Last year, I read my first novel by Charles Gramlich, The Swords of Telera. Set on an artificial world replete with the exotic alien humanoids, inter-dimensional portals and action it is in some ways characteristic of other novels of the fantasy genre.

To be honest, the fantasy genre isn’t my cup of tea. Yet Swords of Talera kept me turning pages until the very end. It’s masterful in its descriptions and in its pacing. The characters are psychologically complex and interesting, most notably Jask—who kinda strikes me as an intergalactic biker type with an odd, yet consistent morality. In short, it’s a fun novel for those who just like good reads, whether they like the genre or not.

The second Gramlich book I read, Cold in the Light, was very much my cup of tea, dealing as it did with government conspiracies and cryptozoology—with allusions to various ufology issues as a bonus. Needless to say, I gobbled that one up in several sittings. The same writing strengths that made the fantasy Swords of Talera surprisingly enjoyable for me made Cold in the Light quite special.

If you’re into these types of stories, I recommend both books very highly. If you’re not, I still recommend them.

Now Gramlich has come out with another book that’s going to the top of my reading list: Write with Fire, which offers his insights on the craft of writing. I am familiar with the author’s writing style from his books, his blog, and a couple of short stories. He indeed writes with fire. I’m therefore eager to listen to anything he says about the subject.

You see, some days I fancy myself as a bit of a writer. I know some of you do too. For those of you who, like me, want to improve your game, it can’t hurt to read the thoughts of someone who’s really good at it. And like me, you might want to move this up to the top of your reading list.