Silver and Gold
“Politically charged, vivid and hopeful, a delight: just the kind of thing we need right now!” — Anna Smith Spark, author of the Empires of Dust trilogy
The goldsmith Cualli lives in a land of endless summer, where blood sacrifices hold back the dark of winter. Through her craft, she grants power to priests and soldiers, channelling the magic of Emperor Sun. But when the season of sacrifice threatens the lives of her closest friends, Cualli must face a choice: will she fight for change through the illegal magic of silver, or will she bask in her own triumph and the endless golden summer?
Silver and Gold, a novella of friendship, magic, and rebellion, is published by Candlemark and Gleam. E-book available in multiple formats through their site. Also available via Amazon.
Gods of Rome
What if the gods of ancient Rome were real? And what if they could grant humans powerful magic – for a price.
Ocean Gods, Roman Blades
Ancient history meets epic fantasy in an action packed novella of war, magic and one man’s struggle to find himself.
Varus is the fiercest soldier in the Roman legion, and the most undisciplined. Fighting Thracian pirates on the high seas, he faces attacks not just from spears and arrows, but from divine magic. With the enemy closing in, Varus finds himself in a desperate battle for survival, made worse by his own divided instincts. Will Roman blades be strong enough to survive against ocean gods?
Ocean Gods, Roman Blades is available as an ebook from Amazon.
Free Flash Stories
Black Cat – can an encounter with a cat get Titus out of trouble?
Lies Like Honey – a senator struggles to bargain with a god.
The God of this Hillside – a troublesome spirit blocks the work of a Roman engineer.
The Gamblers’ Frontier
In a world where magic is shaped by games, disparate travellers head out toward the Wild West.
Free Flash Stories
Betting Big – gambling, magic, and otters fighting an alligator – it all makes sense on the Gamblers’ Frontier.
Counting Coup – industry, magic and the clash of cultures.
The Making of Meredith Brown – slaves find a way to resist through magic.
Straight Poker – Rick came out west to leave magic behind, but the cards have other ideas.
Frontier Games
A series of linked flash stories:
The One Night Town – Using magic at the poker table, Lizzie tries to learn more about a town on the edge of the old west.
Sometimes You’re a Player – Leaving town proves tougher than Lizzie expected.
Gathering Dust – New arrivals mean a big decision for Laughing Wolf.
Blood Washes Out, Bullets Don’t – It’s time for the inhabitants of the Pawn Sacrifice saloon to pick their sides.
High Stakes – Lizzie makes her play for the town’s freedom.
Sometimes the Bad Guys Win – The games aren’t over for Laughing Wolf.
The Forever Town – As the dust settles, there’s a new sheriff in town.
Other Writing
I’ve used the Gamblers’ Frontier for some writing exercises on my blog, which provide a little more flesh for the setting:
Detective Inspector Shadowvalt
Shadowvalt is an old school detective, with a battered trench-coat, a surly attitude and a cigarette constantly dangling between his lips. He’s also a demon, tasked with investigating cases in and around Hell.
Free Flash Stories
All’s Fair in Hell – Shadowvalt investigates a soul smuggling ring.
Secret Sinners – Shadowvalt investigates the murder of a vicar.
Falling Into Friday Night – Shadowvalt goes drinking among mortals.
Other Short Stories
Two of Shadowvalt’s cases – ‘The Suspicions of Shadowvalt’ and ‘Faces of the Fallen’ – can be found in my collection By Sword, Stave or Stylus.
The Fallen World
Flash fiction from a feudal world where the remnants of technology are now mistaken for magic:
Pale Wings – a blacksmith meets a demon.
Shades of Loss – a priest faces a ghost amid ancient ruins.
Angel of the Poison Plains – when disease threatens her village, a woman goes to the aid of a divine messenger.
Other Fantasy Stories
Demons and the Deep
An apprentice magician on a Mediterranean pirate galley, Saul is learning the art of controlling demons. Pursued by the armies of Rome, his shipmates fight to retain their freedom, while Saul struggles with oppression at the hands of his master. When even demons are bound in chains, can a young man make himself truly free?
A short story of magic, power and resistance in the world of ancient Rome.
