Stories

Sorcery & Widgets (Collections 1 & 2)

October 2019 | Fantasy & Sci-Fi | Short Stories
Paperback: Amazon
Ebook: Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Explore new worlds—both magical and those among the stars—in this collection of science fiction and fantasy stories.

From novelettes to flash fiction, this collection features sixteen exciting stories. Mages, new tech, prophecies, superheroes, intersecting timelines, pirates, shapeshifters, dragons, spaceships, and more await within the pages of Sorcery & Widgets.

Includes all 16 stories from Sorcery & Spaceships and Widgets & Wizardry:

Sorcery & Spaceships
Collection 1

Widgets & Wizardry
Collection 2

Sorcery & Spaceships (November 2015 | Fantasy & Sci-Fi | Collection 1)

From pirates to dragons, these stories include spaceships and magic, covering a range of genres from fantasy to science fiction to romance. Containing debts and duels, family and friendships, loss and love, this collection is ideal for the reader that is interested in a little bit of everything.

• Includes 7 stories:
  • Captain Sable’s Crew | 2014 | Fantasy | Short Story | more info
  • Konstantin | 2012 | Science Fiction | Short Story | more info
  • Nothing Altered | 2013 | Fantasy | Short Story | more info
  • Sparkles | 2013 | Science Fiction | Short Story | more info
  • Racing the Sand | 2012 | Fantasy | Novelette | more info
  • H²O | 2014 | Urban Fantasy | Short Story | more info
  • Trying to Fly | 2014 | Fantasy | Novelette | more info

Widgets & Wizardry (September 2019 | Fantasy & Sci-Fi | Collection 2)

In this science fiction and fantasy collection, explore new worlds–magical as well as those among the stars–where you will meet dragons, nightmare beasts, superheroes, shapeshifters, spies, and more. Encounter new tech and new communities filled with friendship, prophecy, rebellion, and revenge. This collection is ideal for the reader who enjoys a variety of sub-genres and lengths.

• Includes 9 stories:
  • A Small Kindness | 2016 | Fantasy | Short Story | more info
  • Retirement | 2015 | Science Fiction | Short Story | more info
  • Inheritance of Nightmares | 2018 | Fantasy | Novelette | more info
  • The Day the Future Invaded | 2016 | Science Fiction | Flash Fiction | more info
  • A Prophecy and the People | 2018 | Fantasy | Short Story | more info
  • Changing Keys | 2015 | Urban Fantasy | Short Story | more info
  • Dear Superhero | 2015 | Fantasy | Flash Fiction | more info
  • Running Into the Rain | 2016 | Science Fiction | Short Story | more info
  • Claimed by the Sea | 2016 | Fantasy | Novelette | more info

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Runes & Rivets (Collection 3)

September 2023 | Fantasy & Sci-Fi | Short Stories
Paperback: Amazon
Ebook: Amazon

Join the adventures—fantastical and far from home—in these science fiction and fantasy stories.

From urban fantasy to space opera, this collection features seven exciting stories. Pirates, dragons, mystery, heroes, spaceports, assassins, mages, and more await discovery within Runes & Rivets.

• Includes 7 stories:
  • Captain Sable’s Cats | 2023 | Fantasy | Short Story | more info
  • Brimstone and Brine | 2021 | Fantasy | Short Story | more info
  • Recipe for a Mage | 2020 | Urban Fantasy | Novelette | more info
  • Fish and Fools | 2017 | Fantasy | Short Story | more info
  • Employable Skills | 2023 | Science Fiction | Short Story | more info
  • The Bodyguard and the Heir | 2023 | Fantasy | Short Story | more info
  • Shattered Webs | 2023 | Urban Fantasy | Short Story | more info

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The Bodyguard and the Heir

September 2023 | Fantasy | Short Story
Ebook coming soon!

Hired to protect a noblewoman who doesn’t want protecting, Rasmus gets more than he bargained for as they dodge dangers.

Available in Runes & Rivets.

Claimed by the Sea

August 2016 | Fantasy | Novelette
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

The sea does not relinquish treasures. The mender understands and has no intention of saving the water-logged woman until he notices the islands on her arm. She is a Guardian. Guardians protect the islands. Guardians call dragons from the sky.

Itziar knows this island needs a Guardian–children are being snatched under the cover of storm and darkness–but can she save them without losing herself?

