New Release: The Water of Life

The Water of Life, my new fantasy novella, is up on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.  Soon you will be able to find it on Kobo and iTunes too.  I’ve been working on this one for months.  It’s a traditional fantasy adventure with a big dose of Scottish history and lore mixed in.  Additionally, scotch whisky has a big role in the story.  Not only am I a big fan of scotch, and of Scottish decent, but scotch is a symbol of Scotland and it’s people.

Angus and his father, Aiden, find old man Kale dead, his life drained and his body broken. They also discover the parchments that contain the secrets of distilling their clan’s whisky stolen and strange tracks leading away. Angus and his father set out to recover the secrets, joined by Colin and his son, Rory, and an unlikely ally, a mythical urisk they meet in the forest. The urisk tells the men of Clan McSorley that they seek a nuckelavee, an unearthly demon but the men and their unusual guide discover they foul beast might be the least of their worries.

You can find links to my author pages at the various retailers at the bottom of my blog.  The Water of Life is a rousing adventure fantasy with a lot of historical and mythological references.  If you like fantasy, Scottish history and legends or exciting adventure, The Water of Life is your book.  You might even learn something about Scotland.  Thanks for reading!

Coming Soon: The Water of Life

Coming Soon: The Water of Life.  It’s in final editing and should be out within a week or so.  The Water of Life is a fantasy, longer than Dead and Angry, set in the Scottish Highlands.  You’ll find Scottish culture and folklore woven into the exciting tale of adventure.  Enjoy and excerpt while you wait:

“Old man Kale opened the door to his distilling room slowly and shoved his lantern into the dark void.  He saw nothing as he crept inside readying the axe he held in his right hand.  Still, Kale saw nothing except for the copper still and various tools and implements he used to make whisky.  He heard none of the moaning that had roused him from his sleep or the ruckus that brought him to the distillery.  Everything seemed normal.  Maybe it was just a fox howling and stirring up trouble.

Kale took one last look and as he backed out of the doorway, he saw a shadow rush past the light thrown by his lantern.  That was no fox.  It was far too large.  A man maybe, though a large one if it were.  Kale held his axe high and shouted, “Who be there?  This is no place to be finding shelter for the night.  Be go…”

From the woods beyond the bog, Kale heard the wailing again and he remembered it from his youth.  The night his uncle was taken by the sickness, he heard the banshee’s cry.  They sang when death was near it was said.  The blood drained from Kale’s face.  He was old, but he wasn’t ready to die.  Suddenly, something large grabbed him by the neck and Kale felt and heard his spine breaking.  He tried to bring the axe to bear, but it dropped from his lifeless hand.  His wide eyes saw the demon that held him, draining his life from him.  It had no skin, only bones, muscle, sinew and the black blood coursing through its naked veins.

The darkness closed about Kale, the ever-tightening circle of light focused on demon.  The banshee’s cries grew louder.  Kale felt his heartbeat slow, his limbs grow cold and then the light was gone.  Kale screamed, but only in his thoughts and then even those faded.  In the distance, the wails of the banshee died away.  The creature let Kale’s lifeless body drop to the ground.  It looked around cautiously and then bound away and disappeared into the night, tattered parchments bound in leather held tightly in its arms.  The night went still again.”

New Release: Dead and Angry

I’m proud to announce that Dead and Angry is live at all the usual outlets, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and Kobo.  This is my first fiction release.  It sprang from just the title.  I though of it one day and wrote a short story.  It’s full of action and suspense and has a nice payoff at the end.

He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and now he’s dead…and angry. Rotting and decaying, he can smell the scent off the men that killed him. He follows it to satisfy his need for revenge. He has one night to avenge his death and set things straight. However, will that be enough time when he learns that the men that shot him are only part of the problem?

I hope you enjoy my first release.  More are on the way soon including a serialized story.  This isn’t a novel released in parts.  It’s more like a TV series.  Each story had an definite ending, but some of the plot elements carry through multiple books.  Look for it soon.  In the meantime, enjoy Dead & Angry.

Hi and Welcome!

Welcome to my author blog.  Things are still under construction around here.  Forgive me.  Over the next few weeks, things will get tidied up and I’ll begin posting.  Mainly about my new releases but also a little about the publishing world, especially the indie publishing world, and e-reading in general.  I hope you find my blog and my books to your liking.  Feel free to leave comments and suggestions.  I’d love to here from you.

Well, off to put the final touches on my new release.  Thanks for stopping by.