Fred Phillips's Blog

I’m happy to announce that I will be a panelist for Imaginarium 2026, July 17-19, in Louisville, Kentucky. Read the Imaginarium release and visit my page there.

As I previously announced, “Dreams of Gold and Fire” has also been named a finalist for Best Middle Grade Novel in the Imadjinn Awards, and winners will be announced during an awards ceremony at the convention.

Programming will be decided in May, and I will share my schedule as soon as I have it in hand.

Also be on the lookout for more information about my schedule at LibertyCon 2026, June 26-28, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where I’ll also be a participating pro.

The post Join me at Imaginarium 2026 first appeared on Fred Writes Fantasy.

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The latest in a string of honors for “Dreams of Gold and Fire” came on Thursday with the announcement of finalists for the 2026 Imadjinn Awards.

“Dreams of Gold and Fire” was named one of three finalists for Best Middle Grade Book of the year.

The news comes on the heels of “Dreams” winning the Critters Reader’s Poll for Best Children’s Book a few weeks ago, and an awesome review from Amy’s Bookshelf last week.

The recognition for my debut novel has been awesome and a much-needed positive boost. I appreciate everyone who has read the book and shown support. I hope that you’ll enjoy “Sons of Gold and Fire” just as much when it lands in a few months.

The winners of the Imadjinn Awards will be announced on July 18 during the Imaginarium Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

The post first appeared on Fred Writes Fantasy.

The post appeared first on Fred Writes Fantasy.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Daniel Roberts of the Dad Lit Podcast earlier this week. Our conversation was wide ranging, covering what inspired “Dreams of Gold and Fire,” what drew me to writing books, how my feral childhood plays into the things that I write, and a number of other topics.

Having been a journalist for nearly 20 years, one of the weirdest things for me these days is being on the other side of the questions. I hope I did OK. Luckily, Dan is a great interviewer, so he made me sound a little smarter than I felt.

Listen to the Podcast

Also, in case you missed it, Amy’s Bookshelf dropped an incredible five-star review of “Dreams” earlier this week, calling it “a magnificent boy’s adventure tale.” I’ll also make an appearance on Amy’s podcast on May 24. I’ll drop a reminder and a link as we get closer.

Finally, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve signed the contract for the sequel to “Dreams.” Look for “Sons of Gold and Fire” from Raconteur Press in mid-spring. I’ll be sharing much more about that as it gets closer.

The post Dad Lit Pod and I talk feral childhood and books for boys first appeared on Fred Writes Fantasy.

The post Dad Lit Pod and I talk feral childhood and books for boys appeared first on Fred Writes Fantasy.

Last week, I asked for your votes in the annual Critters Reader’s Poll, and oh man, did you guys turn out for it. On Friday, the results were released and “Dreams of Gold and Fire” finished at No. 1 in the Best Children’s Book Category.

Thank you to everyone who voted for “Dreams of Gold and Fire,” and everyone who has read it. Getting the book published in the first place was a dream in itself, but then debuting at No. 1 on Amazon, and now this. It’s all pretty awesome. And now, I can say I’ve written an award-winning bestseller. Man, that feels good.

The second book in the series, “Sons of Gold and Fire,” was turned into Raconteur Press late last year, and I expect it out sometime in 2026. I’m also hard at work on the third book, “Knight of Gold and Fire,” which will finish the story arc started in “Dreams” (though I do have the seed of an idea for at least one more adventure for Aron and Doubloon after that).

My horror comedy story “In Nomine Patrice,” from It Came from the Trailer Park 5, didn’t fare quite as well in the poll, but still finished a respectable sixth place. I suspect it wasn’t quite horrific enough for the award audience.

Thanks again to everyone who voted. Onward and upward.

The post ‘Dreams’ wins annual Critters Reader’s Poll first appeared on Fred Writes Fantasy.

The post ‘Dreams’ wins annual Critters Reader’s Poll appeared first on Fred Writes Fantasy.

If you like my stories — and since you’re here, I’m assuming you do — I have a quick favor to ask. I’m nominated in two categories in this year’s Critters Workshop Reader’s Poll, and I’d appreciate a vote if you’re so inclined. Voting closes on January 14, and there’s no cost. All you have to do is provide a valid email.

My middle grade novel “Dreams of Gold and Fire” is nominated in the Children’s Books category.

Vote for “Dreams”

“In Nomine Patrice,” from It Came from the Trailer Park 5, is nominated in the Horror Short Stories category.

Vote for “Patrice”

Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day to help out.

The post Vote for ‘Dreams’ and ‘Patrice’ in Critters Reader’s Poll first appeared on Fred Writes Fantasy.

The post Vote for ‘Dreams’ and ‘Patrice’ in Critters Reader’s Poll appeared first on Fred Writes Fantasy.

It’s that time of year again — time to look back at what you accomplished the past year and think about what you plan to do in the coming one.

Though, I didn’t quite accomplish everything that I wanted to do in 2025, I did meet most of my goals. Here’s a quick rundown of how it went.

319,497 words written4 books completed8 short stories completed24 submissions, 2 acceptances3 publicationsMiddle grade novel: “Dreams of Gold and Fire,” Raconteur PressShort story: “In Nomine Patrice,” It Came from the Trailer Park 5, Three Ravens PublishingShort story: “The Fading Storm,” Where Legends Walk, Oddity Prodigy Productions

If you want a deeper dive into how my 2025 went, read the recap on my Substack page.

As far as 2026 goals, here’s the quick rundown. I go into more detail over on Substack.

