Hey there! Just a quick note to tell you the crowdfunding campaign for Last Roll of the Die went live yesterday—and if you back before tonight, you can still get Early Bird deals on the rewards. Go back Last Roll of the Die! My story "Twice Burned" is one of twenty short stories included in the anthology, and follows Danica Burns on a brand new case, investigating a rune-covered body found in Washington State's Lake Crescent. This deluxe anthology was edited by Mary Stone and J.D. Barker—and...
8 days ago • 1 min read
Hey there! As you might remember from my last email, all of the authors included in the Last Roll of the Die anthology are in a bit of friendly competition over who can get the most notification sign ups before Last Roll of the Die launches on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. And here's the good news—you all came through for me... but the guy in the lead also had a bit of a surge. So I'm still in second place! Which means we have three days to catch up. Remember, this isn't just me winning a...
13 days ago • 1 min read
Thank you all so much for the fantastic response to my announcement about a new Danica Burns story. Y'all really know how to make an author feel special. 🥰 The long story short, in case you missed it: I have a story in the new Reader Nation anthology (edited by Mary Stone and J.D. Barker). It's called "Twice Burned," and follows Danica Burns on a new case, investigating a rune-covered body found in Washington State's Lake Crescent. Last Roll of the Die is a collection of twenty thriller...
26 days ago • 2 min read
Hey there! A body in a lake, covered with bizarre, ritualistic runes. A family with a dark secret. An FBI agent who will have to dance with her demons if she wants to solve this case. That's the premise of "Twice Burned," my newest Danica Burns story. When I was invited to submit a story for consideration to the new Reader Nation anthology (edited by Mary Stone and J.D. Barker), I knew I wanted to go deep into the woods. So I returned to one of my favorite places on Washington's Olympic...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey there! I took a break from my usual type-type-type mode of working yesterday, and spent the day in the studio at Microcosm Publishing, recording an audiobook. And I hope it's good, because those may be the last words I ever speak. 😅 Wow is my voice tired today. I was recording the audiobook for my creative productivity guide, From Chaos to Creativity: Building a Productivity System for Artists and Writers. I've wanted to see this book (and my other nonfiction) in audio for a long time...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hey there! I love reading thrillers (you will be shocked to find out—so shocked). When I could only listen to audiobooks while I was recovering from my eye injury (more info, for newer readers), I binge-listened to Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles books in series order. Partly because I adore Tess Gerritsen, partly because they've been out long enough that they were all available at the library without any wait time. Those books are dark, but reading them was weirdly comforting. (Except for...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hey there! I've written before about how much I enjoy researching locations in the Pacific Northwest as I'm writing the Danica Burns books. (Like in this essay about the guy I met in a bar in Cle Elum.) One of my favorite parts of the research is visiting museums. The weirder, the better. For example, I spent a happy few hours wandering around the Cranberry Museum in Long Beach, WA, learning about the process of the cranberry harvest and admiring all the horrifying implements that could...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hey there! I'm home from my trip and back at work—no more frites and cheese for me for a while! Which is sad for my soul, but probably good for my cholesterol levels. ;) But being back at work does mean writing new books—which is very very good for my soul! I told my VIP Crew about this last month, but I wrote a new Danica Burns short story for an anthology, and that's gotten me rolling on the draft of Book 1 once more. Writing's been slow recently for a lot of boring work-related reasons, so...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hey there! I’ve spent the past week on a cycle tour of northern England and the Lake District, and the thing that struck me—again and again—was how familiar it all felt. Not just because I spent a bit of time in the Lakes during a study abroad program in college, but because of how embedded some of these towns and landscapes are in literary culture. As we walked along Hadrian’s Wall, I couldn’t help but think of Game of Thrones and the Ice Wall protecting known civilization from unknown...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hey there! I’ve been on the road this past week, visiting family back in the Old Country: the Netherlands. Windmills, tulips, and bicycles galore. Yes, Kwak is a Dutch name! (Though it’s a much more common Korean last name, so you’d be justified if you were wondering if that’s my provenance.) A year or so ago, I asked my ocularist to make me a Delft Blue eye as a nod to my heritage, and this week I got to wear that eye at the Royal Delft Museum. I grew up with Delft Blue dishes all around me....
5 months ago • 4 min read