7 personal inspirations for my dark paranormal fantasy

While my dark paranormal fantasy touches on some disturbing real-life inspirations, that’s not universally the case. Sometimes, the apple don’t drop too far.

Most readers familiar with my work know that I crave more complex narratives. I’m not the kind of author who dives into simple plots, recycles overdone tropes, and writes the same story a casual reader finished 20 minutes ago.

Instead, my work is layered, and intended only for those who like it when authors whose work they read give their brain a workout. But, despite the complexity that my dark paranormal fantasy brings, more than a few inspirations are, well, localized. And that’s what I’m sharing with you today.

1 – The county fairgrounds

The lake has a no-swimming policy due to the number of drownings that occurred there. It’s the lake I pictured at Fenn University that Kaija becomes almost too familiar with. Underwater currents are notorious here, and there’s a good reason the spillway has a cage around it.

Fun fact: When I was young and dumb, I used to walk across that earthen dam. I probably wouldn’t do it now, with those strong currents right under me. But hell, back in 2006, it was a thrill.

2 – That old, abandoned school

I went to middle school at the northern tip of the county. But next to it was this rundown, scary-ass abandoned building that used to be a grade school, I believe. In the middle of Cursed Mage, Kaija has class in a building where the top part is sealed off. I’ve often pictured that old school as the building at Fenn U.

As for the school itself? They boarded the whole damn thing up. And I should’ve tried to find a way in when I had the chance. That thing’s long gone now.

3 – Local ghost stories

So many of these things occur near water. Might be because I live near a river, plus numerous creeks and streams that empty out into the Ohio. Either way, there are a lot of adults and children who met their respective ends because of drowning.

Two tales might involve the same girl. She fell into the creek and drowned. But at the nearby state park, a girl in white is constantly looking for her mother.

4 – Kent State University

Newsflash: I hated this place. But the campus itself was a dandy. Way too big to be in Ohio’s snowbelt, but if you relocated it somewhere down south? Oh, it would be one of the most popular universities in America. In nearly every book I write that involves a college, I always base the campus on Kent’s.

Fun fact: I used to walk that campus daily, even during the coldest months, in a tank top. People thought I’d lost my mind.

5 – The nearby trail

Early in Cursed Mage, Kaija walks and runs on a trail and there’s a creek flowing next to it. It’s based on a trail that’s located two minutes from where I live, complete with a creek whose waters are so blue you can drink out of it.

Oh, and if you want yet another fun fact, that same trail appears in my dystopian survival novella, Beyond the Lost Horizon. It also plays a pivotal role in a book I won’t release for quite some time. But it’s a book I wrote four years ago.

6 – That relative nobody likes

One common denominator in Cursed Mage? There are some weird-ass dudes in it. And that’s no accident. I have more than a few relatives who nobody really likes for a plethora of reasons. Mainly because they’re the, “self-righteous, I’m going to talk over you if you disagree with me” type. Or, they’ll just fantasize about other people’s deaths behind their backs. No, seriously…

7 – State Lake

It’s hard to call this thing “State Lake,” since if you ever visited the “lake” in question, it looks more like a glorified creek. Or, as locals call it, a “crick.”

Anyway, whether it’s a lake or a creek is up for debate; a simple search calls it a lake. What’s true is this: I based the area around the fairgrounds-inspired lake on State Lake’s landscape. It’s woody, but so deep in a small valley and so isolated that there’s almost a magical quality behind it.

Ready to see all seven of these real-life inspirations in action? Then get your copy of my dark paranormal fantasy, Cursed Mage, and have at it. While the book itself has more mature tones and a complex plot with strong libertarian political themes, it doesn’t mean I didn’t have my fun.

Get it today at my personal store, The Rebel Lore Vault. Support small stores and platforms like the Vault, and quit feeding your money into the beast known as Amazon.