Lubbick “The War Pixie” Stories
Grantville Gazette Stories (set in Eric Flint’s 1632/Ring of Fire Universe)
“The Assassin’s Retirement Party” was published in 2003
in WEIRD TALES, Issue #332. It introduces my assassin, Nalo Thoran, as he struggles through the city of Korsham, doing his job the best he can, while trying to maintain his humanity. His soul is trapped in amethyst until such a time as he’s released from the service of the dark lord Kalloshin (The Seething Dark Eternalness), patron saint of assassins. Ironically, this story happens to be the very last adventure in the assassin’s long career, as he takes on a “seemingly” simple hit, but learns that deadly forces are working against him in the twilight of his career.
Unfortunately, this issue of Weird Tales is out of print and difficult to find.
“Heart of the Matter” was published in 2009 in NthZine, Issue #2. Assassin Nalo Thoran is back in action with this tale set in the early days of his nefarious career. This time, the “Dark Breath Stealer” falls in love with the wife of one of his victims, but he’s unaware of the dark and dangerous secret lurking within her heart. You can download a copy of this story from here…
“Thorns and Roses,” another of my Nalo Thoran stories, appears in Hellfire Lounge 2, ed. by Rick Leider and published by Marietta Publishing. This one is an earlier tale of our assassin, as he’s commissioned by the guild to dispose of two lovers who are performing unholy acts in the eyes of their cults. But pressures mount as the young assassin begins to doubt his service to the dark lord Kalloshin. Can he find a way out of his servitude to murder? Can he find peace in a world wrought with pain and sorrow?
“Red Moon Reflected,” my first werewolf story, was published in Hellfire Lounge 4: Reflections of Evil. This is another of my Assassin’s Lament stories. Master Assassin Nalo Thoran has been hired to track down and kill a monster which is terrorizing the night streets of Korsham City. But a more nefarious plot twists in the wind. Can Nalo survive the “beast” and an even deadlier foe that would see him killed?
“The People’s Avenger” was published in Hides the Dark Tower. This one is told from the perspective of a Brenian Thief named Falco Creed, who is on a deadly mission in the streets of Korsham City to recover a lost (nay, stolen!) national heirloom. But Nalo Thoran, The Dark Breath-Stealer, The Shape of Shadow, though not unsympathetic to the Brenian Fox’s cause, is nonetheless determined to see him fail.
Now available on Amazon
And read an interview I conducted with Steven Southard here about the story…
“Devil Dancers” appeared in the anthology By Other Means, Book 3 in the “Defending the Future” Series (Dark Quest Books). Apache Captain Victorio Nantan, Squadron Leader of the Devil Dancers, 3rd Sol Fighter Wing, is in a desperate fight against the Gulo, a wolverine-like race determined to destroy humanity. But when his “Ahab” obsession with Gulo ace pilot Gingu-sha gets his brother killed, Captain “Victory” must appeal to the GanhMountain Spirits of his heritage to find the strength to prevail against the growing threat. It is available now on…
“Devil Dancers” was also selected for e-Spec Books “Best of” collection for the Defending the Futures Mil SF series…
“The Sorrow Sea,” the second story in my Devil Dancers series, was published in the anthology Spells and Swashbucklers (Dragon Moon Press). This time, Victorio Nantan and his Ganh fighter pilots are hot on the trail of a ruthless pirate from the squadron’s past.
You can order the anthology through…
“I Give My Heart to the Hawks,” the third story in my Devil Dancers series, was published in Dogs of War, Book 6 in the “Defending the Future” Anthology series (Dark Quest Books). Apache Captain Victorio Nantan has agreed to allow his squadron’s pet red-tailed hawks be used in a dangerous mission, the end result of which could hasten the end of the war against the Gulo. But the mission is even deadlier than Victorio and his men could even imagine.
Here’s a good review of the anthology, courtesy of Luke’s Reviews.
You can order Dogs of War through…
“The First Peace,” the fourth story in my Devil Dancers series, was published in Man and Machine, Book 7 in the “Defending the Future” Anthology series (e-Spec Books). In this one, Victorio Nantan fights against himself. A rogue AI, which has taken command of a fleet of Union ships, models its command qualities after Victorio himself, but instead of trying to protect and save the citizenry of the Federated Union, its intentions are nefarious as it uses its co-opted fleet to destroy as many other Union vessels as it can. Victorio must go in alone to confront this AI and bring it to heel.
“Medicine Man” was published in In Harm’s Way, Book 8 in the “Defending the Future” Anthology (e-Spec Books). In this one, Victorio Nantan has a vision that his second-in-command, Blue Bird, will die in the DD’s next engagement against the Gulo. Unable to keep her out of the fight but determined to keep her safe, he makes a fateful decision that may indeed lead to her death… unless he can elicit the aid of a powerful di-yin Shaman on Earth.
