Randomize ME

Little Kimberly,
To save her half-demon friend,
will fly in airships.

This is a sequel to The Legend of Kimberly: Inheritance.

The premise of the series came about many years ago when I wrote a short story about a little girl who loses her grandfather. My own grandfather had just recently passed away, and all I could think about were the stories of U.F.O.’s he used to tell me about, and how I would never get to hear them again. The main character loses her grandfather, but discovers that all of his stories were not only real, but that he is a refuge from this magical place.

I liked the idea of being able to recapture those lost memories in the form of something real, and experience them firsthand again.

The main character Kimberly is very dear to my heart for many reasons.

I wanted to portray a young woman who is forced to grow up very suddenly. She comes from a tragic background. When she gets the opportunity to become a hero and travel the land she loves so much, she spends quite a bit of time learning the hard way. Her family’s history follows her around like a black cloud, forcing her into that role of adulthood.

I put the poor girl through such misery, and after each trial she comes back full of rage and intent. Her choices may not always be the right ones, but they are hers to make.

I teach middle school math and science.

As far as affecting my writing, it really decreases the amount of time I should be putting words to paper. A a matter of fact, I am answering these questions after spending four hours (no, I am not exaggerating) grading.

I do get the chance to meet a lot of young people who will inevitably become ingredients for future characters in my books.

I am really excited about one of my works in progress, a story called Phantom Valley. It is a horror story that is a direct sequel of one of my short stories. I enjoy it because it gives me the opportunity to stretch my own twisted imagination.

This story stemmed from an old ghost story about how a bunch of miners accidentally discovered a gate to hell. Of course, in Phantom Valley, this gateway goes to where the Old Ones live, a place of banishment. When they are released, it is up to a teacher with a haunted past and a paperboy to save the day.

I really get to evolve my characters before slaughtering them off.

Old school Piers Anthony, Roger Zelazny, and even J.R.R Tolkien.