Originally published in Deep Magic.
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

The Day the Future Invaded – Free ebook

June 2, 2016 | Science Fiction | Flash Fiction
Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo

The future invades in the middle of winter, bringing people, buildings, and technology. The scientists are stumped, but how will the average person react to all of these changes?

Originally published in Daily Science Fiction.
Reprinted in Timeshift: Tales of Time (2018).
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Dear Superhero – Free ebook

May 20, 2015 | Fantasy | Flash Fiction
Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

The solitary superhero must walk her path alone, concealing her identity and pushing all of her loved ones away. This is the way the superhero before her acted, but is this the way it has to be? A masked vigilante ponders these questions of connections to others and comes to her own conclusion.

Originally published in Daily Science Fiction.
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Employable Skills

September 2023 | Science Fiction | Short Story
Ebook coming soon!

While dreaming of finding a new job, Lu learns a generous stranger’s gift comes with a price.

Available in Runes & Rivets.

Inheritance of Nightmares

March 2018 | Fantasy | Novelette
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Even dragons could not defeat the nightmare beast that pursues Sian and her unique blend of magic. With nowhere else to go, she returns to the foothills she once called home. She knows it will track her there. It always does.

Having escaped his own nightmares, Dagr lives a quiet existence in a mountain cave until his path crosses with Sian’s–and that of her nightmare beastie.

Originally published in Fell Beasts and Fair.
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Konstantin

October 2012 | Science Fiction | Short Story
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

When his brother falls for a pretty face and unwittingly lets a threat on board, it is up to Konstantin to stop the hacker before it is too late. There’s just one problem—Konstantin is the ship, with his brain hardwired to its systems. By attacking the ship’s computer, the hacker is attacking him, and in order to gain complete control, she just might have to shut him down for good.

Originally printed in Shelter of Daylight #9
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Memory and Music

In a unique urban fantasy world where individuals can get magical updates and most people pull information directly from the net that blankets the world, this set begins with “H²O”, where Sonja mourns her relationship with Niall, contemplating how they met and how it ended. “Changing Keys” and “Recipe for a Mage” follow each character as they deal with the aftermath of the events in “H²O”.

“H²O” should be read first, but after that, “Changing Keys” and “Recipe for a Mage” can be read in any order.

H²O

Changing Keys

Recipe for a Mage

H²O (February 2014 | Urban Fantasy | Short Story)
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Love, betrayal, loss, and regret. She refuses to cry over the man she once loved. But he asked her to have one last drink for him, and at the very least, she owes him that.
Originally published in Trysts of Fate #1
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Changing Keys (October 2015 | Urban Fantasy | Short Story)
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Everyone thinks Niall is dead, which leads him to believe he can finally get his life back on track. But when his old enemies return with a plan that involves a dangerous magical update, Niall must choose between the safety of those closest to him and the woman he loved and lost.
Originally published in Outposts of Beyond #10
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Recipe for a Mage (July 2020 | Urban Fantasy | Novelette)
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Will her recent promotion to detective be enough to help Sonja move past the man she loved and lost? With her memory update, it seems unlikely. But a new partner and a new case centering on mysterious magical attacks might just be the recipe she needs to finally lay her past to rest.
Originally published in Cosmic Crime Stories
Available in Runes & Rivets.

Nothing Altered

February 2013 | Fantasy | Short Story
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

With the southern portion of the kingdom in rebellion, the Crown has begun accepting commoners as candidates for its elite fighting force, the Prince’s Legion. 

Tyna decides to ask if they are also willing to take a woman.

Originally published in Plasma Frequency #4.
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Racing the Sand

April 2012 | Fantasy | Short Story
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Someone–or something–is attacking travelers on the caravan road. But Rastaban doesn’t know that. He wants to start someplace new, where no one knows about the power he inherited from his mother. So he walks away, leaving his brother to cross the desert alone. When Rastaban hears rumors about the attacks, he abandons his plans and races across the desert in an effort to reach his brother in time.

Originally published in Shelter of Daylight #8.
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Retirement

July 2015 | Science Fiction | Short Story
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

With the intergalactic war over, they were supposed to be enjoying retirement. Instead, Mona learns that her husband has died in a gravcar accident, leaving her to hunt his killers. But the couple has too many enemies, and she doesn’t know where to start. She’ll have to untangle this new threat before she can retire in peace.

