From Archeology to Authorship with Sean McLachlan

 

On this week's episode of The Truth About Storytelling, Sean McLachlan and I dive into how travel and history shape the stories we tell. From archaeology to authorship, Sean shares how his global adventures—from Cairo to Bulgaria—infuse authenticity and depth into his fiction. We talk about research, language learning, and the beauty of seeing the world through different cultural lenses. It’s an inspiring conversation about curiosity, courage, and creative life across continents.

Listen Here On The Truth About Storytelling

Conference Thoughts

I recently returned from Author Nation and I am heading into a deep planning sort of mood for the fall. Writing is going strong, but I'm also spending time considering how to use all the tools, or at least a few of the tools, I learned about at Author Nation. I love conferences because they energize me for what's next on the horizon.

Why I write about swords

When I was a kid, I had a chance to speak up about an injustice.

I didn’t have steel in my hands, but it felt like carrying a blade. It took every ounce of courage I had to open my mouth and say the truth out loud. It wasn’t easy. It changed my life.

Kickstarter News

My "Why I write about swords" series is part of my Kickstarter Prelaunch. I'm sharing it in my newsletters and have each of those segments planned out for the next two months. The Dark Blade Trilogy is well on its way to being finished. Book 3 is in progress, Book 2 is getting re-edited, and Book 1 is in the design process for the paperback and hardback this week. Soon, I hope to have some wraparound covers to share, and by December I hope to have a full proof copy of Books 1 and 2, with one to come for Book 3 in January.

Why Prelaunch?

• It helps Kickstarters gain momentum and recognition on the platform.
• It gives visibility to the book series.

Please consider heading to my prelaunch page and clicking the "Notify Me" button. This does not commit you to more than an email when the campaign launches. 

Thank you for all of your encouragement and support!

Happy IWSG Day and Favorite Stories!

 

Happy IWSG Day!

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The awesome co-hosts for the October 1 posting of the IWSG are Beth Camp, Crystal Collier, and Cathrina Constantine! 

Our Fearless Leader is Alex J. Cavanaugh!

Our optional question this month is about our favorite stories we've written... 

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My Favorite Things I’ve Written (So Far)

It’s always hard to choose a favorite piece of writing — usually, it’s the last book I’ve published. But looking back, here are a few that hold a special place in my heart:

• Dark Blade Forged (2024) — My latest fantasy novel, and the first in the Dark Blade Trilogy. It’s a story about a cursed sword, justice, and the power of light against shadow.

• “The Top Hat” (3rd Grade) — One of my earliest stories, and the first time I received real compliments on my writing in school. 

• Champion in the Darkness (2013) — My debut novel, and the start of the Champion Trilogy. Publishing this book taught me courage in stepping into the world as an author.

• “Dragonfold” (2009) — My first published short story. Dragons have always inspired my imagination, and this story opened the door to being published.

• “Seedling” — Another short story close to my heart, about growth, hope, and finding friendship in unexpected places.

• To Speak (coming 2026) — A forthcoming poetry collection in a newly expanded edition. 

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New Podcast Mini-Series

I’ve just launched a new podcast mini-series about the writing life, blending travel, caregiving, and creativity. This week is all about “Cacti, Camels, and Writing.” I share about the last few days in Mongolia and what these experiences taught me about resilience, faith, and the creative journey. Each week, I'll also air two shorter episodes with writing prompts. If you get my newsletter, you'll hear a few stories about riding camels and sitting accidentally on cacti as a kid. 

Here's a picture of me on a camel, along with the core mission team:

And the cactus part, well, it's a metaphor for some stuff (see below), and it came from finding this anonymous quote in my dad's calendar:

\

You may be given a cactus, but you don't have to sit on it.

---

What I'm Writing Right Now:

Dark Blade 2 (Title may be changing) is finished as a main draft. 

But I am not ready to release it yet due to some life circumstances. 

I came home from Mongolia to find that I needed to step into a caregiving role for my parents. I am getting help, and I am finding ways to manage this, but I am going to take a beat to figure out how and when to release my next books. They are coming, but not immediately.

