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Why do writers write? Because it isn't there.
~Thomas Berger
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NOVELS/SERIES
A WORLD AWAY
(BOOK ONE OF THE LEARNING TO BREATHE SERIES)
Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Cover Art by Alexandria Corza
The Multiverse with Daddy Issues!
Nathan Duffy knows how to keep things locked down so tight even he doesn't know they're there. Like his childhood trauma over the near-catastrophe he almost caused when his power manifested. His adolescent resentment over the near fatal injury he still hasn't really accepted. His futile not-so-platonic love for his best friend Cam. And that one pivotal moment when the love and the power had merged to save Cam from the accident that left Nathan unable to walk. Nathan figures losing the use of his legs was a fair exchange for Cam's life. He just can't ever let Cam know why.
For Cam Almenara, life has been an ongoing cycle of questioning reality. What if his mother hadn't died when he was ten? What if that drunk driver hadn't almost killed him and Nathan? What if Nathan's powers hadn't protected Cam at the cost of Nathan's ability to walk? What if Nathan had never convinced himself that Cam's feelings for him are nothing more than attachment and survivor's guilt? And what if Cam can never convince Nathan otherwise?
When Nathan is suddenly stricken by seizure like nightmares, his power slips its leash--again. Fearful his rogue abilities will hurt--or worse, kill''Cam, Nathan comes to the conclusion that it's him or Cam. Nathan knows who he'll choose. Trouble is, so does Cam. And he's just as willing as Nathan is to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the best friend he loves... and prove they belong together.
Cowritten with Andy Gallo
A WORLD APART
(BOOK TWO OF THE LEARNING TO BREATHE SERIES)
Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Cover Art by Alexandria Corza
Two years after nearly dying--again--Nathan Duffy is living his dream. He can walk without crutches and braces again. He's learning to use the power he's been repressing for most of his life. And, most importantly, he's got Cam in every way he's always wanted. But everything comes with a price. A lieutenant's rank and a post in the Off-world Unit of Army Intelligence might sound like James Bond's dream job, but the reality could quickly turn nightmarish when Cam makes sure he's assigned the same dangerous job right alongside Nathan.
Two years after he nearly lost Nathan before he'd even had a chance to properly love him, Camilo Almenara refuses to let anything come between them. Not Cam's father, not the Army, and definitely not Nathan's tendency to risk himself to keep Cam safe. Stronger together than apart, that's Cam's motto, and damned if he's not willing to walk through every danger in any universe to prove it. After all, what's the point of Cam's giant brain if he can't figure a way to keep the love of his life from being a self-sacrificing dumbass?
Only days into their first off-world mission, two of Nathan and Cam's teammates are captured. While Nathan tries to maneuver around hostile forces and a resistance movement he doesn't quite trust, Cam gets to work on figuring out how best to get everyone back home in one piece. Too bad the best plan seems to be the one where Nathan makes himself the enemy's prime target. And just wait until Nathan sees who the enemy really is.
Cowritten with Andy Gallo
SONATA FORM
High Fantasy Romance
Cover Art by Zaya Feli
Old Forge is known for its dragons--savage little things, more singe than snarl--and Milo Priddy is known for his way with them. Among other talents.
Ellis Rees is First Warden of Wellech, and, if Wellech has its way, will one day be Pennaeth. He certainly couldn't do worse than his tad has done.
On a night when the portents are as thick as the fog, the heir apparent to Old Forge meets the future Pennaeth of Wellech as they're both just beginning to slough the skin of youth. From the idyll of boyhood to the savagery of war; the heady bloom of courtship must always give way to the burden of duty. And the aftermath is sometimes equally brutal, for all it's a quieter conflict.
WOLF ASCENDANT
(BOOKS ONE AND TWO OF THE WOLF'S-OWN SAGA)
Epic High Fantasy
"No one's son, no one's brother, no one's father, no one's lover. He is Untouchable. It is his fate!"
In Ada, where the Jin who once ruled it are now prisoners in camps, an assassin stalks the corrupt lords and Court officials who steal the full-Bloods and bleed them for their illegal magic. A Ghost, Untouchable, Fen Jacin-rei's kind were once the Voices of the Ancestors, channels and Catalysts, their minds open repositories for the will of the spirits of long-dead magicians. His fate should be one of insanity and indigence, solitude and eventual starvation''so how is it that Fen Jacin-rei survives? How is it that he can push sanity through the screaming madness of the Ancestors in his head? And how is it that an Untouchable, with whom it is death to interfere, has managed to hang on to not only his sanity, but the family he loves and for whom he's apparently willing to kill?
