Hey! Thanks for reading my book. Or at least considering it. The Unconventionals series has its origins in my teen years. Back then, I was obsessed with fantasy novels like The Lord of the Rings. But I was also frusrated that there were never any characters in these books with whom I could truly relate. So I invented stories with characters and situations that felt more familiar to me. I never wrote these stories down, not wanting them to be accidentally discovered. But whenever life as a closeted gay teen got to be too much, I’d escape into the fantasy worlds I had created. Fast forward several decades and I had finally learned to accept my gay self, came out, and even married the man I love. I no longer felt I needed to live in a fantasy world. That is, until the real world seemed to take a darker turn and I found myself once again seeking refuge in imagined stories and adventures. This time, though, I decided to write these stories down. A few years later and here we are. The Empath and the Soldier will soon be released and I’m already working on its sequel. My hope for these books is that they serve as an escape for anyone weighed down by life, whether because of personal struggles or just the general state of the world. I also hope that those who have struggled to see themselves in “conventional” fantasy novels might find characters and stories in The Unconventionals that are more relatable. But whatever the reason, I truly appreciate everyone who has taken the time to explore this world I’ve created.

A.K.