by msk | Mar 16, 2026 | Uncategorized
Let’s play a game. I am going to list several of the most favorite fantasy book tropes in YA fiction. You are going to read them. And at some point (probably sooner than you’d like you are going to feel personally attacked. That’s fine. That’s...
by msk | Feb 13, 2026 | Uncategorized
Okay, I get it. You’ve probably reread the Harry Potter series so many times you could sort yourself into a Hogwarts house blindfolded. You know the password to the Gryffindor common room, you have opinions (oh so many opinions) about Snape, and you’ve...
by msk | Feb 3, 2026 | Uncategorized
When Urban Fantasy Villains Steal the Show Why Antagonists Matter Let’s be honest. You have a favorite villain. You might not call them your favorite. You might say “complicated” or “tragic” or “weirdly charismatic.” But somewhere along the way, you found yourself...
by msk | Jan 27, 2026 | Uncategorized
Writers are often asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” Usually, the answer is a mix of “I had a weird dream” or “I stared at a wall until my forehead hurt” or “I honestly have no clue.” But every once in a while, a...
by msk | Jan 19, 2026 | Uncategorized
You know that feeling when you walk past a bookstore window and immediately recognize a YA fantasy novel without even reading the title? That’s the power of cover design. And lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how dramatically different YA fantasy...
by msk | Dec 3, 2025 | Uncategorized
From Nautical Bros to Badass Mermaids: The Accidental Origin of The Atlantis Twins Writers are often asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” Usually, the answer is a mix of “I had a weird dream” or “I stared at a wall until my forehead...
by msk | Nov 24, 2025 | Uncategorized
Readers ask me this from time-to-time: “Be honest. Did you write Moonshifter Academy (that’s my series about a young wolf shifter who is the last of her kind, trying to save a shifter academy) as a romantasy?” And every time, I give the same thoughtful,...
by msk | Nov 19, 2025 | Uncategorized
Everywhere I look, the term romantasy keeps popping up. It’s the genre mash-up of the year: part sweeping fantasy, part passionate love story, usually wrapped in celestial dust and dramatic declarations. Readers are devouring it, publishers are doubling down on it,...
by msk | Nov 11, 2025 | Uncategorized
Last week we explored how fictional diaries in stories can inspire your own journaling practice. Diaries in fantasy often hold secrets, reveal hidden truths, or transform the characters who write in them. They remind us that the act of putting words on paper has power...
by msk | Nov 5, 2025 | Uncategorized
Over the past few weeks (I skipped last week to feature a special Halloween featured blog last week) we looked at two beloved fantasy objects that hold surprising lessons for real life. First came fictional diaries, which can inspire your own journaling practice. Then...
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