Kamen Malick has every intention of finding out. More than what he seems, Malick answers to different laws than those of the Adan. And the gods who make them don't necessarily care about justice. When Malick and his own small band of assassins ambush Fen in an alley, Malick tenders the vicious Untouchable only the tamest of the multitude of propositions he fully intends to offer later: Join us or die.
Determined to decode the intrigue that surrounds Fen--and to have the Untouchable for himself--Malick sets to unraveling the mysteries of Fen's past, whether Fen cooperates or not. As Fen's secrets slowly unfold, Malick is drawn into a crusade that isn't his, but resonates a little too closely to his own drive for vengeance against one whose past betrayals still haunt him. Irony is a bitter thing when Malick discovers that the one he wants is already hopelessly entangled with the one he hunts.
RAVEN INCONJUNCT
(BOOKS THREE AND FOUR OF THE WOLF'S-OWN SAGA)
Epic High Fantasy
Still recovering from the events in Ada, Fen and Malick have apparently gotten all the reprieve they're going to get on their voyage to Tambalon. Shortly after stepping ashore, old ghosts resurface and new dangers arise.
Dealing with past lives and legendary beings is somehow just as critical as tracking down the vicious creatures that have been abducting and murdering citizens of Tambalon. With the threat of banpair all too close, Malick is put at odds with those who should be his allies, in order to protect Fen and hand him the choices the minions of the gods don't necessarily want Fen to have.
His sanity once more in question, Fen finds himself faced with the reality of what the gods want from him this time. And with Malick suddenly unavailable, Fen will have to face it alone.
...Or maybe not. Old enemies and new allies seek 'Kamen's Untouchable' and it's going to take everything Fen's got to figure out which ones are which. And it's going to take perhaps more than Fen's got to figure out which ones are even real.
THE QUEEN'S LIBRARIAN
High Fantasy Romance/Humor
Cover Art by TL Bland
All Lucas Tripp wants is happiness and prosperity for the tenants of his family's estate, some good weather for the upcoming harvest, suitable matches for his six older sisters, a little money leftover at the end of the month, to never ever come within distant brushing distance of an ascension to the throne, and more quality time with Alex. That's not so much to ask for, right? Oh, and for his dog to listen to him. And for his cat to stop plotting against him. And for his mother to stop being disappointed in him. And for his sister Clara to someday forgive him for stealing Alex away from her. Not that Lucas did that!
When Clara's new suitor suddenly disappears, Lucas absolutely will not have it and is thus drawn into an adventure of a lifetime--kicking and screaming all the way. All right, complaining and grumbling. (Because Lucas neither kicks nor screams, no matter what Alex says.) Magical beings who were supposed to be banished hundreds of years ago, coming through portals that were supposed to be shut against them--that's only part of Lucas's problem. Missing princes, breaking and entering, suspicious magicians, arsey cousins and far too many well-meaning women who are far too interested in Lucas's sex life doesn't really cover the rest of it, but give Lucas time; he'll come up with more.
Wooster and Jeeves meet Monty Python and Doctor Who, with a side-visit now and then to the Three Stooges. The Queen's Librarian is a romp through absurdity and intrigue and humor and schmoop, with a healthy dose of real adventure. And while Lucas spends most of it decidedly Not Amused, he'll get over it someday. Probably. Because there is, after all, always Alex.
Read an excerpt Reviews Coming Soon
BLUE ON BLACK
Weird West Fantasy/Steampunk
Cover Art by Mahli
Kimolijah Adani--Class 2 gridTech, beloved brother, most promising student the Academy's ever been privileged to call their own, genius mechanical gridstream engineer, brilliantly pioneering inventor... and dead man. But that's what happens when a whiz kid messes with dynamic crystals and, apparently, comes to the attention of Baron Petra Stanslo. Young and brilliant and killed for his revolutionary designs, Kimolijah Adani had been set to change the world with his impossible train that runs on nothing more than gridstream locked in a crystal that shouldn't even be possible but nonetheless works.
