I call myself a horror and fantasy writer. I always put horror first followed by fantasy as I tend to write more in the horror genre.

Since I’m heavily influenced by The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as well as Dungeons and Dragons, I always knew I would write fantasy, too. I’ve had more than two dozen short stories published, and I’ve written dozens more … mostly horror. However, my favorite short stories that I’ve written are pure old-fashioned fantasy.

My favorite one, “Knight of the Daffadowndilly,” finished its quest for publication on Easter Sunday in the new paperback release by Z Publishing titled America’s Emerging Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers: The Deep South.

“Knight of the Daffadowndilly” is about Sir Persimmony and his squire Flotsam as they pursue a dragon that’s terrorizing the people of a nearby village.

The publication of “Knight” certainly ranks as a top-five writing career highlight for me personally because “Knight” is my sweet, sweet baby. By sweet, I mean the story is literally sweet … with kindhearted characters full of courage and loyalty who only want to do their best and do what’s right.

While I love Game of Thrones, “Knight” is the opposite of all the grim fantasy that’s so popular now. There is no cursing, no nudity, no sex, and no graphic violence in “Knight.” I take that back. I think Sir Persimmony does use the word “poopity” twice.

While The Hobbit influenced “Knight,” the biggest influence was my favorite movie of all time, Babe. Yes, that 1995 film about the cute pig and Farmer Hoggett.

I wrote “Knight of the Daffadowndilly” with one goal: to make the reader smile at least two times in the same way Babe made me smile.

I wanted a tender and hopeful heart to fuel “Knight of the Daffadowndilly” in the same way it fueled Babe.

I guess I just wanted to write something that would make a fictional pig proud and would make a fictional farmer look down at me and say, “That’ll do, Lionel. That’ll do.”