Excerpt from KEEPING THE BALANCE:

Nurse Naughty leaned over and whispered, her erotic breath brushing Walt’s ear, “No bullshit.  The three of us are D-E-A-D.”

Walt took a big drink of the bourbon; the bottle was almost empty, now.  “Okay, you win, you’ve scared me.  Go ahead and have your laugh.”

Walt held the near-empty bottle out for the doctor to take.  Dr. Good shook his head.  “No, you finish it.  A little alcohol is good for the soul.  And it can’t do your body any harm--that’s for sure,” he chuckled.

“But I don’t feel dead,” Walt protested.

“Got ya!”

Walt clutched his chest.  “Thank God!  I was actually beginning to believe that I was dead!”

My current stories

I've been writing fiction since grade school.  Fortunately for the world, my earlier efforts no longer exist.  But now, I have completed 3 short stories and 1 novella and I have published them through Amazon's KDP service.  They are only available for Kindle (and compatible) readers at present, but if I get enough interest, I may publish some print copies later.

The Stories:

KEEPING THE BALANCE (Fantasy, Ghost)
After you die, do you go immediately to Heaven or Hell?  Is there such a thing as Purgatory?
A very unusual doctor and his extremely sexy nurse are on hand to assist Bartholomew Walter Perry in his transition from Life to Afterlife.  Walt is neither in Heaven nor Hell and the good doctor gives him advice on how he can avoid both.

GRAVITY (Science Fiction)
The device twists time and space, but it can also twist the minds of those who perceive it.  Was the inventor already mad before designing his machine or did the machine drive him mad?  When he asked a friend to build the device, could he have possibly known that his friend would fall in love with his wife?  Which is more deadly, a device that can steal a man's soul or an affair with your best friend's wife?

A TIME FOR TEARS (Science Fiction, Time Travel)
The Persistence Gateway allowed museums to collect artifacts from the past in a way no one had ever imagined.  Even though the utmost care was exercised to prevent collecting anything that could possibly cause a paradox (and destroy the universe as we know it), the alarms were signaling disaster.  Although retired, Sarah Michaels makes one more journey into the past.  Only she has any hope of preventing the end of the world.


The Novella:

HIDDEN MAGIC (Fantasy, Magic)
In a land where magic exists (especially among the aristocracy) young Alena has been asked to marry the young man who is probably destined to be king someday.  Well, "asked" is putting it mildly.  The request is almost an order.  Baldric, who made that request, will stop at nothing to see that his son is seated upon that throne.
Alena decides to run away and follow a quest that becomes a great adventure.  She and her traveling companion, Perrin, discover a means that they might thwart Baldric's plans.  Alena also discovers an unsuspected magical talent that is most powerful.
--Though written to be enjoyed by anyone who loves fantasy, I would not hesitate to recommend this novella to young adult readers.  There are no sexual references or explicit language in the story as none were necessary to the plot and I will not will not include any just to "spice up" a story.--


Coming Soon:

TOUCH THE PIG (Science Fiction)
The colonists on Mars all get together every two years (plus a little) to celebrate Conjunction.  During Conjunction, the ship from Earth arrives with necessities and luxuries.  During one such celebration, four children discover an ancient alien artifact that is destined to change their lives.