Why Things Happen?

Who among us know why things happen the way they do? Sure, we like to think its because we are the masters of our tomorrow. The captains of our ships. But are we really? It seems like every time the ball gets rolling a bump appears. Sometimes this bump is insignificant and easily overcome. Other times it leaves us reeling, wondering what just happened to all of our carefully designed plans. Whether divine intervention or just plain life getting in the way we all must weave through the maze of daily life.

My mind works much the same way. I was asked how I come up with my stories. The official answer: beats me. Sometimes a name pops into my head and I build a world around. Other times I see or read an idea that I really like and wonder: how can I twist this to be mine and different? The concept for Where Have All the Elves Gone? is basically a stern middle finger to the sickening phase where sparkling vampires and silly teenage girls in love with briefly took over the fantasy realm.

Anyone who has read my work should know I generally shy away from elves and dwarves and all of the ridiculously overdone fantasy races. Sure, I use them, but to limited extent. While it is much more difficult, I enjoy creating new worlds with new races while still delivering a roaring adventure. When the vampire craze struck I was all but disgusted. So, I created a world under our very noses where elves, dwarves, and even dragons exist without our knowing it. Can you imagine going to work one day and finding out your boss is really an angry dwarf? Or a haughty elf filing paperwork? (My favorite character was the giant who wears tie dye shirts and listens to the Grateful Dead- I personally couldn’t tell you a Dead song if I had but the notion was amusing to me.)

Worse, can you imagine getting into an adventure involving dark elves and light, a pair of angry dwarf bankers with way too many guns and a shady government organization claiming to have the best interests of the people at heart? Me either, but if you dare, take a trip over to see a wild, one night ride through the heart of North Carolina that I call Where Have All the Elves Gone?

Read on, my friends. Read on.