Author Archives: LaTrobe Barnitz

It’s been forever since my last blog post. Between editing Soul Crystals: The Mask of Tragedy and writing Soul Crystals 3, I have not had a ton of time on my hands. I’m going to be doing something different today and provide some background on myself rather than just the Soul Crystals series. Anyway, IContinue reading “My Favorite Anime Series of All Time”

It lays in its case like the feather of a majestic bird, Cradled in deep red velvet, Metallic silver with shimmering strings, A guitar slightly younger than me, Another noisy little brother. It waits for our father, The man who still dreamed of being a rock star at 35, Or a blues player the moreContinue reading “Poem: The Silver Song”

 “We’ll keep in touch. Good luck!” My dad shuts the door. The walls close in, Squeezing the breath out of my chest. Cold, concrete blocks, Gripping my arms with icy cold fingers Hospital-white walls, and The chemical-cleaner smell. I’m a patient. My disease is called “too old to live at home anymore.” The voices outsideContinue reading “Poem: Four White Walls”

I’ve gone over anime, books, and movies. Now is time for a couple of American TV shows that really stuck with me. I thought about both of theses during my writing. X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997) In previous posts, I hit on some DC properties I really like. Now, here’s a Marvel one. The 1990’sContinue reading “Inside Soul Crystals: TV Influences”

So far I’ve talked about how books and anime inspired Soul Crystals. Some of my favorite movies gave me a lot of ideas as well. Here are a few of them. Star Wars Original Trilogy Some of my earliest memories are watching the original Star Wars movies with my dad. I must have been 3Continue reading “Inside Soul Crystals: Movie Influences”

Here’s a surprise: authors read. Authors read a lot. So, what did I read that inspired my literary style as well as the content of Soul Crystals? Here are a few authors and their works: John Flanagan I first started reading Australian author John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice when I was in middle school. Since then,Continue reading “Inside Soul Crystals: Literary Influences”

I made up a lot of words for the Soul Crystals series to explain its supernatural elements. Here’s a sort of glossary. Amulus (plural: Amuli): Superhumans with the ability to manipulate their internal energy (anima). They have strength, durability, speed, reflexes, and mental processing power well beyond an ordinary human. Anima: an eternal energy sourceContinue reading “Soul Crystals Terms Explained”

I’m going to be starting a new segment that details my influences and inspirations for the Soul Crystals series. First off, I’m going to be talking about how anime has been a giant influence on my work. If you’re familiar with anime, you will be right at home with many of the recurring elements ofContinue reading “Inside Soul Crystals: Anime Influences”