“Medicine Man” was also included on Tangent Online’s Recommended Reading List for 2019…
Tangent Recommended Reading List
DEVIL DANCERS is the full collection of DD stories, featuring every publication of Victorio Nantan and his squadron of Apache fighter pilots. The collection includes the following stories:
“Devil Dancers”
“Child of the Water” (new)
“The Sorrow Sea”
“I Give My Heart to the Hawks”
“I Am the Lightning” (new)
“The First Peace”
“Medicine Man”
There are two new DD stories in this collection…
“Child of the Water” is about training novitiates and the often tragic personal costs of war.
“I Am the Lightning” shows the war between the DD and the Gulo from the Gulo perspective, and also showcases other units and characters in this universe.
Reviews and Interviews about DEVIL DANCERS…
Tangent Review
Publisher’s Weekly Review
Paul Semel Interview
Morgan Hazelwood Interview
Lubbick “The War Pixie” Stories
“At the Grasshopper’s Hill” was published in 2010 in the anthology Bad-Ass Faeries 3: In All Their Glory, Mundania Press. Lubbick is a war-pixie whose exploits go back as far as Alexander the Great. But nowhe finds himself near Mexico City in the service of the “Gringo” army against Santa Anna and his Mexican forces, late 1840s. It should be a relatively easy tour of duty, but dark and insipient forces are at work to not only bring the American army to its knees, but to drive the world into darkness. Lubbick must work diligently (and courageously) to bring this deviltry under control. Ogres, Sorceresses, Aztec Gods, and up-and-coming Civil War commander Robert E Lee show-case this military romp.
You can find a copy of this anthology at the publisher’s website,Mundania Press, and on Amazon.
Also check out the official website for the Bad-Ass Faeries Series. This anthology was also reviewed on Tangent Online.
“At the Grasshopper’s Hill” was also selected for e-Spec Books Best of collection for the Bad-Ass Faeries series…
“In the House of Wisdom”can be foundin Hellfire Lounge 3: Jinn Rummy. In this story, the jinn AzeemImad al-Din, Defender of the Pillar of the Faith, Councilor to the Great Caliph al-Musta’sim, and Chief Librarian of the House of Wisdom, tries desperately to thwart the impending attack of the Mongol Horde under the command of Hulagu Khan. In the horde’s way stands Baghdad, jewel in the Abbasid Dynasty’s crown, but nefarious interests inside the Round City threatens the peace. Can this humble librarian defend the city he loves from rampaging barbarians? My war pixie, Lubbick, makes a cameo appearance in this storyas Lybik. It’s now available on Amazon at…
“Indeh,” my first real attempt at writing paranormal investigation, was published in Apocalypse 13, volume 1 in a new anthology series from Padwolf Publishing. It’s the end times, and Apache investigator Joe Littlecloud and his ghoul side-kick, Horus Ruth, are hot on the trail of strange activities surrounding the destruction of a town near Baltimore, Maryland.
It can be purchased at the publisher’s website and at Amazon.
“What Happens in Vegas,” my second Joe Littlecloud story, was published in Lucky 13, the fourth anthology in Padwolf Press’s successful “13” Series. This one follows our paranormal sleuth and his Watson-like ghoul sidekick, Horus Ruth, through the dangerous and oftentimes unlucky landscape of high stakes gambling in Sin City. Several gruesome suicides (or are they murders?) have plagued the town and our two diligent investigators are hot on the trail to divine the nature of these matters. Are these troubling events just a rash of unlucky occurrences, or do they lead to a more dangerous source, one perhaps of biblical proportions?
Amazon.
Barnes & Noble.
A Good Review
Grantville Gazette Stories (set in Eric Flint’s 1632/Ring of Fire Universe)
“The Game of War” appeared in Volume 38 of the online magazine (http://www.grantvillegazette.com/issues/Volume_38). The Grantville Gazette publishes stories based upon Baen Book’s excellent 1632/Ring of Fire series, one of the most popular alternate history series out there today. It’s an honor to be part of this series. This is my first story and hopefully will not be my last. This story follows the conflict between two prominent Swiss families (the von Allmens and the Gremmingers) as they settle a land dispute with pike, shot, and saber (and more than a few American Up-Time rifles). Will the young, bookish Thomas von Allmen find the courage and skill necessary to defend his lands against the experienced and ruthless Klaus Gremminger?
