Jamaica Blue Magic: Chapter 4

Dylan doesn't know it, but things are about to get a lot weirder...   ------     Chapter 4. "His name is Dobson," John said, as they walked along the white sand beach. Behind them the soft tones of the band echoed in the distance. The crowd around the stage had grown considerably, making it impossible to hear, so Dylan and John had decided to take their discussion to the beach, while the others enjoyed the band and each other’s company. "That was quick," Dylan said. "You guys haven't lost your touch. But, [ Continue reading... ]

Jamaica Blue Magic: Chapter 3

Dylan's life gets a bit more complicated in Chapter 3, because his past isn't as dead as he thought... -------   Chapter 3. Jamaica, 2010 Alfred’s Ocean Palace was a beachfront motel, painted brilliant blue, a two-story building with a peaked roof and a partial third floor. The windows were heavily shaded, and the siding of the building was weathered and over-painted. It was surrounded by palms and cotton trees and brush-like vitae trees. The restaurant itself was open-air and covered by a wooden awning that was supported [ Continue reading... ]

Jamaica Blue Magic: Chapter 2

We saw some of the past -- now let's go to the present, where Dyl is supposed to be relaxing on vacation... -----   Chapter 2. Jamaica, 2010 It had been years since he thought of how his parents died. Was it a memory or a vision? Memories and visions were often difficult to tell apart, especially now. Did it matter? Anna’s death had dredged up a whole dark load of baggage. It was hard to sort it all out. Why couldn’t everything stay buried where it belonged? Then again, he hadn’t stayed dead, so why should bitter [ Continue reading... ]

Jamaica Blue Magic: Chapter 1

I'm doing some snippeting now of Jamaica Blue Magic, the second in the Fall of Veils series (but still a fine place to start), coming soon from Ring of Fire Press. Fall of Veils is an urban fantasy series that will touch on pretty much every subgenre from action to murder mystery, courtroom drama and political thriller, and during which the world is transformed; Kathleen is the prime mover in our writing of this series; I'm supporting and co-authoring. On to Chapter 1 -- it's a long one! ------   Chapter 1. Kansas, [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 17

Dylan's finally waking up to find out that even a Revenant can get badly hurt... ----   Chapter 17. New York City, 2010 When Dylan finally came to from the almost-endless dream, it took a while to understand where he was, what had happened. The only thing he knew for sure was that he'd been wrapped like a mummy – bandaged broken arm, skull fracture, chest wrapped for multiple broken ribs, and serious repair work to put his guts back where they belonged. He spent most of his time unconscious — if you could call that [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 16

Dylan was flashing back... -----   Chapter 16.New York City, 1980 The first week was uneventful. Both Anna and Douglas mercilessly drowned him in academics. During the evening he helped at the Muffin House, and they were also in the process of integrating the other members of his therapy group into Anna's halfway house. Between socializing with friends, work, and studies, he barely had time to think about hunting down Keith. His life, despite the odd circumstances, had become strangely mundane. Save for the fact he, at eighteen, [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 15

Dylan had gotten REALLY hurt... -----   Chapter 15. New York City, 2010/1980 Dylan wasn’t sure how long he fed; he wasn’t even sure when he came back to himself. The only thing Dylan was sure of was Liam’s mind, guiding his feeding. The Celtic vampire was different than others he had fed from. Liam’s blood had a distinct flavor, but Dylan couldn't quite figure out how to describe it. It was… finer than the others he consumed. Jason’s was similar, but diluted, and both Douglas and Daniel smelled like Jason, so Dylan suspected [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 14

We had a different point of view at the beginning; it's time to start finding out what happened to him... -----   Chapter 14. Dublin, Ireland, 2010 Pitch darkness, tempered only with the whirl and thunder of sea against shore. Cool salty air kissed his cheeks. He wasn’t sure where he was as he came to himself, only that he was floating in dark, and arms held him tight as he was gently carried. His head ached when he moved it, and there was an emptiness inside of him he couldn’t explain. Fingers touched his head as the hold on him [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 13

Dylan and Angie had been rescued in just the nick of time... -----   Chapter 13. New York City, 2010 "What the hell was that?" At least, that was what Dylan tried to say. But the sounds were barely recognizable as words, accompanied by a splutter of thick crimson-black blood. Dylan struggled to pull himself to his hands and knees, but his body refused to listen. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Angelus rolling the kid to his lap, and Jason quickly running over to them. The unknown boy’s chest and belly were slashed and he [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 12

Dylan and Angelus were on the hunt...   Chapter 12. New York City, 2010 It didn’t take long for the two of them to reach Iphigene’s Walk, a paved walkway that cut though the east end of the lush thickets. It was a beautiful, secluded path that led deep into thirty-seven acres of thick foliage. Using the path, they could, eventually, divert to one of the other trails if necessary. "This could take forever." Angelus said as they trudged down the walkway. "Could be," Dylan said. "Like they say about fishing, there's a reason [ Continue reading... ]