I've been a long-time fan of the fantastical, slavic-themed paintings of Vsevolod Ivanov. For those who don't know his work, there's a gorgeous five-minute video showcasing some of it here. Some of my fiction has been inspired by them. Hukka, my short story about a pilgrim searching for Zlata...

Those who know me, know of my love for those imagined lands that nestle within our real world, places exemplified by 'Ruritania', the setting for Anthony Hope's dazzling The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) and its mundane sequel Rupert of Hentzau (1898). Other examples include George Barr McCutcheon's...