“The Heirloom,” my second 1632/Ring of Fire story, is now available on the Grantville Gazette website. This is a story about the Rice family and their trials and tribulations before and after the dreaded cosmic event that cast the West Virginia town of Grantville back to 1632 Germany. Ella Lou Rice, a widow whose husband came into possession of an heirloom during World War 2, tries to find the ancestors of the German boy who gave her husband the family treasure. But she may find the task far more difficult (and perhaps more rewarding) than she could ever imagine. You can also find it here…
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-1430-grantville-gazette-volume-40.aspx
“The Heirloom” was also selected for reprint in Baen Books Grantville Gazette VIII.
Now available on Amazon
“The Great Grantville Gander Pull,”
my third 1632/Ring of Fire story, is now available on the Grantville Gazette website. In this story, veterinarian Joy Valencia discovers that an Up-Time farmer is running gander-pulls in Grantville. Not only is this cruel and unusual punishment, it may very well be illegal. What are the legal ramifications of this terrible blood sport? Can Joy stop this farmer before more geese are brutally killed? You can also find it here…
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-1645-grantville-gazette-volume-42.aspx
“The River of His Memory,”
my fourth 1632/Ring of Fire story, is now available on the Grantville Gazette website. In this story, a Vietnam veteran begins to show signs of Alzheimer’s, but being stuck in 1635, there is little that anyone can do to help. When his symptoms manifest into dangerous delusions, it’s all his friends and family can do to keep him out of trouble. But a kindly young neighborhood girl helps him find his way along a treacherous path as they seek the “river” of his memory. You can also find it here…
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-1647-grantville-gazette-volume-44.aspx
“The Persistence of Dreams,”
my fifth 1632/Ring of Fire story, and a collaboration with author Meriah L Crawford, is now available on the Grantville Gazette website. In this story, Meriah and I have taken a real down-time Baroque artist, Daniel Block, and have introduced him to up-time painting techniques. Daniel is distraught that no evidence of his existence has come through the Ring of Fire.Why has history forgotten me, he wonders, and sets out to rectify that matter by painting a portrait of a local Grantville teenager. But his decision to paint her in the nude brings him a heap of trouble. It’s an up-time/down-time cultural clash, and it can also be found at…
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-1649-grantville-gazette-volume-46.aspx
This is the first of several stories we hope to write about Baroque artist Daniel Block.
“The Multi-Colored King,” my sixth 1632/Ring of Fire story, and my second collaboration with author Meriah L Crawford, is now available on the Grantville Gazette website. In this story, Meriah and I continue with down-time artist Daniel Block’s adventures, as he arrives in Magdeburg shortly after his brief stay in Grantville (see “The Persistence of Dreams”). Daniel tries to make amends for his misspent youth by reconnecting with his embittered oldest son Emanuel. Daniel also attempts to gain favor with the king, Gustavus II Adolphus, in order to paint his portrait as he did in the past. All seems to be going as planned, but a deadly conspiracy is afoot that will not only put Daniel’s life at risk, but the king’s as well. The story can be found here…
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-1890-grantville-gazette-volume-50.aspx
“Letters from Inchon,” my seventh 1632/Ring of Fire story, is now available on the Grantville Gazette website. This one is about a young down-timer named Arnulf “Arnie” Langenberg who takes a summer job with the up-time Grooms family. Arnie is in love with an up-time girl, and he doesn’t quite know how to approach her. But a mysterious box of letters that his employer received from a Korean nurse when he was in the Korean War, helps the lad find his courage. The story can also be found here…
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2448-grantville-gazette-volume-56.aspx
“Painted into a Corner”, written in collaboration with Meriah L Crawford, began appearing in Volume 60 of the Grantville Gazette and will continue into Volume 61 and 62. Following on the heels of our previous stories, “The Persistence of Dreams, and “The Multi-Colored King” (see above), our down-time artist, Daniel von Block, pits his talents against competitors in a mural painting competition sponsored by the Magdeburg Arts League. Artists from across Europe have come to the USE city to participate in the competition, but only one artist can win the commission. The mural in question is one depicting The Ring of Fire, but who has the talent and stamina to paint such a powerful and world-changing event? Herr von Block hopes that he does, but various intrigues, both personal and external, threaten to derail the competition from the beginning.
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2717-grantville-gazette-volume-60.aspx
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2718-grantville-gazette-volume-61.aspx
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2719-grantville-gazette-volume-62.aspx
“The Wampus of Grantville”, written in collaboration with Eric S Brown, appeared in Volume 63 of the Grantville Gazette. In this story, we continue a storyline that Eric started in previous volumes, where he introduced the Monster Society (aka Gesellschaft der Ungethüme), down-time Live-Action Role-players (LARPers) who adventure around Grantville and its immediate surrounds. In this story, the MS take on the task of hunting down and killing the dreaded Wampus of Grantville, an evil part woman, part cat beast “rumored” to be terrorizing the small West Virginia town. But sometimes harmless play can turn deadly.
http://www.baen.com/grantville-gazette-volume-63.html
“The Wampus of Grantville” and “The Thing in the Up-Time Attic” can also be found in THE MONSTER SOCIETY, now available on Amazon.
