Scathach is one of the more intriguing and mysterious characters in The Tapestry. The warrior maiden plays a prominent role in Irish mythology and it’s been fun to incorporate her into Max’s story. One of the more common questions I tend to get from readers has to do with Max and Scathach’s relationship. We’ll be learning more about that relationship […]
Here’s another creation that you’ll be meeting in The Maelstrom. This fearsome fellow’s name is Grendel and he’s a cheshirewulf that also happens to be William Cooper’s charge. Like the Cheshire cat of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, the cheshirewulf also has a gummy grin (albeit considerably more savage) and the ability to disappear and fade in with his surroundings. […]
Well, it’s been a little quiet on the Tapestry front but very busy at the Neff household. On Wednesday, my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. Charles Raymond Neff is now on the scene – 21 inches and almost 8lbs. of swaddled fury. Mom and Dad couldn’t be happier and it’s nice to finally meet the […]
In the fantasy genre, heroes enjoy the spotlight, but villains inevitably steal the show. A compelling villain can terrorize, dominate, and even seduce our sensibilities as they lurk in the background or emerge to play havoc with the narrative. Let’s be honest – the Joker is much more intriguing than Batman. Without Darth Vader and his iconic mask, wouldStar Wars […]
It sounds like an oxymoron, but I really do strive for “plausible fantasy”. I want the characters to seem real, the emotions to seem real, and for the world to hang together logically. Magic can stimulate our imaginations, but it can also threaten a fantasy story’s plausibility if the author isn’t careful to place it within some parameters. Take the […]
One of my favorite things to do is design new creatures and concepts. In The Maelstrom, there will be a number of new oddities, including cheshirewulfs, pinlegs, dreadnaughts, Stygian crows, etc. When I’m writing a new creature into a scene, it’s important that I have a sense of what it looks like. That’s when I reach for a pencil and […]
My mother is the first person who reads each new chapter of my books. I can always count on her to provide timely encouragement and constructive criticism as The Tapestry takes shape. On Mother’s Day I want to say a great big THANK YOU to the woman who brought me into the world and raised me. Without her, Max McDaniels […]
So here I am – working away on the manuscript while New York shakes off winter and eases into spring. Some nice days lately, blooming flowers, crowded ice cream shops, and strollers, strollers everywhere. I find myself staring at strollers quite a bit (and probably frightening the parents). My wife and I are expecting our baby boy in less than […]
Greetings from Brooklyn! Life’s been busy these days. As many of you know, The Fiend and the Forge has been released in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and now…most recently in Germany. Thus far the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and I’m gratified to hear that people have been enjoying Max’s latest adventure. I’ve been working hard on The […]
Many readers have asked me if I listen to music when I write. The answer is yes and no. Music is an incredibly powerful force – one that has the potential to flavor, shape, and even dictate mood and creative output. It’s no accident that Frank Herbert’s God Emperor outlawed music as a means of keeping populations docile. Even a […]