It’s “fictional non‑fiction” in the sense that it stitches together real conversations and lived experiences into a tight story about one woman’s journey to places she never expected to go—and the surprising people she meets in a world where solitude may be the hardest thing to bear.
Set in 1996, when Mongolia had only recently opened to the West and evangelical missionaries were among the first foreigners to arrive, the book follows the threads of ambition, Christianity, Buddhism, and everyday life as they all converge around a vanished yoga icon.
Gobi Nights is a quiet story about searching for, losing, and slowly regaining one’s purpose and meaning in a changing world. And it’s about two women who profoundly change each other.
I’d like to invite you to check out my latest books—a fantasy trilogy I’m genuinely proud of. The series is called Monks and Mages, and it includes Where Spectres Dwell, The Nefarium, and The Darker Twin.
At its core, this is Epic Dark High Fantasy.
“Epic” in the true sense: a sweeping narrative with world-shaping events, a broad cast, and a timeline that spans lifetimes. At heart, it’s also deeply personal—almost biographical in the way it follows the lives and evolution of its two central characters.
“Dark” because the story doesn’t pull its punches. There are moments of real terror, dread, and loss, the kind that feel earned rather than contrived. Some of its main characters are anti-heroes. But that darkness is balanced with heart—warmth, sacrifice, and moments that draw tears. It’s written for adults, but accessible to teen readers who enjoy layered storytelling.
“High” because it delivers on scale: powerful magic, formidable antagonists, and ideas that reach beyond the immediate story into larger questions about personal and wider social relationships.
The writing is intentionally dense and efficient. This isn’t a ten-book sprawl—but interestingly, one reader told me it could have been. That is exactly what I was going for. Another reader said “it kicks the shit out of Harry Potter.”
At its center, Monks and Mages is about relationships and growth. There’s wit, banter, and a cast that should feel both vivid and familiar. In fact, one of the most potent characters is Marika, the “Darker Twin”—a woman with no supernatural abilities, but formidable insight and cleverness to match.
Out of curiosity, I once asked an AI to compare the series stylistically. It came back with this:
“It blends the cohesive magic and social upheaval of Mistborn, the high-stakes sorcery and empire-level scheming of The Black Prism, and the razor-edged banter and cons of The Lies of Locke Lamora into an exciting, character-driven saga.”
To that, I would add: it shares a joyful spirit of warmth and intimacy found in The Brotherband Chronicles.
If that sounds like your kind of story, you can find the series on Amazon Kindle. It’s free if you have Kindle Unlimited (see here).
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