Mainly, I am journal writing and writing bits and pieces of Dark Blade 3.

I will let you know as soon as I can work on the release dates, and I may be asking for help. 

How can I keep on podcasting with this? Well, podcasting has been fun. 

And, I'm honestly winging a lot of episodes. Joy + grace = restful enough to do. 

Coming Home September 2025

 Coming home is interesting.

It always is.

The world looks different.

Home looks different.

My dad is in a care center, recuperating from three fractured ribs. He had a fall.

Work (my other work) has many things that need to be done yesterday.

I long to see my daughters and visit my grandson.

I'm writing, but it's currently more reflection on traveling than fiction. I have a plan to get back to fiction writing starting tomorrow. It's a good plan.

I've been podcasting extensively about my trip, with nine episodes prepped and scheduled. 

I've already put out a few, including:

I'm Back!

Mongolia Reflections, Part 1.

I've linked to Youtube here, but you can also find them on Spotify, RSS Feeds, Amazon Music, and More. 

Returning Home and IWSG

 

Happy IWSG Day!

I am traveling and may not be able to get around to comment, but thought I would add a short post today.

Returning Home

 Today, I am flying home. I know from past trips, I am probably thinking of how soft my bed is. I might be dozing. I might be looking forward to the rainy and damp weather Western Washington is famous for. And no matter what, I will be longing for the warm embrace of my husband. 

What do you love about returning home from a trip away, even if it's been a grand adventure?

Fun Facts About Mongolia

• Ulaanbaatar, the capital, is the coldest capital city in the world.
• Mongolia is known as the ‘Land of the Eternal Blue Sky,’ with over 250 sunny days every year.
• Nomadic herding is still a huge part of life.
• And the traditional dwelling, called a ger—sometimes called a yurt—is a round felt tent you can take down and set up again, perfectly suited for a life on the move.
• The latitude of Mongolia and the size of Mongolia makes it similar (but not the same) as Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, and part of Canada just above Montana and the Dakotas. Yet, the population is similar to the greater Seattle area, and half of that population lives in or around the cities.
• Ulaanbaatar has apartment buildings, but it is also surrounded by neighborhoods of gers. The word "ger" not only means the dwelling we think of as a yurt (a Russian rename for it), but it also means home.

How do you describe your home? Is it a land of Blue Sky, Damp Rain, Wide Horizons, Misty Mountains? 

Mongolia Mission Trip and The Knock on My Door

Today, on my 54th birthday, I’ll be leaving for my very first mission trip—to Mongolia! 

I didn’t wait for Gandalf to knock on my door, but the Holy Spirit did knock on my heart at the right time. Even though I don’t feel like the best, most eloquent, or most prepared person, I said yes. No second pocket handkerchief here —but I am bringing a journal, a small tablet, and my phone camera.

I’m both excited and nervous, but most of all hopeful—that I will be an instrument of God’s love and encouragement to those we meet.

Would you pray for us? Specifically:

The fullness of the Holy Spirit for our team and everyone we meet

Good listening hearts

The right words and scriptures at the right time

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. I can’t wait to share stories, pictures, and glimpses of God’s work when I return.

And we will also be taking part in a baptism of new believers! 

IWSG, Moments, and Landscapes

 Happy IWSG Day to all those who participate in the monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group Blog Hop! You rock!

And many thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh and those who are helping out this month: Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Natalie Aguirre, Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen, and Olga Godim!

Today, I will be enjoying small moments that feel vast - those momentous moments of joy and gladness we feel in the presence of loved ones. We are visiting my older daughter, her husband, and our tiny grandson today in Montana. Surrounded by incredible landscapes, we are focused instead on a five month old little boy.

Meanwhile, my Kickstarter is going and I haven't been attending to it as I ought.

