First aid protocols are straight forward. Clean the wound, disinfect, slap on a bandage, and carry on. Responders and the injured know their role. How we respond to emotional distress in both children and adults can be just as straight forward.
I never expected to come face to face with the dark side of productivity. The phrase "you can take a break" began to induce heart palpitations. All of my identity and self-worth is tied to doing. In this essay, I sit down to have tea with the demons of toxic productivity and procrastination.
Curious about what it would look like? In this article I explore some of the ways I use Buddhist principles in world-building for my fantasy fiction novels.
A series of experiments to publish a book: From spaghetti thrown on the wall—seeing what sticks—, to a series of intentional experiments formulated to grow measured outcomes and propel myself and my work forward.
I wanted to title this blog post 'What were you thinking?' maybe in bold or all-caps. Feedback is hard to receive. Here's what I think when I receive it. I start by talking about Em-dashes and move on to Book Reviews.
Another month, another set of amazing book funnels featuring the works of indie fantasy and sci-fi authors!
Let's talk about the original covers for the Pawn of Samsara duology: A Lion's Head and A Lion's Pride and unpack why I didn't immediately hire an illustrator for my work. I'll also deep dive into how I find and work with my illustrators.
Choosing what you will succeed and what you will fail at is a form of boundary setting that limits overwhelm, sets priorities, and puts me in the driver seat of my destiny. Trust in the universe to set to rights all that is outside your control.
With Autumn on the horizon, I need to set some serious intentions around finishing the next great novel. Here's to three weeks vacation, watching the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with my kids, and the surprising misfortune that brought me back to myself.
Before the humans came, the immortal realm was populated by a civilization of Asura demi-gods. These beings were highly disciplined, technologically advanced, and considered half-divine, half-sage by Indian scholars.
A few things are happening this month, including the voting for the Aurora Prix award for YA Fantasy, my latest release in collaboration with illustrator Chris Ho, and upcoming events.
Introducing myself in a different way—I tasked Google Gemini with creating a Chibi character sheet of me, both personally and professionally. Here are the results as well as my opinions on the tool used to build them.
Author Blog
How does the craft happen? Where do stories come from?
Author Blog
Cover reveal and background behind the #kidlit horror novella, The Eyes of Ess-Vaha (The Pink Eye Yaksha), in collaboration with Toronto-based illustrator Chris Ho.
Anecdotal Evidence
Relationships take an unseen toll on the psyche, emotions, mind, and physical body. It is never what it seems. Samsara has its hooks in our emotions. A non-Christian view on the power of Grace.
Author Blog
Do we have free will when we're all pawns in a game of kings? How is the "sacred geometry of chance" built on past lives, current societal events, and what we care most about?
Author Blog
A good habit I adopted from years in the tech industry was carrying out a retrospective after something has been finished. Not only should this be done in real time (on a weekly basis) but also over long term milestone completion.
Anecdotal Evidence
Healing the Inner Child to Embrace the Illusion of Weight Loss.
Author Blog
Behind-the-scenes look at the life of an author—author goals including getting my books into bookstores, year-to-date book sales, awards, retrospective on A Lion's Pride and the Pawn of Samsara Duology.
News
It's enough to be considered. This year, A Lion's Head was entered for the UK-based Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2025. While I didn't win, I appreciated the feedback received from readers and the award committee.
Author Blog
Why do characters appear in Ireland-Ériu in the short story A Water Horse, while The Pawn of Samsara novels are set in ancient India-Jambudiva? Rebirth doesn't care about borders. If you have unfinished business, Samsara might drag you to the coast of Ériu to settle the score.
Author Blog
You don't have to buy an author's book to support an author. Requesting their book at your local library is the number one way of supporting authors, especially indie authors.
world building
No spoilers. The Pawn of Samsara (POS) duology cemented the ground rules for world-building my fantasy universe. Here's a behind-the-scenes look.
Author Blog
I'm in the clouds. I'm drifting. I'm diving. I'm swooping. I'm circling the runway. Will I land? I'm doing what I often do to procrastinate—experimenting and analyzing.