FICTION
In the mood for some good Fantasy fiction? On this page you can find out about the stories I've had published so far, including where to obtain copies. I hope you enjoy them!
"Blade Of Fire"
Published in The End Was Not The End anthology from Seventh Star Press, edited by Joshua Leet
This book is an anthology of post-apocalyptic Fantasy stories. Who doesn't like stories of marauding and magic in worlds where civilization has collapsed?
My contribution to the collection tells the tale of Keldar, a warrior with the magical gift to call the power of the four elements into his sword. He must venture into a ruined city to rescue his beloved — a woman who's due to marry another man — from ruthless bandits, one of whom has magical powers of his own that may make him more than Keldar's match.
The End Was Not The End is now available:
You can find reviews of The End Was Not The End at:
"The Two Fires"
Published in the Thunder On The Battlefield: Sorcery, the second volume in a two-volume anthology of Swords and Sorcery stories from Seventh Star Press, edited by James Tuck
"The Two Fires" features Valgard, a crusading priest of the Argandian Empire, confronting an ancient, pagan evil in the northern lands the Argandians are trying to pacify.
I took a bit of a chance with this story, and it seems to have paid off. I consider myself pretty well-versed in Fantasy fiction, and I can think of very few stories that feature a priest (crusading or otherwise) as the protagonist. I definitely can't think of any S&S stories like that, since priests in S&S tend to be selfish (if not evil) and villainous. I'm looking forward to hearing what readers think of a priest cast in a heroic light.
Thunder On The Battlefield: Sorcery is now available:
"The Wolf Sentinel"
Published in Hero's Best Friend, an anthology of stories about animal companions and their heroes from Seventh Star Press, edited by Scott Sandridge.
"The Wolf Sentinel" tells the story of Swift Grey Lord of the Forest, a former pack-leading wolf who's been driven away from his pack due to age and weakness. When a noble human (Vorgath the warlock, the main character in my perpetually-in-revisions novel) is injured by his enemies in the forest, Greylord "adopts" him as his new pack and helps and protects him until he can fend for himself once more.
Hero's Best Friend is now available:
"The Harpist's Hand"
Published in A Chimerical World: Tales Of The Seelie Court, an anthology of stories about good-natured faeries from Seventh Star Press, edited by Scott Sandridge.
Thomasin Blythe is one of the greatest bards in all the land of Tuala Morn. But how will she deal with having two contentious kings seeking her hand in marriage?
A Chimerical World: Tales Of The Seelie Court is now available:
"The Rose And The Dragon"
Published in A Chimerical World: Tales Of The Unseelie Court, an anthology of stories about wicked faeries from Seventh Star Press, edited by Scott Sandridge.
When Sir Rhorec of Umbr, the Knight of Five Roses, was born, three faeries appeared and pronounced a strange prophecy. Now grown to manhood and armed with the magic sword they left him, he ventures into the deadly confines of Killdraigan Forest to seek the meaning of the prophecy... and slay a fearsome dragon.
A Chimerical World: Tales Of The Unseelie Court is now available:
"Letter Of Reprisal"
Published in Writers For Relief, Vol. 3, an anthology of stories donated by authors, with the proceeds going to the relief of Oklahoma tornado victims. Edited by Davey Beauchamp.
I was very pleased to be asked to participate in this project. In my contribution, the king tasks Vilkun the ranger with a seemingly impossible mission: stop a traitorous army of over a hundred men from meeting up with an invading force. How can one man stop an entire army? Vilkun finds his cleverness and resources taxed to the limit as he tries to keep the kingdom safe.
Writers For Relief, Vol. 3 is now available:
"Azelard's Gift"
Published in The Ways Of Magic, an e-book anthology from Deepwood Publishing.
This is one of several stories I've written about Azelard the Smiling Magician, a roguish wizard, but it's the first one to see publication. Azelard receives a gift from an old flame, who wants him to undertake a seemingly impossible quest. Will his magic be up to the task of desecrating the fabled Tomb of the Faceless God? And why does his former lover really want it destroyed?
