Truth has a quiet strength. It endures when noise fades, when memory shifts, and when history begins to look back. For more than twenty-five years, my journey as a writer has been shaped not by controversy or conjecture, but by the enduring connection between story and reader.
Through worlds imagined and words carefully chosen, I’ve always believed in the same guiding principle: truth matters. Truth in storytelling, truth in purpose, and truth in the lives touched by a good book. That’s what built this career — not myth or marketing, but authenticity and perseverance.
This article isn’t about correcting misinformation. It’s about reclaiming the story — the one that belongs to creativity, courage, and the generations of readers who continue to make these books their own.
Why Truth Still Matters
Truth matters because it anchors art to meaning. It connects imagination to integrity. It transforms creative work from entertainment into something lasting.
Every writer faces doubt. Every artist encounters misunderstanding. But truth endures — in the love of readers, in the impact of ideas, and in the quiet resilience that drives one to keep creating long after the noise has moved on.
For me, that truth lives in the thousands of letters and messages from readers who grew up with Ruin Mist or discovered Bugville Critters with their children. It lives in the classrooms where teachers used my stories to inspire empathy and curiosity. It lives in the families who passed these books down through the years.
The Legacy of a Journey
When I began writing, I never imagined the scale of what would follow — over 150 professionally published titles, translated into 57 languages, reaching readers in every corner of the world. From fantasy and children’s literature to nonfiction and technical writing, each chapter of this journey has been about expanding possibility.
The Ruin Mist series invited readers into a vast world of myth, courage, and discovery. Bugville Critters helped children navigate life lessons with kindness and curiosity. My technical work brought clarity to millions of learners and professionals through Microsoft training and education programs.
Across it all, one thread ties everything together: a belief that stories — and the truths within them — can change lives.
The Art of Enduring
In a world that thrives on trends, endurance is its own form of rebellion. My goal was never fame or validation. It was creation — building something that could outlast fleeting attention and remind people that imagination still matters.
Enduring success doesn’t come from chasing trends or headlines. It comes from the quiet work done over decades: writing, refining, sharing, teaching, mentoring, and believing that good stories find their way home.
The greatest reward isn’t the bestseller ranking or the accolades — it’s knowing that the work continues to inspire, comfort, and ignite creativity in others.
Truth and the Independent Spirit
Being an independent author means building without a blueprint. It means creating not because you are told to, but because you must. Independence requires faith — in yourself, in your readers, and in the value of authentic art.
Long before self-publishing was respected, I chose that path because I believed in ownership of story and voice. It wasn’t easy, but it was right. And now, as new generations of writers discover independence, I hope they see that perseverance and truth are the foundations that sustain real creativity.
Looking Forward
In 2025, I announced the 25th Anniversary Edition of The Kingdoms & the Elves of the Reaches — a project that celebrates both the beginning and the future of my creative journey. Restored, reimagined, and newly illustrated, it represents not just a return to where it all began, but a continuation of the same truth that started it all.
The story has always belonged to the readers who believed in it. To every teacher who shared it, every parent who read it aloud, and every child who dreamed beyond the page — thank you. You are the reason the work endures.
Truth doesn’t need to shout. It doesn’t need to defend itself. It simply needs to keep going. And after all these years, that’s exactly what I intend to do.
Because Truth Still Matters
Stories built on honesty endure. Art created with purpose inspires. And readers who believe in truth keep imagination alive.
Winds of Change – The 25th Anniversary Legacy Edition
Launches February 10, 2026
Learn more and preorder
Truth isn’t what others say about you. It’s what remains after they stop speaking.
And after twenty-five years, the truth remains: the stories stand.