World Building Spotlight Archives

The Cost of Being a Rifter

Fantasy, Science Fiction Books, World Building Spotlight / M Pax / June 9, 2026

Trust, secrecy, sacrifice, and life beside the rift.

Becoming a Rifter is not a childhood dream. It is not glory. It is not adventure. It is an invitation. Not everyone receives one.

A Rifter must be intelligent, quick-thinking, and capable under pressure. They must know how to fight, how to endure pain, and how to face fear without freezing. Monsters do not care about speeches or noble intentions. When the rift opens, hesitation can kill not only a Rifter, but everyone standing beside them. If the Rifters fail, Earth is vulnerable. They must not fail.

That is why trust matters above all else.

Rifters work in small groups, often only six to ten people. Every member must trust the others completely. When a creature emerges from the rift in the dead of night, there is no time to question whether someone will hold the line, watch your blind spot, or drag you home wounded. A single weak link can dooms everyone.

That kind of trust creates bonds stronger than friendship. But it also creates distance from the rest of the world.

Only Rifters know the truth about the rift.

To everyone else, strange noises in the night might be blamed on volcanic vents or shifting earth. Missing livestock becomes bad luck. Odd tracks are dismissed as tricks of weather and mud. The Rifters protect that secrecy carefully. Panic helps no one. Fear spreads faster than monsters.

But secrecy has a cost.

A Rifter learns to lie convincingly. Sometimes to neighbors. Sometimes to friends. Sometimes to people they love. “No, there was no monster.” “It was only steam from a volcanic vent.” “You worry too much.”

The lies protect the town, but they also build walls between Rifters and ordinary life.

Most people spend their summers celebrating warmth, festivals, and long evenings beneath the stars. Rifters spend theirs on guard duty.

From the summer solstice until the fall equinox, the rift opens at night. During those months, sleep becomes precious. Rifters keep watch in darkness while the rest of the world rests safely unaware. They learn to function exhausted. Hypervigilant. Listening for sounds no one else notices. Seeing auras no one else sees.

And every summer, they surrender a part of ordinary life again. That may be the greatest cost of becoming a Rifter: existing between two worlds. For part of the year, a Rifter can laugh at gatherings, rejoin the world with regular concerns, and pretend life is simple. Then summer comes, and they return to the edge of the rift where secrets, monsters, and responsibility wait in the dark.

But despite the burden, people still accept the invitation.

Because someone must stand watch.

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How to Build a Monster (That Actually Belongs in Your Story)

World Building Spotlight / M Pax / May 5, 2026

A monster isn’t just something scary. It’s a function of your story. So before you decide what it looks like, you need to decide what it does.

Start with Purpose

What role does the monster play in the story?

Is it an obstacle? A mirror? A consequence? A catalyst?

If you don’t know what it’s for, you’ll end up designing something that looks interesting but doesn’t actually belong.

Decide How It Can Be Known

Can the monster be seen directly? Touched? Studied?

Or does it only exist through effects such as missing people, broken systems, altered environments?

This choice controls how your reader experiences its presence before they ever meet.

Tie It to the Character Arc

A good monster doesn’t just exist in the world. It pressures the protagonist’s development.

What does it force your character to confront? What skill, belief, or limitation does it expose?

This is where the monster stops being decoration and starts becoming story structure.

Shape the Appearance Last

Once you know function, visibility, and narrative role, then you decide what it looks like.

Familiar? Symbolic? Entirely alien?

The design should serve meaning, not the other way around.

Define the Emotional Impact

What is this monster meant to make the reader feel?

Fear? Awe? Unease? Curiosity? Disgust?

Even more importantly, does it reinforce that emotion through form, behavior, and consequence?

Example: The Albino Tree (The Reader: Rifters Book 3)

In The Reader, I needed a monster that could emerge after the Rift closed. That immediately created a constraint: the Rifters wouldn’t have been able to detect it in the usual way. There is a hard world has rule for how monsters can be detected in the Rifters. So I couldn’t just cheat and say they missed it. I had to design something that could logically stay hidden. That limitation shaped the solution, and I came up with a seed that grows into a monster tree.

From there, I built outward.

I wanted the creature to feel misunderstood rather than purely evil, so it developed the ability to create pod people, distorting reflections of the environment rather than traditional victims.

I also wanted scale and presence. Trees already carry that sense of ancient weight, and there’s something inherently unsettling about them when they move beyond natural boundaries (think Wizard of Oz trees).

Finally, I needed the tree’s existence to matter to the protagonist’s development and the increasing tension of something being off about the rift. The encounter had to push the MC deeper into their Rifters abilities and force growth both in her own estimation and others.

So the monster wasn’t just designed, it was derived from story constraints, emotional intent, the series arc, and character progression.

