Fantasy Blog | Writing, Books & Story Insights

Monster of the Week: The Dark Watchers

Do you feel like you’re being watched? If you live in California within range of the Santa Lucia mountains, you may have caught the eye of the Dark Watchers. Also known as Los Vigilantes Oscuros (which I think we can all agree would make an amazing band name), the Dark Watchers can be found in

Proper Eats Food Hall: Where No One Knows Your Name

Here’s one you’ve never heard: What do you call a food court that charges $20 for a sandwich? I’ll give you one guess. Okay, now that that’s out of the way…the price tag on Proper Eats Food Hall, though high, comes with a lot of benefits, especially for someone who has a computer, a playlist

Eureka! Midwest Taste with a Twist

Y’all know I’m obsessed with Las Vegas. In a good way. But that doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally long for my Midwest roots. The trees. The 100+ days of rain or snow every year. And above all, the food. Since I’m not a weather god and I believe in drought-resistant landscaping, getting those first two

Monster of the Week: Mishipeshu

If you find yourself traveling in the Northwoods on your way to Lake Superior, you might consider stopping off for a pack of cigarettes before you get there. You’ll need them to curry the favor of Mishipeshu, the Great Lynx and guardian of lakes and rivers. “Some lakes are known to change their appearance abruptly

Monster of the Week: The Morrigan

Do you get the sense that something big is coming? A battle or a confrontation? Do you have that strange feeling of being watched? If so, you may want to take stock of the birds in your life, because one of them might be The Morrigan, Phantom Queen and prophet of war and death. Though

Skinny Dugans: A Writer’s Paradise

There are two kinds of casinos. The first is the one everyone pictures when they think of Vegas: big and bright, with slot machines, table games, an attached hotel, a pool complex, and so on. The other one is what I like to call a “video poker hut.” These are the ones you see when

Image of Belial Prince of Hell in front of a mountain pass

Monster of the Week: Belial

Are you feeling restless? Rebellious? Eager to sow your wild oats? Then you may be in the presence of Belial, Lord of Pride, Bringer of Corruption, and Crown Prince of Hell. “In courts and palaces he also reignsAnd in luxurious cities, where the noiseOf riot ascends above their loftiest towersAnd injury and outrage; and, when

Monster of the Week: Nyarlathotep

Are you plagued by anxiety and fears for which you can’t identify a source? Do you suffer nightmares, especially in the wee hours of the morning? If so, your town may be enduring a visit from Nyaralathotep. “The sparks played amazingly around the heads of the spectators, and hair stood up on end whilst shadows

Picture of The Park outside Beerhaus near T-Mobile Arena and Las Vegas Golden Knights

Knight Time at The Park

Before I launch into this, I want to give you some idea of my pedigree. I grew up in Minneapolis during an era of multiple (ultimately disappointing) Viking Super Bowl runs. I attended college two hours south of Green Bay the year that the Packers won their last Super Bowl. And I spent eight years

Culture Creativity at the Springs Cafe

Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of people complain about Las Vegas being a cultural wasteland. While gambling and spectacle tend to hog the spotlight, and we do run light on traditional cultural touchstones like art museums and theaters, I beg to differ (and FYI, I’m not the only one). But appreciating the culture

Author S.G. Tasz