Young Adult Fantasy Author
Take a break from reality with a mysterous read into adventurous fantasy.
For information about beta reading, click here.
I was born and raised in western/central Pennsylvania. After having lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan for several years, I returned to Pennsylvania where I now reside. My love for telling stories began during my teen years and continues to this day. I enjoy writing science fiction as well as fantasy, though fantasy has been at the top of my list over the years. Other interests include learning to play the organ, video editing, photography, and sharing on my Wordpress blog, A Life By Faith, spiritual lessons I have been learning.
Photos by Peter Roush, taken with my Canon Powershot A80 camera.
The scenes are in the woods near my house in PA.
IMVARNAH:
The Locked Garden Door
Book 1 in the Imvarnah Series
Coming Soon!
The cover reveal and release date!!
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What do you do when answering the question, "Who am I," only complicates everything?
Fifteen-year-old Evan awakens in a dying garden surrounded by a twelve foot high stone wall. He cannot recall his past or how he got there. The key to his memories may stand in the center of the garden. A monolithic black stone slab pulls from his mind’s depths uncontrolled screams and pain when he touches it. What is keeping him from remembering?The three people trapped with him provide little help. Two accuse each other of poisoning the third person. That third person, the garden owner, may be the only person who could help him, but the poison is destroying his mind. How will they get out?Evan’s time for solving these mysteries is running out. A growing storm, generated by the dying garden, threatens all with icy death. Evan must face these and overcome deadly lies, creatures of the dark, and the slow returning memory of an awful event buried deep inside of him in order to escape through THE LOCKED GARDEN DOOR.
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Okay, so what’s a beta reader?
A beta reader is someone who reads an unpublished story and gives his/her thoughts about it to the author. It would include what worked and what didn’t work for you. We’re talking about sharing strengths and weaknesses of the story, characters, scenes, as well as what confused you. It is all your opinion.Authors go through the beta reader process because we develop “writer’s blindness” from closeness to our work. We need outsiders to point out the things we no longer see. AI editorial tools are great (I use ProWritingAid), but we still need human eyes and human opinions.What are the qualifications?
There are only two.
You must love reading young adult fantasy stories. If you don’t, it will bore you. No writing experience is necessary. You’re not proofreading my work, just giving your honest opinion.
You have time to read it. I understand; we’re all busy with life. Hopefully, the structure of these beta reading sessions will make it easier for you. I have divided my novel into 6 sections. Each section is anywhere between 30 to 40 pages long. The pages are standard legal size (8 1/2” by 11”) and double-spaced. I’m hoping that a week would work for each section. If you end up needing more time, send me an email. There’s flexibility in the schedule. You will share your thoughts about each section in a short questionnaire. I have added some additional questions after the last section questionnaire that will cover your thoughts concerning the book as a whole.
Where will we do this?
We will use Google Drive and Forms. This way, everything is in one place. You won’t need to email your responses to me. They will be available as soon as you submit your answers. I will send you a link to each section when you have finished the previous section.Do I need a Google account?
No. I will send a link to you via email.What is the story?
Working Title: Imvarnah: The Locked Garden Door
Book Blurb:
Fifteen-year-old Evan awakens in a dying garden surrounded by a twelve foot high stone wall. He cannot recall his past or how he got there. The key to his memories may stand in the center of the garden. A monolithic black stone slab pulls from his mind’s depths uncontrolled screams and pain when he touches it. What is keeping him from remembering?The three people trapped with him provide little help. Two accuse each other of poisoning the third person. That third person, the garden owner, may be the only person who could help him, but the poison is destroying his mind. How will they get out?Evan’s time for solving these mysteries is running out. A growing storm, generated by the dying garden, threatens all with icy death. Evan must face these and overcome deadly lies, creatures of the dark, and the slow returning memory of an awful event buried deep inside of him in order to escape through THE LOCKED GARDEN DOOR.Additional Content Information:
While a fantasy, this story is full of mystery and adventure.
Point-Of-View is 3rd person, past tense.
We see this story solely through Evan's eyes.