Take a stand against the wicked.

The last 10-15 years have been a difficult time for stories. Remake after remake in the movie theater, or the sequels nobody asked for, or the sequels everyone asked for but what we got was lackluster at best. Some of the greatest let-downs in storytelling–be it video games, books, movies, or TV series.

I took notice of the shift in storytelling that came along with this era. A lot of mainstream stories started to subvert standard story expectations. Good vs. evil turned into evil vs. other evil, with the hero being the lesser of the two. Or the hero would rise but perish before completing his journey. Or the hero never really had to go on a journey–they started out more or less perfect and finished that way.

The irony is: those who sought to subvert expectations all arrive at the same destination: a jumbled mess with nowhere to go, and the ending always disappoints.

The largest casualty of this shift has been the male reader audience. I understand why fewer and fewer men read when many modern stories seem focused on making men look terrible to make women look “awesome” by comparison.

But there is a better way, and it might be what we’ve had all along. Classic themes of good vs. evil. Villains you want to see destroyed; heroes you want to see win. Dragons to slay, demons to banish, and kingdoms to lead into glory.

The stories I write feature strong men who understand courage, honor, respect, and have the will to do what is right. Their lives are far from easy. Sometimes they lose. Sometimes they lose it all. And in those moments of greatest weakness, the strength to persevere is found.

And, maybe along the way, we have some laughs for good measure.

If you feel like this resonates with you, I encourage you to give my work a try. I put my heart and soul into it and I believe it shines through the pages.

Click here to take a look at my fantasy adventure: The Crown of Nightingale.