“The Thing in the Up-Time Attic”, appeared in Volume 65 of the Grantville Gazette. Eric Brown and I join forces again to send the Monster Society on their deadliest adventure yet. Lurking in the dark, musty attic of an up-time house are evils too fearsome, too terrible to imagine, but the Gesellschaft der Ungethüme is more than willing to risk it all to rid 1635 Germany of a gruesome horror.
http://www.baen.com/grantville-gazette-volume-65.html
“Fallen Apple” is my first official Baen Books publication. Appearing in the Ring of Fire IV anthology, this story is another set in Eric Flint’s 1632/Ring of Fire alternate history series. In this one, I introduce Isaac Newton’s parents (Hannah Ayscough and Isaac Newton Sr.), before they were his parents. I also bring back a former character which first appeared in “Letters from Inchon.” Arnulf “Arnie” Langenberg, an intelligent, inquisitive down-time boy, loves reading up-time crime noir novels and up-time science, but when he tries to strike up a correspondence with young Hannah Ayscough, unintended consequences may alter the life path of everyone involved, including the genius scientist who is not yet born.
The Winter Canvas,” appeared in Volume 67 of the Grantville Gazette. With this entry, Dr. Meriah Crawford and I finish off our first Daniel von Block story arch, with a little trip to Schwerin Castle up in Mecklenburg, Germany. After the events showcased in “Painted into a Corner” (see above), Daniel is financially strapped and in need of a few good commissions. But a duke from Northern Germany is much interested in having Daniel paint portraits of his family using progressive up-time techniques. The road is long, and the winter cold, but Daniel and his son Benjamin take the trip. Little do they know, however, that a nasty winter storm may threaten their lives.
“Blood Brothers” appeared in Volume73 of the Grantville Gazette. I team up once again with Eric Brown (Monster Society, see above), to bring his Native American character, Fast as Lightning in the Sky, back to action. War may be brewing between the Montauk and Mohegan peoples of North East America. Fast as Lightning has come into the situation to aide a rising Montauk chief in the negotiations for peace… or to help prepare for war.
Now available on the Baen Website…
“Broken Strings” appeared in Volume 86 of the Grantville Gazette. Once again, Dr. Meriah Crawford and I join forces to showcase another important artist in the Ring of Fire series. This time, it is Juan de Pareja, assistant and slave to famous Spanish Baroque artist, Diego Velazquez (Las Meninas). Juan is sent to Grantville to try to acquire a copy of Las Meninas, but while he is there, he begins to yearn for his freedom and the possibilities of what freedom might bring to him. But it’s a dangerous notion, for Juan has ties to Spain that will force him to confront is “master” and lobby for his freedom.
Now available on the Baen Website…
“Cassini at the Plate,” the first in my Cassini Plays Ball series, appeared in Volume 93 of the Grantville Gazette. Giovanni Domenico Cassini is the world-renowned astronomer of the 17th century that goes on to discover the so-called Cassini Division in the rings of Saturn. But in 1636, he’s an eleven-year-old boy who falls in love with baseball when he and his uncle, Antonio Maria Crovese, visit Grantville.
Grantville Gazette Volume 93 created by Eric Flint (baen.com)
“Cassini Takes First,” story two in my ongoing Cassini Plays Ball series, appeared in Volume 96 of the Grantville Gazette. Little Giovanni and his uncle Antonio have decided to stay in Grantville, at least long enough to allow the boy to play little league ball for the Grantville Mountaineers, a team comprised of both up- and down-timers. As Giovanni learns how to play baseball and navigate through a swamp of social interactions with the citizens of Grantville, Uncle Antonio takes a job at the Koudsi Law Firm in order to earn enough money for their stay in Grantville. But his emotions are put through the ringer when he falls for a young receptionist working for the firm whose husband is off to war with Mike Stearns and the USE army.
Grantville Gazette Volume 96 created by Eric Flint (baen.com)
“Cassini Slides to Second,” story three in my ongoing Cassini Plays Ball series, appeared in Volume 101 of the Grantville Gazette. Little Giovanni continues his play through the short little league season of the summer of 1636, as he begins to study and prepare for the day that he can steal second base. It’s a skill that he has yet to master, but his friends on the team are more than willing to help him out. Meanwhile, the relationship between Uncle Antonio and Luca Shumpert begins to heat up. Antonio has really gone off the deep end with his feelings for the girl, and he begins to wonder if it is possible that he and Giovanni could stay in Grantville permanently.