Too much life stuff has happened. I got sick, I got better. My dad went to the hospital, and he got strong enough I felt comfortable coming on this trip to see my grandson, but there are more appointments in the future. I realized how close the mission trip to Mongolia is, and my focus shifted to packing plans and such. I found out that my family's preference for packing light (one backpack carryon) and doing laundry while traveling might be more than a little strange to everyone on the mission team (apparently, 12 changes of clothes and at least one checked bag are expected). This still has me reeling a bit. I mean, I know we all have different ideas about travel, but packing light has been so much a part of my life that it's hard for me to wrap my head around doing the opposite for a mission trip. But if no one else is planning on doing laundry, then I need to pack accordingly, which means way more than I normally would.

Anyway, as you can see, my brain is full of everything except my Kickstarter, but Kickstarter campaigns are all about intense focus and campaigning. So, I may have to redo my campaign when the dust settles.

But, because I have the campaign going on, I would love to share a few poems with you from the book - which will come out eventually, Kickstarter success round 1 or not. These two poems are from the Wild Grace section of the book.

Shadowed Movement

Shadowed movement

catches my peripheral,

brown against green.

​

I turn to see

deer, normally bold,

ducking into trees.

​

I still,

checking for predators.

The bushes rustle,

stop.

​

I am chilled

when the howls of the hunt

ring my yard as the sun

dips and the sky darkens.

​

It’s not so quiet living

outside the city limits,

but I do appreciate the chuckling

of the owl when the coyotes leave.

​

Driftwood Curves

Driftwood curves echo

bridges spanning sea water

sulushing on rocky shores

as seals glide and seagulls peck

hunting for sustenance.

​

I hunt for the sustenance of peace

through camera’s eyes

under cloud-covered skies,

chased by scolding seabirds,

until sea meets river, and I climb

away from salty breeze and back to reality.

Find my Kickstarter for To Speak RIGHT HERE.

Have you ever done a Kickstarter Campaign? And, if so, how did you maintain that laser focus in the midst of life?

Kickstarter Journey: Incredible Start! Followed by Bumps in the Road...

 My Kickstarter Journey had an incredible start! Within the first 48 hours, five people came forward and gave me enthusiastic support! Within another week, two more people pledged!

But I have had some bumps in the road. I had an unexpected layover coming home from Realm Makers, followed by lost luggage, followed by exhaustion that turned out to be an illness that turned out to be Covid.

And then my dad went into the hospital a few nights ago. He does not have Covid, but he has some other 87-year-old-type health issues going on. After his grandfather and one of his great-uncles, he is the third longest-lived person in his family, and he has lost so much weight that any illness or infection is dangerous. He used to be 5'6" and weigh 130 lbs; now he's 4'11" and weighs 107 lbs. He looks like the wind could pick him up and blow him away.

He's always rallied—always been a tough but gentle soul. He was born with a physical disability and had experimental surgeries because his family was land-poor, and experiments were what they could afford at the local charity hospital. If you ever wonder why I write about characters in novels who don't make it through their journeys unscathed, my dad lived a horror-show-type existence for two years at a charity hospital that eventually amputated one of his legs below the knee. And yet, he has always been determined to live life fully—skiing, hiking, canoeing and backcountry camping, traveling around the world, piloting his own aircraft, working as an airplane mechanic.

I wrote that last paragraph before I realized what I was writing. I guess this is my way of showing and sharing that the bump I hit is hitting me hard. Although I strive to be tough and gentle like my dad, I am here existing in the midst of messy life, praying and living and writing.

In the To Speak collection, I have a prose poem about my dad. "My Father's Eyes" was originally published by The Drabble in 2020.

Here it is:

My father's eyes hold the stories of the ages. They hold innocence and knowledge. They hold the sky. They hold the sea. They hold the rain. They hold laughter and tears the color of water. They hold rivers and lakes and dusty trails beneath tall pine trees pungent with sap. They hold books read by campfires and lamplight. They hold his whistle and his jaunty walk, as well as his embarrassment and his slow shuffling gait—every step measured for balance. They hold hope for moments of quiet conversation. In my father's eyes, the stories are real.

Prose poems are rare for me to write, but I found it fitting for this collection, which is about speaking up and sometimes using storytelling to speak.

