Category: General Posts

Scavengers Reign is a fantastic sci-fi series with a wide range of dangerous and gorgeous flora and fauna. My favorite characters were Levi, Azi, and Barry. The show feels like what would have been featured on MTV’s Liquid Television in the 1990s. I hope there will be more seasons.

• Animation: I had to get used to the character design of the humans, as it’s not as detailed as some of the other animation I’ve watched. However, once I became used to the style, I was able to immerse myself in the series. Of special note is the incredible range of creatures. There are so many beautiful ones.
• Cast: The voice actors were spectacular. They truly carried the fears of being in the harrowing situation of getting stranded on an unfamiliar planet. Dash Williams as Barry, Alia Shawkat as Levi, and Wunmi Mosaku as Azi were the standout performers to me.
• Music: The soundtrack is one I’ll listen to separately, while I’m writing my own stories.
• Story: This series features a gripping tale. There are few circumstances more difficult than being lost in hazardous and unknown territory. The characters truly show the range of human reactions to such a volatile environment, where the largest challenges come from other humans.

It’s the Autumn of 2024! The air will be nice and crisp. Here are my writing plans for this season.

The Architect’s Guardian: I’ll be publishing Discovering, the sequel to Awakening, on December 17, 2024.

Dragon Shifter Fantasy Series: Drafting for my fantasy m/f romance is going well. I anticipate releasing this series after finishing The Architect’s Guardian Trilogy.

It’s interesting to consider character traits in terms of introverted and extroverted. I might create a character who I see as quiet and reserved, whereas some readers might consider that character as having red flags.

At times, more introverted characters may come across as suspicious. I think that’s because extroversion is more acceptable than introversion and the flaws of an extroverted individual are more easily forgiven. Anyway, just musing…

Here are some random tidbits about my writing:

Average Chapter Length: Usually 2,500 words. If I really want to highlight an event, I’ll have it in a shorter chapter, e.g., an experience critical to a character’s development.

Characters’ Personalities: My main characters tend to be curious and stubborn. 😁

Genres: Most of what I write is sci-fi. I do have two contemporary stories I’m drafting, as well as a fantasy one. I’m excited to share them!

I’m putting together my book cover art request for Discovering, book two in The Architect’s Guardian Series. It’s always fun to pick out what elements to have in the cover art.

In book one, Awakening, Armando and Izdahl went through quite a few changes. I’d like the cover for the sequel to reflect that, as well as hint at what’s to come. That’s an interesting balancing act.

I always like to review my decision-making process when choosing elements for each cover. All my book covers have been created by Deranged Doctor Design. So far, I’ve worked with them five times, beginning in 2017.

Whenever I have a cover made, I learn something about myself and commissioning work. Over the years, I’ve become better at completing the briefs, so that the cover turns out the way I imagined. Sometimes, it’s even better than I’d imagined! It’s a rewarding experience to go from discussing cover art ideas to having the final version that best represents what’s happening in the book.

Here’s my year in books for 2023! Love this clever summary, courtesy of https://myyearinbooks.com. Some of the books I enjoyed the most are:

• A Cowboy Kind of Thing by Reese Ryan
• Rebel by Beverly Jenkins
• She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat Vol. 1 by Sakaomi Yuzaki

It’s 2024! Here’s what I have planned:

• Continue drafting my new fantasy romance.
• Plot out a few more stories that have been simmering.
• Publish The Architect’s Guardian Book 2: Retribution this fall.

When I lived in Japan, I used to watch the reruns of the show, Lone Wolf and Cub. Ever since then, it’s been interesting to spot where the theme pops up. That’s why I find The Mandalorian and The Last Of Us to be so gripping. Other examples across media include:

• God of War 2018
• Logan
• Somali and the Forest Spirit

I highly recommend those series, along with Seirei No Moribito. This gripping show gives you an emotional journey twice, as Jiguro takes care of Balsa and then Balsa protects Chagum.