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I am a writer (though not as frequently as I'd like), an editor (both with an independent publishing house and freelance), an avid reader, a student of Tai Chi and the Korean sword-art Haidong Gumdo, and a part-time graphic designer. World mythology and archeology have fascinated me since I was a child. I have long studied the form and function of story.

I believe the interplay between Art and Design is fundamental. Nothing in Art is random. Even the appearance of randomness resulted from a conscious or not-so-conscious decision on the part of the artist.

When editing, I try to help authors realize the effects of their writing decisions, and to make them consider why they made those choices in the first place. The creation of Art is a process best explored with eyes wide open.

Editing Services:
I love working with authors to help them bring out the best elements in their stories while smoothing out problem spots.

I am prepared to work with stories of all lengths and genres, though my specialty lies in the realm of speculative—especially fantasy—fiction.

I cannot, however, guarantee that my services will result in your story being published. Acquisitions are made based on the personal tastes of editors and upon their knowledge of the market, which is ever-shifting. Also, One editorial pass will not always catch all errors or fix all problems. Sometimes it requires several passes to get a manuscript (or ms. for short) totally up to speed.

Books I've Edited and Published:

VEINS by Lawrence C. Connolly

Fleeing from what should have been a perfect crime, four crooks in a black Mustang race into the Pennsylvania highlands. On the backseat, a briefcase full of cash. On their tail, a tattooed madman who wants them dead.

The driver calls himself Axle. A local boy, he knows the landscape, the coal-hauling roads and steep trails that lead to the perfect hideout: the crater of an abandoned mine. But Axle fears the crater. Terrible things happened there. Things that he has spent years trying to forget.

Enter Kwetis, the nightflyer, a specter from Axle’s ancestral past. Part memory, part nightmare, Kwetis has planned a heist of his own. And soon Axle, his partners in crime, and their pursuer will learn that their arrival at the mine was foretold long ago . . . and that each of them is a piece of a plan devised by the spirits of the Earth.

Mermaids. Pirates. Flying ships. Creatures from the deep. Magic beyond your wildest dreams.

The sea is a dangerous and wonderful realm. It calls to many, promising riches, adventure, or freedom. But just as there are beautiful and remarkable treasures to be found upon and below the waves, do not underestimate the dangers hidden within its depths.

So polish your cutlass and prepare your spells for what awaits. Embark upon a journey across leagues of unimaginable adventure. Ride the waves to mystery and magic.

Evil emperors. Powerful curses. Crazed were-gibbons?

Some heroes need to polish their derring-do, while some villains require the know-how of advice columnists to be truly evil. Some magicians should never be left alone with their spells, and some gods aren’t really all they’re cracked up to be. It’s a veritable chorus line of worthless warriors, simpleton sorcerers, and hapless henchmen.

The life of an adventurer isn’t all piles of treasure and damsels in distress, but there are sights to see, quests to complete, and jokes around every corner. So grab your giant axe, vorpal sword, or mystical grimoire—if you are of a mind—and prepare to meet your destiny with a smile on your face.

Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the Badguy features 24 stories that will tickle your funny bone while quenching your thirst for adventure.

There are things that logic and reason cannot explain, and there are beings that have never been captured or catalogued. Elves may feel cramped in the big city, but they can get by. As the wild lands disappear, werewolves may have to be a bit more careful, but they still find time to hunt. And devils and demons still prey upon the souls of the wicked and the unwary.

Features stories by Elaine Cunningham and John Passarella. Introduction by Kelley Armstrong.

Cloaked in Shadow: Dark Tales of Elves
Elves arent always creatures of the light. Some elves thrive in the darkness, stalking their unwary victims for their own twisted pleasure. Sometimes they hunt and kill for the mere thrill. Sometimes their motives are beyond all human understanding.

Inside this anthology you will find elven assassins, kidnappers, and conspirators. You will find elves who are reaching from beyond the grave and those who are throwing away the heritage of their wood-addled brethren. And you will find human beings who are struggling to survive as they find themselves caught up in the games that Sidhe play.

Features stories by Elaine Cunningham and K.D. Wentworth. Introduction by Drew Hayes.

Fantastical Visions III
From heroic to tragic, light to dark, fanciful to painfully real, these stories explore the many facets of the fantasy genre.

An aging wizardess learns more than she expected as she hunts down the last dragon in "The Singing Dragon," while a woman gets more than she expected from a mysterious plant in "Always Greener on the Other Side." A demoness who has seen the error of her ways must still pay the price in "Blood of the Blade," and a boy's coping mechanism comes to chilling life in "Paper Shadows."

All these and more, FV III contains fourteen illustrated tales of and wonder.

Fantasy art by Fantasist Enterprises:

Art by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law from the Fantastical Visions III anthology.

Art by David Seidman from the Modern Magic anthology.