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The Outlaw Who Disappeared…

Character, Fantasy, World Building Spotlight / M Pax / April 7, 2026

Worldbuilding from the Rifters universe…

Earl Blacke in The Rifters has a fascinating real-world inspiration: the legendary outlaw Black Bart, born Charles Boles. Black Bart wasn’t your typical bandit. He lived a life full of twists: a gold miner, a soldier twice promoted in the field during the Civil War, sometimes a farmer, husband, and father. Later, he mingled with San Francisco’s high society, posing as a wealthy gentleman. According to the people who considered him a friend, he was charming, personable, and well mannered.

A posh life needed money. When funds ran low, he turned to the open spaces of California and to the Wells Fargo stage coaches. His methods were original:

He wore a flour sack with holes cut for eyes.
Carried an unloaded shotgun.
Robbed only the mail and Wells Fargo shipments.
Left passengers unharmed and untouched.
Occasionally left poems at the scene.

A dropped handkerchief during one heist finally led to his capture, and he served time in San Quentin. He confessed to only that one robbery despite suspicions of at least 28. When released in 1888, he vanished, leaving the world to speculate about the “gentleman bandit’s” fate.

I read multiple biographies about Charles Boles and thought long and hard about what kind of man he might have been. I tried to get into his head and imagine his psychology. Here’s what I came up with:

The war really messed him up.
He likely took his failures to find gold as failures of character.
Whatever Wells Fargo did, it surely made him angry.
He was an adventurer at heart.
The death of his son shortly after he returned from the war may have been the last straw

I don’t think he was cold-hearted. I think at that point in his life, he was just incapable of giving more of his heart and needed to cut ties with those he knew, including his wife and children. He was probably in survival mode. His real life disappearance was a mystery I couldn’t resist.

The name I use in the series comes from his real life middle name and his outlaw name. I loved the idea of taking someone so complex and sending him through a rift into another time. In Settler, Earl Blacke arrives forty years younger with a chance to atone. However, the rift has other plans for Earl.

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Staplers, Sisters, and Settling

Character, World Building Spotlight / M Pax / March 13, 2026

A worldbuilding post from the Rifters universe…

Daelin doesn’t plan on her life unraveling on a Tuesday morning, but there she is: laid off from her publishing job in New York City, her office and severance pay packed into a cardboard box. To heap insult on top of ground-zero damage, she’s held up at gunpoint in the subway. The thief even takes her stapler. The universe has a wicked sense of humor.

She doesn’t want to need help. It has always been her responsibility to look after others. Despite her bruised pride, her rattled nerves and shattered psyche have her calling her younger sister in Oregon. Hearing the voice of someone who loves her unwinds Daelin the rest of the way, and she confesses her dilemma.

Charming Moon Knight, as devoted to Daelin as Daelin is to her, sends some cash and an offer she can’t refuse: move in with her, figure out her life, and take the open librarian job in town.

Begrudgingly, Daelin accepts. She doesn’t want to burden Charming. She has always been the responsible one, cleaning up the messes left by their whimsical, whirlwind mother. The switch in roles unsettles her, and the move from the biggest metropolis to a dinky town in Oregon no one has ever heard of is daunting.

Daelin never has big dreams beyond establishing a stable life in a big city that offers every indulgence and opportunity. Books and writing have always been her escape, and she has dabbled with writing. She has no plan to stay in Settler long, but the town and its peculiar residents have other plans.

Trust doesn’t come easy, and people rarely get past her walls. But her brother and sister? They’re everything. She would move mountains for them.

Daelin is tall and athletic, definitely built to protect, endure, and take on the improbable. And maybe she will discover there’s more to life than a prestigious job in a big city.

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Who Are The Rifters?

World Building Spotlight / M Pax / February 10, 2026

a worldbuilding post from the Rifters universe…

The Rifters are a specialized group of humans tasked with managing and interacting with the strange creatures that emerge from rifts in reality. Each Rifter holds a rank reflecting their skills, responsibilities, and experience. Only Envoys may step through the rift itself, and even then, only with permission from the Governors. The hierarchy ensures the rift and its inhabitants are respected, studied, and sometimes contained when necessary.

Ranks of the Rifters (in order):

Initiate – The first step for those beginning their training in rift interaction. Initiates learn the fundamentals and work under more experienced Rifters.
Reader – Experts at analyzing and interpreting the signs left by rift creatures. They use tools like optilyzers to “read” rift activity.
Tracer – Skilled in tracking elusive creatures and following the subtle trails they leave behind.
Hunt Master – Combat-focused Rifters who engage directly with dangerous creatures that emerge from the rift.
Shield – Protectors who defend fellow Rifters and settlements, often working in pairs or teams.
Peer – Senior Rifters who manage rift-related operations and mentor the lower ranks.
Envoy – The top rank, Envoys are the only humans allowed through the rift when invited and report directly to the Governors. They lead the organization and guide future Rifters.