The Ways Of Magic is now available:
"The Third War"
Published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group as part of their "Necessary Evil" RPG setting
Necessary Evil is a setting in which aliens have taken over Earth and killed all the superheroes, leaving it to the supervillains to step up and save humanity. "The Third War" tells the story of Crusader, a vigilante crimefighter. He has to decide whether to let his nemesis, a supervillain named Invictus (who was responsible for thousands of deaths before the invasion), participate in the resistance -- or take advantage of the situation to get rid of Invictus once and for all, but in the process perhaps doom mankind.
"The Third War" is now available here.
"The Lamp Of Souls"
Published in Death God's Chosen, an e-book anthology from Deepwood Publishing.
Written in the form of a historical chronicle from a Fantasy world, this story tells of the arrival of the mysterious and deadly necromancer Saakiv in the northern lands, his terrifying rise to power, and his eventual fall.
Death God's Chosen is now available:
"Edge Of Honor"
This story, set in Sean Fannon's High Fantasy world of Shaintar, was described this way by the editor: "Khoroth ki Khorond is destined to become the Warlord of the Azdairian holdings, a position of great wealth and power in the Kal-a-Nar Empire. His longing for the days when his people knew honor as greater than mere glory - when they did not succumb to the bloody, fiery whims of the worshippers of the Queen of Hell - puts him on a path of terrible sacrifice and pain, and ultimately in direct battle with his all-too-powerful father."
Edge Of Honor is now available at DriveThruFiction.com. You can also find reviews of the story there:
"Keeping Up With Mr. Johnson"
Published in World Of Shadows, an anthology for the Shadowrun RPG from Catalyst Game Labs, edited by John Helfers
I've loved Shadowrun since it first came out, but sadly never got to write for it as an RPG. But getting to write fiction for it eased some of that regret a little! This story, set in Miami, focuses on a "Mr. Johnson" -- a corporate employee who hires and wrangles shadowrunners (powerful mercenary criminals) -- and shows how he can learn something from them, and they from him.
World Of Shadows is now available:
"A Singular Justice"
Published in Exalted: Tales From The Age Of Sorrows, an anthology for the Exalted roleplaying game edited by Jaym Gates.
I worked harder to get this story "just right" than any other story I've written to date, and hopefully readers will appreciate the effort. ;) It's a tale of the First Age that focuses on Vitarra, a scholar and researcher embittered by the lack of recognition for her work, and how she reacts when a despised rival who's undeservedly achieved the fame and accolades that should be hers re-enters her life.
Exalted: Tales From The Age Of Sorrows is now available at DriveThruRPG.com
"Tower Of The Golden God"
Published in the Champions of Aetaltis anthology from Mechanical Muse, edited by John Helfers
This Swords and Sorcery-style tale is set in Aetaltis, a world published by Mechanical Muse for the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition RPG. It tells the story of Torvin son of Toroth, who becomes lost in the jungle while fleeing hobgoblins, discovers an ancient tower, and thus sets off a chain of events that could wreak havoc upon the world... unless he can stop them.
This story is also a fun first for me -- it inspired the cover illustration for the anthology!
Champions Of Aetaltis is now available:
"Forest For The Trees"
To be published in the Genius Loci anthology, edited by Jaym Gates
I was really pleased to make it into this anthology of stories about "spirits of place" and related matters, since the competition was fierce and Jaym's a great editor. You can read a bit more about it and check out the book's table of contents here.
Genius Loci is now available here.
"To Strive, To Seek, To Find, And Not To Yield"
Published in Drawing Destiny, an anthology for the Shadowrun RPG from Catalyst Game Labs, edited by John Helfers
This was my second chance to write for the world of Shadowrun, and I hope it won't be my last. Even better, this anthology is themed around the Shadowrun tarot card deck -- and since I collect tarot cards, that made the story even more fun to write!
Drawing Destiny is now available here.
And I hope to have more stories coming soon, if the editorial gods are kind. Please stay tuned!
