So here I am - working away on the manuscript while New York shakes off winter and eases into spring. Some nice days lately, blooming flowers, crowded ice cream shops, and strollers, strollers everywhere.

I find myself staring at strollers quite a bit (and probably frightening the parents). My wife and I are expecting our baby boy in less than two months now and the reality of becoming a father is starting to set in. We've been tackling a project each week - putting up drapes, building a crib, attending birthing classes, etc. Babies are complicated creatures who need a lot of stuff...who knew?!? We're very excited to welcome our little guy into the world and no...he will not be named Max ;)

But enough of that stuff - let's talk Maelstrom! I've been racing against the baby to [...]
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One of the toughest things about writing a book is editing the same. Those who have read The Fiend and the Forge know that Max encounters a particularly horrifying monster that has been terrorizing a farmhouse in the Kingdom of Blys. While trapped in the monsters' well, our hero discovers a strange arrangement of furniture and possessions - akin to an office or study. In the original draft of Fiend, Max also discovers a letter that gave grisly clues to the monster's past. It was interesting read as it gave us some insight into the events of The Second Siege from a third party's perspective while further fleshing out the character of Prusias. Here's the letter...

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I've received a number of emails about vyes over the past few years - the inspiration behind them, how they're differentiated from werewolves, and all sorts of interesting questions.

For those unfamiliar with the creatures, vyes are the first villains that Max encounters - the advance guard of the Enemy.  Vyes are wolfish, jackal-faced shapeshifters who enjoy toying with their prey and often work in pairs, saving their feral aspects for the final moment when their quarry is beyond escape.  Tapestry readers further know that riddles both fascinate and torment vyes who suffer from a peculiar compulsion to stop everything and solve them.  If you ever think you might be in conversation with a vye (be wary of any human with red, itchy eyes and a penchant for violent, omino [...]
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