L.D. Burke

Speculative Fiction Author

Tales From Burkeland

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  • Welcome To L.D. Burke’s World

    Tales From Burkeland: Tale Zero I’m glad you’re joining me on my journey! For readers wanting to get to know the author behind the page, Tales from Burkeland is the place to be. Here you’ll find personal stories as well as publishing news and other writing-related content. Why Am I a Writer? The short answer:…

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  • Story Hunting in St. Augustine, Florida

    Tales from Burkeland Tale 17 The world is alive with story ideas for authors astute enough to find them. That’s especially true in places like St. Augustine, Florida where the past and present exist side-by-side, turning the whole city into a bit of a living history museum. It’s that quality that makes it my favorite…

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  • Writer’s Block or Writer’s Procrastination?

    Tales from Burkeland Tale 16 Spend any time among writers, and you’re bound to hear at least one conversation about writer’s block. Most of us agree that every author will go through it at least once in their career, likely multiple times. In the thirteen years that I’ve been writing professionally—first in print journalism and…

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  • Another LTUE in the Books

    Tales from Burkeland: Tale Fifteen It doesn’t feel like a new year in Burkeland’s Writing Realm until I’ve been to the Life, the Universe, and Everything Symposium in Provo. Utah. For three days, science fiction and fantasy creatives pack the Provo Mariott Hotel & Conference Center. With days packed with classes, panels, presentations, and impromptu…

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  • Myths And Magic: Conjuring Love—Spells and Potions for Romance and Lust

    Tales From Burkeland: Tale Fourteen Author’s Note: This a reprint of the February 2025 Myths and Magic article. Sign up for my newsletter for monthly Myths And Magic articles. Love is in the air! With Valentine’s Day mere days away, what better time to crack open books of love spells and potions? Love magic in…

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  • New Year, New Stories

    Tales From Burkeland: Tale Thirteen As 2026 begins, it’s unseasonably warm in Southern Indiana, but I still can’t help thinking that a new year is like a wooded trail covered in fresh fallen snow. Pristine. White like a blank page. Glittering with opportunities to forge your path. While I am leaving lots of room to…

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  • Closing the Book on 2025

    Tales From Burkeland: Tale Twelve Hustle and bustle may be the theme of the holiday season, but for me December is a time to slow down. I find myself spending more time with my journal as I look back on the year and celebrate the wins, both big and small. I’m discovering that 2025 brought…

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  • Much To Be Grateful For

    Tales from Burkeland Tale 11 Sunlight streams through my office window, and skitch skitch skitch is the only sound as sparrows dig through birdseed in the feeder outside. I sit sipping my tea, journal open, enjoying a quiet moment before I put pen to paper and write three things I’m grateful for. When I heard…

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  • From Pumpkin Spice to Worldbuilding: Research and Writing

    Tales From Burkeland: Tale 10 Stories are built on what-ifs. Those niggling little questions glided through my mind like ghosts through a haunted house as I researched this month’s Myths and Magic newsletter segment on Halloween folklore. Is it such a surprise? History and Halloween are rich soil for fantasy authors. Pumpkin Spice Flavored History…

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