Epistle Publishing

A queen in peril. An outsider priest. A young girl who dreams of adventure.

The land of Hybron, once the cultural center of the Red Planet, has fallen into an abyss of political and religious strife that have kept it embroiled in conflict. It has floundered in a dark age for centuries, the former grand kingdom falling into a collection of city-states. An ancient prophecy has reappeared, a prophecy that promises to deliver them from the corruption and increasing violence that permeates the land. However, there are those who have their own plans and “savior prophecies” only get in the way of the more pragmatic concerns of acquiring power.

The ancient capital, Assenna, has been in ruins for many ages and the line of kings that ruled from it are nearly forgotten. The very words, Red Kings, have become a curse and it is forbidden to even speak of them but it is precisely the blood of this kingly line, it was foretold, that would rule Hybron again and raise it up to its former glory. The Ainash priesthood, a powerful and ruthless faction in Jhis have fallen in power after a barbarian warrior has overrun the city-states, making himself king of the land. Under his rule Hybron has once again been reunited under one power. Is he, a wild tribesman of the desert, the future Red King of prophecy? As the kingdom remains embroiled in corruption and violence it does not seem so and his queen, a devout woman of the Aishanna-La has borne him no heirs. She has her own schemes that put her at odds with everyone at court: the priesthood, who seek to regain power and the king, who plans to carve out a great name for himself in the world. The queen becomes embroiled in a controversy that will have long-reaching effects on the fate of the kingdom and her own.

Ilim, one of the Ainash, is thrown out of the Golden Temple. Afterward, he has a prophetic dream with a commission to tell a dire message that most people do not want to hear, least of all the Ainash priesthood. His new spiritual path leads him back into the desert among the tribal peoples. He believes it will lead him to the answer that will save the kingdom from ruin – but, disappointingly, it leads him, not to a great warrior and a holy army but to a little girl at the fortress city of Gamina. 

Visions are never straight forward, paths are perilous and the grand purpose of prophecy seems impossible, yet many are now seeking it; some strive mightily to make it come about while others are working just as powerfully against it and there are those who seek to insert themselves in it. All are caught in the river of Destiny and Purpose. Some will rise and others will drown. Who will triumph?

The serpent queen reigns and has held the people of Hybron under thrall through promises of prosperity, deceptive words and fear. She has brought great prosperity to the land - for a deadly price. Some grow weary of that high price and seek a way to overthrow her through rebellion or alliances with her enemies. Yet this very price drives the queen, who has a terrible plan most do not dream of, a plan that would threaten not only the realm but the whole world and she is fast approaching the day when she will have ultimate power. But there are those of her own blood who stand in the way of her ultimate plan. These must be destroyed.

Rapheth, a youth being groomed for greatness is unsure of his destiny and his past is shrouded in mystery to protect him. Raised in the center of Hybronian high culture, seemingly a world away from the poisonous court of the queen, there are many things and ideas that beckon to him and he spends his days living a sheltered, enjoyable existence learning from the prophet Ilim or making mischief with his friends. Suddenly, Ilim is called away to another holy mission and another man comes to instruct him and he is not the only new teacher for Rapheth. These new men come with new and possibly dangerous ideas. Rapheth learns of forbidden things and hidden underneath these things one may find the long arm of the queen, who searches to destroy all those who stand in her way.

Spies are everywhere, spies for the Ainash priesthood, spies for the queen, double spies and threats of war from the east and the south. Queen Taliat's uncle and vassal, Lord-Chieftain Teraht of Egi, has his own plans for power and his own ultimate plan to achieve it. Every tongue makes promises of revealing secrets, promises of the coming of great and wondrous things; prophecies that speak of kings, wars and momentous changes but which changes will come about? Which are true and which are false? Which is deception and which is truth? Which tongues are imparting the sayings of life and peace and which will lead the realm to doom?

Anne is a little girl with a big imagination. She loves fairy stories, growing things and old treasures. She finds a secret door to another world called Other Land, a world that can help hers. In this other world, Anne discovers wonderful things and new friends - and darkness too.

The darkness is growing. All is not well in her new fairy tale world and it threatens her own world. Will Anne find the courage and the answers to prevent the enemies of Other Land and the entire natural world from destroying everything?

 (book one of the Secret Doorway Tales series)

Eerie dreams. Rotten pumpkins. A fairy princess in trouble!

A sudden, strange blight strikes pumpkins everywhere which means no pumpkin pie, no pumpkin bread, no pumpkin spiced cookies, not even pumpkin soup! Worse, the blight will eventually spread to other crops. Queen Faye's skulduggery spills out ever more into Anne's own world. She knows that the fairy Queen of Winter is behind this dark mischief. The blight and one of Anne's dreams leads her back to Other Land to rescue the Pumpkin Princess, the fairy who helps usher in the fall harvest.

Since Anne's first visit, the Winter Queen has grown more powerful and is terrorizing all of Other Land with her plans to rule the land. Many fairy folk have fled, have gone in hiding or are preparing for war and a cruel, unending winter. Anne must find the courage and fortitude to brave the dangers that face her in Other Land and along the way she finds unexpected friends in unexpected places, but is it enough to stop the Winter Queen's rampage?

