Welcome, Ink Lovers!
![Yvonne McArthur](https://yvonnemcarthur.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Yvonne-McArthur-shot-for-Home-page.jpg)
I’m Yvonne, a fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi writer.
My goal is to transport you into a world of adventure, magic, and courage—and recommend books that do the same.
Why? Because stories inspire me to be braver, try new things, and put myself in others’ shoes. When I moved far away from home, stories helped me connect to the people and places I encountered. Learn more about me.
![A man sitting under a tree reading, while light spills up like golden sparks from the pages, illuminating his face.](https://yvonnemcarthur.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/man-reading-fantasy-pexels-josh-hild-4256852.jpg)
Looking for short stuff to read?
!["woman" image by tsukiko-kiyomidzu on Pixabay](https://yvonnemcarthur.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/disobedience-woman-768x576.jpg)
Disobedience
The sky is oiled orange
gleaming along the metal
and matte of cement steps
!["Mar de antenas" photo by mermadon_1967 CC BY-SA 2.0](https://yvonnemcarthur.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/eevy-menkos-mar-de-antenas-768x576.jpg)
Eevy Menkos
Eevy Menkos licked her finger and jabbed it skyward. Her tongue flicked between her lips. Her eyes narrowed in concentration. Then she yipped, kicked her heels together and took a running leap over the rosebush. She skidded left and right along the path. The patio door banged shut behind her.
![a red pincushion, spools of thread, an artisanal mug, and a thimble artfully arranged on a wooden desk.](https://yvonnemcarthur.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Embroidery-768x576.jpeg)
Back of the Embroidery
Everyone’s writing process is different, but sometimes learning new tricks and techniques can get you going. So here’s a back-of-the-embroidery look at what went into writing A Cactus Among Wolves.
![rhubarb shoots](https://yvonnemcarthur.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/solidarity-rhubarb-768x576.jpg)
Solidarity
The hose is on
running clear into black
of garden earth.
!["Fire Breathing Dragon" photo by photographingtravis CC BY 2.0](https://yvonnemcarthur.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/dragons-liar-photo-768x576.jpg)
Dragon’s Liar
The young dragon Aeeilrv charged out of his parents’ cave, tripped over a mammoth skull, and plunged nose-first over the edge of the cliff. “Eeaagh!” he screeched. Fire burst from his nostrils, hit the upward moving air, and spewed straight back into his eyeballs. He twisted and tumbled, not remembering to open his wings until seconds before he slammed into the ground.
![A knotted rope on a boat gunnel](https://yvonnemcarthur.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/unmoored-rope-768x576.jpg)
Unmoored
I’d woken up exhausted. My bed was a rumpled mass of sheets and popcorn crumbs and melted smarties. I hauled myself upright, stumbled against the dresser, and stared bleary-eyed at my reflection. The man who looked back at me was a stranger, cut, stitched, wrenched to life like some unholy Frankenstein. I laughed. The sound gurgled from my throat, bounced like a hyena over the walls, and died when it saw the wedding ring.