Characters and Their Ranks

Trinidad Cepeda (Reader) – Descendant of Patrick Swit and cousin to Culver Swit. Lives in a trailer with a garden of plastic flamingos that wear foil hats, and she wears foil hats herself, claiming the flamingos whisper messages. Gifted at reader rift sign-off of creatures using the optilyzers.
Francine Storm (Tracer) – Owner of the Settler General Mercantile. Expert at tracing the trails of elusive creatures that come through the rift.
Culver Swit (Shield) – Postman and local cable and internet provider. Descendant of Patrick Swit. Shares the rank of Shield with Charming. Went to school with fellow Rifters Wald Macadam and Vance Lambert.
Charming (Shield) – Paleontologist. Shares the rank of Shield with Culver.
Vance Lambert (Hunt Master) – Firefighter in town. Skilled creature fighter, trained to handle dangerous rift creatures.
Wald Macadam (Peer) – Assistant to County Commissioner Sabina Staley and second in command with the Rifters when dealing with the rift. A snazzy dresser with big dreams for Settlers’ future. Very loyal and persistent in combat or high-pressure situations.
Moses Kane (Peer) – Head of Forestry Services and a federal employee. Second in command when dealing with the rift. Highly competent and respected by the Rifters.
Sabina Staley (Envoy) – County Commissioner of Caslow County and top Rifter. She had big plans for her life in Portland but stayed in Settler after meeting a Centaur through the rift. Mentors Wald Macadam and manages Envoy-level interactions with the Governors. Highly competent and dedicated, with a storied past in Settler.

The Rifters are more than a hierarchy. They’re a tightly knit team built on trust and experience. Each Rifter is chosen by their peers and invited into the group; if someone in town discovers too much about the rift, they are invited to take the oath and join. Over the years, the Rifters have battled countless monsters, each encounter teaching them the importance of coordination and loyalty.

Communication with the Governors—the mysterious overseers of the rift—is strictly controlled. Messages arrive via an old electric typewriter and rotary phone in the county offices. Wald Macadam handles the incoming messages but cannot initiate communication; only Sabina Staley, the Envoy, is allowed to interact directly.

Sabina may seem a bit crusty at first, but she is actually kind, highly astute, and fiercely protective of her group. She coordinates combat with rift beasts and organizes the Rifters’ work with precision. Wald is equally organized, but still learning to think quickly on his feet in the heat of battle. The others work to support him, knowing Sabina intends for him to take over when she retires.

Every Rifter must trust each other without question. Their unity is what keeps humanity safe. Without it, Earth would already be under the rule of the very creatures they work so hard to contain.

Who Are The Rifters? Read More »

Stained Glass Skin: The Tattoos That Power the Rifters

World Building Spotlight / M Pax / January 6, 2026

In the world of Rifters, tattoos aren’t just decoration — they’re a survival tool, a weapon, and maybe even something more sinister.

These tattoos bind Rifters to the rift, a tear in the fabric of reality that connects our universe to forty-one others. They’re the only reason Rifters can stand against the creatures and chaos visiting from another universe. But nothing tied to the rift is ever simple.

The Power Beneath the Skin

Most times, a Rifter’s skin looks untouched. But when the rift opens, or something from the rift remains on Earth, the stained glass panels light up. Blue and purple panels glow with embedded copper circuitry. These tattoos enhance the Rifter’s health, stamina, strength, and speed. They heal faster. They can run farther. They can survive wounds that might otherwise cripple or kill them.

They have to. If they fail, Earth will be invaded by another universe.

Where the Tattoos Came From

The tattoos weren’t designed in a back alley or tattoo parlor. Their origin traces back to the Governors, beings who oversee the rift from another universe. It was the Governors who first introduced the technology allowing humans to carry these marks.

Why? No one knows for sure. Mercy, necessity… or something darker.

What is known is that the inks used to craft the tattoos are special, kept locked away in the county commissioner’s office under strict control. Only a select few know how to apply them.

The Inks and Energy

The ink isn’t just pigment. It’s infused with something alien, something drawn from the rift itself. When the tattoos activate, the wearer becomes more than human. For a moment, connected to the energy of forty-one other universes, they become superhuman.

But that power isn’t free.

A Darker Purpose

The Rifters’ tattoos may grant power, but their true purpose remains a mystery.

Some believe they’re tools of protection. But the Governors don’t always have good intentions. Maybe the tattoos are a leash, a tracking system, or something worse—a conduit for the Governors to draw energy, or influence, or control from those who wear them.

No one dares ask too loudly.

The Cost of Power

Every Rifter knows the feeling when their tattoos flare to life—the tug in their bones, the electric hum in their skin, the sense they are connected to something vast, unknowable, and dangerous.

The tattoos make them stronger. But at what cost?

As one Rifter once said:

“The tattoos make us stronger. But sometimes, I believe it divides me from the rest of the human race.”

Discover the World of the Rifters

Want to learn more about the Rifters, the rift, and the hidden dangers lurking behind the tattoos?
Start the adventure with Book 1 – The Rifters and explore a world where survival depends on stained glass skin and the secrets written beneath. The first book in the series is free everywhere!

📚 [The Rifters Series → Rifters

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