Connection and Conflict

I’ve been exploring the different ways authors create suspense; ways they grab a reader’s attention and hold it throughout the telling of their tale. So far I’ve brought you examples of action and adventure, mystique and intrigue—today I’ve got a beautiful example of connection and conflict.

In this case, connection and conflict […]

Realism with a Twist

Calling a book “fantasy” often evokes in the mind of the listener something like The Hobbit, Watership Down, The Dragons of Pern, or Star Wars—imaginary worlds populated with non-humans who have heroic adventures that may or may not be human-like. For some people, that’s a real turn-off. They prefer gritty reality.

The truth is, “fantasy” […]