Bio

In 1990, I answered a teeny little ad in the back of Writers Digest magazine, an open call for a new series of novels in a fantasy setting called the Forgotten Realms.  I called the number given, talked to managing editor Mary Kirchoff, and bought all the novels and game products she recommended.  Back then, there weren’t many.  I read the contents of the Old Gray Boxed Set several times and fell in love with Ed Greenwood’s world. Two novels in particular, The Crystal Shard (R.A. Salvatore) and Azure Bonds (Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak), made me want to play in this sandbox. So I wrote the proposal for what became Elfshadow, my first published book.

Since then I’ve written over 20 books, most of them in licensed settings.  For years I’ve known that I really should write creator-owned fiction.  I started a couple of urban fantasy novels before I knew what urban fantasy was, and I worked on a sprawling historical novel that just kept on sprawling until I got lost in the research. (Go ahead–ask me anything about 16th century Scotland.)  I ventured out of  established settings in 2007 with the Changeling Dectective novels, but those books developed someone else’s characters and basic story concept.

My growing desire to write something that was entirely my own coincided with the rapid rise in ebook popularity. The idea of writing a series of “e-riginal” fantasy novels began to sound feasible.  I had an outline for a novella-length story with characters I liked, a setting I wanted to explore, and elements that interest me:  elves, music, alchemy, and the complicated relationship between magic and science.  And since e-publishing allows for non-traditional lengths, a novella seemed like a great way to kick off the series.  Honor Among Thieves clocks in at about 35,000 words, and the next two stories, Honor Bound and Word of Honor, will be considerably longer.

So. That’s the plan.  I’ll also keep writing for traditional publishers.

When I’m not writing, I manage to find far too many other things to do.  Reading, of course, and studying topics that interest me.  I’m a former music teacher and I still putter a bit with music–singing with the Providence Singers, playing the celtic harp, attending concerts.  I love gardening and travel, two passions that tend to be at odds with each other.  I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart for over three decades. We have two great sons, Andrew and Sean, and one eccentric Siamese cat.

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