Chapter 5 of “The Grand Mythos” is Live!

Chapter five of “The Grand Mythos of Úr’Dan” just went up yesterday. And I’m shortening my publication schedule again. Look out for the next chapter in just three weeks!

“The Blood Seas and the Womb of the Earth” is the longest chapter yet in my series, and I would argue the most exciting. A new character arrives!

Genre: fantasy, high fantasy, mythic fantasy

Chapter Blurb: The First Four Vai’ad have begun to shape the Void to their liking, but Go’Dan wishes to create new life. They will soon discover that by combining their powers, the Vai’ad can truly master their world.

Series Blurb:

Every world has its folktales, but even folktales carry a part of the truth. Follow the first beings in the universe as they try to bring order and life to their home. Witness the creation of the vibrant world of Úr’Dan, and the fantastic creatures who live there. Based on the unique fantasy universe of the novel, The Warden of Everfeld: Memento.

Go to Wattpad to read it for free: 

https://www.wattpad.com/735558922-the-grand-mythos-of-%C3%BAr%27dan-volume-one-1-5-the

Steve D

Blog Rewind: My Philosophy of Ice and Fire

Nearly two years ago, in anticipation of season 7 of Game of Thrones, I wrote a piece about what I view as the philosophy of the books and show.

At the time, I was excited to see how the show would tidily wrap up all of its weaving plot threads in two unnecessarily truncated seasons. Oh, how naive I was.

Still, it wouldn’t be ethical of me to espouse philosophical theories about a fictional universe and not actually revisit them at the story’s conclusion. Let’s see how my predictions panned out in the wake of the series finale!

Beware! Here be spoilers…

Continue reading “Blog Rewind: My Philosophy of Ice and Fire”

Abortion Rights are not about Your Feelings

Don't tread on me

They’re about autonomy.

Autonomy for a living, breathing woman to decide–for whatever reason or in whatever circumstances–that she does not want to carry a baby to term.

It doesn’t matter that abortions make you uncomfortable. No one likes abortions. Nor does it matter that it’s against your religion, your personal moral code, or your sense of decency.

If you argue that a woman does not have autonomy over her own body, you are arguing for the oppression of all women by the government–and worse, by your self-righteous moral code. It’s that simple.

And before you start, here are some preemptive reasons why you’re wrong:

  • Life does not begin at conception. An embryo is a collection of cells that is utterly dependent on the mother for its existence.
  • There is no clear line at which life “begins” in the womb. If the fetus is not viable outside the womb, then it is not an individual.
  • If you want to claim that a fetus has the full rights of an individual human, then you must also believe that fetuses should have social security numbers, health insurance, and be included in the tax code as dependents. Let’s go ahead and register them for selective service while we’re at it.
  • If all life is sacred, even in the womb, you would want to support services such as childcare, education, healthcare, and foster care for all of these children you are forcing women to carry to term.
  • A woman is not a vessel for pumping out babies. That is not her duty, responsibility, or privilege in society. Claiming such is misogynistic and oppressive, and the fact that anyone has to explain that to you idiots in 2019 is unconscionable.
  • Your religion does not dictate how others should live their lives. Move to Iran or Saudi Arabia if you believe otherwise.
  • If you honestly want to limit abortions, try providing birth control and female reproductive healthcare for ALL women. You could also stop with the abstinence-only sex ed bullshit.

In conclusion, you’re wrong.

Steve D

“Everything Trump Touches Dies” – Book Review

I listened to Everything Trump Touches Dies by conservative campaign strategist Rick Wilson on Audible. Narrated by Wilson and dripping with snarky disgust, ETTD  is an unflinching and unforgiving evisceration of the Trump campaign and administration through its first year-plus.

Continue reading ““Everything Trump Touches Dies” – Book Review”

May Write Day: Little Writing, Much Awesome

I did not write very much in April. I honestly cannot tell you what I was doing instead of writing.

I applied for a bunch of jobs. We road tripped around Lake Michigan for 10 days, and then… Awesome Con. Writing was completely lost in that mix, but it was still a great month overall.

Continue reading “May Write Day: Little Writing, Much Awesome”

Quarterly Sales Report: Awesome Con was Awesome

Awesome Con was fantastic. I talked to a ton of cool people, connected with a couple authors, and sold some freaking books.

I wish I had the budget right now to do more conventions, but I’ll just have to be patient. At the very least, I can plan to be at Awesome Con again next year. For now, let’s have a look at how well my first novel actually sold at my first convention. Continue reading “Quarterly Sales Report: Awesome Con was Awesome”