Grantville Gazette Volume 101 created by Eric Flint (baen.com)
“The Evil of Thy Doings: A Calabar’s War Story,” written in collaboration with Robert “Bob” Finegold, appeared in Volume 97 of the Grantville Gazette. This story is set during Part 2 of my novel 1636: CALABAR’S WAR, and gives an account of Calabar and his partner, Sephardic pirate Moses Cohen Henriques, as they struggle to locate and then commandeer Spanish muskets for the Dutch colony on Saint Eustacia.
Grantville Gazette Volume 97 created by Eric Flint (baen.com)
“The People from the Sky” appeared in the semi-braided anthology 1637: THE COAST OF CHAOS. Written with Eric S Brown, it continues the adventures of Native American warrior Fast as Lightning in the Sky, as the French begin to try and claim their colonies in the New World.
Amazon.com: 1637: The Coast of Chaos eBook : Flint, Eric, Hasseler, Bjorn: Kindle Store
“Ill Met in Mordheim” was published in 2007 in TALES OF THE OLD WORLD, an anthology published by The Black Library, the fiction imprint of Games Workshop. “Ill Met…” is set in the universe of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, the backdrop being Mordheim, City of the Damned, which was destroyed by the twin-tailed comet of Sigmar for its Sodom- and Gomorrah-like sins. In the ruins of this once-splendid city, bands of thieves and adventure-seekers ply their trade for wealth and notoriety. In my story, Captain Heinrich Gogol and his band of Reiklanders join forces with Bernardo Rojas and his men from Marienberg to do battle against a horde of Skaven which control the Herz des Kriegergottes, The Heart of Sigmar, a powerful amulet that Captain Gogol is determined to acquire. You can find this anthology on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or theBlack Library website…
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Black Library Publishing.
“Sister Sonata” was published in 2004 in Nth DEGREE, Issue #11. It’s set in a near-future Earth and features a young woman named Mira. She’s a problem child that becomes part of the counter-culture of mutants and misfits. Years later, her brother tries to find her to give her information about a tragic death in the family. It’s basically a story about their relationship and how the choices we make in our lives can have far-reaching impact. But it’s never too late to make amends.
Unfortunately, this issue of Nth Degree is out of print and difficult to find, but you can find a copy of this story here…
http://www.nthzine.com/tag/robert-e-waters/
“Heavy is the Head” was published in 2005 in NthZine, Issue #1. Palanor is a weak, brow-beaten prince who’s manipulated into killing his father by a rapacious imp with dark designs on the kingdom. You can download a copy of this story from here…
http://www.nthzine.com/tag/robert-e-waters/
“Old Soldiers Never Die” was published in 2010 in NthZine, Issue #4. It tells of a friendship between Rina, a young, very bright but lonely girl, and Captain Petre, a soldier who, like the army around him, has been cursed by the gods to live eternally buried up to their necks in the cold, hard ground. You can download a copy of this story from here…
http://www.nthzine.com/tag/robert-e-waters/
“West of Weijin” and “A Soft Shoe on a Hard Road”were published simultaneously in the Mordheim supplement, BORDER TOWN BURNING, early 2009. These aren’t stories really, but set-pieces to provide a little color text for one of their primary characters, warrior monk IppanShu. In “West of Weijin” the warrior monk battles a ferocious bone giant; in “A Soft Shoe…” Ippan is off the beaten path and discovers a monastery housing his brethren. My original intent was to combine these into one larger story, but alas, personal and professional obligations prevented that. But the developers of this project were kind enough to accept my work anyway, and it can be downloaded from their website…
http://bordertownburning.ciantygames.com/pdf/btb.pdf.
Unfortunately, the “full” supplement is over 50 megs, so unless you’re a Mordheim enthusiast, you probably don’t want to download it. But if so, thanks! And please give a round of applause to the guys who did this supplement. They did a marvelous job on it.
“Red Dragon Symphony” was published in 2010 in the anthology Dragon’s Lure, Dark Quest Books. It tells the tale of Fadiyah, a young girl trapped in a violent and dysfunctional home, but who dreams of playing her violin and summoning a red dragon from the vast and heavily forested Cacao Valley. This feat has been accomplished only a time or two in the annals of history, and the try is fraught with danger. Can she do it? Will she even be given the chance? You can find a copy of this anthology at the publisher’s website at…
Amazon.
“Pest Control” was published in 2010 in the anthology Barbarians at the Jumpgate, Padwolf Publishing. Fordham Puck and his band of merry exterminators are sweeping the jewel of the Imperial fleet, the cruiser Destiny of Man. It’s suffering from a nasty alien insect infestation. But that’s not all awaiting them as they land in the ship’s mighty cargo bay and begin to work; these little insect nasties look and behave a lot like cockroaches, but possess a far greater (and terrifying) power than anyone can imagine.
