# Dominic de Souza (dominicdesouza.com) > Dominic de Souza GoodReads Dominic de Souza is a novelist, marketing director, and the founder of LegendFiction, a community for storytellers who think fiction is a vocation and not a hobby. He was born in New Zealand, raised in Australia, and schooled in Fiji and France. He wrote his first novel at thirteen. He left a Catholic doomsday cult in his twenties with a wife, a baby on the way, and no plan, and spent the next twenty-five years mastering branding to keep the lights on. He's obsessed with the frontier where faith, science, and history collide, and he writes fantasy for YA young readers. He's a self-described professional nerd. He lives in the United States with his family, and he'll have coffee with anyone. What are you working on? Say hi sometime. Rewilding Christianity Being Catholic in the modern world without the cage. Hermetic and neglected wisdom traditions, authentic witness over tribal membership. I'm a universalist. Barker · Balthasar · Tomberg · Chesterton · Rohr · Thérèse. Deep history, living myth Where human origins meet the myths of Genesis, and how those map against a real scientific timeline. How the gods seed cultures. Hancock · Teilhard · Stark · Sheldrake · Peterson. Worlds without end How you intuit a story that carries a truth you can't explain. Sub-creation. Eucatastrophe. Tolkien · Lawhead · Lewis · Bujold · Crichton · Alexander · Jacques · world myths. A universe that's awake Quantum weirdness, epigenetics, NDEs — the ways souls and angels keep showing up in the data. And what technology is doing to the human person. Spitzer · Sheldrake · Andreano What I'm chewing on: Latest blog posts ## Sitemap: - [Contact Dominic de Souza - Get in Touch](https://dominicdesouza.com/contact) Send a Message Want to ask a question? Invite me for an interview? Put me in your story? Go right ahead. I can't wait to hear about it. I'll bring the cookies. - [Ring of Fantasy: Children's novel by Dominic de Souza](https://dominicdesouza.com/ring-of-fantasy) The Ring of Fantasy Joshua and Tess Douglas tumble into a magical world of adventure. An ancient prophecy known as the ‘Fragment’ warned of a danger to the Land of Fantasy, and they are destined to stop it. Tess is instantly kidnapped away by an evil wizard. Joshua must rush to collect his enchanted weapons so that he can rescue his sister and save Fantasy from invasion. Amid beauty and battle, Joshua meets flying horses and nyads, faerys and dwarves, ghosts and bathorses. A gripping children’s story from the first page on that doesn’t let up till the end! Great for reading aloud to ages 5-11! “I think this novel was a great read aloud, as it is advertised. The chapters were short, but filled with enough descriptive language to keep our family motivated to keep turning the pages to see what was the next adventure for the main character, Joshua Douglas. I loved how all ages could enjoy this book together and it was fun to discuss with our children what they thought was going to happen next in the story. I would highly recommend de Souza’s book for any family.” Read the full review by ‘A Slice of Smith Life‘ Finding the Ring Joshua Douglas clutched the bottle of milk to his chest as he raced home through a small English village. The dull grey clouds hung low to the ground like a damp cloak. World War Two had just begun in the skies over Britain. The hum and blast of bombs dropped from German bombers shivered the bricks in the buildings. He leapt a fence into the granite ruins of an old factory, pounding through the tall grass poking through the pavestones. He fought to keep his breath as he sped among the cracked pylons. He tugged his woolen cap tighter on his head, pushing his brown hair out of his face. His dark eyes kept watching for holes and openings. Sample Chapter 1 Dominic de Souza Note from the Author In 2001, I grabbed a pen and some lined paper, found a hideaway from the rest of the world, and wrote the first lines of this novel. I was thirteen years old. Over the next few months, I kept adding to it and filling it in, convinced that I could be a published author at a young age. I drew maps and colored them in, all the time delving heavily into Narnia, mystery authors and general fiction. As you will see, some of the names on the maps are drawn straight from a map of Ireland; it was my inspiration at the time. I see this book as an insight into themes and topics that attract children of that age, perhaps a little younger. It has been re-edited over the years, and now this new edition brings you a story that your child will enjoy to read aloud, just like my youngest brother did when he was ten. Dominic - [Sense of the Sacred Coloring Book](https://dominicdesouza.com/sense-of-the-sacred-coloring-book) Sense of the Sacred: A Coloring Book for Young Illuminators Pictures include God the Father, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Christ Scourged, Christ the Consoler, Christ the King, Christ Crucified, Christ the Redeemer, Christ Resurrected, a Crucifix, a Monstrance, Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart, the Pieta, the Woman of Revelation, Our Lady of Fatima, Mary Help of Christians, Our Lady of Walsingham, the Virgin Mary, St Michael the Archangel, Angel of the