Novelist

Phiaries (fi-re or fi-rees) are radiant and tiny jelly insects that live in the forests of Bra’dune. Born within the hair of a larlasa, they bloom with light and purity. Their sole purpose has always been to keep all forests in the world pure, enchanting them with their magical auras. After the first Stormrage, when the race of larlasas almost became extinct, so too did the phiaries lessen in numbers. To see a phiarie is a rare sight and often believed to be a blessing by those who are fortunate enough to come across one. Legend has it that if a group of phiaries float around someone, then he or she will prosper with great health for many cycles to come.

When I was writing The Vagrant Chronicle, I wanted to fill the world of Bra’dune with intriguing races and creatures. The mystical phiarie was one of the first mythical beings I invented, which first appears in chapter one. You might be wondering, what inspired me to create them? Well, it may seem funny, but I have always been terrified of insects in our world. I’m not exaggerating; I totally freak out when I see a centipede, roach, spider, or wasp. The only insect that I think is somewhat pretty is a ladybug. Then I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if a fantasy world had gorgeous insects? You know…bugs that actually don’t bug us but make us want to hug them. Yes, phiaries were my attempt to show that not every world is filled with ugly, nasty insects. I’m usually a homebody, but I can assure you, if our world was filled with insects like phiaries, I’d be hiking and camping a whole lot more!

If anyone has a science fiction, fantasy, or horror short story, TZPP (The Zharmae Publishing Press) has a short story contest open this year up until May 5th, 2013. The top 15 stories will appear in their anthology. Plus there will be cash prizes for the top five winners. Writers placed outside the top five may also be offered a contract. If you’re older than thirteen and have a story under 20K words, feel free to check out the contest here. If you by chance miss the deadline, you can still submit your story for the following year’s contest.

I recently found an awesome website that has illustration and short story contests for fantasy and science-fiction writers. It’s called Writers & Illustrators of the Future. The contest has four quarters, allowing three artists in each division (illustrations and stories) to win once. Several cash prizes are included. There is also an annual contest during which the quarterly winners compete. After writing several short stories, I feel it’s time to give this contest a shot. Wish me luck!

January 15th, 2013, was a sacred day for me: I married Abbie, the love of my life. We got married at City Hall (Manhattan) and then went to Florida where we had our wedding ceremony. The weather was gorgeous there, perfect for an outdoor wedding. It was so great to escape New York’s crazy winter for a few weeks. This year has been a beautiful start for us, and it is my hope that this is but the first of many special things to come.

This marriage is a dream come true for both of us. Ever since she contacted me in May of 2012, after reading my debut novel, Red Nova, we have become great friends. In August, realizing our bond was so special, our friendship turned into love. I visited her in Egypt in October where I proposed to her by the Mediterranean Sea. Political trouble in Egypt began soon after, and we were very concerned that another revolution would ignite. By a miracle my wife was able to come here. Things in Egypt are still unstable, which is truly sad considering the amazing history the country has, but I am so happy Abbie is safe here in New York City with me. Now that we are one, we can start a new chapter together as husband and wife.

I never thought being in love with someone who lives across the world would be such an amazing feeling. But this is only because I have met the love of my life. After publishing my second novel, I felt it was time to take a vacation and visit my beautiful habibi in Egypt. If you don’t know, “habibi” means “my beloved” in Arabic. My amazing journey began on October 21st. I won’t lie, I was extremely nervous on the airplane—I’ve never been able to conquer my fear of being a billion feet high in the air (haha). But for my habibi, I was willing—and always willing—to do anything for her, and that meant traveling halfway across the world to be with her.

Being with her was like a glimpse of paradise. Imagine having your very own star that shines its brilliant light just to keep you warm. Imagine having your own goddess who blesses you each moment with her presence. Imagine having your own succubus who furtively seduces you yet turns out to be an angel in disguise. She’s the perfect package: the good; the smart; the sexy; the beautiful. She’s my own personal Nefertiti, and I am her personal Akhenaten. Truth be told, we’re both heretics of the world. We may not worship Aten, but we have our own idea about the cosmogonies of this universe—it’s a secret!

I don’t, however, mind sharing one particular secret with you, which is how we spent our time together. She took me on an amazing adventure to the Pyramids of Giza. It was there where I met Charlie the camel and rode through the ancient sea of sand. Charlie was quite a genius. He would listen and do everything I’d say: Up, Charlie! Go, Charlie! Down, Charlie! He’s the most awesome camel ever. Entering the Pyramid of Khufu was next. It was truly majestic climbing to the pinnacle; and when you are standing in front of it, you will understand why it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Photos simply don’t do justice.

Afterwards, my queen treated me to lunch at a gorgeous outdoor café in Cairo overlooking the Nile River. Yes, that’s right—we were chillin’ with a smile in style for a while by the Nile, and it was worthwhile! Believe it or not, she doesn’t mind my corny rhyming.