Yesterday, on my socials, I did a video about how I wasn't sure this campaign would finish. I'm still not sure. This bump of health and family health has thrown me off-kilter.

Maybe this will be my one and only fully funded and fulfilled campaign for To Speak. Maybe this will be attempt one of two. Either way, the book will come out.

It turns out there is a history of Kickstarter campaigns that failed the first time around and succeeded the second time. So, if that's the case for me. It's okay. This might not be the right time for this campaign, or for me. I will not quit, but I also know I'm not up for an energetic sprint that Kickstarters seem to require.

If you could share the campaign with friends, I would appreciate it.

Kickstarter for To Speak

I am praying, trusting God with everything, and moving forward.

Wild Grace Lives Here

I live somewhere between city sidewalks and deep woods.
Close enough to hear traffic.
Close enough to hear coyotes howl at dusk.

There’s a small patch of land behind our home—
not wilderness exactly,
but not tamed either.

It’s filled with deer, owls, raccoons, and once, a black bear.
I see deer more often than I see neighbors.
They slip through the yard like whispers.
Sometimes bold, sometimes cautious.
They move with intention, instinct, grace.

And sometimes I stop long enough to notice them.

Slowing down, I begin to pray.
Not always with words.
Sometimes with stillness.
Sometimes with awe.

In those moments, I feel what I call wild grace—
God’s presence through the living, breathing world
just outside my window.

This grace isn’t tidy.
It startles.
It howls.
It doesn’t always make sense.

But it’s real.
And it fills my poems—especially this one:

---

Shadowed Movement

Shadowed movement
catches my peripheral,
brown against green.

I turn to see
deer, normally bold,
ducking into trees.

I still,
checking for predators.
The bushes rustle,
stop.

I am chilled
when the howls of the hunt
ring my yard as the sun
dips and the sky darkens.

It’s not so quiet living
outside the city limits,
but I do appreciate the chuckling
of the owl when the coyotes leave.

---

This is what I try to capture in To Speak—
not just quiet grace,
but wild grace.
The kind that shows up when we pause.
The kind that waits in the rustling leaves.

---

Call to Action

If you've felt that grace—the kind that humbles you in motion or stillness—To Speak may speak to you, too.
👉 Visit the Kickstarter here to read more poems and help bring the collection to life.

And if you're a writer, reader, or wanderer:
May you find wild grace in unexpected places this week.

—Tyrean

Why I Chose "To Speak" As My Poetry Book Title

 My book needed a title that fit its heartbeat.

I first loved “Once Upon a Garden, Green and Gold.”
That poem won an award.
It felt lush, peaceful, safe.

But as I sorted the manuscript, another thread appeared.

Poetry and Grace

Again and again, the poems whispered, “Stand. Speak. Act.”
They talked about courage, even in small rooms.
They named fear, then stepped past it.

I thought of my own journey.

It Takes Courage to Write

Sharing poems in class.
Publishing despite trembling hands.
Facing silence, doubt, rejection.
Each step required voice and bravery.

So I chose the poem “To Speak.”

Two words.
Simple.
Direct.
A challenge and an invitation.

The subtitle carries the rest:
Poems of Inspired Courage, Wild Grace, and Sacred Ordinary.

Gardens still bloom in those lines.
Grace still flows.
Ordinary moments still glow gold.

But the core is clear:
We speak because grace first spoke to us.
We create because courage keeps calling.

Thank you for joining that call.
May these poems help you speak, too.

Support To Speak With My Kickstarter Campaign

Join my Kickstarter Campaign today! If it's early yet, click "Notify Me On Launch" and if you're reading this when it's going, please browse the reward tier options.

Starlight Stanzas: SciFi Vision in 17 Syllables

 

Starlight Stanzas: SciFi Vision in 17 Syllables

Realm Makers Day 2 is in full warp drive. Between panels and meeting up with fellow authors, I’m signing books and swapping story ideas. The common thread? Wonder.

Poetry carries that wonder in the tightest capsule. One of my favorite forms is the 17-syllable haiku—perfect for glimpses of cosmic awe. A fresh piece from To Speak:

Solar sails bloom wide
catching hymn-bright stellar winds—
voyager rise up.

