Good morning and welcome to The Morning Edit. Today I’m joined by Lee Patton, fiction editor at The Arcanist and author of A Valley of Shadow, a modern reimagining of classic sword and sorcery.

We dive into the heart of the sword and sorcery genre and ask: does it have literary value beyond swords, violence, and adventure? How can internal struggle enhance the external narrative often found in these stories? And how can the genre be modernized for today’s readers?

As an avid student of sword and sorcery, Lee Patton shares why this genre still matters in 2025 and how authors can revive it for a new generation.

If you’re a fan of Robert E. Howard, Conan the Barbarian, Fritz Leiber, or Michael Moorcock, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Pre-Order "A Valley of Shadow" by Lee Patton: https://thearcanist.net/novels/avos.html

Follow my Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thearcanistsrefuge/novels-of-dusk-and-dawn

Pre-Order A Valley of Shadow: https://store.thearcanist.net

Good morning, and welcome to the Morning Edit. This week I'm joined by fantasy author, Lee Patton (A Valley of Shadow). Today we're talking about of our shared experiences studying Literary Theories, such as Formalism, New Historicism, Psychoanalysis, and Post-Modernism and how these things inform our understanding of story as writers.

Follow Novels of Dusk and Dawn on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thearcanistsrefuge/novels-of-dusk-and-dawn

Good morning, and welcome to the Morning Edit. Today, I'm discussing my thoughts about finishing Ashen Rider, the third novel I've written and the first I'll be publishing. I discuss the novel's themes and their relation to my life as well as the state of the publishing industry, and why indie was the clear path for a book like this.

Good morning, and welcome to the Morning Edit. This week I'm joined by professor and author, C.D. Jensen (The Crown and the Caged God) talking about why he isn't interested in writing for a living. Passion cannot bear the weight of our finances. Read The Crown and the Caged God: https://amzn.to/45KRgVd

Good morning, and welcome to the Morning Edit. This week I'm joined by professor and author, C.D. Jensen (The Crown and the Caged God) talking about our need for artistic communities and why they're so integral to the craft of fantasy writing.

Thumbnail art by Joyce Maureira, used with permission.

Good morning, and welcome to the Morning Edit. The show where we can have a casual chat about writing and some coffee. This week I dive into my recent experiences networking and the frustrations I've experienced by depending on Amazon for book fulfillment.

Subscribe to my Substack: https://jdmauthor.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Check out the Arcanist: https://magazine.thearcanist.net

Purchase The Literary Fantasy Magazine: https://store.thearcanist.net/subscribe

Good morning, and welcome to the Morning Edit. The show where we can have a casual chat about writing and some coffee. This week, I introduce the show, review my submission grind and some recent successes. I also discuss why splitting my massive Fantasy book is beneficial for the current indie market.

Matias Trevieso-Diaz Interview: https://magazine.thearcanist.net/the-writing-life-an-interview-with-matias-travieso-diaz

Subscribe to my Substack: https://jdmauthor.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Check out the Arcanist: https://magazine.thearcanist.net

Purchase The Literary Fantasy Magazine: https://store.thearcanist.net/subscribe