Winter Wizard (snippet)
A sweep of pale blue hand moved the curtain aside to reveal what the clan had feared all along. In a small alcove just behind the throne room was a statue carved to the perfection of their prince. Once noble and powerful, the prince's sweet-mannered face was now locked in fear and doubt, doubt that he would ever be released; fear that his beloved clan had also met the same fate...
The Third Child (snippet)
The labor had been difficult, and now as he sat slowly rocking his newborn son, he began to wonder whether the rumors were true. Was he truly holding a Dark One? And if so, did he have the courage to dispose of it, his own flesh and blood?
Betrayal (snippet)
He heard the snapping of bone, though he felt nothing. Wind whipped by. Then hard earth met his fall. When his eyes finally opened, a cloud of ripped feathers landed gently across his body.
Prince of Sapphire (snippet)
The only companions he could claim were his creations. Dracons, he called them. Part lizard, part man, they served without hesitance, providing the latest information on the Prince of Light. There’s always a way to frighten an animal in the night...
The Desert (snippet)
They had already stopped twice during the day; once to refresh their empty stomachs. The other was due to the heat. He was losing them, and Wisdom knew it. The desert had proved far harsher than he had expected. If not for the plague looming over their homeland, he would have chosen another way.
Time Keeper (snippet)
He listened to the hypnotic rhythm of the swaying pendulum, its every pass counting the seconds, its every hum of air brushing against his body as it pulled into the extent of its hinges. Then the air split, like thunder pounding the sky around him. Tick. Another pass. Tock. The pendulum was the largest he had ever seen, solid gold as it hung from the center of the grand ceiling. It was his sanctuary, his prison, a private place to meditate after long hours of staring at tiny screens along the upper portion of the Time Machine.
Task of a Prince (snippet)
He lay his head back against the chair's neck rest to reflect the day's accomplishments, which in his opinion would have been very little to all the sitting and thinking about how to deal with his problems. While his few servants busied themselves attending his every need that might make him more comfortable, the prince could not help but consider himself a failure.
False Truths, False Hopes (snippet)
He knew it would come to this. The reason why his brother and Chanté had traveled from Crystal Valley all the way to the Realm of Trully was not because they were curious about humans. Well, they were. But they could never say anything to any of the clan members about it.
Only One Way (snippet)
There was no one left. The few humans that had remained had all been transformed into the throng of minions that came at him now. Wisdom wouldn't have recognized them, even if they could speak. For the last hour he had expensed enough energy to flatten out an entire realm. Yet the waves of lizard looking men never ceased, and as the prince cast his last spell he felt the tension of energy run dangerously low.
The Swamp (snippet)
Wisdom glanced down, bushy white eyebrows leveling over a dull reflection of his surroundings in those once cheerful eyes. In the knee-deep muck of Mirkwood Swamp, it was not hard to guess his present mood, nor the warning of failing magic as he lifted his gaze to his other two companions...
Partner in Crime (western fantasy short story) Now available on the Kindle!
Up before first crow; rode out to meet the sun cresting the tops of Mount Glory. I tilted my wide-brimmed hat to block out most of the rays, then turned my horse to face town. The grass tip I'd stuck between my teeth early on was beginning to taste bitter. I slid it over. Wasn't tobacco, but it would do - now that I was on patrol.
Chelsea and the Renegade (short story - unfinished)
The morn was as bright as any other day for the sky homes in Sundire. High above the clouds they collected like giant lilly pads of independent villages, attached from below to keep from floating off. As twelve-year-old Chelsea Williams trotted outside, she wondered how far down they went, especially when a piece of paper swept away from her grasp and was lost over the edge...
Death By Comics (short story)
Learning to read by way of comics must be fun! But who's leaving the comic books by the water's edge every day. Better yet... who's reading the comics?
Conversion (flash fiction)
Mona Victoria was excited about the upcoming slumber party. But upon announcing this to her mother... well, things get a little weird.
Going Crazy (poetry)
When you just can't wait for the weekend...
The Sea King & the Firebird (poetry)
What happens when a firebird meets the king of the ocean.
No Comment (poetry)
I feel bad not leaving people comments, so I wrote this.
When Things Go Wrong (poetry)
Just some of my opinions and feelings on things for 2009
Wisdom (novel - complete - unedited sample here)
The clank of chain echoed within the confines of her dungeon prison. She worked the shackles, with no luck at loosening them beyond the downy feathering covering her cloven hoofs. White hair bristled along her neck in anticipation of someone approaching. A toss of the head loosened several strands of long mane around a single ivory horn perched upon the forehead. She waited. A unicorn must always be patient.
Soul-Shifter (novel - unfinished)
Six stories up and the only thing between me and escape was a gap in between rooftops. Six minutes ago I thought I had lost her. Six hours ago I had been at a coffee shop wondering whether to tell my parents the truth. Being pregnant would have been a better story and possibly had a happier ending. Quite the opposite now as I scanned along the narrow ledge for an escape ladder, steps, anything! There should have been a streetlamp below. Now the alley was as dark as the night sky...
Time Keeper (novel - unfinished)
He was out the door in a matter of minutes, his mind tracking the seconds he had left to be at work. Once he set his thoughts, there was no turning off the constant numbers counting in his head. Like a clock himself, he needed no machine to calculate the minutes, hours, days or months. As he hurried down the path he had traveled so many times he could walk blindfolded, he glanced to the domed ceiling. As usual, the vortex of swirling Black Hole raged beyond the thick glass. It served as a constant reminder that there would always be work in the Time Factory, for as long as the Black Hole existed, so would they...
Aster Lee (inspired by a dream)
A young priestess, whose father leads a council that basicalliy governs the land, is being asked to chose a champion so when there's trouble this champion can restore peace by transforming into a being with unlimited power through Nature for a short period of time. The blessing can only be given to one with pure intentions; however, only the wealthy and proud are coming forward to claim this gift...
Elementals (story idea)
Azrael thought his days as an Elemental were over, until he comes across a 15-year-old girl called Vee. For three days, Vee has searched for her missing brother, claiming that he was kidnapped by an Elemental. Not wanting to revisit the past, Azrael is hesitant to assist in the rescue until he realizes the same thing that happened to him is about to happen again...
Influenced Through Music (story idea)
This is the story behind a private government owned and operated plan. The only aliens that exist...are us! We make them. We feed them to newspapers and journals for the sake of something new and exciting for the everyday person. We send them on missions for the sake of creating new stories with thrilling action so readers can buy the latest Star Trek novel. It's all real...
Unseen (inspired by a dream)
Unseen. It wasn't on any map I'd ever come across. But I should know. I'd poured over every one I could find, enough to pass any History exam my senior year could throw at me. Made mom proud, at least. Yet high scores were the least of my concerns. Unseen was the last place Dad said was going, and he's been gone for years…
Tumblers (game concept - inspired by a dream)
You play a character living in a world where a huge mudslide has covered up one of the most precious natural resources known to man - water. The government of your homeland is seeking out people called Tumblers, similiar to magic-users familiar with the Elements, to seek out air pockets within the mud and pick out bubbles of this precious liquid. People are starving, lack of rain, and crops are wearing out. The government, of course, is making a huge profit getting their own water supply and selling it...