Anyway, the food was absolutely delicious. I’ve never tasted such amazing rice pudding in my entire life! In fact, it was so good that I ordered seconds! And while we sat there together we saw several boats pass by us. It was romantic and cool at the same time.

We eventually returned to Alexandria, which is where she currently lives. For three weeks I stayed at Azur, which is a hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Speaking of which, I somehow gathered my wits and guts and proposed to her there by the water. I wanted this to be special, and I knew asking her to marry me by the Mediterranean Sea would be like casting a magical spell because she couldn’t resist me. Well, to hell with it, I’ll tell you another secret—I also couldn’t resist her! From that point on, we hung out at malls, pretended to be models while trying on tons of clothes, checked out the latest movies, and we of course did plenty more sightseeing.

I had an amazing time with my fiancé. Traveling to Egypt was the most incredible experience of my life. Though, hearing about Sandy made me very sad and worried. I’m fortunate that nothing happened to my family here in New York. They only lost power for a few days. Once I knew they were safe I felt better, but my heart goes out to those who lost so much.

Well, I want to end this on a positive note. Life is a journey. Most of us have to work hard every day so that our dreams can become a reality. Although we may suffer at times, there is always a chance to find true happiness. If you have a dream, never let go of it. Keep striving for what you wish for, and if you work hard enough, you can make it happen. I just did, so you can too…and then some. Last but not least, I hope you enjoy the photos below. Peace and love, everyone!

Right now I am feeling on top of the world. After a little more than a month since The Vagrant Chronicle was published, I received the most extraordinary review. In all honesty, I was expecting to receive a review with pros and cons, but Kirkus Reviews gave me an unbelievable review completely full of pros. Best of all, it was acknowledged as being highly innovative. I put my heart and soul into this book, and it is a wonderful feeling to know that it is being extremely well received. Since the review is so amazing, I have to put it below. If anyone would like to see the review on the official site, it is available here.

Kirkus’ Review:

An unlikely hero tries to save the children—and the world—in this complex but satisfying fantasy.

Mor’reius Krelsin is a mercenary with a heart. He lives by the code of xyres, a sort of religious code that involves a quest, completed for gain or for good, but always pursued with honor. Recently, the code tells him one thing: Someone is killing and kidnapping the children of Bra’dune, and he must stop the carnage. Bra’dune is quite literally a fallen land; floating shards of granite scratch the cracked sky, fractured by a past apocalypse that can never be forgotten. But it’s not so fallen that it produces no heroes, and Mor’reius ventures out to save the children who cannot save themselves. (As a child raised in an orphanage, he can sympathize.) However, a few early battles reveal the fact that his foe is no simple man, but a powerful spirit set on destroying not only children, but Bra’dune itself. In creating a fantasy world like Bra’dune from scratch, an author must walk a fine line between familiarity and innovation. If that world is too much like our own, it bores; if it’s too dissimilar, it confuses. Centeno risks committing the latter error, filling Bra’dune with unheard-of gods, mystifying cosmogonies, rhyming scriptures and a collection of undiscovered fauna that would make any zoologist scratch his head. Thus, we twist our way through a land infested with wycalths, quilapedes, swyvins and renjaws. (My kingdom for a horse!) But though we may yearn for a guide to help us on our journey, these novelties are symptomatic only of the author’s enthusiasm and ingenuity. Centeno yearns to create something completely new, and if we immerse ourselves in his cosmos, we will be richly rewarded.

A dark but epic tale of heroism in a very brave, very new world.

Today is one of the most amazing days of my life. I have never been happier to announce that my dark fantasy novel, The Vagrant Chronicle, has been published! It is available via paperback here.

Even though this is the second novel that I have published, it is actually the first story I’ve ever worked on. The journey of writing this novel has quite the history, beginning with a short story called Odyssey of Death. I first wrote it as a teenager and later edited it, renaming it to The Crimson Knight. It wasn’t until I was in college that I began to adapt the story into a novel. The process of writing The Vagrant Chronicle took me four years. I then spent another year editing it.

The Vagrant Chronicle aims to show that whoever we are or wherever we come from, we can shine and make a difference in the world, just like Mor’reius Krelsin, who is the protagonist of the story. It is not only a magical adventure but also a dark, soulful voyage about one’s place in a bleak world and what must be done to succeed regardless of the obstacles at hand. To enjoy my novel, readers should have an appreciation for fantasy.

I wanted to open a new door in the genre of fantasy—a realm where readers experience a fresh, unexplored dimension that will pull them into an unforgettable world of magic. I love traditional fantasy, but I always wanted to be a pioneer, and so I have attempted to create another realm of fantasy—a new sub-genre that does not necessarily rely on the ideas found in classical literature. It is my hope that everyone will appreciate the fresh ideas and subtle nuances in my dark fantasy novel.

