Welcome to another cozy, story-rich episode of The Quill & Candle, where fantasy, faith, and long walks collide in unexpected (and often hilarious) ways. In this episode, I recount a memorable visit to a fantasy festival held—of all places—in a decommissioned church… complete with protestors at the door and cosplayers on the catwalk.

✨ What’s inside:

My encounter with protestors yelling “Don’t lose your soul!” (spoiler: I went in anyway)

Reflections on why fantasy and faith aren't enemies—and what the Bible has in common with epic fantasy

How three long walks gave birth to three brand-new story ideas—including:

A children's trilogy about a cat, a dragon, and pirates

An interactive "choose-your-own-adventure" story blending Star Wars, Middle-Earth, and anime

A sci-fi short inspired by a tired museum worker and some unruly school kids

Behind the scenes of this week’s short stories, from magical cauldrons to underwater wishes

A book review of The Cat Who Saved a Library by Sosuke Natsukawa—and why its message matters more than ever

🎧 Listen now and let me know what you think in the comments.

📬 Prefer your stories in bite-sized form? You can subscribe to:

The Daily Scroll for a brand-new short fantasy story every morning: https://fatherroderick.substack.com/s/the-daily-scroll

The Quill & Candle for this weekly podcast, book recs, writing updates, and more: https://fatherroderick.substack.com/s/the-quill-and-candle

Thanks for being part of this journey.

—Father Roderick
Priest. Storyteller. Daily writer of strange and magical things.

📚 Mentioned in this episode:

The Cat Who Saved a Library by Sosuke Natsukawa

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (anime)

How to Train Your Dragon (live-action adaptation)