The Lion’s Embrace

Here’s What’s New.

  • The Doggma the Fool

    Fling and flung, ring and run,Our missteps vex the arrogant sun.My words sing true for me, for you,Yet truth eludes woe but so few. Sand and sun, land and gun,We fight, we scrape, and always ache.We kill ourselves to fill our shelves,And miss the peace our souls forsake. Each grain we grasp, a truth we…

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  • A symbolic image of a single glowing lightbulb suspended in a dark space, surrounded by numerous unlit lightbulbs. The glowing bulb radiates warmth and light, casting soft shadows, while the unlit bulbs hang cold and distant, emphasizing a sense of isolation and misunderstood brilliance.

    The Tragic Tale of the Nuclear Boy Scout: A Condemnation of Mediocrity and Society’s Blindness to Greatness

    David Hahn, known as the “Nuclear Boy Scout,” was a figure of tragic contradiction: a young man whose brilliance should have made him a beacon of innovation, yet who instead became a cautionary tale about the cost of neglect and society’s inability to nurture extraordinary talent. Hahn’s story is not merely about a teenager tinkering…

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  • Some random swirls of color that have no meaning unless the viewer decides to assign meaning to them.

    Meaning is in the Hands of the Beholder

    There’s something transformative about art. As creators, we spend countless hours breathing life into our work, obsessing over details, and imagining how it will resonate with readers. But something magical happens when it leaves our hands and meets the world. It becomes something new—something more—because every reader brings their own experiences, emotions, and perspective to…

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  • Publishing a book is a journey—here’s mine.

    For better or worse, here is what it was like to be me this last year creating Lionwood Manor. Let me begin by saying thank you to all the readers who have joined me on this journey and all the readers who have helped get the word out there. You can get Lionwood Manor (My…

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  • Writing Prompt Workshop!

    Want to be seen? Join my writing workshop. Send your piece to [email protected] with your work in the body of the email—no attachments will be opened. Here are the prompts: Write a scene capturing one of the following emotions. Keep it as brief as possible while making us feel it. Max word count: 1500. The…

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  • Three forms of writing spanning history

    Literary Deflation

    Did You Know? It’s recommended to use subheadings to make articles easier to read. Yet for some writers, the very idea feels like spoon-feeding an intelligent audience. It’s as though simplicity, designed to engage, has become a constraint on expression. Write to Your Reader’s Level? A common piece of advice in writing is to “write…

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  • Lionwood Manor By Legan Ray

    It’s up !

    https://a.co/d/6Khe3rG Click here for Kindle but hurry, it won’t be free forever! I’m thrilled to finally announce that Lionwood is published and live on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited! This dark, gripping tale has been a labor of love (and a fair amount of late-night coffee), and now it’s out there for you all to dive…

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  • Risk

    The current definition of languor generally includes: A state of feeling tired or relaxed – usually in a pleasant or dreamy way. This sense emphasizes calm, ease, or a gentle indolence, often without any urgency. A lack of energy or vitality – referring to a weariness or fatigue that can feel unmotivated or sluggish, sometimes…

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  • To Trudge

    A quote from one of my guilty pleasure movies that might get me judged but I love it anyway:“To trudge: The slow, weary, depressing, yet determined walk of a man who has nothing left in his life except the impulse to simply soldier on.”~ Lilium inter spinas, or rather, Geoffrey Chaucer, A Knight’s Tale. Today,…

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  • Lionwood Manor By Legan Ray

    Exciting News

    I’ve just recorded the first chapter of my upcoming novel, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share this journey with you! 🎧📚 But that’s not all! A brand new letter from Jonathan Lionwood has just dropped 🖋️ Dive into his world and discover the latest piece of his story. It’s one step closer to…

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  • Aboard Liberty Venture, June 2, 1792

    My Dearest Abigail, The ink is scarcely dry upon the pages of our farewell, and yet, I find myself compelled to write to you with a fervor I cannot contain, as if by putting pen to parchment, I might bridge the vast and insurmountable distance between us. Though the sails have only begun to stretch…

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  • Caging Ghosts and Freeing Souls: A Journey Through the Hippocampus

    I know I authored a novel about a haunted house, but for me, the ghosts are in my mind. There are some truly terrifying parts of my mind that grab me as I walk past. They began manifesting later in life after I felt like I should be in the most control of my mind…

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  • Up, Down, and Around

    Sand  Sand begats sand. A desert has no plan.  It simply grows until simply nothing grows, The desert that grows in the shadow of my plan. A sea of burning sand, with waves that can only expand. Heavy little broken stones that no longer shimmer or shine. Mired by hope, forgotten by dreams. Shattered ambition…

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  • Hurt Me Please Me

    In joy we rise, in bliss we soar,But shadows creep where hearts adore.In pain we break, in tears we fall,Yet in that depth, we find it all

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  • Abigail June 20, 1792

    My Dearest Lion, As I read your words, my heart stirs with both longing and solace, for though the miles between us are many, your love reaches me as if no distance exists at all. Each night, I too feel the ache of your absence, and the cold that settles beside me is a reminder…

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  • Behind the Pen: Free Fall

    Starting my journey as a writer feels like jumping off a cliff into a fog. My whole life, I’ve been a storyteller, but making a living from nothing is a different story. Terrifying doesn’t encompass the emotions I’ve had since January when I left a solid job that paid the bills to chase this dream.…

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  • Lionwood Manor By Legan Ray

    Introducing Lionwood Manor: A Dark Romance Novel Coming Soon to a Bedroom Near You.

    I’m beyond excited to share a glimpse of my upcoming dark romance novel, Lionwood Manor. This book takes you deep into the secrets of a crumbling mansion, nestled in the heart of a corrupt, Appalachian-influenced town, where betrayal, power, and love clash in unexpected ways. The story follows Sophia, a failed historian who buys the…

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  • A letter written by Jonathan Lionwood July 9, 1792

    The hours crawl as the night deepens, each moment a cruel thief, stealing from me the sight of your radiant form. How I long for thee, my love, to grace the sheets of our bed with the softness of your skin. Your Lion is restless, yearning to enfold you in an embrace that time itself…

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  • Published!

    Thankful to all these people who have helped me along the way: Just kidding, so far its just been me, trudging through the world of self publishing, trying to figure out how to get my words in front of people that want to read them. But soon, very soon, this will be a list. Stay…

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  • Behind the Pen: The Story of a Dark Romance Writer

    Writing and storytelling? That’s where I thrive. But the world of WordPress, marketing, and blogging? It feels like I’ve stumbled into a maze! Excited and terrified in equal measure, I’m learning the ropes—one misstep at a time. From finding themes to figuring out how plugins work, it’s an adventure into a brave new world. Marketing…

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