Seventeen syllables, yet entire galaxies unfold. That’s why speculative fiction lovers keep flipping my poetry sample cards here at the booth. We crave the quick gasp of mystery.

If you’re at the conference, swing by and snag a free “Starlight Haiku” postcard. If you’re elsewhere on Earth (or Mars), join the mission online:

➡️ Kickstarter link | 🚀 #SciFiPoetry #HaikuOfTheStars #ToSpeak

Epic Worlds: When Fantasy Meets Poetry

 

Epic Worlds in Verse: When Fantasy Meets Poetry

This morning, I'm arranging my table at Realm Makers Writers Conference and Expo—a gathering of Christian fantasy and sci-fi writers. Stacks of sword-clashing and spaceship novels surround me, yet the little poem stack in the corner is part of my writing, too.

Fantasy, scifi, and poetry invite us to speak in symbols. They ask our hearts to see farther than our eyes. My new collection, To Speak, lives right in that overlap with poems from the real world, but also phoenix-bright free verse. While it's more usual for epic fantasy to live in great tomes of text, it is possible to celebrate epic worlds in verse, when fantasy meets poetry. 

Here’s one of those pieces:

***

Embers by Tyrean Martinson

The wind is gone,

the trees are still,

clouds cover sun,

my heart feels chill.

 

But the embers glow,

and from this I know,

the spark still lives,

and each breath gives

 

Faith to life,

Truth to love,

Peace abiding,

Hope for flight:

 

A phoenix rising.

***

If you’re walking the expo floor, stop by my booth and read more. If you’re miles away, know that To Speak is taking shape on Kickstarter right now—ready to ignite new sparks of courage and wonder. 

➡️ Kickstarter link | 🛡️ #FantasyPoetry #PhoenixVerse #RealmMakers #ToSpeak

To Speak with Fairy Tales and Faith

 

To Speak with Fairy Tales and Faith

My poems walk winding roads.
One road is faith.
God’s grace anchors each line.
The second road is imagination.
Castles, lost crowns, winged lions—yes, please.

I believe stories shape souls.
Parables proved that long ago.
Fairy tales do the same today.
They sneak truth past our defenses.

To Speak binds these roads together.
Light meets legend.
Prayer meets once-upon-a-time.

Below is a peek from the collection.
It nods to every “sleeping” dreamer who still hopes.

---

Sample Poem — “The Sleeper Wakes”

She hears the thirteenth clock strike noon.
No prince breaks the bramble gate.
Instead, a whisper cuts the curse:
“Rise, child of dust and dawn.
Storms need singers, not silence.”
She stands on shaky legs,
brushes off a century of hush,
and speaks—
one word,
bright as brass.

---

Words like these fill the book.
Some bloom from Scripture.
Others bloom from story.
All ask us to wake and speak.

Call to Action

If faith and fairy tales move you, back the project today.
Help these poems find every sleeper who still believes the hope of a new bright dawn beyond the visible horizon.

👉 Kickstarter link: To Speak

Thanks and Gratitude on To Speak Launch Day

 The Kickstarter for To Speak is now live!

Before I shout links and reward tiers, I need to say thank-you.

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First Spark

In tenth grade, Ms. Evans encouraged me to try poetry. 
She thought I might love it.
She was right. One small nudge, and a lifelong voice woke up.

---

Circles of Courage

• Creative Colloquy handed me a mic and let a shaky poem fly.

• The Insecure Writer's Support Group cheered on so many of my fiction and poetry efforts.

• My in-person writing crew passed pages, pens, and conversations over our projects.

• My Thursday accountability author group encourages me every week online to keep chasing down my dreams and putting foundations under them.

• Years ago, an editor took a chance on one of my poems.

Each yes, each gentle bit of feedback and encouragement, pushed To Speak one page further.

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Cover-Art Vote

Last month I posted several draft covers on Instagram and Facebook.
You voted. You argued colors. You encouraged me to consider different images.
Now the book wears a shared vision. 

