Writing Journey

Every writer begins with a blank page. This page highlights the milestones, publications, and projects that have shaped my journey as a writer—and continue to shape the stories still to come.

2010 — The First Attempt

In 2010, I picked up Evan Marshall’s The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing and decided to see whether I could write a novel.

I dove into an ambitious fantasy project and completed twenty chapters before the story eventually ran out of steam. Although I never finished that manuscript, it taught me the fundamentals of plotting, character development, and the discipline of returning to the page.

One character, however, refused to stay behind. A young sidekick named Oberon remained with me long after I abandoned the manuscript, eventually growing into the central character of my later novels.

More importantly, the experience convinced me that writing novels was something I wanted to keep pursuing.

2015 — First Publication

I published my first novel, Over the Dragonwall, a young adult fantasy adventure co-authored with H.C. Strom.

The novel introduced readers to the world beyond the Dragonwall and marked the beginning of the Dragonwall Chronicles.

January 2021 — Losing a Friend

In January 2021, my friend and co-author, H.C. Strom, passed away from complications related to COVID-19.

For a long time, I believed my writing journey had ended with him. The stories sat untouched, and I wasn’t sure I would ever return to them.

November 2024 — A New Commitment

I made the decision to pursue writing professionally.

I committed to a consistent writing schedule, launched a regular blog, and began building toward a long-term writing career. For the first time, I stopped wondering whether I could do it and simply began doing the work.

2025–2026 — Growing as a Writer

During this period, I:

  • Completed The Witch’s Mandate
  • Began querying literary agents
  • Started revising The Prophecy of the Bell
  • Earned an Honorable Mention from WOW! Women on Writing for The Night I Stopped Believing
  • Published several articles, including a feature for Royal Caribbean
  • Began developing the Ambervale Anthology with other writers
  • Started collaborating with J.T. on the Jerry’s Million Dollar Cocktail Guide
  • Established Dragonwall Press as the imprint for my independently published work

Today

I’m still doing what I have learned matters most: showing up, putting in the work, and trusting that each story will lead to the next.

Currently, I am:

  • Querying literary agents for The Witch’s Mandate
  • Revising The Prophecy of the Bell
  • Publishing new articles every other Friday
  • Developing the first volume of the Ambervale Anthology
  • Expanding the world of Ambervale through novels, short stories, articles, and collaborative projects