Yoshiko is on her own—and the road ahead is uncertain.

In the aftermath of devastating loss, she begins to plan her next steps. If she’s going to reclaim her domain, she’ll have to start from the bottom. Among the people. Quietly, carefully, and without support.

But a half-remembered conversation haunts her—something a shopkeeper once said about a foreign man who helps those in need. A stranger with no obligation to her.

And the question lingers: why would he help her at all?

This is Chapter 11 of Origin Curse, read by the author.

Some stories are written in long, sweeping hours. Others are built in the smallest slivers of time.

In this episode’s intro, I reflect a little on what it’s like to create as a parent, and how small moments—early mornings, nap breaks, even scattered thoughts jotted on your phone—can still shape something powerful. Creativity doesn’t have to be fast to be meaningful.

Then, we return to Origin Curse, and Chapter 10 takes us deep into grief, survival, and sacred ground.

Yoshiko has buried her mother. And now she must keep going. Alone, hunted, and with nowhere left to turn, she climbs the mountain in search of a place the soldiers won't find. But what she discovers isn’t just safety—it’s something older, and something that might just change the course of her journey.

In this chapter:

- The aftermath of loss
- A haunting, sacred shrine in the mountains
- A rare moment of connection and hope
- A return to kindness… with a devastating twist

The world is shifting. And Yoshiko is starting to understand just how far the betrayal goes.

🎧 Listen now—and if you're a fellow tired creator, know this: your small steps are enough.

Something’s wrong—and Yoshiko knows it.

In Chapter 9 of Origin Curse, we follow her as instinct turns to urgency, and urgency to devastation. There are signs: dogs, soldiers, broken branches... and something stranger still—white fire and a shimmering tear in the sky.

This is the turning point. A moment that changes everything.

And for the first time, Yoshiko sees what her mother has been up against—all while it may already be too late.

In the intro, I also share updates on my upcoming book Iron Angels—including how my developmental edit is going, what kind of character tweaks I’m working on, and what planning looks like when you’re a parent, a writer, and trying to make space for creative momentum in a full life.

In this episode:

• What a developmental editor really helps with
• Behind-the-scenes of publishing timelines as a working parent
• How small shifts in storytelling can deepen emotional payoff
• A pivotal moment in Yoshiko’s journey—where survival meets sorrow

Listen now, breathe deep, and come with me as we turn a corner in the story.

#FantasyAudiobook, #FromTheAuthorsChair, #OriginCurse, #IndieAuthorLife, #EpicFantasy, #CreativeProcess, #IronAngels, #SlowBuildBigStories