You can find a copy of this anthology at the publisher’s website,Padwolf Publishing, or at Amazon.
And, check out this review on Luke Reviews.
“Tinian Song” was published in Mermaids 13, the second release in Padwolf Publishing’s 13-Series. This one deals with an old man looking back on his time in the Navy when he was billeted to the USS Indianapolis. The ship was destroyed by Japanese torpedoes near the end of World War 2. The desperation of the men as they awaited rescue for three deadly days is on full display here, as our protagonist, John David Dupont, tries to keep himself and a young ensign alive as wave after wave of sharks come in to pick off the dead and dying. But there’s more than sharks in the deep sea, and Dupont has to decide if “she” is real or a figment of his imagination.
It can be purchased at the publisher’s website and at Amazon.
This story received a 4-star review on Amazon.
“Mekong Ghosts” was published in the anthology To Hell in a Fast Car, Dark Quest Books. Pritchard Roos is a junior-grade Lieutenant for the Brown Water Navy, Vietnam, 1968. He and his Viet Cong companion have gone rogue and are conducting deadly strikes against American interests along the Mekong. But can these two “ghosts” keep up their ruthless activities? Is this the kind of man Roos wishes to be, or has he passed the point of no return?
It can be purchased on Amazon.
“Goldfeather and the Glass Princess,” co-authored with James R. Stratton, was published in Far Futures 13, the third anthology in Padwolf Publishing’s 13-series. James and I also co-edited this anthology for Padwolf.
It’s thousands of years in the future, and Earth is fraught with dangers and alien occupation. The remnants of the invading Shimfur and Aloo struggle to carve out a life among the remaining Human populations. Into this brave new world comes Cherokee shaman Sarah Goldfeather and her companions, a clock-work Eagle with an alien positronic brain, and an assistant named Godwin, a Shimfur “golem” whose intelligence and investigatory skills are matched only by his own 300 pounds of muscle. There’s trouble in the kingdom as King Carmelo has asked Sarah and her posse to investigate the strange occurrences around his daughter, Princess Madelina. She’s being held against her will… and it isn’t like anything Sarah has ever seen in her travels worldwide.
**This story received a great review on SFSite**
“Editors Waters and Stratton defy conventional wisdom and include one of their own collaborations, “Goldfeather and the Glass Princess.” They are not the first to do so, and it’s a risk, but as a few have managed to do in the past they pull it off. As with a number of the pieces here, it is set in the far future, far enough ahead so that only select remnants of any future-tech remain (and those from aliens having warred over Earth and who now live here), that it reads more or less like your familiar medieval fantasy setting. The tale centers on the wayward King’s daughter, the Princess, who is of a rebellious nature and who, despite her virginal, pristine, publicity image, has a reputation of sleeping around. Caught in graphic mid-couple with a knight and encased in what appears to be glass due to an unknown “spell,” the King seeks the aid of the Native American shaman/witch Sarah Goldfeather and her servant/aide Godwyn in hopes of undoing the embarrassing tableau. How it all works out makes for a fun, satisfying read, not without a bit of sexual humor to further liven the script.”
Available now on Padwolf’s website and on Amazon…
http://www.padwolf.com/store.htm
“The Cup” was published by Cloud Imperium Games as part of their development of a new science fiction MMO, Star Citizen, set in the Wing Commander universe. The Cup is a story about an interstellar race called the Murray Cup Race (or MCR). It’s about a racer named Hypatia Darring. Darring is a relative new-comer to the circuit, but she finds herself in the thick of the competition pitting her talents against some of the best racers in the galaxy, including legendary Zogat Guul, a Tevarin whose career is coming to an end. But all is not roses, as danger awaits Darring at every turn… on and off the course. Unfortunately this story is not available to the public (not yet anyway). It was published in CIG’s in-house Jump Point magazine, which is available exclusively to those financial packers who paid for a subscription. The story was published in three parts, hence three separate cover images.
“
Hunter and Swan” is my second story set in the Star Citizen MMO Universe (developed by Cloud Imperium Games). Benito Redmoon is an up and coming bounty hunter. Desperate to make a name for himself, he takes a kidnapping job from the nefarious but very wealthy Barone family. The object of the hit: Cassidy Swan, AKA “The Swan”, a rising star in the UEE music industry. The mission is extremely dangerous, but the rewards are too great to pass up. Redmoon agrees, and then goes on a journey that will challenge not only his skills as a “Hunter,” but also his moral compass.
