A TOAST’S PURPOSE
While I was sitting in my chair last night, I gazed at the small, crocheted toast that my wife had given me. It says, 'A Little Toast to Your Accomplishment.' You did it. It was a gift she had given me for my new job and my latest book. And a spark of an idea hit me whilst I stared. I wrote a concise flash fiction story. Then said Well, what should I do with this. Well, I decided. I'll share it with all of you.
A TOAST’S PURPOSE
The toast sat abandoned and overlooked, grown cold in its birthplace. The toaster. The small kitchen was hushed except for the steady hum of the refrigerator and the faint tick of a clock marking neglect.
Hours crawled by. In the chilling air, the toast questioned its fate. Its mission had always been clear: to nourish, to sustain, to bring warmth to the human table. Yet the people had ignored that mission. What should he do now, stranded in silence atop his gleaming cradle of chrome and wire?
As the light shifted across the counter, shadows stretched and folded. He waited, hope gradually thinning as silence pressed in. Yet, within that growing emptiness, a single thought flickered like the memory of heat: Maybe now. Maybe they will finally eat me.
At last, the woman entered and neared the toaster. The toast’s crust almost splintered with joy, or would have, had he not already stiffened from hours of waiting and brooding. Her hand descended; she lifted him from his cradle.
For a moment, he believed, hope blooming at her gentle touch. But as her eyes scanned his blackened surface, her mouth curled in quiet distaste. Realization struck. He had no purpose, only unused potential, entirely reliant on others who had let it go to waste.
He was destined for the bin.
In despair, the toast crumbled. Crumbs scattered from him like bits of lost hope. The woman spun, startled, as a blur of brown fur streaked across the floor.
The dog leapt. Jaws opened, eyes wide, and snatched the toast from her hand. In that tumultuous moment, surprise surged through him, eclipsed quickly by joy as he flew through the air, cracked nearly in two, and landed hard upon the tiles.
At last, teeth and tongue found him. The warmth returned.
And in that fleeting instant, the toast knew:
He had served his purpose.
Why I Write Science Fiction and Fantasy
Recently I was asked a question about why I choose to write science fiction and fantasy. I thought long and hard about the answer. I could have said I write it because I love dragons (who doesn’t), or to inspire the imagination. But no. It’s not to inspire imagination, though it may help. So why do I write this particular set of genres? Well, here it is.
I write science fiction to show, question, and fathom what the world could be. I write fantasy to show, question, and tell what the world is. You might say, “Well then write nonfiction, or make it a grounded reality in modern day without all the fantasy.” Well boyo, let me tell you, nobody likes to get beat with a club. The fact is that fantasy lets me reframe the truth as a metaphor, to show you the world as it is from a new perspective and not get bogged down in all the nitty gritty details.
For instance, let’s say that I decided to write about greed. This is a popular one that I am well aware has been overdone to the point that everyone’s rolling their eyes. But stay with me. I could write a story about how a politician, or a banker, or even a thief goes out of their way to amass as much money as they can and how it either brings about their damnation or they learn to change and set off on a new life. I could write that story grounded in everyday realism. But all it would do is get a: “Yeah man, I know, I live it too.” Or: “Dude, that is my life.” Or worse yet: “Yeah, everyone knows businesses and politicians are greedy.”
But if I change it, if I add a pinch of magic, a touch of otherworldly consequence, if it becomes the embodiment of a force or god, now you lean in.
This can be seen in the story of King Midas, in A Christmas Carol with old Scrooge. In comic books, even DC has an entire character that is the embodiment of greed. All of these stories tell what the world is. They focus on a single truth about the world and warn us all without beating us with a stick. And because of the way it is delivered, because we get to see it in a new light, it sticks with us. It keeps us up at night when we should be sleeping and makes us look at our own world in a new light. That is why I write SFF.
Tell me about a facet of “what is” that you have often thought about. What story that encompasses that fact sticks with you? Is it one grounded in everyday life, or one that adds a pinch of magic or larger than life science? Tell me in the comments.
The Soul-Sung: A Finalist Recognition
I am thrilled to share that my manuscript The Soul-Sung has been named a finalist in the Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Contest.
