I write about violence and warfare. I write about horrible monsters and enormous battle engines stomping throughout made-up lands. People often think there is something wrong with me because my books go places that most people avoid thinking about.
But, at the end of the day, as my wife tells me, I’m a pushover. Despite the horrible things I write about, nothing prepares you for real loss. The last 2 years have been unkind to my family.
In 2024, I lost my mother to cancer. While she suffered in...