Do you remember being a child and visiting your grandparents’ home? Were there old treasures or heirlooms hidden amongst their possessions? Did the home smell of dust, perfume, or flowers?
I’ll admit, I did not have the closest relationship with my Grandpa, yet I do remember everything about his home, from the heavy cigar smoke, lingering smell of bacon from breakfast, to the gorgeous views at his mountain home. As a child I remember wandering around inspecting his unique art, books, plants, all while trying to avoid his terrifying, MASSIVE German Shepherd (don’t get me wrong, I grew up with German Shepherds myself and love them, but Clark was particularly aggressive and liked to nip when he could. My younger brothers can attest to that!).
My exploring usually took me to the painting, “The Beginning of the End” by Gene Waggoner, where my Grandpa would find me staring in wonder. The painting depicts a unicorn, but not just any unicorn. This creature was gritty, worn down, and dejected. It did not resemble the unicorns that I had seen as a child in stories and cartoons. I LOVED IT. This raw image alit my imagination.
When my Grandpa passed away in 2006, he left the painting to me. 
Over the years, I’ve taken the painting with me EVERYWHERE. It is presently hanging in my home office. As I look upon it even now, I wonder: What events has that unicorn gone through? What trials must it have faced?
This image inspired my own writing as I began to imagine unicorns at the forefront of a story rather than as the pretty, mythical creature sighted in a forest clearing or as the target of a hunt. I wanted more for a unicorn in a story. I wanted to see them as the main characters- the heroes and warriors- and so I wrote Nav’Aria: The Marked Heir with that in mind.
I hope you enjoy this depiction of unicorns. Maybe now you’ll see these impressive creatures in a new light as EPIC warriors and sentient characters.