Chalice, Angel of Incense, Guardian Angels, Praying Angels. For centuries, the Catholic Church has used art to illuminate the sacred mysteries of the Faith. Now, your child can follow in that tradition by making sacred art with the help of Sense of the Sacred: Coloring Book for Young Illuminators. This book contains 30 hand-drawn illustrations and accompanying Bible verses, drawing on the rich legacy of statues and stained glass in our Catholic Faith. “beautiful and I totally recommend…” “My 6 year old (who incidentally was campaigning to stay home from school today!) got really excited about coloring and completed a whole page and ate her breakfast and had time to spare before they dashed off to the bus.” “Dominic’s put beautiful talent and love of the Catholic Faith into each of these drawings. This printable coloring book makes Jesus and Mary look like the King and Queen that they really are. I wish that I’d had this when I was little.” This coloring book is truly beautiful. It is easy enough for my children and detailed enough that even I want to color in it. He really does capture the sacred beauty art is meant to have, unlike so many cheesey catholic coloring books. This is the kind of Catholic book for kids that is worth every cent you pay for it...my boys were never interested in coloring, but they love coloring these beautiful and moving images. Beauty moves children and this books is a wonderful source of beauty for them! “I have seen the book myself and wholeheartedly endorse it for its beauty.” - [Sense of the Sacred: Illuminated Catholic Prayer Book](https://dominicdesouza.com/sense-sacred-book-catholic-prayers) Sense of the Sacred: Illuminated Book of Catholic Prayers Pictures include God the Father, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Christ Scourged, Christ the Consoler, Christ the King, Christ Crucified, Christ the Redeemer, Christ Resurrected, a Crucifix, a Monstrance, Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart, the Pieta, the Woman of Revelation, Our Lady of Fatima, Mary Help of Christians, Our Lady of Walsingham, the Virgin Mary, St Michael the Archangel, Angel of the Chalice, Angel of Incense, Guardian Angels, Praying Angels. Sense of the Sacred: Illuminated Book of Catholic Prayers contains thirty traditional Catholic prayers every child should have at hand, each accompanied by a beautiful, hand-drawn illustration to aid in prayerful meditation on the mysteries of the faith. This book also serves as a handy coloring guide for the companion coloring book, which contains each of these illustrations. “Not only does the Sense of the Sacred Companion suggest a wonderful palette for coloring the pages of the coloring book, but the paperback, travel-friendly book offers a treasury of prayers to pass on to children, fostering reverence and awe for our Catholic Faith." Equipping Catholic Families.com Prayers Include: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy), St Michael the Archangel, Angelic Praises of the Holy Trinity, Prayer for Angelic Assistance, Guardian Angel Prayer, Invocation in Honor of the Wounds of Christ, Prayer to the Sacred Heart, The Beatitudes, The Divine Praises, Prayer to Christ Crucified, Easter Prayer, Prayer to the Holy Cross, Prayer to Christ, King of the Universe, Prayer to Christ the King, St Patrick’s Breastplate, …and more! - [Hero Theory: 25 Stories for Young Men](https://dominicdesouza.com/hero-theory-25-stories-for-young-men) Hero Theory Young men today feel stuck in training mode in a basement: unwanted, lonely, and unprepared when life demands courage. Most men have never heard of the mental habits they should practice every day. Most don’t know the stories and theories that make courage kick in when a hero is needed. Hero Theory brings you 25 stories and challenges drawn from Scripture, history, and pop culture. Some were kings, some were prisoners, some wore capes, some wore chains. They stared down lions, dictators, dragons, and their own addictions. They were mocked, beaten, abandoned, or forgotten—and they didn’t flinch when it mattered. They practiced grit in private so they could stand in public. And we can train to be like that, before you even go to the gym. Because it’s not about being the toughest guy in the room. It’s about being the most ready—ready to do the right thing when no one else will. Ready to speak up, step in, and stand firm, even if your hands are shaking. All it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage to change a moment… and maybe even your life. You can practice that kind of courage. Explore the habits, the mindset, the mentors, the storied heroes and the real-life ones. So when your moment comes, you don’t hesitate. You act. Because that’s who you’ve trained to be. 25 Short Stories to Inspire Young Men to Seek Heroism “This book is a real gift—it’s insightful, engaging, and easy to follow even with the depth of the material. I found myself not just learning but also reflecting, which is always the mark of something worthwhile. The blend of clarity, conviction, and practical wisdom makes it both inspiring and useful, the kind of book you want to keep coming back to.” Chris Mann, Heroic Men - [A Guide to On Fairy Stories](https://dominicdesouza.com/a-guide-to-on-fairy-stories) A