About the Author

At age seventeen, I moved with my mother and father across the country from our home in the rural town of Brenham, Texas to Paso Robles, California. There, in my bedroom the summer before my senior year, is where my interest in writing truly began. Upon graduating high school, I was accepted into California Polytechnic State University but chose to attend Cuesta Community College. After taking several creative writing classes at Cuesta and California State University Monterey Bay, I entered Southern New Hampshire University’s graduate program to earn my master’s degree in creative writing. During the program, I discovered the work of fellow Texan author Robert E. Howard and immediately became drawn to the fantasy sub-genre of Sword & Sorcery. I became a published writer at the age of twenty-six, and my greatest creative ambition is to bring into existence the next generation of pulp-style anti-heroes.

In addition to living in five cites in five years (2013 to 2018), I have travelled to three continents, five countries, and twenty states. Currently, I live in the Monterey area of California with my wife, Desiree, and our three cats, Persephone, Puddles, and Squishy. I have worked in restaurants on historic Fisherman’s Wharf, and hotels on Pacific Grove’s Ocean View Boulevard, Carmel-By-The-Sea, and John Steinbeck/Doc Ricketts famous Cannery Row. Along with writing, and when I'm not at work, I am an avid reader of fantasy and historical fiction. I also enjoy playing video games and listening to classic rock and metal music.

What I Write

I write Sword & Sorcery, the brutish, low-brow cousin of Tolkienesque high fantasy. Created (depending on who you ask) by Robert E. Howard in the year 1929 when Weird Tales published his story "The Shadow Kingdom" featuring Kull, King of Valusia. Since Howard's creation of the subgenre, countless authors have brought to life scores of anti-heros who carried the torch once held by Howard's own characters until his untimely death.

My protagonist, Onyx the Tigerheart, is one such afformentioned character inspired by Howard's work. He lives out his days as a thoughtful, observant wanderer, able to drink endlessly, gorge himself on hearty meals, and deal death en masse, whilst solemnly pondering the world and his place in it.

Why I Write

To create is to bring life, to conjure into existence something that, without you, would not exist. That feeling of creation once the work is completed, the experience of being satisfied with well-earned exhaustion and a finished manuscript, is why I write.

I truly enjoy the creative process. From conquering the blank page, to completing my latest tale with a finely crafted ending, and then creating a well-suited cover, there is nothing in my life, aside from my wife, that brings me greater joy.

Latest Publications

Includes “The Song that

Soothed a Storm”

Includes “Death in the Darkness”

Short Stories & Novellas

Reviews From Readers

” From the setting and the characters to the action sequences, McIlveen’s writing style is so vivid that it feels as though the reader is walking alongside Onyx and his companions.”

”McIlveen has clearly been inspired by Howard’s work while also bringing his own classic style of storytelling to contemporary sword and sorcery.”

”Great modern sword and sorcery!”

”Hidden gem of sword and sorcery.”

“Vivid detail brings to life a magical realm.”

‘Highly recommend for a good adventure.”

”If you love Robert E. Howard then you will love this story.”

Coming Soon

Flesh Eater’s Curse

Inspired by the Alogonquian legend of the Windigo, Flesh Eater’s Curse sees Onyx in pursuit of three deserters who leave his camp. His quarry leads him blindly into the bowels of darkness where the rancid scent of rot has permeated into the surface of the cavern’s stone. His only guide through the shadows is the echoes of their screams.

Snowblind

This is my first attempt at blending sword and sorcery with slight elements of cosmic horror. Onyx ventures into the mountains for solitude and peace, only to come across the corpses of butchered men. While he examines their wounds, he is set upon by the dead men’s allies who accuse him of murder. Intent on clearing his name, he agrees to join them as they search the mountains for the true slayer.

Connect With Me

I always enjoy connecting with readers of my work, as well as fellow authors.

Please feel free to reach out. I'm never too busy to communicate, especially with those who share my interests or appreciate my stories.