As some of you may know, I was diagnosed with (mild) Asperger's Syndrome (one of the Autism Spectrum Disorders) a few years ago. My Asperger's manifests as:

• Awkwardness in social situations
• Not always knowing what to say or how to respond when someone talks to me
• Missing social cues that are obvious to other folks, like body language or the expressions on people's faces
• Disliking change
• Lack of eye contact or reciprocal conversation
• Obsession with specific, often unusual, topics

The desire to understand my brain (atypical as it is) has driven me to research all sorts of neurological/psychological/mental/emotional disorders in order to understand what makes other people tick. I've found it to be such a fascinating well of knowledge, and it makes for some amazing characters. This short story collection is a passion project for me. It gave me a chance to delve into what it means to live with autism, PTSD, fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer's, putting these disorders and syndromes into a dark fantasy story to give more insight into what makes us different, but never damaged. The stories are all set in Voramis, the city from The Last Bucelarii (Book 1): Blade of the Destroyer, and you'll find a few familiar faces throughout.

Different, Not Damaged

Strength from Weakness Disability becomes Power Coward. Penitent. Artist. Thief. The world saw weakness. Their true strength lay hidden. Betrayed by mind and body, these people fight to survive in a grim world that takes no pity on the weak. Yet their burdens may prove the true measure of their character. Their challenges were real. The dangers were immense. Will they triumph? You'll be hooked by this collection of fantasy stories that shatters the preconceptions of what is possible. With each page you'll be drawn in further and further. These stories may even change the way you see the world. Get it now.