Welcome to my first blog post! It took me some time to get this site off the ground but at last we made it! So many of us wrestle with doubts about starting new endeavors. What if no one checks the site? What if I get criticized? What if I run out of things to say? Too often we let outside concerns rein in our dreams and passions. We hold ourselves back from going after the things we have dreamt about since we were children. I can confidently answer when posed the question "what did you want to be when you were a kid?".
I wanted to be a writer.
And not just any old writer. I wasn't concerned with writing the Great American Novel. Forget Salinger, Fitzgerald, or Hemingway. I wasn't Gone with the Wind or out To Kill a Mockingbird.
I was a Fantasy Writer. Magic, monsters, and lost ancient treasures were the hallmarks of the tales I started to tell. My first stories were of Starborne, a noble warrior, and his partner, Hurst, an intelligent shape-changing troll. My long nights of playing Dungeons and Dragons brought new characters to life. Braegan Waegloss, a master thief shamelessly patterned after another dual sword wielding elf that is even today still popular among fantasy enthusiasts. Troy Talend, a cold-hearted wizard who survived an abusive childhood to become a god on earth, standing beside his companions against some of the most fearsome agents that Heaven or Hell could throw against them. And ultimately, I found Galen Thale, Nestor Canaith, and Tyrell Amalcheal - the heroes of what became my first novel, Thieves' Honor.
It has been a long journey to get to this point, not even counting the twenty years (yeah, you read that right) it took for the manuscript to see the light of day, but it was one I have been proud to take. You see, it was never about sales reports, becoming a household name, or landing a Netflix series for me (even though any of those would be amazing!). I just wanted to be able to go to a bookshelf in my own home and see my name on the spine of a book that I had written, even if that was the only copy anyone ever looked at. I can now check that one off the list three times.
Better still, I have found you, my audience. Family, friends old and new, and some who may have just wandered in to see what this was all about. You have helped stoke the fire that eagerly drives me to share new stories and adventures. Working a full time job, raising two wonderful kids, and keeping late hours writing these flights of fancy that I have may seem like a lot to have on one plate, and you wouldn't be wrong. However, see that quote I opened this post with? There's a little more to it. The full line is "You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however." So to all of you who have helped me reach this place, who have read my stories and told me how much you have enjoyed them, I am happy to oblige. Thank you for coming along for the ride.
It's time to roll up my sleeves and get to work.
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