Bas is convinced the notoriously covetous and corrupt Stanslo had something to do with Kimolijah Adani's tragic and suspicious death. A Directorate Tracker, Bas has finally managed to catch the scent of Kimolijah Adani's killer, and it leads right into Stanslo's little desert barony. For almost three years, Bas has been trying to find a way into Stanslo's Bridge, and now that he's finally made it, "shock" is too small a word for what--or, rather, whom--he finds there.
AISLING, BOOK ONE: GUARDIAN
High Fantasy Romance
Cover Art by TL Bland
As he pursues a man who is not what he seems, Constable Dallin Brayden learns the lines between enemy and ally, truth and deception, and conscience and obedience are not only blurred, but malleable.
Constable Dallin Brayden knows who he is, what he's about, and he doesn't believe in Fate. "Wilfred Calder" has no idea who he is or what he's about, and he's been running from Fate for as long as he can remember. When Wil flees after witnessing a murder, it's Dallin's job to pursue him. Along the way, he's pulled into a maelstrom of ancient myth, fanatical religion, and the delicate politics of a shaky truce between two perpetually warring countries--all of which rests on the slender shoulders of the man he knows is not Wilfred Calder.
Even Dallin's success proves a hollow victory. Wil is vengeful, rebellious, and lethal, and his tale of magic and betrayal rocks the carefully constructed foundations of Dallin's world. Suspicious and only half believing, Dallin must question not only his own integrity and his half-forgotten past, but the morality and motives of everyone around him--including those who hold his own country's fate in their hands.
AISLING, BOOK TWO: DREAM
High Fantasy Romance
Cover Art by TL Bland
To reveal the intricate machinations threatening them, two men must learn to trust each other. But how can they, when their hearts and minds--their realities--are subject to manipulation?
When he set out to escort the prisoner Wilfred Calder back to Putnam, Constable Dallin Brayden didn't anticipate the political betrayal and malicious magic threatening their lives at every turn. To his surprise, he slips into the role of protector--and it's more than duty compelling him to ensure Wil's safety as they're haunted by strange dreams. But does Wil dare put himself in the hands of a man he believes wants him dead?
Wil's past weighs heavily on him, tainting his perceptions as he struggles his way through a tangle of lies. With both will and magic as his weapons, he fights desperately for survival--and his soul. For the Aisling is coveted by more than the Guild and the Brethren; ancient gods and soul-eating spirits also want what lives within him. His only chance might be Dallin and his goddess, the Mother, who Wil has been taught to despise above all others.
AISLING, BOOK THREE: BELOVED SON
High Fantasy Romance
Cover Art by TL Bland
When a man's identity is built on lies, can he find the true self buried beneath? For Wil and Dallin, newfound love might not be enough. To heal themselves and their world, they must learn to see things as they truly are and break free of what they have been tricked into believing.
Wil and Dallin stand at the center of an approaching convergence they're not sure they're strong enough to face. The power of the land and the Mother waits for Wil in the bowels of Lind, but it comes at price: he must defeat the soul-eater and save the Father, Her Beloved, and manage to keep his soul in the process. He can't do it alone. But where can he turn for aid when friends are not necessarily friends, trusted mentors are not necessarily to be trusted, and good intentions are sometimes the most dangerous kind?
Dallin and Wil must accept their roles as the Guardian and the Aisling and stand together against a ruthless god in a cataclysmic battle of dreams and wills, the fates of both of their souls and those of all mortals hanging in the balance. Trust, if they can finally embrace it, holds both the promise of salvation and the risk of damnation.
SHORTS/NOVELLAS
IMPROMPTU
Light Erotica
Cover Art by TL Bland
(Short Story)
A brewing storm brings Garreth to Ailin's door. Or perhaps it's Garreth who's brought the storm. Ailin's not sure he can tell the difference between the thunderheads gathering too close overhead and the ones churning behind Garreth's cryptic gray gaze. But while Ailin finds Garreth's dark, brooding mood concerning, he also finds it surprisingly, shockingly erotic.
ONE STEP BACK
Urban Fantasy
Cover Art by TL Bland
(Short Story)
When Sahir is busy running for his life, it never occurs to him that the being in wrong place at the wrong time might turn into the right place at the right time. Not until he literally collides with Nicholas and salvation comes by way of magical intervention. But when Nicholas ends up being the one who really needs help, Sahir has to decide the best way to give it--and how to offer it to someone who can't even figure out if he wants it.