Unfortunately this story is not available to the public (not yet anyway). It was published in CIG’s in-house Jump Point magazine, which is available exclusively to those financial packers who paid for a subscription. The story was published in four parts, hence four separate cover images.
“Mungo Snead’s Last Stand” is a story I wrote for the Kickstarter anthology project, The Weird Wild West, published by eSpec Books and edited by Misty Massey, et al. It’s definitely a “weird” wild west story. Set in the 1880’s, it imagines an alternative history where the world has been invaded by an alien race known as the Killajunkur. One of their most powerful military forces is bearing down on the forts and settlements of the Colorado territory, and Captain Alexander “Mungo” Snead is in charge of a rag-tag group of British regulars and civilians holed up in Fort Henderson. The inspiration for this story was born out of research on The Battle of Rorke’s Drift, one of the more interesting battles of the Anglo-Zulu Wars of the late 19th Century.
It is now available on the Kindle
It’s getting great reviews…
I have two stories in the first Wild West Exodus Anthology, which were published in May, 2015.
“Imperiled In Payson”
The lead story in the anthology! It’s a follow up story to my novel, The Wayward Eight, wherein Robert “The Wraith” Gunter and Carl Fredrickson, having pulled out of the boss fight with Doctor Carpathian and his undead Enlightened horde, now find themselves in another struggle: Having to fight their way out of the town of Payson itself.
“Nation Rising”
This too is a follow up story to my novel, The Wayward Eight, wherein Sun Totem and his mute sister Flowing River, part from the Wayward Eight and strike out on a journey to meet with Warrior Nation chief, Geronimo. But the way is fraught with physical and psychological terrors that threaten to bring Sun Totem down before they even reach their destination.
Available now on the publisher’s website… Winged Hussar Publishing
And on Amazon…
“Circus Act,” my first Steampunk story, was published in Hellfire Lounge 5: Purgatory Potpourri. It’s the late 1800s, and Nikola Tesla and Annie Oakley are side-show acts in the PT Barnum Circus. Working with a French magician, they wow the crowds every night with science and magic tricks. But when one trick goes horribly wrong and Tesla is accused of murder, Annie must discover the truth before it’s too late.
Now available on Amazon…
“The Drive” is a novelette set on CJ Henderson’s and Bruce Gehweiler’s alien planet of Byanntia. As the title of the anthology suggests, it’s a collection of stories in a wild west setting on a distant planet. My story is about a cattle drive on this planet, but instead of steers/cattle, we have Kison. My story takes the main frontier family in this universe, the Matson’s, and puts them through the process of driving hundreds of heads of Kison across dry, arid grassland. Along the way, the elements and rustlers, competitors, and poor decisions threaten to bring the entire endeavor crashing down.
Now available on Amazon…
“The Cross of Saint Boniface” is a novelette set in the shared-universe of Starybogow (an Eastern Prussian city set in the early 1500’s and besieged by plagues and earthquakes and mythological monsters and gods of all stripes). In this story, German Teutonic Knight Lux von Junker, and ex-Tatar Muslim soldier and pit fighter Fymurip Azat, team up to confront the ruins of the City of the Gods to find an ancient Christian artifact known as the Cross of Saint Boniface. But can a Christian and a Muslim, which are often pitted against each other across a bloody battlefield, able to put aside their differences and fight for the good of all humankind?
Now available on Amazon…
“Spirit of the Maya” is a novelette set in the mid-1500’s. It can be found in Awesome Tales #4. Captain Andres de la Rosa and his Spanish crew are shipwrecked upon a beach off the Yucatan Peninsula. As they make their way through a dangerous jungle, they are captured by Mayan king Ten Jaguars and forced to play in a ball game that could spell their death whether they win or lose.
Now available on Amazon…
“Leap of Faith” is a Military SF story set in Rick Priestley’s most excellent miniatures gaming universe, Beyond the Gates of Antares. The anthology, Open Signal, is the first of two anthologies published by Winged Hussar Publishing. In this first story, an exiled male Boromite combat unit has a chance to redeem itself and return to its clan and Brood Mother. But first, they must go on a mission that may prove suicidal, yet the rewards for success are too great to ignore, and so a leap of faith must be taken.
Now available on Amazon…
“The Magpie” is a Military SF story set in Rick Priestley’s most excellent miniatures gaming universe, Beyond the Gates of Antares. The anthology, Dimensional Gates, is the second of two anthologies published by Winged Hussar Publishing. In this second story, an ex-Isorian sniper has gone rogue and is now targeting and killing Isorian commanders engaged in a desperate battle against the Algoryn. Such killings could tip the balance in favor of the enemy, and so “The Magpie’s” old teacher is sent in-country to track the rogue asset and take him into custody… or take him out.