Write 300,000 words.Get “Sons of Gold and Fire” published.Write “Knight of Gold and Fire.”Write a new book for adults.Put together and publish a collection of my short stories.Keep trying to find a home for the books that don’t have one yet.Work on my marketing skills.

And, of course, I once again have a couple of “secret” goals that I’ll keep to myself unless I accomplish them.

Here’s to a great 2026. May you accomplish everything you hope.

The post Time to set those 2026 goals first appeared on Fred Writes Fantasy.

The post Time to set those 2026 goals appeared first on Fred Writes Fantasy.

If you haven’t had a chance to read my debut novel “Dreams of Gold and Fire” yet, you can snag it on the cheap this weekend. The ebook is on sale for $2.99 through Monday, Dec. 1. It’s regularly $4.99, so that’s a real Black Friday deal, not marked up and marked back down like most of them.

The book is for kids or kids at heart who still believe that their dreams can come true. You can also catch up on the story before the sequel, “Sons of Gold and Fire,” arrives in 2026. Here’s a little more on the story:

Aron dreams of knighthood and battling dragons, but life in his quiet village means herding sheep and facing his father’s disapproval. When his parents dismiss his ambitions as childish, Aron’s determination ignites into rebellion. He runs away, chasing a chance to prove himself as a knight and protect his home from encroaching goblin raids.
The city tests him and finds him wanting with hostile streets, trouble with local bullies, and a brush with the law that leave him reeling. A kind knight, Devan, offers guidance and sword lessons, sparking hope that Aron’s dreams might come true, for a time. Fleeing new troubles, he stumbles into the mountains, where a chance encounter with a goblin and an unexpected ally lead him to a hidden valley—and a discovery that changes everything.
Aron finds wonder in the valley, forging a bond that teaches him courage and the value of trust. When danger threatens his village, he must decide how to protect those he loves, even if it means risking his newfound friendship.

Get “Dreams of Gold and Fire.”

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The post Get 40 percent off ‘Dreams of Gold and Fire’ appeared first on Fred Writes Fantasy.

Heroes come in many different forms and from all walks of life, and a great many of them will be represented in “Where Legends Walk,” out now from Oddity Prodigy Productions.

My contribution to this collection, “The Fading Storm,” includes its share of “Bang! Pow!” comic book action but focuses more on relationships.

As a teenager, Suzy adores her grandfather, but she’s outgrown his silly stories about being a superhero. When she was younger, she ate up his wild tales and claims that the once-popular comic book character Storm Guardian was based on him and his adventures. Now that his health is failing, she’s struggling with her own emotional reaction to watching the man who was her hero fade away. When a strange woman comes to visit her grandfather, Suzy may learn things that completely change how she views her Papa.

Get your copy today.

The post Up, up and away to ‘Where Legends Walk’ first appeared on Fred Writes Fantasy.

The post Up, up and away to ‘Where Legends Walk’ appeared first on Fred Writes Fantasy.

The Halloween season is upon us, and for the second year in a row, I’ll have a story featured in Three Ravens Publishing’s annual It Came from the Trailer Park anthology.

Volume 5 of the collection of humorous redneck horror will include my story “In Nomine Patrice.” When she sees a poster advertising a fly-by-night circus in her small town, Patrice raids her stash to take her two sons. They’ve promised elephants, her youngest’s favorite animal, and she’s determined that he’ll get to see a real one. The Circus Infernus, though, will give them more than they bargained for, and it will be enough to test Patrice’s strength, will, and faith.

There’s a bit of a story behind this one, which you can read more about on my Substack page in the coming weeks.

It Came from the Trailer Park, Volume V releases on Halloween. The electronic version is currently available for pre-order, or you can pick up the dead tree edition on release day.

The post Halloween horror from the trailer park first appeared on Fred Writes Fantasy.

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I’m not sure what I expected on release day for “Dreams of Gold and Fire.” After all, I’ve never been here before. But the reality far exceeded any expectations that I might have had.

The day started off with a groundswell of support for the release from friends, family, and folks in my writing circles. The number of people sharing posts and talking about the book was incredible. It seemed like almost every time that I opened one of my social channels throughout the day, I saw a new mention of it.

Then I got a fantastic first review from Upstream Reviews. Graham Bradley had plenty of kind words to say about the book, including these that really hit home for me:

As I read it, I kept thinking “This is gonna be some kid’s Eragon book. It’s gonna be the book that makes him want to keep reading, and he’ll grow as a reader, and he’ll always look back on this with fondness for showing him what he could enjoy.”

That is, after all the ultimate goal, and it would be amazing to be sitting at a convention 15 or 20 years from now and have a young adult come up to tell me that one of my books was the reason he started reading.

But the final icing on the cake came in the early evening hours, when I checked the Amazon rankings to find that “Dreams of Gold and Fire” was ranked No. 1 among new releases in the Children’s Coming of Age Fantasy category. Not only that, it ranked No. 4 among new releases on the Children’s Fantasy Magic and Adventure list, and the three books ahead of it on that list were all new installments of long-running best-selling series from big New York publishers.

No matter where the rankings land tomorrow, tonight I’m humbled and happy. Many thanks to Raconteur Press for believing in my book and making this possible. Also, to everyone who bought the book, shared a post, or talked to a friend about it … Thank you. After all these years of writing, you really don’t know how much it means to me.

Now, I’ll shut up and go get to work on “Gold and Fire 2.”

The post ‘Dreams of Gold and Fire’ debuts at No. 1 first appeared on Fred Writes Fantasy.

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