Can I have two minutes of your time, and a quick opinion?

This blog is partly a place to share my thoughts, give you updates on my novels, and get feedback. But it's also supposed to be fun and informative for you, so I'd love to get your input on what you want to see in future blog posts.

Which of these topics and categories appeal to you? Please feel free to choose more than one, and tell me your choices in the comments.

1. Updates about my upcoming novels.

2. My thoughts on other people's stories.

3. Explorations of tropes, cliches, great techniques, and common mistakes in fiction.

4. Writing tips.

5. Explorations into the characters, world and plot of my existing novels.

​6. Something else - please describe what you'd like to see.

I look forward to seeing your choices! Thank you in advance. :)

What does the world look like, when it's seen through the eyes of a catgirl, the boy who agreed to watch over her, and the people who get tangled in their crazy mess of a life?

This week, I decided to interview the cast of Catgirl Roommate, and share their answers with you.

If you have any questions to send in, you can meet the cast and submit your questions here.

In the meantime, here's the first interview with the cast of Catgirl Roommate:

Q: Nyla, have you ever burned a house down?

Nyla: No. I made the pretty warm light go across the carpet one time, but then my human threw water on it and turned it into steam. And then she yelled at me, and the carpet was wet. I didn't like that.


Q: Mr. Michi, what are some of the craziest ways in which Nyla has scared away your tenants?

Mr. Michi: As Nyla's last answer implies, she set the house on fire once by batting a candle off the coffee table. And there was one time when she went into heat and attempted to climb a tenant's visiting father. But those are some of the most extreme cases. Usually, it's the little things that add up until they leave.


Q: Sam, did Anton ever try to pet Nyla again after what happened the first time?

Sam: No, he pretty much kept his distance after that. At least, when she'd let him. You know how cats can be - if you don't want them around, they probably want to be in your lap. Besides, I kind of suspect that Nyla can smell fear.


Q: Anna, did you ever think your son was going to have a naked catgirl for a roommate?

Anna: Haha, well, the obvious answer is, I didn't think catgirls even existed until one greeted me at the door! I was a bit shaken at first, and I'm still not sure how I feel about my son living with a naked woman, but... I'm sure he has the self-control not to make any mistakes with her. And even if he didn't, I'm pretty sure she's managed to scare him off of that concept quite thoroughly.

Q: Jack, you used to take care of Nyla. Have any of the criminals you dealt with as a policeman measured up to her in terms of weird craziness?

Jack: There have been a few incidents that came close, but even the weirdest ones were usually more of an isolated incident, whereas for Nyla, it's a way of life.

I've had to send a few people to the hospital to get... some pretty surprising kinds of stolen merch extracted from the places where they'd stashed it. But then there was the time when Nyla got into the mouthwash... or the hamster incident... yeah, she sets a fairly high bar.

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That's all the questions for today, but if you have any questions of your own, feel free to leave them in the comments!

And if you want to pre-order your copy of Catgirl Roommate for just 99 cents, just click the button below:
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Nyla, the innocently misbehaved catgirl.

Probably your most entertaining option. Just don't ask her "when" questions, because unless the answer is "right now", she doesn't understand or care.

Suggested topics: Her opinion on humans in general and Sam in particular, the neighbors' Chihuahua, the neighbors' hamster (RIP), Mr. Michi, Jack, toys with machines inside them, doors, food.


Sam Owen, the put-upon straight-arrow college student.

He'll do his best to answer your questions politely, but the subject of Nyla may induce sarcasm.

Suggested topics: Horror stories about Nyla, horror stories about Anton, non-horror stories about Jack, his backstory, his funniest moments as a catgirl-sitter.


Jack, the policeman who's all too familiar with Nyla's shenanigans.

He's a seasoned member not only of the police force, but also of the We Survived Nyla club. His laid-back attitude and hard-earned wisdom make him a valuable source of advice, but the right questions will bring his twisted sense of humor to the fore.

Suggested topics: Horror stories about Nyla, weird speculations about Nyla's origin, horror/humor stories about his life on the force, advice about how to deal with Anton.


Anton, the ill-mannered, homophobic bull in a china shop.

I can't honestly recommend him, but if you insist...

Suggested topics: Horror stories about himself, horror stories about Nyla (not that he'll admit to them, but you'll get to imagine him looking embarrassed), his history with Sam.


Mr. Michi, the landlord and catgirl caretaker.

A zoologist and world traveler with a keen eye for business, Mr. Michi strives to strike a balance between ensuring that Nyla is cared for, and running the business that enables him to afford dealing with her shenanigans.

