What I Write—and Why

Behind epic battles and fantasy worlds lies something far more important than spectacle. I write stories that explore friendship, guilt, belief, and the consequences of our choices—without softening the truth.

I write what I personally search for in so many stories—and so often fail to find. What exactly that is, you’ll discover here.

As the Young Adult genre continues to grow and its target audience has expanded to include (actually) young adults—though YA is technically written for readers aged 12 to 18—I write for adults.

Yup, Young Adult can honestly stay far away from me. I’m not interested in tough young girls who still fall for that one bad boy simply because it’s currently trendy.

And even though I write fantasy, you won’t find magic schools or enchanted boarding academies in my books. (I’m well aware that I’m exaggerating and throwing everything into one pot here.)

I write about friendship—what it means, the values it carries, the rules it follows, where its limits lie, and what it is capable of. Betrayal and abuse stand opposite time and forgiveness. And the question comes up again and again: what does it take to destroy it?

I write about violence, war, and torture. I don’t romanticize or soften any of it. The world is ugly and brutal. But it also gives rise to warriors willing to stand up to it and fight. My characters are pushed to their limits, right to the edge of the cliff—and then shoved beyond it. Only then does it become clear who is strong enough to survive.

I write about drugs: why people take them, what they do to them, to their surroundings, to their lives—and how they influence the way we think. What does it take to overcome addiction? I don’t demonize drugs, and I also write about the positive sides they can have.

I write about religions and mythologies, reshaping and recombining them, creating gods, legends, and myths. I explore their influence on cultures, lives, and worldviews—the effects of false traditions, distorted beliefs, misplaced hope, and the clash of different belief systems.

I write about memories: how they form, what they leave behind, the power they hold over us—and what happens when they suddenly disappear. Their value and importance is something I can’t escape. And if you think I wrapped up that theme with the Raven Trilogy, you’re mistaken. 😉

I write about actions, consequences, and guilt. What price do they carry? What price is one willing to pay? And what if you can’t pay it? How severe must the consequences be for guilt to become irredeemable—and how does one live with it?

I mostly write male protagonists. Others are welcome to fulfill the demand for more strong women in literature. Female characters tend to irritate me faster than I can grow attached to them. If they’re too tough, they often feel artificial to me—and all too quickly turn into caricatures. I don’t avoid them entirely, of course. But you should be prepared for male main characters. And yes, this is a good moment to mention: gay is very much a possibility.

I write conflict-driven dialogue that pushes the story forward. I grow bored too easily by meaningless conversations. I aim for sharp, gripping exchanges that reveal a character’s nature, mindset, motivation, and inner conflict. Conflict matters to me. It’s the fuel that keeps the engine running.

I write about original places. Worldbuilding is important to me and deeply woven into my stories in a natural way. The world has many faces—I try to show them. I draw inspiration from experiences I’ve gathered during my many travels.

I also make a point of taking absolutely everything away from my characters that they hold dear. Anyone who knows my books will tell you: there’s no use trying to hide my sadistic streak. 😉

All of this stirred together in one big pot results in a Roman-sized tome—although I do try to keep the page count down.

Still missing something, you think?

No, I haven’t forgotten about love. And I don’t ignore it in my stories either.

But love comes in many forms and actions. Sex scenes only appear if they serve the plot—or in the other genre I write. And “the fight for love,” whether for a woman or a man, feels worn out to me. But don’t worry. There is more love in my books than one might think at first glance.

Join Sam and Marasco in the raven saga on their journey in The Hunters of the North.