‘Glamoured‘ is a fairy tale that shows the dark side of beauty, among other things. I’m thrilled Abyss & Apex published this story in September 2021. I’ve been meaning to write this post since then, however life overwhelmed me in the meantime! I’ve always loved fairy tales, particularly for their darker edges and the warnings implicit in their narratives. At the same time, they portray beautiful worlds, full of promises.

Caelestis is a short fantasy story I originally wrote for a friend. The inspiration arrived serendipitously as I chatted with her online. My friend said, “I’m like a dragon with my art. I hoard it and unleash it slowly.”

Immediately, I could see the dragon sitting on her mound of treasures, crystallising her dreams and guarding them with her talons until she had polished them enough to share; Caelestis, soaring through the heavens, inspired by all she sees below. I asked my friend’s permission to write her as the dragon, and when she said she would love that, I did so. The rest—the main character Galant and her inability to dream, her addiction to Caelestis’ creations, and her quest to find Caelestis and plead for more—are all drawn purely from my imagination. If you’d like to read this and a bunch of other fun fantasy and science fiction from Aussie authors, you can buy the electronic Issue #81 of Andromeda Spaceways Magazine here.

…Goes to my artist, E. L. Sailor, for creating the header to this website. I couldn’t be more thrilled with the final result. I wanted a fantasy world with a sense of mystery and possibility, enhanced by their wonderful use of colour, and they’ve delivered in spades. They were also very easy to work with. If you’re interested in commissioning them, you can find them here.

I’m going to keep a list of credits relating to this site on my ‘About’ page.

This is my first post, as every writer and aspiring author needs a blog.

Welcome. It’s lovely to have you visit my new home. I’ve created an ‘About’ page which will tell you the bare minimum about me, in third person. I’ve striven to put this blog together in basic form for now, so I have some form of internet presence.

It wasn’t always this way. I’ve been present online before, but have taken quite the break, moving away from short stories (some published in various semi-pro SFF venues) to focus on writing novels, and doing a fair bit of writing just for fun. In that time, my style has developed, and a new pen name is in order. Finley Harper reflects my non-binary identity and the fantasy feel of a good chunk of my writing.

If you’ve read any of my pieces and have questions, you’re welcome to contact me through any means on my Contact page, which I’ll keep updated. I imagine I’ll post here whenever I have something newsworthy. Thank you for dropping by!