Now available on Amazon…
“Giraffe Children” appeared in If We Had Known, the first volume in a new anthology series called Beyond the Cradle. In this hard SF story, I explore unintended consequences when a human colony has to make tough choices on how they will survive living on an alien planet that, for all intense and purposes, is ideal for their future. But the microbial life on this planet is so deadly to the human immune system, that the colonists have to make a fateful decision about how their children will live.
Now available on Amazon
“Dog Walker” appeared in the commemorative anthology, C.H.U.D. Lives! CHUD (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers) was a horror movie of the 1980’s and is now considered a cult classic. At the very beginning of the movie, a lady appears in the middle of a dark street, walking her dog. She stops momentarily by a manhole cover to pick up a handkerchief, and a massive green hand comes out of the sewer and drags her to her death! My story is about the events of this woman’s day prior to her terrible end.
Now available on Amazon
“A Long September Night” was my first attempt at writing a Sherlock Holmes story. In this tale, Holmes is flying solo as he seeks cocaine in the seedy streets of the Whitechapel area of London. From a barstool in a disreputable pub, he is contacted by a woman who begs for his help in solving the murder of her friend. Thus begins Holmes’s journey to divine the cause and culprit of the so-called “Ripper Murders.”
Now available on Amazon
“The Devilator and Daniella Webber” was inspired by true events. I have an elevator in my office building that gets stuck frequently between floors. Sometimes, it doesn’t open the door for several minutes. I’ve been caught twice for well over 5 minutes each time. One day, I imagined that the elevator was in fact possessed by the devil and that it was trying to consume our souls when it refused to function. So I wrote a story about it.
Now available on Amazon
“King Arthur in a Yankee Court” is in the latest “13 series” anthology, Camelot 13. Just as King Arthur is about to slay his arch rival, Mordred, Morgan le Fay has other designs, and whisks him away into the modern world, where he must face his greatest adversary: the modern American judicial system.
Now available on Amazon
“Into the Straits of Madness” is a military fantasy story set in Mantic Games fantasy battles universe, Mantica. Here, we see the Salamanders versus the Twilight Kin, in a naval engagement. Lukantl, a Salamander warrior, fights desperately to save his only surviving brother, Lorquan, from death and desolation at the hands of evil slavers. Who will win the battle of the Straits of Madness? Read and find out…
Now available on Amazon
“Extraction” is set in Charles E Gannon’s award-winning Caine Riordan series. The story takes place near the end of Book Two, TRIAL BY FIRE. Published in the LOST SIGNALS anthology (Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire Press), it recounts the events in and around the disappearance of Hkh’Rkh commander N’Erkversh, First Vopice of the First Family.
The alien Hkh’Rkh and Arat Kur invasion of Earth has failed, but N’Erkversh vows to fight on as he races to the battlefield in one last ditch effort to salvage the situation. That’s the last we see of him at the end of Book Two, but what happened to him thereafter? This story describes that event.
LOST SIGNALS is available on Amazon…
… and at Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire Press.
“The Cud Brigades” appeared in Pole-to-Pole Publishing’s anthology NOT FAR FROM ROSWELL. What happens when aliens visit Earth and steal our cattle? They return as up-lifted warriors in service to the Great Benevolent, that’s what happens!
Join with Hilda and King and Speckle and Frankie and all their bovine warriors as they try to right a great wrong for the honor and dignity of the Benevolent.
Now available on Amazon.
“A Bluebird from Aspen” is the first of hopefully many stories depicting the exploits of FBI Agent Chimalis Burton, a woman of Zuni descent who investigates violent paranormal activities. Her specialty is so-called cryptid creatures (Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, Jersey Devil, etc.) of the Americas, and specifically, cryptids of the many Native American cultures from North America to South America. In this story, published in Devilish and Divine, Chimalis (aka “Bluebird”) is hot on the case of an Atasaya, a Zuni cannibal demon who has set up its deadly operation along a highway in Colorado
Now available on Amazon.com: Devilish & Divine eBook : John L. French, Ackley-McPhail, Danielle, Hartness, John, G.: Kindle Store.
“Eyes of the Wolf” is a novella and the second case for Chimalis Burton. Published by eSpec Books in their Systema Paradoxa series (volume 9), Chimalis investigates a series of terrible murders in Texas. As she draws closer to the truth, she discovers that the evil committing the killings is an ancient Central American creature that is, once again, on the prowl. Can Chimalis “Bluebird” find the beast before it cuts a swath of death and desolation across the US? Read and see…
Now available on Amazon.com: Eyes of the Wolf (Systema Paradoxa Book 9) eBook : Waters, Robert, E., Whitley, Jason: Kindle Store.