Two Worlds

This week, I want to talk about dreams—well, not the kind that come while you’re asleep, but the kind that drive you forward. The ones tied to what you hope to accomplish in a lifetime. When I retire, what will I be known for? You see, I’m a man of two worlds. One is called Cyrell, the other Alderath. Right now, I’m walking the line between them as I work to bring both to life. So let’s explore those worlds and what you can expect from me as I share them with you.

To understand Alderath, it helps to first understand Cyrell, even though Alderath will be the first series I release.

When I was eleven, my friend Lee and I played Dungeons & Dragons for the first time. The dice rolling and adventures were fun, but it was the character creation that really caught us. We’d spend days building heroes and imagining their stories, and when we finally played, we each ran three or four characters at once. It was like watching a whole cast come to life—and those early sessions planted the seed for my love of fantasy later on.

Enter Cyrell

My first character was named Jurak, a beastman fighter—this was Dungeons & Dragons Advanced Second Edition, if that gives you an idea of how long I’ve been at it. Not long after came Triaslen, an elven wizard, and soon a whole cast of others who would one day find their home in the world of Cyrell. I started building that world when I was a teenager. In fact, below is a picture of the very first map I drew—sketched in the deserts of Kuwait when I was nineteen and serving in the Army.

More than twenty years later, Cyrell looks nothing like that first map, but the roots are all there. That was where the world began.

This world has been growing with me my entire life. It’s massive—full of characters, kingdoms, and cultures—and everything ties together in ways that make it both exciting and challenging to write. So why isn’t Cyrell the first thing I’m releasing? Ironically, it’s because it’s too big. Every story connects to another, and the details matter so much that I want to get them right before I bring it to readers.

For example, I’ve already written a full draft of Book One, titled The Songsman. If you’ve read my other posts, you’ll probably see me mention it now and then—it’s a story close to my heart. The bones are strong, the climax hits hard, and the twists land where they should, but the emotional framework for the main character still needs work. It’s a delicate arc, and to explain why would give away too much. For now, I’ll just say this: The Songsman is a project I’ll return to once I’ve sharpened my craft and built momentum through other stories. I need to release books to build a career, and Cyrell deserves the experience that comes from earning that first.

Enter Alderath

One night I had a dream—a vivid, cinematic kind of dream that stuck with me after I woke up. I started jotting it down the next morning, and within two days it had grown into a ten-thousand-word plot summary. I was hooked. The story had energy, heart, and momentum, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. At the time, though, I was still deep in edits on The Songsman, trying to balance both projects like a chicken deciding which bug to eat first.

Then it hit me. This new story wasn’t tied to any of my existing worldbuilding. It was completely free. I could just... write it. No massive history to account for, no interconnected lore waiting to trip me up—just a clean slate. So I outlined it, fell in love with the characters, and realized I had something special. The plot was tight, shaped by everything I’d learned from The Songsman, and the journey built toward a climax that still gets my heart racing when I think about it.

Then it happened.

Enter Layoff

I got laid off from my job. It wasn’t completely unexpected, but the timing couldn’t have been worse—as is usually the case with layoffs. When I started thinking about what came next, I kept coming back to the same truth I’d known since I was a teenager: I wanted to be a writer. My plan had always been to play it safe—work hard, save money, support my family—and then, somewhere in my late fifties, switch careers and chase the dream full-time. Well, I guess I just got there a little early.

Still, I did what anyone would do. I started looking for a new job. The first application I sent out landed me an interview, then another, then another. Everything seemed to be lining up—until it wasn’t. After three rounds, they stopped responding altogether. No rejection, no explanation, just silence. I’ll admit, I was frustrated. That experience, paired with how much the software field has shifted lately, made me realize I needed to diversify and take a chance on something different. So I decided to sit down and write the first draft of Alderath. I figured it would take two months.

It was a long three long months—but I finished it. Along the way, a few things changed, as they always do, but when I reached the final page, I was floored. The story worked. The character arcs hit hard, the plot came together better than I’d hoped, and the climax got to me more than once (in a manly way, of course). When it was done, I knew I had something worth pursuing. So I went all in. Now, five months later, I’m polishing the manuscript with beta readers and getting close to having a professional product ready to share with the world.

So here’s the new plan—my post-layoff plan. Since Alderath is more tightly designed, smaller in scope, and an absolute blast to write, I’m starting my writing career there. Once I’ve built a strong foundation through Alderath’s sales and my growing subscriber base here on the blog, I’ll circle back to the larger work of Cyrell. By then, I’ll have more experience, more confidence, and sharper skills to make my life’s work truly sing. It’s a win all around.

If that sounds like a journey you’d like to follow, I’d love for you to stick around. Sign up for the newsletter to stay connected and get updates as things move forward. And when the time comes, consider subscribing to help support the work and be part of building something from the ground up.

Stop by next week for a closer look at my first release, The Templars of Alderath.