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT
Fantasy/Fairytale/Humor
Cover Art by Catherine Dair
(Short Story)
It's hard being the PA for the Holiday Spirit. Julian is more dedicated than most, and knows the job inside and out. But that doesn't mean he'll still have a job when the new Holiday Spirit is elected. It also doesn't mean he's immune to the *cough* charms of the office, but that's a whole other problem.
(Brazen holiday absurdist fluff!)
DON'T FEAR THE (NOT REALLY GRIM) REAPER
Paranormal/Humor
Cover Art by Alexandria Corza
(Novella)
When unassuming college student Emery Sutton wakes up in the morgue, it takes him a few minutes to remember he has magic (superpowers, damn it!) and free himself from the refrigerated drawer. And the body bag. (God.) It doesn't take long, though, for him to remember the hot guy with the wings he ran into just before a city bus ran him over.
Junior Reaper John, meanwhile, has been summoned before his supervisor to explain how his first solo assignment went so wrong. John can't. All he knows is that he ran into Emery quite by accident, that Emery saw John when no one should have been able to, and when they accidentally touched, a bus came out of nowhere and plowed Emery under. (John really does feel bad about that.)
Hot angels, annoying demons, hijinks, absurdity, drunk siblings, a dash of silly romance, an inordinate attachment to wings, and a highly disorganized bid for world domination... Don't Fear the (Not Really Grim) Reaper follows Emery and John down the rabbit hole where they find that moms are scarier than demons from hell, a goat is not a puppy no matter what Emery's sister says, and awkward romance can happen anywhere.
HEIRS TO GRACE AND INFINITY
Urban Fantasy
Cover Art by TL Bland
(Short Story)
It all comes down to trust. Or it will. It's Jackson Hunt's job to keep the Bureau's strike teams on their toes and in good fighting form, in order to keep rogue theurgists in line. And one rogue in particular--the shadowy and powerful Sorcerer--is getting too bold, liberating captive theurgists right out from under the Bureau's collective noses. Jackson decided long ago he's going to need Kyle, the Bureau's resident IT genius, to make it all come right in the end. But when the Bureau starts detaining children, and the Sorcerer's rescues start getting bolder, individual definitions of justice get a little skewed. Jackson just hopes Kyle's definition will turn out to be the same as his.
(WINNER 2017 EPIC eBook Award, Short Fiction Works )
FREE STUFF
AISLING
A look inside the Mother's heart.
(Meant as a prologue for the Aisling 'verse, but it didn't turn out quite like I wanted, so I didn't use it.)
Dallin thinks Wil should have everything he wants; Wil can't figure out why. Rated Adult.
(An epilogue-ish little ditty because I wanted to say goodbye to the guys.)
WOLF'S-OWN
Yet another unused prologue.
(No, I don't know what my weird not-using-prologues thing is about. Shut up.)
Two Temshiel walk into a bar...
Er. I don't really need to explain that, do I?
A difficult night post-Weregild.
Fen can't even make wanting easy.
Just a quiet little scene between Fen and Morin
A brotherly alternative to Breathe Me
What it says on the tin :D
QUEEN'S LIBRARIAN
The mystery of 'Where exactly do all of Lucas's ribbons go?' is solved!
A fluffy Yule story. Oh my GOD is it fluffy. Seriously. Schmoop schmoopity schmoop. Set before TQL.
It's a dog's world. Will Cat ever recover from the bad press? Would she care?
Angry bees and shagging squirrels and soot and more soot and wells gone dry.... Lucas is having a really bad day, and can't decide if playing Damsel to Alex's White Knight is a relief or just making everything worse. But when even the house is out to get you, maybe it's time to embrace the pointy hat.
BLUE ON BLACK
Exposition and development masquerading as a PWP. Or vice versa. Depending on your perspective. But hey, either way--bondage!
Rated Adult
Her Boy wishes it. So she hunts. (Drabble)
It used to start like this....
INDEPENDENT SHORTS
An abstract piece completely out of context. Kind of a bit of a bit.
Exactly what it sounds like.
Rated Adult
A lazy day and a less-lazy evening
Crepuscule Monstrum (Co-written with PD Singer.)
There was a time when a sacrificial tithe kept the beast sated and sleeping in his dark den. And not all the sacrifices were damsels
He wakes starving. Starving.
Fates Written in Indelible Ink
There are no dragon-kin left strong enough to help...
Works