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Editors, Acceptances, Rejections

Editors who published me: thank you for the green lights.
Editors who rejected me: thank you for the hard turns.
Both routes brought the poems home sharper and braver.

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Today’s Invitation

Because of every teacher, reader, voter, and friend,
To Speak launches with a chorus, not a solo.

1. Back the project if the poems call to you.

2. Share the link with someone who needs courage to speak.

👉 Kickstarter link: To Speak: Poems of Courage, Grace & the Sacred Ordinary

Thank you for giving these words their wings.

Courage, Creation, and The Title To Speak

 

Courage Before “Launch”

As the Kickstarter clock ticks down, nerves rattle louder. The collection is titled To Speak for a reason: it’s a call to step up, speak out, and weave faith with creativity, no matter the butterflies. Yet here I am, tempted to stall, to fuss over perfect copy, to hide behind “research” instead of clicking Publish.

Long posts? Readers skim. Short posts? I fear they miss the heart. The dread says, “Wait until everything is flawless.” The truth says, “Perfection is silence in disguise.” My answer is to break the work into small, honest pieces and share one brave line at a time.

---

Call to Writers

If the blank page shakes your knees, hold the pen anyway. Courage is walking forward while fear tags along—write, post, submit, repeat.

Call to Readers

Ready to see where that courage leads? Peek at my Kickstarter Preview for To Speak and join the journey from first tremor to final print.

IWSG July 2025, A New Book, and Kickstarter

Happy IWSG Day!

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The awesome co-hosts for the July 2 posting of the IWSG are Rebecca Douglass, Natalie Aguirre, Cathrina Constantine, and Louise Barbour!

And as always, we are lead by our Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh!

Optional Question of the Month:

Is there a genre you haven't tried writing in yet that you really want to try? If so, do you plan on trying it?

My answer:

Yes, I really want to try writing adventure-tech-paranormal thrillers as a mashup. And yes, I have some scraps of stories that may eventually come together someday.

My current focus for writing and publishing involves my upcoming poetry collection (see more below) and moving forward with The Dark Blade Trilogy this fall with book 2 on the way. 

Why I wasn’t here last month to chat: we had a family member in the emergency room. Everyone is okay now, but it’s part of my life taking care of my elderly parents as an only child. 

Even with life rollercoaster moments, I still keep on going.

My Big News:

I am launching a Kickstarter Campaign for To Speak: Poems of Inspired Courage, Wild Grace, and Sacred Ordinary. 

This poetry collection will include poems over the last twelve years of my writing life, including a poem that tied for second place in the Lakewold Gardens Poetry in the Gardens Contest from 2022, poems which have been published in various places, and new-never-seen-before poems. 

This is a sample mockup of one of my tiers (almost the highest reward one). Please note this isn't the final cover with all the extras on it - gold foil, etc.

To find out more, head to my Kickstarter Campaign Page (or see Monday's post).

A huge way you can help me without spending any money on the campaign is to sign up BEFORE it even begins. If I have a certain number of sign ups, Kickstarter will promote it to their “regular” backers. 

Praying you all have happy writing and find beauty in life for all the month of July and beyond!

And Happy Fourth of July!

 

A Key Kickstarter Moment - BEFORE the campaign starts

Kickstarter Tip

Did you know that a pivotal moment in a Kickstarter Campaign is BEFORE the campaign begins?

It's true. 

Signing up beforehand helps the campaign get early recognition and helps the reach go farther.

Please consider helping me out by signing up for To Speak: Poems of Inspired Courage, Wild Grace, and Sacred Ordinary!

Click HERE to Help

To Speak: Poems of Wild Grace, Quiet Courage, and Sacred Ordinary 

A poetry collection that invites readers to pause, breathe, and rediscover wonder. Through vivid imagery, gentle strength, and faith-rooted reflections, these poems explore what it means to speak truth, heal from silence, and find beauty in the everyday. From garden gates and library nooks to whispered prayers and owl-watched nights, each poem offers a moment of connection, hope, and renewal. 

