Welcome to the Keys to the Universe — a growing collection of writing wisdom and faery-laced reflections from YA fantasy author TF Burke.
Here, you’ll find storycraft tips, worldbuilding insights, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the Heart of the Worlds series
and the creative path that fuels it.
What Medieval Fencing Teaches Me About Writing Fight Scenes
There is a correlation between sword and pen — and it is flow. Practicing medieval-style fencing has taught me more about writing conflict than any craft book ever could. From centerline control to disciplined restraint, here’s how real steel shapes the fight scenes in Heart of the Worlds.
Magic with Meaning. Stories with Teeth.
Some magic sparkles and fades.
Other magic notices who touches it.
At thirteen, Aunia stands at the edge of a misted forest with more questions than answers—and just enough courage to reach for something forbidden. What she doesn’t yet understand is that magic answers literally, remembers deeply, and sometimes draws the attention of things that were already searching.
This is where her story begins.
Not with prophecy—but with consequence.
Launch Day Magic: Faeries Don’t Hide Is Here!
Celebrate the launch of Faeries Don’t Hide! Books 1 & 2 are 99¢, Book 3 is free, and tonight’s virtual party brings games, giveaways, and faery magic.
Wow!! Epic Goodreads Giveaway Lifts this YA Fantasy into Amazon’s Spotlight
A spark of faery magic: 2,061 entries boosted our YA fantasy book on Amazon and set the stage for the Faeries Don’t Hide launch on 11/25/25.
The Boggleman: Nightmare in Shadows
The Boggleman is not simply terrifying—he’s tragic. Once Pogonias Cromis, he could have been a seer and protector. Instead, grief hollowed him into the shadow who devours destiny itself.
Gaitha, Archivist and Eldest Daughter of Naoma Sacella
Small in stature but mighty in presence, Gaitha is the respected Eldest Daughter of Naoma Sacella — medicine woman, mentor, and keeper of Chandarion legacies. Her ISTJ nature grounds her people in tradition and shields Aunia from both faeries and foes.
Drafting is Done! ✨ Heart of the Worlds, Book 3
Typing “The End” on Book 3—Faeries Don’t Hide—was both exhilarating and surreal. The draft is raw and sprawling, full of messy magic, betrayals, and battles, but now comes the revision stage where the story is refined into something luminous.