Writing Craft
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Perfectly Imperfect: What It Means to Be Human in the Age of Machines
The central question I kept in mind while writing Tide Song was “What does it mean to be human?” This question was relevant to both the non-human Kopri, as well as to the Koro-Kah, who viewed people from other cultures as less than human. With the rise of AI machine ‘intelligence,’ this question appears increasingly
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Building Story Playlists: Music’s Impact on Writing
Writers often speak of a muse that inspires their work. For me, that muse has always been music—not just as background sound, but as a living, breathing part of the writing process. It sets the mood, drives the rhythm, and gives each story its heartbeat. At Heart Tide Press, music shapes everything I create. It’s
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Lessons from Quicksand: Courage and Adaptation
When I was growing up, Tarzan was huge—TV shows, movies, even animated features. And in every single one of them, some hapless minion always got sucked into quicksand. But never Tarzan. Not the hero. To a twelve-year-old, that was pretty cool. And if the hero did fall in, you knew he’d grab a vine or
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Why Do the Powerful Always Just Take What They Want?
In Tide Song: Melody of the Deep, the Koru-Kah Empire’s conflict with the Kopri illustrates a common trait of powerful people and empires: they take what they want without regard for the rights of others. The Koru-Kah, driven by greed and a desire for control, see the ocean and its creatures—like the intelligent, non-human Kopri—as
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Why Sailors Climb Crow’s Nests: Survival Insights
Ever wonder why sailors risked life and limb to climb a swaying mast?In Tide Song: Melody of the Deep, Koru-Kah sailors don’t just climb for drama—they climb for survival. The crow’s nest isn’t just a storytelling trope. It’s a lifeline built on math, physics, and the need to see danger before it sees you. If
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Slow-Burn Stories: Why Some Readers Prefer Wonder Over War
We live in a fast world—but not every reader wants a story built on explosions and battles. Some of us want to sink into a world slowly, like sliding into the sea. Tide Song is for those readers. It’s a story that builds through atmosphere, world-building, and emotion. You’ll hear the surf, feel the coral
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Not Every Hero Runs: Why We Need More Disabled Protagonists
In too many stories, strength is shown by running, fighting, or flying. But what if courage looks different? In Tide Song, Kei’s legs don’t work the way others’ do. She struggles on land. She uses canes. But in the water—her voice carries farther than anyone else’s. Her mobility may be limited, but her power is