Demons and the Deep is available for free on Amazon and Smashwords.
By Sword, Stave or Stylus
A gladiator painting with manticore blood.
A demon detective policing Hell.
A ninja who can turn into shadow.
Prepare to be swept away to worlds beyond our own in these thirteen short fantasy stories.
Action, art and mystery all feature in this collection. You can read more about it, including what other readers thought here. It’s available as an ebook via Amazon.
Free Flash Fiction
All the Beautiful Sunsets – Romance lingers on the cusp of night and day.
Beneath the Fifth Wave – in icy waters, Auka hunts for the ingredient to save her brother.
Counting the Spoils – a pair of clerks struggle to count Napoleon’s magical spoils.
The Cut – history meets supernatural horror against the backdrop of Britain’s 18th century canal building.
The Elect – will you join the dance of those chosen by the spirits?
Dancing in the Graveyard – magic and dance combine once more in the world of The Elect.
Dreams and Dragon Sinew – a wand-maker’s apprentice meets a woman who could change her life.
Fifty-Seven Reasons Not to Travel in Time – historical studies go awry for the time travelling Doctor Reemark.
The Ghost of Halloweens Past – a man struggles to come to terms with his ghostly status in a light-hearted Halloween story.
The God of Drawers and Eyeballs – strange things happen when a priest tries to abandon her calling.
The Gorgon’s Gaze – an adventure story of classical myths and improvised medicine.
Holes Through the World – a man trying to photograph bigfoot gets more than he bargained for.
Lady Joanna’s Guest – a surprise greets Lady Joanna when she tries to scrape magic from a mummy.
Lies of Love – a changeling assassin faces a difficult choice.
Love That Never Lived – a story about coping with the grief of miscarriage, and one of the most personal things I’ve ever written.
A Matter of Skin – academics are forced to cruel ends to preserve their work – an intense and disturbing piece, probably the darkest I’ve ever written.
The Midnight March – why are monsters roaming a small town at night?
A Mosaic of Stars – a warrior faces the death of his lover.
The Palm Reader’s Promise – a soldier looks for a glimpse of the future.
The Perfect God – a pilgrim looks for a god to give him faith.
Phoenix Season – poetry and magic meet on a smugglers’ shore.
A Pinch of Sorrow – a low-key fantasy story of loss, memory and everyday magic.
The Raminator – there’s trouble at sea in this story of steampunk goblin pirates.
Salting the Soil – spirits lurk at the border of a farmer’s land – can they be trusted?
Selling Mercy – a merchant selling emotions receives an unexpected request.
Stay With Me – darkness descends on a colonial plantation.
Swallowing Lies – a woman negotiates with a demon in medieval Japan.
Teeth and Tattoos – beware the tattoo fairy!
The Three Deaths of the Harvest King – sacrifices have to be made for life to be preserved.
The Tightrope Walker – a struggling artist sees an inspiring vision in the dawn.
Togas – in inventor struggles against supernatural forces in ancient Greece.
Turning Pages – burglar Alina must use magic for a dangerous heist.
Other Short Stories
Feathers – plague, magic and longbows feature in a fantasy story – Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 22.
Ghosts in the Gaslight – love and the supernatural by the flickering of Victorian gaslamps – Desolation: 21 Tales for Tails.
Moonlight is Third – a blacksmith struggles to unravel a magical sword – in Moonlight is Third.
Mutiny – pirates are troubled by their ship’s animated figurehead – LocoThology 2013.
Racing the Headsman – Royalists and Loyalists, escapes and escapades in a high seas adventure – in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly Q29.
The Rat Catcher’s Dance – a Roman rat catcher finds strange powers at work in a starving city – British Fantasy Society Bulletin, November 2016.
Respect for the Dead – a cabal of modern magicians struggle for dominance in the wake of their leader’s death – Dark Lane Anthology Volume 2.
Sand Dancer – a dancer’s quest for justice in an Arabian fantasy setting – The Ways Of Magic.
The Sound of Stones – Rhodri struggles with authority and traditions in a dark fantasy tale set in medieval Wales – in Alt Hist 9.
Surprise Me – flash romance in a magical coffee shop – Daily Science Fiction 11 March 2014.