R. C. Gray

Hi there! I'm R.C. Gray, and I write dark fantasy that definitely isn't your typical "hero saves the day" fare. (Let's be honest - sometimes the most interesting characters are the ones lurking in the shadows.)

I've always been drawn to the overlooked and misunderstood creatures in fantasy. You know those background characters that most authors relegate to "generic bad guy #3"? Those are my favorites. Give me your goblins, your outcasts, your huddled masses of supposedly "evil" races yearning to tell their stories. (Yes, I just badly paraphrased the Statue of Liberty inscription. I'm a writer - we steal and remix everything!)

My journey into writing started when I was that weird kid in the back of the classroom, sketching monsters in my notebooks instead of paying attention to algebra. I'd spend hours imagining what life would really be like for the creatures other stories painted as mindless villains. What were their societies like? Their hopes and dreams? Their side of the story?

That fascination eventually led to my debut novel, "Stone of the Denmol," which follows Skara, a lone goblin surviving on the fringes of society. He's not your typical protagonist - no magical destiny, no chosen one status, just a complex character trying to navigate a world that sees him as inherently evil. (Sound familiar to anyone else who's ever felt like they don't quite fit in?)

When I write, I love diving deep into moral gray areas (yes, pun absolutely intended with my name). My characters don't fit neatly into "good" and "evil" boxes. They're messy, complicated, and sometimes make terrible decisions for what they think are the right reasons. Kind of like real people, minus the pointy ears and magic. Usually.

I'm a firm believer that the best stories come from challenging our assumptions about who gets to be the hero. Why can't a goblin be more than a mindless monster? Why do we automatically assume certain races or species are evil? These are the questions that keep me up at night (along with my cat, who has decided 3 AM is the perfect time for zoomies).

When you pick up one of my books, expect: - Morally ambiguous characters who'll make you question your assumptions - Rich world-building that goes beyond the usual fantasy tropes - Stories told from perspectives you might not have considered before - A healthy dose of dark humor (because life is weird enough to laugh about) - Characters who definitely won't make the "most virtuous hero" list, but might just steal your heart anyway

Outside of writing, I'm an avid hiker (where better to imagine fantasy worlds than in the middle of nowhere?), a collector of unusual folklore (ask me about goblin myths from around the world - I dare you), and a dedicated tea drinker (coffee is for humans who haven't embraced their inner goblin yet).

I'm currently working on expanding the world of "Stone of the Denmol" with more stories that challenge traditional fantasy narratives. Because sometimes the most compelling stories come from the shadows, not the spotlight.

Want to join me in exploring the darker corners of fantasy? You can find me on social media, where I regularly share snippets of my writing process, random folklore facts, and pictures of my cat judging my life choices. (She's very good at it.)

Thanks for taking the time to get to know me! If you're ready for fantasy that colors outside the lines and characters who refuse to stay in their designated boxes, I think we're going to get along just fine.

Remember: Every villain is the hero of their own story - and sometimes, those are the stories most worth telling.

-R.C.

P.S. If you've ever rooted for the "monster" in a story, you're my kind of reader.