Guide to On Fairy Stories A century ago, a war-ravaged veteran returned from the trenches to write a manifesto for fairy tales and fantasy storytelling. Based on five hours of deep-dive conversations among LegendFiction mentors, this book unpacks Tolkien’s manifesto and reveals how it reshaped the modern imagination. With humor, heart, and grounded reflections, each chapter connects Tolkien’s philosophy to real life, helping today’s writers re-enchant their craft. This book explores: Why fairy tales are not for children: they’re spiritual training for all ages How fantasy stories help us recover joy, grief, and courage in a disenchanted world How writers echo divine creation through imagination The myth-shattering concept of a sudden grace that changes everything Why escapism isn’t cowardly, but the soul’s way of remembering freedom How fairy tales mirror the Gospel and reveal deeper reality Why writers are translators, not just inventors, offering readers glimpses of hidden truths PLUS: Practical habits for writing stories that rediscover meaning, moral imagination, mythic truth, and the magic of reality This down-to-earth guide is a creative revival for fantasy fiction, offering new language, clarity, and encouragement for those who write stories with wonder, truth, and beauty. Perfect for authors, storytellers, and fantasy lovers who want to understand why Tolkien believed fantasy was the highest and most human form of storytelling. If you’ve ever doubted whether fantasy fiction can really matter… If you’re a novelist, a storyteller, or a daydreamer with a tale humming in your heart… this book will challenge how you see your work—and maybe even how you see the world. Stories and storytelling doesn’t take you away from reality. They can bring you home. Tolkien, Storycraft, & the Deep Purpose of Fantasy Fiction Part One Why Tolkien Didn’t Believe Fairy Tales Are for Children, And Neither Should You Tolkien’s Theory of Sub-Creation: Why Imagination Is a Sacred Power The Real Reason Fairy Stories Outlast Every Bestseller Mindsets & Habits Part Two Would Tolkien Approve of Modern Fantasy Movies? Why Writers Are Story Translators for… Sacred Meaning? Fantasy Isn’t Escapism—It’s Empathy Training Mindsets & Habits Part Three Tolkien’s Cure for Imposter Syndrome Is Escapism Dangerous? Tolkien Says No. How Fantasy Stories Help Us Love the Real World Mindsets & Habits Part Four Why Fairy Tales Are More Real Than Reality The Secret Rule That Powers Every Great Fairy Tale Eucatastrophe: Tolkien’s Greatest Idea That Changes How We Write Mindsets & Habits Part Five Tolkien: Fairy Tales Reveal the Deepest Truth How this One Historical Character Changed Storytelling Forever Mindsets & Habits Part Six Conclusion: A Torch Passed to You Bonus: The Perilous Realm & Your Imagination Chapter list - [Books](https://dominicdesouza.com/books) Creative Projects My Books - [Start Your Saga Brand: The Guide for Founders](https://dominicdesouza.com/start-your-saga-brand) Start Your SAGA Brand How do you start a brand with no budget, no audience, and no credibility? Just an idea and the drive to make it real? This book is a field-tested, step-by-step plan to help college students, startup founders, and entrepreneurs build something real—fast. In just 100 days, you’ll go from idea to impact, using a framework that forces you to take action: story, action, goals, adventure. After 25 years studying and creating fiction, 10 years on thousands of marketing projects and hundreds of freelance customers, and now serving as the Marketing Director for a national nonprofit, this is Dominic de Souza’s playbook—the one he wished he had growing up. This is a survival guide for the founder, creator, or entrepreneur who refuses to wait. Every chapter is packed with step-by-step strategies, real-world examples, and built-in ChatGPT prompts to refine your ideas instantly. The only thing standing between you and a brand that demands attention is the decision to start. Start your SAGA brand now. The Relentlessly Helpful Guide for Total Beginners & Visionary Founders to Build a Brand with No Permission, No Budget, and No Limits—in Just 100 Days. “Not only is it packed FULL of insight and ideas for marketers at all levels and for all stages of your business, it has a personal story running through so beautifully written you can’t help but fall deeply into the pages, like you’re reading a novel. You’ll be inspired to build and develop your brand at every turn, but also recognise what an accomplished and evocative writer Dominic is, generous with his knowledge and expertise.” Natalie Smithson “Knowing how committed Dominic is to everything he does, I was more than happy to read a draft of his marketing book. I didn’t expect to get so emotionally involved! - [Legends of the Fall](https://dominicdesouza.com/legends-of-the-fall) Legends of the Fall Faith-inspired storytellers (Christian/Catholic) feel like we're in a tug-of-war. We want to write fiction that readers will love, but don't want to railroad them with altar calls and preachiness. We stand in a cultural crossfire. Many of us quit before we even start. Not any more. Legends of the Fall reclaims imagination as a festival on holy ground. Legends of the Fall is for storytellers who are tired of shrinking