge Sydyk delivers.  

Sydyk’s first case is literally an argument over two pennies.  His second case is massive, sorting out what justice must look like after a young woman suffers imprisonment in a military dungeon. How high does responsibility rise?   Sydyk’s third case, still in progress, deals with what justice looks like when punishment is over – a real question for Americans as we see felons return to society.  

The first part is available as an experimental narration I tried.  Go to audio.com and search for The Bathhouse Squabble.  I’d love to hear comments.  (But please be kind about the narrator.  It is still a work in progress.)

The Judge Sydyk book should come out in 2027.  Until then, people might enjoy my “Lessons from the Keyboard” on Substack.  Feel free to subscribe, which is 100% free.

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