About
Derek Michael Sanders (D.M. Sanders) is an American fantasy novelist, creating the world of Artera in which the upcoming Royal Guild of Investigations series takes place as well as numerous future projects. Artera is a massive world, and many new stories will crop up in the years to come.
He and two close friends came up with the idea of narratively telling their Dungeons & Dragons campaign, the Ridgeton Tales, as an ongoing web novel. This idea sparked and caught on like wildfire as they began writing. Ultimately, they created Three Dragons Media, a hub for the three authors to publish their creative works.
In 2026, Three Dragons Media re-branded to Dueling Quills Media.
Reading, writing and all things nerdy are his passions, as well as spending much needed time with his loving family. He will be forever chasing the dream of creating stories for a living.
The first entry in the world of Artera, the Royal Guild of Investigations, Aether Inspector, is available now.
Featured Work
Aether Inspector
Inspector Halin vé Wexon is haunted by past investigations, suffers from vivid nightmares, and he keeps a perilous secret—he can use magick.
The Aether is a dangerous and omnipotent Celestial force that gives its wielder powerful magick, leading the Kingdom of Nimaéa to enact a royal decree in an attempt to keep the power out of irresponsible hands. Fortunately for Hal, he's pretty sure he is of the responsible sort and has remained hidden his entire life. But that won't stop the king's mysterious inquisitors, known as the Faceless, from hunting him down if he shows any sign of magickal ability.
Hal's secret is threatened when he and his partner, Viv, are summoned to the scene of a grisly murder, triggering Hal's magickal senses for reasons unknown. Hal struggles to keep his magickal power in check as the inspectors track clue after clue, leading them to a confrontation with a deadly gang hiding plenty of their own secrets.
Hal must catch the killer and solve the case before the Faceless discover his power, or his wife and son will be imprisoned—and Hal will be condemned to death.
