FIRST STEPS is the beginning of Elden’s journey away from home and out of childhood. It’s a thrilling tale of adventure set in the Fourth Age of the earth, a time when magic still ruled the world and all manner of beasts and men struggled to survive; a time of great deeds and heroism, and of course villainy.

Join Elden as he leaves the comfort of his father’s house in an effort to reach his new school: The Academy for State Craft. The school is in a city of intrigue: Peace Hearth, a place where no king rules, but is controlled by the ambassadors from the seven signatory nations that founded the city. The tensions between the founding nations are felt not only around a negotiating table, but also in the very halls of his school. His journey, will take some unexpected turns and he will be forced to grow up even faster than he wants to.

Meet his companions, friends and enemies, who must band together if they are to reach their goal. His neighbor Illan, a gifted elven mage; Galdera, a dwarven girl trying to escape her father’s shadow; the beautiful, and graceful Lindolyn; the copper headed Amus, who never sits still; Tayren, the ambitious squire; and Bilk, an ork orphan from the mean streets of the city. Can they overcome their disparate backgrounds to become a team? Or will their differences doom them?

I’ve been practicing telling stories for a very long time, and this novel began as a challenge to myself after going on Phoenix Comicon’s "Writer’s Quest" a few years ago. Could I write a novel in thirty days? And I almost did, I was on track to hitting my word count goal when life happened and it delayed my finishing the draft by a couple months. I’ve had some aid in editing it from friends who have published their own work, and even began publishing it serially at small local comic book shows. I’d love to get the whole thing out to a wide audience though, and I’m hoping you, and Ink Shares can help me with that.
I’ve embarked on a quest of my own to follow my passions and try to make a go of being an artist. So now I’ve been writing more, and even started a podcast where a few friends and I explore the multiverse of geek culture, and experiment with rules systems playing many RPGs. The show is called Hit or Glitch. Our archives and the place I’ve been posting my writing is www.hitorglitch.com

Thanks for your attention and consideration.