Suggested topics: His history with Nyla, his past tenants/cat-sitters, his world travels. Just don't ask him where Nyla comes from; he doesn't know.


Anna Owen, Sam's mother.

She prides herself on her successful business, her gorgeous food presentation, and on having raised such a meticulous, responsible young protagonist. She's worked hard to keep her son on the straight and narrow, and despite her natural trepidation, she's doing her best to step back and let him make his own decisions. Even if those decisions involve naked catgirls.

Suggested topics: Embarrassing childhood stories about Sam, Sam's horror stories about Nyla, her own horror stories about Anton, her reaction to the existence of a catgirl.

​When it comes to weighing morality in fiction, different types of characters seem to be measured on very different scales.

Some character types can get away with things that others can't, while others can be subjected to far more violence with less moral outrage from the audience and other characters.

1. Sparing the top villain is more important than sparing the underlings.
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The heroes have done it. They've cut, burned, shot and bludgeoned their way through the enemy horde, and they've finally reached the person behind it all. The one who's been sending all the minor enemies into battle.

The one person whose death would make the biggest difference toward ending the conflict for good.

But... "No, you can't! Killing is wrong! If you kill him, you'll be just like him! You're the good guy - you're supposed to be a role model of mercy for all the impressionable children watching this!"

The fact that they just killed dozens, if not hundreds, of underlings in order to get to this guy might not even be mentioned. Those guys are generic and disposable. (Yes, I'm looking at you, movie adaptation of Prince Caspian.)

But Heaven forbid that the heroes kill a NAMED villain with a personality. That would be un-heroic! They should stick to slaughtering the nameless, preferably masked or helmet-wearing underlings who are more easily dehumanized - that's just fine.

And if a few hundred or thousand more civilians have to die, because the important villain was allowed to continue their villainy a bit longer?

That's just the price of family-friendly villain handling.

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2. One protagonist is worth more than ALL the 'bad guys'.

When a protagonist dies or gets hurt, there's drama. There's sadness. There are images of loved ones mourning or worrying, woeful music, and unhappy feelings in the audience.

But when an entire enemy base gets blown up, it's awesome. The light show is great, the music sings of heroism, and the corpses and bereaved loved ones are probably not shown.

If this destruction was critical to preventing the enemy from launching a campaign of violence, the reaction makes sense. But what if most of the people on that base were just living their lives and doing their jobs, with no malicious intent...

And what if the people who were killed outnumber the people who were saved?

It's only natural to care more about the characters you've spent time with and bonded with. But if the lives of minor enemies were treated with the same value as the lives of protagonists, a lot of stories would have a very different tone.

3. Revenge is only OK for (some) protagonists.

Whether or not revenge is endorsed depends heavily on the writer, but if the person taking revenge is an antagonist, you can probably count on it being portrayed as tragic at best, or evil at worst.

​On the other side of the coin, there are times when minor characters are created and killed specifically to give the protagonist a reason to seek revenge.

In the case of a heroic avenger, sometimes it will be pointed out that revenge won't revive the dead or give the vengeful party closure. But the odds of revenge being painted as a worthy and heroic goal are a whole lot better if you're the protagonist.


4. Fighting dirty vs teamwork.
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Sometimes, a hero being drowned in a zerg rush of minor enemies is just a chance for them to show how badass they are. Sometimes, it's a portrayal of how the enemy is willing to fight dirty by ganging up on a lone victim.

But how often do you see a villainous team-up being portrayed as the Power of Friendship and Teamwork in action?

Granted, the fact that they're villains makes them less likely than a hero to be motivated by camaraderie.

But I don't think I've ever seen a collaboration of antagonists being celebrated in-story the way a heroic loner is when they finally swallow their pride and allow their friends to help out.

Have you noticed any other double standards when it comes to fictional violence?

I look forward to reading your comments.

I'm happy to announce that the first round of editing on Catgirl Roommate is complete! :) If things go according to schedule, the final round of editing should be done within two months.

If you want to get a sneak peek into the novel, you can download a free excerpt by clicking the button below:

As I get near the end of the writing and editing stage, now I have to consider what kind of cover I want. I've been thinking of various funny scenarios the cover could portray - I want something that shows Sam's and Nyla's personalities, while giving an at-a-glance peek into the comical chaos that the Sam's life has become.

I'll probably upload some concept art in the near future, so hopefully I'll be able to get your feedback on which cover you like best.

In the meantime, enjoy your free excerpt! And if you want to pre-order your copy of Catgirl Roommate at half price, you can do so by clicking the link below: