Category: Shallow Trenches/Open Skies
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Book Research
One of the things I love most about being an author is the research. That may sound boring to many, but I have a passion for learning. I love that “aha!” feeling when you understand a new concept or learn some interesting or fundamental factoid. If I could have remained…
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My Favorite Things to Write: Genre Mashups with a Historical Bent
Wow. Yeah. That’s a mouthful. But as I look over the projects I’ve had published, as well as those I’m currently working on, this is undeniably true. I really love writing genre mashups that have a certain (if varying) historical element. Here’s what I mean by that. Cibus City, and…
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Writing Roundup
We’re more than halfway through 2026, so it feels like a good time to share a run-down or roundup or whatever you prefer to call it of my writing so far this year! Let’s start with what’s been published! Short Stories While I have ramped up my novel writing, short…
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Characters vs Plot: What Inspires Me First?
I’ve seen this question come up several times among writers: do you think of characters or plots first? I can’t speak for every writer, but for me, it’s both–and sometimes neither. Character First The story idea that inspired me to become a writer (and is still rattling around in my…
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Shallow Trenches/Open Skies Draft 1 is Finally Done
I’m a little late with this, but I was completely wiped out with a migraine all last week. But now I’m better, so I’m pleased to announce that I have finally finished the first draft of my World War 1 set sci-fi novel Shallow Trenches/Open Skies. I had originally thought…
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April Anticipation Brought May Flowers
Back at the beginning of April, I wrote a blog post titled Writing News & April Anticipation. And now that it’s May a lot of that anticipation has paid off, so I thought it was time for a follow up! Contest & Awards Laramie Awards I won’t bury the lead,…
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Writing News & April Anticipation
I’m just going to say it: April has the potential to be a very big month for my (still relatively early) writing career. Let’s get the things I’m anticipating out of the way, first. Contest & Awards NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge I am writing this on Monday, April 6th,…
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What is the “Delilah-verse?”
To be blunt, the “Delilah-verse” is the shared universe most of my stories take place in (not necessarily all, but if there is nothing in the story to contradict the larger rules, even if there is also nothing explicitly tying it to other stories, I consider it a part of…
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A Memory for Stories: How I Came to Writing Later in Life
It all started, as it so often does, with reading. From a young age, I was an avid reader, and always reading years above my age group. I routinely scored high on reading comprehension, and I seemed to remember a higher percentage of what I read than others, especially when…
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The 5 Year Plan
With 2025 drawing to a close, I thought I would share with you my five year writing career plan, and in doing so, commit it to the world so it’s no longer just something in my head I say I’m going to do. The Status Quo The current status quo…