This is just the beginning of a great adventure. The press release will be available within two weeks, along with the kindle version. I will also be registering The Vagrant Chronicle into next year’s IPPY Book Awards. In the meantime, stay tuned for book reviews!

Once I met a wondrous artist
Whose colors filled me with warmth

Smart from the start
Avant-garde isn’t hard for her
Her mind is as colorful as the earth
We can never be apart from her art

Always ideal and surreal
Always appealing and healing

The leaves sway as she paints
Every tree knows her presence
All the birds on Earth sing for her
Maybe I am one of those birds

Always brilliant
Always resilient

The world grows because of her
She is a special wonder of the world
Her precious gift will drift across the stars
May her beautiful art always be in our hearts







Rachael, thank you for creating such wonderful artwork. Once again, you have shown me and the world that your illustrations are magical. When readers come across The Vagrant Chronicle, they will clearly see that you aren’t just any illustrator; no, you are indeed a sorceress.

In this blog I would not only like to take you on a magical journey—behind the scenes of my dark fantasy novel’s artwork—but to also help you should you become a novelist. Over the past year I have been working with an amazing design team from Amazon. I’ve not only worked with them on the artwork for my science-fiction novel, Red Nova, but also The Vagrant Chronicle, which is my fantasy novel. Many authors tend to feel overwhelmed with the publishing process, especially when they need to personally oversee every element concerning the design of their novel because they are usually only used to writing and editing.

Creating a concept for your book cover isn’t something that can be done within a day, week, or even a month. It’s important to think about how your cover will appear. After all, it’s your book. Wouldn’t you like the illustration(s) to be as beautiful as your literary work? If the answer is yes, then you want something catchy, and you will also want something that pertains to your story. Try to come up with a basic outline or a few concepts. From that point on, your illustrator will work with you and bring your ideas to life. Be patient and take as much time as you need until you see your exact vision.

Since I have experience creating different concepts of illustrations for my novels, I thought that it would be helpful to actually show you how I communicate with my illustrator, Rachael. Though much of my feedback has been in the form of writing, I have also made videos for the sake of pointing out what can be improved or changed in my fantasy illustrations. If you’re interested to see how this is done, one of my feedback videos (plus a special before and after phase) is below, available in HD.

I hope you not only enjoy experiencing the magic of what goes on behind my fantasy novel’s artwork, but, most importantly, that you find this sample useful. Creating a video may help you convey your ideas to an illustrator should you decide to publish your book. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

I am thrilled to announce that the calendar illustrations for my fantasy novel, The Vagrant Chronicle, are complete. In order to craft an authentic world, I created several cultures and religions. The artwork shown here is a mythical calendar that many citizens and denizens follow in my fantasy world, and it deeply reflects their beliefs and customs. There are a total of seven months, and they are named after the deities whom the people believe in. For example, the sixth month is named Meilos, who is the god of fire and war. This month consists of forty-two days and has five holidays, which are mostly dedicated to knights and warriors alike, as well as remembering those who have lost their lives in battle. Meilos is the god whom the protagonist of my story reaches out to the most.

The majority of people in this world, however, are not warriors. They are peaceful folk—merchants, farmers, herbalists, and archeologists. Many of them are very spiritual; they meditate and pray to receive bountiful blessings. They usually reach out to a harmonious god known as Tauranos, the god of wisdom, and the avatar of all spirits. And as you can see below, the fifth month has been named after Tauranos, which consists of sixty-five days. Identical to the month of Meilos, there are a total of five holidays. The only major difference is that this is a sacred month, and each holiday is related to experiencing enlightenment. In fact, legend has it that if a person meditates and prays eight days a week throughout the month on Mount Zedek—the biggest mountain in the world—he or she will become one with Tauranos and ascend into the firmament.

Every god and goddess is equally special. Sometimes people reach out to one more than the other, but all the deities are always recognized. The months, as well as the holidays, symbolize their spiritual equanimity. Each month has its own unique holidays, and they are related to the god or goddess of the month. Since I wanted the holidays’ names to look exotic, I decided to craft a runic language.

Although most of the runes look abstract, I made a few of them with a more familiar appearance, such as the third rune shown in the left illustration. The translation of the third holiday is Day of Love. When I created it, I was thinking of the first letter of love in script. Then I tilted it and put a loop in its center. Lastly, I delicately added speckles around it, making it more exotic. The final version of this runic illustration will show English translations for all my holidays.

I hope you have enjoyed some of my fantasy novel’s artwork. The world map should be finished within a month’s time, as well as the book cover. Best of all, The Vagrant Chronicle will be published by the end of October. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your summer and stay tuned for more exciting updates!