This Kickstarter supports the launch of the first print edition, beautifully designed and made for those who love language that listens, sings, and soars.

A poetry collection of quiet strength, wild grace, and sacred moments—now becoming a beautiful book you can hold.

Books, Landscapes, and Worlds we Build

 There’s something magical about the way stories shape our sense of place—and how places, in turn, shape the stories we tell. On a recent episode of the podcast, I shared a mix of recent reads that have swept me across galaxies, fairy tale kingdoms, gritty American towns, and mist-shrouded fantasy worlds. I also talked a bit about the real-world landscapes that continue to shape my writing and my imagination.

Recent Reads I Can’t Stop Thinking About

Let’s start with the books. I’ve been on a bit of a genre tour lately—fantasy, thriller, space opera—and each one brought something unique and memorable.

Black Spire (Galaxy’s Edge – Star Wars) by Delilah S. Dawson
I picked this up curious, and ended up fully immersed. The world-building is rich and cinematic (no surprise—it’s Star Wars), but what truly stood out were the characters. The main protagonist is layered and driven, with a strong sense of purpose that kept the emotional stakes high. If you're a fan of found family dynamics and stories of quiet resistance, this one might resonate with you.

To Steal the Sun by Melanie Cellier
This was just plain fun—a fairy tale retelling of “East of the Sun and West of the Moon,” full of magic, heart, and adventure. Cellier’s storytelling is warm and inviting, with characters you root for quickly. A great read when you want something lighter but still full of depth.

No Plan B by Lee Child
Sometimes you just need a fast-paced thriller, and Lee Child never disappoints. This latest Jack Reacher novel is everything you’d expect—tight plotting, relentless pacing, and a protagonist who cuts through complications like a freight train. It’s the kind of book that reminds me how powerful clear, confident storytelling can be.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
This was a reread for me, and it still holds up as one of the best fantasy novels out there. Sanderson’s magic system is brilliant, the stakes are high, and the characters (especially Vin and Kelsier) remain some of my favorites. Revisiting Mistborn reminded me how much I value thoughtful world-building and the way it intertwines with character arcs.

The Power of Place

As much as I love traveling through fictional worlds, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the real landscapes that shape us as writers and as people.

I’ve lived most of my life in the Pacific Northwest—specifically western Washington—surrounded by evergreens, misty coastlines, and mountains that feel like ancient sentinels. That grounding in fog, rain, and rugged beauty shows up again and again in my own stories, whether I intend it to or not.

But I’ve also traveled far beyond those moss-covered forests—through over thirty U.S. states and several countries. Every new place leaves an imprint: the colors, the textures, the light, the way people move and speak. I believe those experiences feed our creativity in quiet, powerful ways.

In August, I’ll be heading to Mongolia on a mission trip—an opportunity I’m deeply grateful for. I expect that landscape—so vast, so different from the Pacific Northwest—to offer new insights, new metaphors, and new reflections that will eventually work their way into my writing.

Other News

I’m also preparing to launch a Kickstarter campaign for a new poetry collection soon! The page isn’t quite ready yet, but I’m excited to share more about that in the coming weeks. It’s a project close to my heart—drawing on both the inner landscapes of faith and identity and the outer ones of seasons, places, and memory.

Help Me Choose the Cover!

One last thing before I go—I'd love your input! I'm in the final stages of choosing the covers for my upcoming poetry collection, and it's down to just a few favorites.

I originally shared 16 cover concepts on Instagram (yes, I may have gotten a little carried away), but I've narrowed it down to the top 2–3 options for both the regular edition and a special edition hardcover.

💬 Would you be willing to vote and help me decide?
Your favorite might end up being the one featured on the limited edition hardcoverYour feedback means a lot to me, and I want this collection—inside and out—to reflect the hearts of the readers it’s meant for.

So, cream or sage green? 

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How about you?
What stories have you been reading lately? And what landscapes—real or imagined—have left their mark on you? I’d love to hear in the comments or on the podcast page.

Until next time, keep reading, keep imagining, and keep exploring the worlds within and around you.