Blog
Behind the scenes of Eden's Rise: worldbuilding, craft, and updates from O.E. Bruening.
March 15, 2026
ArtistsIllustrator Spotlight: Roberto F. Castro
I spent countless hours scrolling through ArtStation looking for the right illustrators for Eden's Rise. Hundreds of portfolios...
March 15, 2026
ArtistsIllustrator Spotlight: Greg Rutkowski
Greg Rutkowski is one of the most recognized fantasy artists working today. His paintings have graced book covers, game cinematics, and gallery walls...
March 15, 2026
ArtistsIllustrator Spotlight: Pascal Wijnberg
Eden's Rise introduces creatures that have never existed before: animals that evolved entirely underground, shaped by darkness and stone...
March 15, 2026
ArtistsIllustrator Spotlight: Audrey Rouvin
One of the quiet challenges of self-publishing is getting readers from the physical book back online: to leave a review, explore bonus content, sign up for updates...
March 14, 2026
ArtistsNarrator Spotlight: Michael Kramer & Kate Reading
When I started thinking about the audiobook for Eden's Rise, I had what seemed like a crazy idea: could I hire not one, but two narrators?...
March 15, 2026
ArtistsCover Designer Spotlight: Spiridon Giannakis
A good cover changes everything. It is the first thing a reader sees, and for a debut author without the backing of a traditional publishing house, it creates a challenge...
March 1, 2026
Writing800 Hours and Six Drafts — Part 1
When I started writing Eden's Rise during NaNoWriMo in November 2022, I thought it would take six months. Maybe a year, if things got complicated...
February 28, 2026
Writing800 Hours and Six Drafts — Part 2
Throughout the writing process, I tried to keep a diary of the progress and what went through my mind. Here is a timeline from the early idea to the final version...