I am a published short story author and independently published writer of the Kingdom Series. The following is a sample of my work. Below are my short tales published in various online sites and anthologies.
Published short stories
Beware the Man of Straw (Thriller) – Published on https://gohavok.com . This piece of flash fiction was published on January 14, 2021 and describes what happens when four gaming convention-goers take a sudden pitstop in the middle of the wheat fields of Indiana. Written in the style of a Twilight Zone episode, “Straw” is a fun piece of fiction I wrote for Hallowe’en one year and decided to submit it.
Excerpt: AnnaMarie entered the wheat with her hands cupped around her mouth. “Gavin.” The wheat swallowed her after a few steps in.
Evicted (Mystery) – Published on https://gohavok.com . In this piece of flash fiction, published on June 7, 2021, four homeowners stand tall against a greedy capitalist who has bought their land. The wealthy man is about to evict them, but does he have secrets of his own? This appeared on Mystery Monday on the Havok site and while not a typical whodunnit, it holds a secret at the end which brings everything into focus.
Excerpt: The red-brick houses behind Mick Scholmberg huddled together like prisoners awaiting a firing squad, hoping for a reprieve but at the same time sullenly resolved.
Words to Live By (Thriller) – Published on https://gohavok.com on October 7, 2021. Another piece of flash fiction in the world of horror fiction, this one describes a murderer who befriends a female stand-up comic. As they are walking through a park and she’s describing her profession, things take a turn for the worse. I wrote this one for Havok to publish in October as a short Hallowe’en tale and it turned out rather nice. My longtime collaborator, Daniel Johnson, created the illustration on the right detailing the spooky setting.
As it turns out, Words to Live By won a spot in Havok’s anthology Casting Call. So the story will be featured in their eBook and paperback. I’m so honored and delighted. It was released on April 29, 2022. See https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X7QBJDM
Excerpt: They strolled arm-in-arm toward the massive topiary and the line of thick conifers—a private place to cover her mouth and muffle her scream.
Lonely Is the Hunt (Thriller) – A short story published in Moonlight and Claws, Lonely Is the Hunt debuted on October 15, 2021. My offering is a short tale of a lone wolfman in the Oregon wilderness whose nosy neighbor upsets his world. The story imagines what would happen if wolfmen (not werewolves) existed in our world today. Not as a plague or a pack like many other stories describe, but as a solitary figure, harkening back to the world of Larry Talbot. How would a modern person deal with lycanthropy?
The Extra (Science Fiction) – A short story published in Every Day Fiction (https://everydayfiction.com) on February 9, 2022 is a flash fiction piece of a digital green screen character who is suddenly noticed by the main actress and the director. This is one of my favorite stories I’ve written.
Down Twisted Cypress Way (Fantasy) – A short story published by Havok (https://gohavok.com), it details a timid young lady making her way across a forest rumored to be infested with monsters. It published on July 7, 2022.
Dark Angels (Horror) – A piece of flash fiction published by Every Day Fiction (https://everydayfiction.com), this end-of-autumn tale describes a cider mill employee who encounters something unnatural on his last day of work.
Frankenstein’s Manor (Horror) – When three teenagers decide to frequent one last haunted attraction for the night, they find themselves trapped by a madman. A short story published in the anthology Who’s the Monster? , my offering centers on the creation and why he remains terrifying even to this day.
Excerpt: I reached a bend in the enclosed hallway and rounded a corner with the rest [of my party] on my heels. To my left, a metal door with the spray-painted words “do not enter” barred any further progress. I reasoned it must be an exit.
I shuffled past, but Eliza’s hand landed on my shoulder. “We should go through that exit.”
A rule-follower, May snapped, “Absolutely not. We came here to see the attraction, not get thrown out.”
“The so-called attraction is lame.” Eliza popped a bubble from her gum with a crack as if adding an audible exclamation point to her opinion.
I said, “Let’s go, Eliza.”
Undeterred, she turned, open the door, and rushed through.
The Wick of Anger (Horror) – When a young man grows angry, he finds he can raise the dead in revenge. Though powerful, he is unwilling to face the source of that rage. Published on Havok ( https://gohavok.com ) on October 20, 2022, my “back from the dead” campfire tale follows a different trajectory than most and was my personal Halloween story for 2022. Read more about it on my blog at Warm and Cold Stories.
Dermis (Horror) – On his way home for a break, a college student has a discussion with his old high school friend (Madison) about how much skin weighs. He thinks nothing of it as first until he decides an impromptu visit to Madison. Published November 7, 2022. This flash fiction story is more gruesome than my usual offerings. Read about its humble origins at Dermis.
Dermis was also selected as a potential entry in Havok’s Anthology of Vice and Virtue.
The Cement City (Fantasy/Adventure) – This story was published on Havok (again, https://gohavok.com) on March 20, 2023. Rebecca is an agent who is hired to track down and rescue supernatural creatures from a cruel world. In Greece, Rebecca may meet her match as she races after a creature whose very existence threatens everyone around her. I wrote a little about connecting short stories at Cement City. I consider this one story in a connected world I call the DEED series. DEED stands for the Department of Extraordinary Emigration Delivery.
The Hidden Land (Fantasy / Adventure) – This is another Havok-published flash fiction piece set in my DEED world. When a young centaur and her grandfather set out to greet her mother, grandpa explains why they emigrated to this fantastical land, and why his daughter’s work is so important. What grandfather doesn’t know is if his granddaughter’s mother will be returning… (https://gohavok.com).
Lester’s Business Venture (Fantasy) – A third in my DEED series published by Havok, Lester is a cryptid with an idea. He’s got big plans for his future as long as DEED doesn’t find out. Again (https://gohavok.com).
Lester’s Business Venture was also selected for Havok’s Anthology for 2024!
Among Us, The Creature (SFF Anthology) – I have a story published in the third in the Classic Monster Series centered around The Creature from the Black Lagoon. This series runs the gamut of touching (“The Secret”) to humorous (“A Fish Story”) to classic monster action (“Siren Song”). I stuck with the intent of the original movie and wrote a horror tale, updated it to modern times, and gave the creature new powers. Usually, mankind is invading the creature’s habitat. What if there were multiple creatures? And what if they invaded ours. My story, “Among Us, The Creature,” explores that idea. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CJN8ZMWJ
April Snow Showers (Fantasy): A passing motorist finds a stranded young lady standing barefoot in the snow. And when he leaves his car, he finds the woman unresponsive. Published in Havok on April 29, 2024, this story is set in my DEED world. At this point, those stories probably deserve their own page on this site! (Hop to it, Jim.)
Tales from the Forest (Anthology): The fourth in a series on re-imaginings of a classic fairy tale, Tales from the Forest focuses on Little Red Riding Hood. My story, Dress Rehearsal, is about Dee and her friends, typical high schoolers undergoing changes. Just not the changes high schoolers typically undergo!
The Invisible Files (Anthology): The fourth in a classic monster series. My short story, A Type of Woman, describes a stalker who blends into the background so well, the police describe him as “The Invisible Man.” When he finds the perfect woman to murder, he executes his plan. But there is more to her than meets the eye!
Decoration (Horror): This story was published on Havok’s site on October 24, 2024. It describes a Halloween decoration that comes to life and terrorizes the owner of a suburban home. He believes a vengeful spirit inhabits it and calls for help. But will anyone help him from his fate? This story is not available to the general public, but if you are Havok subscriber, you will be able to access it.
Leap Year (Science Fiction): My first science fiction story published! I don’t regularly write in the genre, likely a surprise given how much I write in fantasy. This story will publish on Havok on December 3, 2024. I have some goodies lined up for you if you read it.