Portrait of an author : April Dawn Duncan

I first met April when we were vampires (do not be mislead by above picture!). Then we became mutant space mercenaries. Starship officers in a vast and dangerous universe. Blade-wielding warriors on a royal quest. We would gather with friends in the desert in a galaxy far away or in the enchanted forest of a floating island. We will never be too old for make-believe. That’s right! We are roleplayers to the core. But where I played mainly to get away from everything, April made the game meaningful, her characters deep and real, the stories engaging, immersive and honest, whether she sat in the player’s chair or the gamemaster’s.

It was inevitable that she would build her own worlds and conjure up her own stories. Such lush, vibrant lies to bear the true, important things she needs to say. April will always tell you the truth, whether she is leading you through a perilous walk through dreamland or showing you a genius child’s time machine. So come sit beneath her willow tree. Hang your disbelief on a branch. Have a wonderful time. And when you come out, you’ll be holding a shiny monocle through which you may see the world a little differently.

– Tieu Thuy Nguyen