What does writing science fiction and fantasy allow you to do that other genres don’t?

Science fiction and fantasy, in particular what I might call the “golden age” works from authors such as Tolkien, Le Guin, Card, Herbert, and their modern equivalents like V.E. Schwab or Laini Taylor, tackle big, existential questions, “good versus evil” being the most obvious. Chaos Woods deals with this issue in what I think is a unique way, by focusing on truth versus lies.

Did you use other science fiction and fantasy novels to help frame or develop yours?

One subplot of the Chronicles of the Ever-Guise (Chaos Woods is Book I) involves a thief’s revenge. After watching [the 2024 film] Monkey Man on a flight, I thought that its structure might serve as a guide. I outlined that film scene by scene. When I tried to fit my thief’s tale into the Monkey Man outline, the structure didn’t fit very well, but it was a fun process and did inspire me to rethink my try-fail cycles. Studying movies, novels, and short stories definitely builds the mind’s “leaf mold” for growing original tales, as J.R.R. Tolkien would say.

Which do you prioritize and why—storytelling or worldbuilding?

Chaos Woods contains autobiographical elements: I grew up in the mountains, surrounded by forests and wilderness, in a small town where everyone knew everyone else’s business. I love the wild places—and the feeling of being lost—which definitely shows through in the novel. That said, I never begin a story unless several “brainstorm” elements seem to come together. In this case, it was the forest, the town, the feisty and stubborn protagonist, and the Spring Sale, where magical artifacts from the woods are traded. They all popped into my imagination as separate elements but felt like they belonged to the same tale. That’s how I knew I could begin writing.

Did you choose to create a heroic lead? Why or why not?

I do love heroes such as Ethan Hunt from the Mission Impossible franchise. Watching Hunt do mind-boggling stunts gives us all inspiration to do what seems impossible—such as get up at 6 a.m. to work out, work long hours at a boring job, or endure chemotherapy. However, I didn’t go that route. Telyn Brower has fewer strengths than Hunt and far more flaws. She definitely has a moral core, and by the end of the series she’ll act heroically, but she’d much rather avoid all that hard work and trouble if at all possible. Naturally, hard work avoidance tends to get her into further trouble.

What are you working on now?

I recently finished the draft of Chaos Empire, Book II of the series. I’m hard at work polishing it for an October 2026 release, while simultaneously outlining Book III, which will conclude the series—unless it’s exceptionally long, in which case I might have to split it into two volumes. The story takes our heroes from the wilderness into a sprawling city, and even deeper into danger…

Portions of this Q&A were edited for clarity.