Duncan Allred

Whether you’re an old friend or a new fan, I want to extend a heartfelt welcome to you. I don’t have anything specific to discuss in this first blog post, so I apologize if it becomes rambling or nonsensical at any point. I am easily distracted from the point, so maybe it’s best that there isn’t one point to be had here.

My writing journey started when I was quite young. From the moment I could speak with any level of coherency, I was creating characters that most people would have defined as “imaginary friends”. To me, they were always something more. To this day, despite the fact that I write fictional stories, the characters within them are very real to me, and hold a place in my heart. I think that readers often feel the same.

I meandered through my early twenties, pretending that I would be satisfied with doing something other than telling stories. I worked warehouse jobs, had a stint in fire suppression, and even went to culinary school. One day I’ll talk about my love for food, but for now, I’ll simply say that these various career paths left me feeling hollow and dissatisfied.

Eventually, while out on a sunrise hike with the man who would eventually become my cover artist, Wes Wood, I was driven to realize that no career path other than telling stories would fill that void. It was then that the devopment for Iron and Snow began.

The book went through many iterations before it became what it is. At first, it was meant to be a short story in a collection that would have been akin to The Witcher, alongside a myriad of other tales, but as it took shape, I liked it so much that it took on a life of its own and became what it is now. At first, it was just going to be a standalone book. The only one to take place in Mir’talen. As I wrote it however I fell in love with the world I had created, and the possibilities of it felt endless.

And so we come to today. Iron and Snow is available for anyone to read and now you, dear readers, are taking the first steps in a journey across Mir’talen alongside me. I don’t know how often I’ll update the blog, but at minimum, you’ll get one a month. Sometimes more, but never less.

Thank you again. Welcome to a world of magic, darkness, and healing. I hope you enjoy Iron and Snow.