Professor Almond enters the virtual realm for his continuing fieldwork in Human Studies Soon you'll be able to chat with one of my favorite characters from my Guild of Ornamental Hermits books, the "truly beautiful" Professor Almond, a professor of Human Studies in the Elven Realm. The Professor's tragic loss of one of his dearest…
The Witching Work – Out This Spring!
Publication date to be announced, but "soon." I am so looking forward to the second book being out this year! People who have read the first really want the sequel and I can't wait for them to read it. Stay tuned for more news from me and the publisher, Strange Particle Press (an imprint of…
The Time-Warp Solstice Story
Update! A Guild of Ornamental Hermits Solstice is now available for free via Kindle Unlimited! And here's the video I just made as a teaser for this story: https://videopress.com/v/E7wFnHw6?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Enjoy this short video! Original Post: My publisher encouraged me to write a short story with a seasonal theme (as in Winter seasonal). I have called…
There’s Elves, and Then…There’s Elves!
Who among us does not have a complicated relationship with Elves? Who among us has not received conflicting messages about them? Are they tiny woodland sprites captured by Santa to toil 24/7 making plastic toys with corporate packaging stamped with "made in..." but we know where those destined-for-landfill toys are really from? Do we consider…
“The Queerest Quest” Has Begun!
November 1st (my birthday) is also the start of each year's National Novel Writing Month, fondly known as NaNoWriMo. In NaNoWriMo 2016, I launched my fantasy novel, The Dire Deeds of the Guild of Ornamental Hermits, and continued to write all year. In NaNoWriMo 2017, I continued work on Dire Deeds and then revised and completed…
You Need a Scorecard to Keep Track…
Joe Hillstrom Sidley Croom Joe and Sidley are on again, off again lovers. Artwork via HeroForge.com. Oyster Olson Babe Bump Tomma Bedlam Three of the main characters. Artwork via HeroForge.com. Here is a list of some of the relationship configurations involving the characters in The Guild of Ornamental Hermits fantasy series. Check out our characters…
Why a Tale of “Mid-Life Magic?”
I grew up reading fairy tales and fantasy fiction. I always wanted to see myself as one of the characters in whatever I was reading and/or have that character's abilities. Childhood examples include: Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (for having the coolest submarine and for being disgusted with humanity); Doctor Doolittle (for being…
“Hermitville in Hawai’i” – A Subtext of Spiritual Settler/Colonialism in Occupied Lands
Hawai'i nei (beloved Hawai'i) has struggled with many, many forms of invasion over the last few hundred years - people, invasive species, political, military, economic, spiritual, and so on. The results have not been happy or sustainable for either the islands themselves or for the original people, the Kanaka Maoli. This blog is not going…
The Guild of Ornamental Hermits 