book review: Saints & Monsters by Ellen McGinty

What ho, folksies! How do you do? I hope 2024 has been treating you all well so far. Me, I've gotten to the point where 2023 already feels like ancient history. (Who knew college finals could make one month feel so long?) Now it's almost sakura-blooming season in Japan and in honor of that, we're …

cover reveal: saints & monsters by ellen mcginty

Happy Year of the Dragon, folksies! Today I'm pleased to participate in a cover reveal for one of my favorite authors, Ellen McGinty--the writer of The Water Child--for her upcoming YA fantasy novel Saints & Monsters. If you like dragons, princesses, and Japan-inspired settings, you had better keep reading. photo by @createexploreread on Instagram This …

strawberry moon: a flash fiction (christmas around the world 2023)

It was the scent of strawberries that stopped Mika in her tracks. “What smell? I don't smell anything.” Her partner sniffed, trudging through a pile of unshoveled snow on the edge of the sidewalk. He paused to clear the undersides of his boots with a whiff of purple magic. Turned to slush, the discarded snow …

silmaril awards 2023: the most epic hero ceremony

This is the third time in a week that I've had to run to the park. Thank goodness it's finally starting to cool down here--Tokyo weather is a beast, and not every fantasy character has a wardrobe suited for summer-in-fall. Or umbrellas for that matter. I check the weather forecast on my phone one last …

in the middle of voting week, a message on an arrow flies into my room…

"Are you kidding me?" I stare at my print of Desmond, Laudilas, and Kennet from Illuminare, which is now pinned to my art wall in two places. Poor Desmond's face has been ravaged by the tip of the arrow. To add insult to injury, the message has slipped off and fallen into the crevice between …