In her teen years, my dear daughter was a great fan of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and a lot of other heroes who learn they have a supernatural heritage and are whisked into a magical world of adventure. I must confess, I became a fan, too! I especially came to appreciate the smart and entertaining take on Greek (and later, Norse) mythology in Rick Riordan’s mid-grade novels about Percy Jackson and Magnus Chase. I was a mythology geek from way back, and I loved the way “Uncle Rick” wove the source material into a modern story.

A while back, I tried my own hand at middle-grade fiction with my Into the Wonder series. I had a lot of fun with it, and dear daughter was a great fan.

As much as I loved the trope of the seemingly ordinary kid who discovers their magical heritage, I always wondered why it couldn’t go the other direction.

And that brings me to Shadow of the King. Among other factors, it began with a simple question: What if the hero was already magical, but he’s whisked into the mundane world?

What if the hero were snatched out of somebody’s D&D campaign and forced to fight monsters on Main Street USA? What if things as ordinary as riding the bus or ordering at McDonald’s were something wondrous? What if elves and trolls and sorcerers were commonplace, but the hero was mystified by refrigerators…and family dinners?

My musings eventually resulted in Shadow of the King, which launches on October 1. It’s geared to an older audience than Into the Wonder, but it still represents my interested in fun, smart, and uplifting fantasy fiction.

If you think it’s something you would like, watch this space for further updates.

The shadow falls on October 1.