 (book two of the Secret Doorway Tales series)

Winter has come early, an unusually fierce winter that has nearly paralyzed the city, courtesy of the Winter Fairy Queen. Her reach has had consequences far and wide, especially in Other Land where winter's rage has been the cruelest.

Anne goes back to Other Land armed with armor made by the gnomes, her hammer and ring and a new weapon against the Queen, but will it work? The dreaded unlocked doorway appears right in her own bedroom and trouble immediately finds her when she embarks on her latest mission! The Queen soon sends word to capture Anne and bring her to the castle on the Ice Sea, where the Summer Queen is being held captive. Constant skirmishes and battles assault and weaken the free folk, making way for Queen Faye's great army from the north to strike the final blow on all those who oppose her rule. Anne and her friends must battle winter fairies and trolls and make their way to the safety of the Whitestone Lodge where Great Grandfather Whitestone, the other gnome Grandfathers and an army of gnome family clans have gathered. The gnome Grandfathers have a plan to defeat the Winter Queen, which involves placing Anne right into her clutches! 

Will Anne's new weapon and the Grandfathers' plan work? Can they stop Queen Faye before she destroys Queen Titian and births her unending winter?

(book three in the Secret Doorway Tales series)

Spring has arrived and with it, the fragrance of new flowers, warmer days, the promise of new life in the garden and. . . bad dreams?

Good dreams are swiftly disappearing from the world and the bad dreams are increasing everywhere and the answer lies within the murky waters of the Mirrored Lake. The Mirrored Lake is the realm of the Lady Moons, the fairy queens of Sleep and Dreams. One has fallen into a deep sleep, yet her sister continues to weave all sorts of unpleasant dreams and casts them into the world. Anne and her friend Zi, the tree sprite, journey to the Sister Moons to try and set things right again. Yet, on this journey, Anne finds that some things are not always Black or White, nor are they always what they seem. . . 

(book four in the Secret Doorway Tales series)

Since her adventure to the Sister Moons Anne knows she is not the only kid at John Adam's Elementary to discover a doorway to Other Land. There's a boy who knows and he is determined to find out more about this perilous realm.

A mysterious chance tree-climbing incident brings Anne face to face with him, one of the troublemaking fifth-graders, Jordan Gill. Intent on taking the Aziza up on their invitation to visit them she decides to bring Jordan along. Upon meeting Zi at the court of the Baobab Prince they take up the challenge to find three golden objects that have been stolen by marauding ogres: a bag of gold dust, a golden oud and a golden staff. The challenge is to find them and bring them back to their owners. The mystery is why they were stolen in the first place. This latest journey leads the three adventurers to the heart of the Dark Mountain, stronghold of the Fairy King, who has very special and very sinister plans for the precious golden objects.

(book five in the Secret Doorway Tales series)

Knoll Hilly, an ancient homeland once the haunt and home of brownies now includes goblins and the battling has escalated into a war. The goblins have been attacking on more than one front. Both Anne and Jordan have scores to settle with a certain hobgoblin, who was once in service to the Fairy King. Anne has lost all of her special objects except Star, her hammer and wonders how she will make it back to Other Land. Her prayers open up an unusual doorway but the wonder is short-lived once she arrives. She is pulled into the war by the brownies as she and they have a common enemy. Yet, she finds that not all brownies welcome the presence of outsiders. Anne discovers allies and enemies in both camps.

Both sides are fighting a war that is becoming increasingly chaotic and possess instruments used by the greater fairy folk to misuse in their quests for victory. The land itself becomes marred and desolated with each passing day, yet neither side is willing to compromise. Anne calls on an old friend for help but even that may not be enough to stem the chaos. A greater power is needed. Each side wants victory at any cost but when the dust settles will there be a homeland left?

(book six in the Secret Doorway Tales series)

New Fairy tales and fables told in an Old World, traditional style. Seven tales inspired by Eastern and Western European Fairy Tales and American Folklore. There are seven tales told: The Cowboy And The Pebbles, The Vegetable Patch, The Lady In The Forest, The Face In The Mirror, The Pear Tree, The Smoking Sword, The Sage And The Three Brothers.

Poems on living in a small city, urban life; traffic, pollution, night life and such. This book contains 11 poems.

Poems of reflection, longing and the natural world.

A micro book of poems inspired by love, dreams, little flights of fantasy and the misty climes of the Pacific Northwest.

The curious matter of a gentleman who finds a unique candy shop and falls in love with its mysterious owner. (A short story) 

A powerful king and his most trusted counselor look far into the future and find the kingdom and culture poised on a precipice. A new, dark age begins, one that they have prepared for.

This is a short story prequel to the upcoming trilogy, Red World.

A man with a mysterious illness hears voices and sees strange visions - but only when it rains. (a short story)

A collection of five speculative fiction short stories:

A Mysterious Adventure

The Candy Shop

Rainfall

Dust and Bones

Three Fables

A lowly quality assurance employee befriends an android who by accident uncovers a mysterious plot at the behemoth corporation where he works, Vartan Industries. (science fiction short story)