their imagination to fit a religious box, or shrinking their faith to fit a market agenda. This is not a handbook on how to smuggle sermons into novels. It is a call to re-wild your inner worlds. Part manifesto, part inspiration, and part spiritual refocus. Dominic de Souza is a cradle Catholic who started writing sci-fi and fantasy at thirteen and never stopped. After graduating from the Writer’s Institute for Children’s Literature, he went through a decade of deconstruction and rebuilding his faith. Today he's a father working full-time in marketing, and builds LegendFiction to inspire, equip, and train faith-inspired storytellers. Drawing on Tolkien’s vision of sub-creation, the fierce realism of Flannery O’Connor, and the deep current of the Catholic imagination, Dominic argues that the storyteller’s task begins with reality itself—beauty and evil, longing and loss, mystery and meaning. Inside, you will find frameworks for belief without sermonizing, practical guardrails for using religion in fiction, invitations into the Perilous Realm of imagination, and much more. Each one of us is a Legend of the Fall. The best legends do not ignore darkness. We light a candle and stare it down. If you want to find your freedom to create, and get unusual, exciting insights into your calling as a storyteller, this book belongs on your desk. How Faith-Inspired Storytellers Find the Freedom to create the Coolest Fiction in the World - [Projects by Dominic de Souza](https://dominicdesouza.com/projects) LegendHaven The friendliest fiction convention in the galaxy! LegendFiction The coolest group of storytellers in the world, writing the novels we dreamed. Saga Brand Legend-level brands for authors and founders who want trust on sight. SmartCatholics Let’s study the popes in an open, faithful community free of trolls & ads. Heroic Men The best Catholic media, resources, and ministry leadership-training for men. HaloZest Fast, fun, or faith-inspired stuff by Catholics who love nerd culture. Primary Projects Podcasts & Shows 16 songs of sacred polyphony and chant from a children's choir, a single family of 8 children in Australia. Recorded by Brother Alan Archer, and shared on Spotify. Sense of the Sacred Music Album - [About Dominic de Souza](https://dominicdesouza.com/about) (He thinks this shot makes him look epic. Please ignore unless you agree.) I'm a marketing director by day and a novelist by every other hour I can steal. Brazilian-Portuguese background, German-Irish blood, born in New Zealand, raised in Australia, schooled in Fiji and France, and now somehow in America. Eldest of eight. My childhood was a crowded house at dusk — singing, arguing, plates in the sink, someone always yelling about something. I was a feral kid. Salt air, tree bark, scraped knuckles, sticks swung like swords through hot Australian afternoons. I raided libraries like treasure vaults. At thirteen I finished my first novel, and when I typed The End, I didn't feel like I'd finished anything. I'd just started. Never the same I grew up inside a Catholic doomsday cult. Always next year's apocalypse, always the ever-war coming. I left it with a new wife, a kid on the way, very little money, and nowhere obvious to go. So I rolled up my sleeves and learned to keep the lights on. Twenty-five years of marketing and design, three thousand-odd projects. I got good at it. I'm still good at it — it pays for everything else. But I don't think I'd call it a career so much as a long detour with a lot of useful skills picked up along the way. What I actually believe Story is the most powerful experience humans have ever built. Sagas outlast strategies. The same handful of principles that build a brand will build a faith community, or a world, or a person. And faith is the wildest frontier, not a cage. I think Catholic imagination has more creative freedom than anyone's using — not less. No preachy, market-shrinking, safe-for-the-parish fiction, thanks. Tolkien had the word for it: sub-creation. We make because God makes. That's not escapism. That's rolling up your sleeves and getting to work. I celebrate the good, true, and beautiful wherever I find it, which means I forage — myth, science, world religions, history, mysticism. I'm a universalist. I read a lot of people I disagree with and I reserve the right to change my mind fast. I think that's the mark of a working brain, not a wobbly one. The Catholic frontier My mind is full of Faith, science, and history, and the seam where they meet. Genesis reads like a kaiju tore through it. Deep human origins mapped against actual timelines. A conscious, living universe where epigenetics and near-death experiences keep pointing at souls and angels and nobody in the room wants to say it out loud. Margaret Barker, Teilhard, Sheldrake, Hancock, Spitzer, Chesterton... I'm not credentialed in any of it. I'm just relentlessly curious and I've got a lot of bookmarks. What I'm building LegendFiction, started in the plague years when everyone else was waiting for it to pass — a community for storytellers who think fiction is vocation, not decoration. SagaBrand, the client work that sometimes buys more writing time. The novels, which I keep planning and will keep writing. And a Substack where I think out loud. I have ...