This recognition means a great deal to me. The contest draws hundreds of entries each year, and to see The Soul-Sung stand out among them is both humbling and energizing. For those who have followed my journey, you know this story has been years in the making. It is a tale rooted in myth, memory, and the search for balance in a fractured world.
The Soul-Sung is the first book in a planned trilogy. Book one is currently being queried as I search for the right literary agent. Book two is in draft, with the story continuing to unfold on the page. The third book is already outlined and waiting its turn.
The Writers’ League of Texas has long been a hub for writers who are working to hone their craft and find their voice. Being recognized by them is not just an honor. It is a signpost on the path forward.
To my readers and friends, thank you for the support that makes milestones like this possible. The Soul-Sung is no longer only a manuscript on my desk. It is a story finding its way into the wider world.
Stay tuned. There is more to come. Below is a link to the announcement.
2025 Manuscript Contest Winners and Finalists – Writers League of Texas
HEARTCOIL - now in audiobook
I’m thrilled to announce that HEARTCOIL is now available in audiobook format it is live on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes.
Even better, it’s narrated by none other than Charles Kahlenberg. If his name rings a bell, it should: Charles is an accomplished SAG-AFTRA voice actor, and he delivered an absolutely phenomenal performance here. His narration inhabits the story.
Charles brings the mood and atmosphere of Eastland alive in the most perfect of ways. From the quiet, shadowed streets to the pulse of its people, his voice captures both grit and grace. Listening feels like stepping deeper into the city than even the page could take you.
If you’ve been waiting for an audio edition, or if you want to experience the story in a new way, now’s the time.
Check it out here:
And if you give it a listen, I’d love to hear what you think — reviews on Audible and Amazon help more than you know.
For Scales Alone – Launches October 11th
On October 11th, For Scales Alone goes live. Right now it’s sitting on Reedsy Discovery, waiting for readers to dig in. Maybe they’ll love it. Maybe they’ll tear it apart. That’s fine. It’s part of the deal.
This one wasn’t supposed to exist. It started as a “lock it in the vault until Vaeritas is done” idea. Except I didn’t lock it up. Jed wouldn’t let me. Greyhaven pulled me in and the story took shape on its own, heavier than I expected, and sharper too.
Jed isn’t a hero. He’s broken, scarred, angry, and still moving forward because stopping would be worse. That’s what the book is really about. The cost of standing when everything wants you to fall.
The title fits. For Scales Alone. Debts. Balance. The weight we carry, even when no one is keeping score.
If you’ve read Heartcoil or Lux Mendacium, this one is darker and rougher. Less about big inventions or clever lies. More about survival and the ghosts that refuse to leave.
It’s out October 11th. If that’s your kind of thing, here’s the link: For Scales Alone by Daniel Sheley | Reedsy Discovery
See you in Greyhaven.
.— Daniel
Why Ashwake?
Names matter. Ashwake is what I call the space where my stories live — where ruin, memory, and fire all stir together to shape something new.
This blog will be my ember pile: scraps of story, thoughts on writing, fragments of worldbuilding, maybe even a poem or two. Some entries will be rough. Some polished. All of them will be pieces of what I’m chasing when I sit down to write.
So — welcome to Ashwake. Let’s see what survives the fire.
Right now, I’m deep in the querying process for my novel The Soul-Sung — the first book of the Vaeritas Saga. At the same time, I’ve already begun writing its sequel, carrying forward the world of Draken, Watchers, and fractured tribes.
But I’ve also got two side projects that won’t leave me alone:
For Scales Alone — a sharp, mythic story about survival and betrayal.
Underworld LLC — my satirical romp through Hades’ bureaucracy, where gods and monsters punch timecards and chaos brews in the breakroom.
Between these projects, I’m always juggling. Some days it’s drafting new chapters, some days it’s tightening query letters, and some days it’s chasing down entirely new stories that refuse to wait their turn.
If you’re here, you’ll see pieces of all of it — the big sagas, the side projects, and the stray sparks that might someday become novels of their own.
Welcome to the fire.