David A. Royster

I am a storyteller who has always felt the world most clearly through imagination — not as an escape, but as a way to witness and repair what is broken. Growing up, I was drawn to the kind of stories where wonder walked alongside grief: Treasure Planet, Atlantis, Hercules, Percy Jackson — tales where flawed heroes stumble toward growth, where loss leaves scars, but where light is still worth carrying forward. Those stories taught me that hope is not naive; it’s hard-won. That same lesson shapes everything I write.

The Grove Beneath the Ash, my debut fantasy novel, is the most personal work I’ve written. At its heart, it reflects my own journey: carrying the weight of legacy, learning to trust in my chosen family, and discovering that survival is not enough if it isn’t paired with belonging. Derwin, my protagonist, is a druid who believes he is broken by his past, but who learns that the very scars he carries can become the tools to protect and heal others. In many ways, his path mirrors my own desire to take pain, loss, and silence and turn them into something that breathes new life into the world.

I live in Southern California with my wife, my first and fiercest supporter. We grew up together, and her steady presence has been the anchor that allowed me to pursue writing as more than a dream. When I’m not writing or running games, I am exploring music, worldbuilding projects, and other creative pursuits that keep me close to that original spark — the belief that stories can change the way we see ourselves, and give us the courage to keep going.