When Does Halloween Begin?
When does Halloween really begin? An old Celtic way of measuring the day offers a wonderfully strange answer—and some irresistible possibilities for fantasy writers.
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Taylen Carver
If Magic Were Real, We’d Regulate the Hell Out of It
What would really happen if magic suddenly appeared in our world? If our experience with AI is any indication, forget tidy guilds and sensible rules. Expect workplace upheaval, regulation, witch hunts, criminals, questionable business models—and somebody levitating his swimming pool for fun.
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The Woods Have Teeth
Fairy tales were dark long before modern fantasy came along. Behind the witches, wolves and enchanted forests were very real dangers—and some surprisingly practical survival advice. Perhaps the woods had teeth for a reason.
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The Weight of Prophecy
Why do we believe a prophecy? The best ones don’t simply predict the future. They arrive carrying centuries of history, belief, argument—and consequences.
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Sigils in Snow Is Out in Street Magic IV!
My newest contemporary fantasy story, “Sigils in Snow,” is out now in Street Magic IV. This time, I brought the magic home—to the snowy streets and ordinary neighbourhoods of Edmonton.
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When a Story Arrives All at Once
Most stories don’t arrive fully formed. They begin as a name, a setting, or the faintest glimmer of an idea, then grow one decision at a time. But every so often, a story appears almost complete. Rainmaker was one of those rare exceptions. Here’s how it came to life—and why, years later, I finally gave it the cover I’d always imagined.
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AFTER THE QUIETING Is Out Today
The Veilwardens have spent generations maintaining the portals between Terra and Aethryn, certain that the balance between the worlds must be preserved at all costs.
But what if the balance isn’t what they think it is?
In Quieting, old assumptions begin to crack, strange events grow harder to explain, and Riva Thorn finds herself questioning truths she has always accepted.
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After the Quieting Is Now Available for Pre-Order
The veil is thinning again. After the Quieting, the first main story in The Veilwarden Chronicles by Taylen Carver, is now available for pre-order. Hidden portals. Unstable magic. A world built on dangerous balance—and the first signs that balance may be failing.
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The Fire Before Summer: Beltane in History and Fantasy
Beltane, the ancient Celtic fire festival marking the beginning of summer, once stood as a powerful turning point in the year—a night of bonfires, fertility rites, and thinning veils between worlds. Though largely forgotten today outside neo-pagan circles, Beltane still echoes through Celtic-inspired fantasy, where it often serves as a moment of magic, transformation, and looming consequence. In this post, we explore the origins of Beltane, how it was celebrated, and why it continues to shape modern fantasy storytelling—including its pivotal role in The Rivers Ran Red and other Celtic-influenced works.
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Must Every Fantasy Hero Be Miserable and Damp?
Does fantasy really need to be grimdark to feel “serious”? I’m not convinced. There is a difference between a story that is painful and one that is hopeless—and somewhere along the way, fantasy seems to have forgotten it.
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