Originally published in Outposts of Beyond #9
Reprinted in Best of Both Worlds Vol. 1 (2016).
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Running Into the Rain

October 2016 | Science Fiction | Short Story
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

On the run from the citymen, intergalactic spy Greg Meredith has one hope of figuring out who is responsible for blowing his cover. He needs to escape his enemies and review the data on his neurochip. Running toward the ranchlands in the rain, he will encounter unexpected allies and enemies before he uncovers the truth.

Originally published in Aurealis #95
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Shattered Webs

September 2023 | Urban Fantasy | Novelette
Ebook coming soon!

With her sister in trouble, Spider is drawn into a mysterious web that leads back to a past she has been running from for years. She has no choice but to face it.

Available in Runes & Rivets.

A Small Kindness

November 2016 | Fantasy | Short Story
Smashwords  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

The potter-mage down the lane seems intent on putting Bram out of business, but when Bram offers a small kindness to a stranger, will it help or hurt his efforts to thwart his rival’s plan?

Originally published in FrostFire Worlds.
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Sparkles

October 2013 | Science Fiction | Short Story
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Thomas was having a bad day. And that was before his ship started drifting toward a Molasses storm.

Originally published in Outposts of Beyond #2
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Tales from the Carving Bard

The Carving Bard travels the realms, spinning tales of far-away lands as she carves intricate designs into the bark of walking sticks. But the Bard has her own secrets, and in the realms ruled by the harsh and unforgiving fire king where the only glimmer of hope is the phoenix prophesied to destroy him, her tales often have unexpected meanings for her audience.

I recommend reading “Brimstone and Brine” first and “A Prophecy and the People” last, but each story is its own tale, and they can be read in any order.

Brimstone and Brine

Fish and Fools

A Prophecy and the People

Brimstone and Brine (March 2021 | Fantasy | Short Story)
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
The bard carves a tale of friendship, sacrifice, and unexpected endings…even when you think you already know the tale. Returning home after a long voyage, Aldwyn and Meilyr ask the woman they love to choose between them, but before she can answer, a dangerous stranger arrives to threaten their village, demanding a sacrifice.
Originally published in Stupefying Stories
Available in Runes & Rivets.

Fish and Fools (March 2017 | Fantasy | Short Story)
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
The bard returns to carve another tale, this time of ordinary–and not so ordinary–folk as they explore what it means to be a hero.
Originally published in Stupefying Stories
Available in Runes & Rivets.

A Prophecy and the People (April 2018 | Fantasy | Short Story)
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
When the Bard’s tale is interrupted by soldiers from the fire king’s army, she must try to escape the town without letting her unpredictable magic destroy it. But the question is, have the townspeople been listening to her tale of prophecy and action? Will they aid her, or turn her over to the soldiers? Each person must decide for themselves.
Originally published in Outposts of Beyond
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Tales of the Sea

Sail the seas with Captain Sable! Refusing to fly the flag of the Empire put a price on his head, but Sable just wants to recruit enough of a crew to keep The Pelican sailing. Join his adventures as he clashes with prize hunters and new sailors while trying to repay debts and make it to the next port.

“Captain Sable’s Crew” should be read before “Captain Sable’s Cats.”

Captain Sable’s Crew

Captain Sable’s Cats

Captain Sable’s Crew (August 2014 | Fantasy | Short Story)
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Some would call him a pirate, but Captain Devlin Sable tries not to call himself much of anything. He’s more concerned with putting together a reliable crew. However, the Empire has other ideas–it wants him dead, and it’s willing to pay in gold.
Originally published in FrostFire Worlds #2.
Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

Captain Sable’s Cats (September 2023 | Fantasy | Short Story)
Ebook coming soon!
A pirate captain with a price on his head, Devlin Sable doesn’t need more problems, but a visitor calls in an old debt, and he finds himself in trouble again.
Currently available in Runes & Rivets.

Trying to Fly

July 2014 | Fantasy | Novelette
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo

Chiara’s parents were taken by the Guardians when she was a child, and she never felt like she belonged on her aunt and uncle’s farm. They fear the power she wields, but Chiara intends to marry a nice farmer and let them forget she even exists. Or, that was her plan until a stranger fell from the sky and disrupted all of their lives.

Available in Sorcery & Widgets.

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