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The Cloak and Its Wizard: Now Released!

Book Day!

The Cloak and Its Wizard is officially available everywhere!  Happy reading!  (See this page for all the nifty details.)

This is the part where I’m supposed to talk up my book and all that stuff, but honestly, that’s always awkward.

So!

Let’s do some comps instead.  In publisher speak, “comps” are comparable books that can be used to try to convince people that the book you’re comparing to is worth reading.

So, I’ve picked out a few.  None of these are necessarily “good” comps, in an official sense; they’re often too old (industry comps should be books from the past few years).  These are just books I like that might appeal to folks who like my book.

In other words, how about I recommend other books with similar setups or vibes?
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February 23, 2026
What Else Have You Got?

I have a book coming out next week!

So, what else is new?
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February 19, 2026
The Cloak and Its Wizard: Trope List!

So, I’ve heard that it’s all the rage to do a list of tropes that appear in one’s book. Since The Cloak and Its Wizard is just ONE WEEK from coming out (Feb 23, huzzah!) here’s a trope diagram for it.

Keep reading if you want to see my commentary. (Warning: includes links to TVTropes.)
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February 16, 2026
Optimism

Since dystopias are depressing, here’s a smidgeon of happier content.
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February 5, 2026
In Which I Design A Dystopia (or, Resource Curse but Worse)

What if generative AI worked, as well as or better than advertised? (It does not, but roll with me here.) And, as a bonus, let’s ignore the resource consumption, too, just to start.

I’m gonna go off into “what if it all goes horribly right,” but don’t take this as something I think is either likely to actually happen or desirable. Please don’t create the Torment Nexus.
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February 5, 2026
Repair or Replace

If something is broken, when do we fix it? When is it so broken that we’re better off giving up and starting over?

The book that made me ask these questions.
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January 19, 2026
The Cloak and Its Wizard: It’s a Cover!

As advertised:

As a reminder: if you’d like an advance copy (and don’t mind me asking you to write a review), you can sign up for the newsletter here. I’m sending out invites starting soonish, since you’ve handled your Christmas book floods, right?

More on the book (and where you can get it) is over on this page right here.

Meanwhile, if you’re interested in what the eponymous characters would think of the cover…
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January 5, 2026
Sometimes, It’s Just Not Worth Getting Out Of Bed

January 3, 2026
The Song and Dance

In case you hadn’t heard, I have a pub date for my (debut) novel.  (February 23^rd! It’s gonna be a Real Book!)

If you’re sneaky, you can go search the title on Amazon and pre-order the e-book.  My publisher informs me that the files for the paperback take longer, and other purveyors of books don’t have it yet, so if you want a dead tree version or prefer to patronize not-Amazon, you’ll have to wait a bit.  Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when all that happens!

But also, if you’d rather not wait at all, keep reading.

Which brings me to a new phase in the publishing journey: marketing.  And that includes one part I’d expected and should get working on, along with another whose importance I may have initially underestimated.  (Note: this includes an opportunity for you get get your ~~hands~~ electronic devices on an early copy of the book, so if that’s all you’re here for, feel free to skip down to the bottom.)

A tiny teaser of the cover of The Cloak and Its Wizard. Don’t worry, I’ll be showing off the whole thing some time in January.
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December 19, 2025
What If It’s Not A Trap?

I encountered this blog post a little while ago. The basic premise is simple: once you’re committed to a project, don’t get distracted by the shiny new idea. (At least if you want to finish and perhaps publish a book.) Finish your work-in-progress book first.

And this is sensible advice! If you write thirty different first chapters, you’ve got zero books.

But…

Or maybe not? While Admiral Akbar is usually right about this kind of thing, it’s worth checking.
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December 5, 2025