Story Secrets

In this second and final part of my fantasy homage to The Empire Strikes Back, we return to the snowy peaks, haunted forests, and sacred ruins of a medieval Irish world where story itself is magic—and belief can shape...

When I was 12 years old, I sat in a dark cinema and watched The Empire Strikes Back for the first time. I never recovered—and I mean that in the best possible way. It became my all-time favorite film, and it’s shaped...

New Story: A Cup of Hope and a Slice of Heaven The cozy tavern where no brew will ever be the same, and neither will you. Somewhere along an old pilgrimage road in the Irish hills, there’s a crooked little cottage...

In today's episode, I share the original version of a children's story I made up about a poodle and a chihuahua in Rome. The poodle's owner is a tradition-loving cardinal, whereas the chihuahua is the dog of a chef...

There’s a moment in The Ballad of Phil and Phyllis—a TikTok song about an immortal groundhog and his mortal love—when the music quiets, and Phil sings of watching everything fade while he stays the same. The fame, the...

He Feared the Worst. The Worst Listened. What if your imagination had power? Not metaphorical power—the real kind. The kind that calls lightning when you expect rain. That conjures monsters when you picture danger....

What does it take to become a saint? That’s the question at the heart of today’s story—and one very small mouse is determined to find out. Born behind a cabinet in the sacristy of Saint Peter’s Basilica, Topolino has...

This week, on May 16, we celebrated the feast of Saint Brendan the Navigator, the Irish monk whose sea voyages became the stuff of both Christian devotion and mythic imagination. He’s often remembered for his...

Why I came up with this story. I worry about what we’re handing our children. Not just phones and tablets, but the digital realms they open: worlds that begin by adding to life, but slowly start to replace it....

Remember Pico, the fluffy seagull chick who crash-landed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel during the Conclave? This story takes us back in time—way back—to ancient Rome, during the reign of Emperor Nero. Meet Bello,...

Two rival druids. One village. A battle between enchantment and healing. This week’s story takes us deep into a misty glen in early medieval Ireland, where a kind old druid brews gentle potions to help the sick and...

In times of transition, it's often the smallest voices that carry the clearest songs. I created this short story in the days following the election of Pope Leo XIV, inspired by the quiet courage and gentle presence of...