...my daily struggle...

Campfire Stories

Campfire Stories is a collection of eight stories, ranging from the far distant past to the not-too-distant future. These are stories of self-discovery, exploration and duty, and the consequences of each. From a research project gone terribly wrong, to a an author finding out there's more to his childhood friend than he thought, to an investigator searching for someone who can hide in plain site...these stories show people striving for more and the consequences that brings.

The eight stories in Campfire Stories are:

“The End of Seconds" – A research project to answer an age-old question goes terribly wrong, with consequences that reach across time;

"Games of Life and Cold" – While exploring an uncharted planet, a group of genetically engineered beings finds themselves in a life or death struggle with a race that considers them little more than animals;

"If You Listen Softly" – What if the world around you changed and you were the only one who noticed it;

"All My Yesterdays, Remembered" – An author finds there’s more to his childhood friend than he ever thought;

"Symmetry" – Rosalind had no idea how she came to be on the subway, with the conductor the only other rider, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer;

"Signpost" – A planetary survey sends Tamara on a journey of discovery and wonder;

"Last Light" – Carly and Alexa were on their way to lunch…then they walked into a hostage crisis…then it fell to Carly to end it;

"The Shape of the Truth" – As an investigator, Dari had to find a suspect who was able to hide in plain sight and also prove his innocence.

Campfire Stories is available from Smashwords, Kindle, iTunes, NOOK & Lulu. Also available as Print On Demand from CreateSpace.

Price: $5.99 (ebook) $7.99 (print)

Find the links here:

http://wordboy1.wix.com/wordboyswords#!books/cnec

With Eyes Open...

There are more things in Heaven and Earth

Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Mira Frayne thought she was going to make a change in her life. Despite a career spent helping people take control of their lives, she found she had been used and lied to, that she had been drawn into someone else’s deceit. Breaking free would lead her to changes she never anticipated or wanted. She would learn there is more to the world than she ever imagined. The Adityas would not be denied. They would have what they wanted no matter the cost to Mira. In the not too distant future, the consequences of those changes would still be felt.

In the late twenty-second century, former government researcher Mandalay Jones had been looking forward to a change in career but finds herself dragged back into the fold to resolve a critical situation. Her ex-husband’s research had gotten out of control and it falls to Mandalay to recover the research, and save her ex-husband and his staff. Along the way, she finds her efforts aided and abetted by a mysterious woman named Mira.

With Eyes Open… is available from Smashwords, Kindle, iTunes, NOOK & Lulu. Also available as Print On Demand from CreateSpace.

Price: $2.99 (ebook) $5.38 (print)

Find the links here –

http://wordboy1.wix.com/wordboyswords#!books/cnec

The Books...

Looking for something good to read? Want to escape from the real world and enter worlds where most anything is possible?

Now you can!

All six of my books are available through Smashwords, Kindle, iTunes, NOOK, Lulu, Sony, Kobo, Diesel, Page Foundry, Baker & Tyler Blio, txtr, Library Direct, Baker-Tyler Axis360, OverDrive, Flipkart, Oyster & Scribd. Print editions can be found on CreateSpace and Amazon.

The books range across the history of the universe, from the distant past, into the far distant future…

With Eyes Open… ($2.99/$5.38) - Mira Frayne thought she was going to make a change in her life, to try and make a better life for herself. Her life did change...but not in any way that she expected.

Campfire Stories ($5.99/$7.99) - Campfire Stories is a collection of eight stories, ranging from the far distant past to the not-too-distant future. These are stories of self-discovery, exploration and duty, and the consequences of each.

A Bright Symmetry ($4.99/$6.99) - An archaeological expedition leads immortal Scott Madigan to reassess and change his life...though nothing compares to the changes undergone by his lover, Zoe Baird.

The Fault Lies Not… ($3.99/$5.99) - In the late twenty-sixth century, a serial killer roams the city of Naufolk.It's up to EarthGov Security Special Agent Lin Sillo and her partner, Special Agent Vincent DeBurg, to stop him

Rae ($2.99/$5.99) - EarthGov Security Special Agent Kevin Martin and his partner, Probationary Agent Rachael (Rae) Mercer, thought they had been assigned an open-and-shut case. Things begin to spin out of control when Rae is severely beaten and Kevin is accused of the attack. Who is trying to stop the murder investigation? What is connection between the suspect and the victim? How does the secret Rae is keeping tie into it?

On A Cold Wind ($4.99/$6.99) - Special Agent Caralynn (Carly) Adrasteia and her partner, Special Agent Murphy Greenfield, is assigned to track down two escaped criminals who threaten a newly established colony. There is a link between Carly and one of the criminals, one that only Carly's division director knows.

Find links for the books on my website, Wordboy’s Words… - http://wordboy1.wix.com/wordboyswords#!books/cnec

Support 2016

So, since I swore I'd never vote for a Democrat or a Republican again, who do I support?

("Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" translates as "In his house in R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming")

Character Outline: Artemis Xian

Artemis Xian

Name:  Artemis Xian

Race:  Human

Age:  28

Date of Birth:  6 April 1986

Place of Birth:  Lakeland, Florida, North America

Citizenship:  Artemis is a citizen the United States

Legal Status:  No criminal record

Relatives:  Unnamed parents, Melina Xian (younger sister)

Height:  5’11”

Weight:  130 lbs

Eye Color:  Dark Brown

Hair Color:  Black with red highlights

Religion:  Catholic (not devout)

Intelligence:  Genius

Strength:  Enhanced human

Speed:  Enhanced human

Stamina:  Enhanced human

Durability:  Enhanced human

Agility:  Enhanced human

Reflexes:  Enhanced human

Profession/Rank (Current):  Field agent, Section Alpha (Special Agent)

Profession/Rank (Former):  Call center agent

Current Alias:  None

Former Alias:  N/A

Personal Equipment:  Eskrima sticks (26” long, made of impact resistant polypropylene reinforced with a metal core, covered with a layer of durable spun carbon fiber to provide a non-slip grip), stun gun, belt knife, flashlight, multitool, lock pick tools, first aid kit, cell phone, charger and earbuds, various others as needed

Usual Base of Operations:  Lakeland, Florida

Friends/Allies/Confidants:   Manfred Drake, Grant Haylen, Tristian James, Arlo Boudreaux, Asa McNair

Enemies:  Balthazar, the Tralamafan

Skills:  Artemis is a skilled martial artist, expert in multiple disciplines, especially Eskrima. She carries two Eskrima sticks on her back. She is also a skilled acrobat, tactician and strategist. Artemis is also fluent in French, Russian, Japanese, Greek and Mandarin Chinese

Special Abilities:  Artemis possesses enhanced strength – she is able to bench press 1200 lbs. She possesses enhanced speed, reflexes and durability. She has enhanced senses; Artemis can see finer detail and further distance, can detect people by scent alone and can pick out a single voice out of a crowd. Artemis also has the ability to increase the electrostatic attraction between her body and most any surface, allowing her to climb walls and cling to ceilings, which she refers to simply as “wall climbing.”

Source of Special Abilities:  Genetic mutataion

Favorite quote: I have loved the stars too fondly

                         To be fearful of the night.

                         Sarah Williams, “The Old Astronomer”

Who is Artemis Xian?

In 2011, Artemis Xian was just another citizen, a single twenty-four year old woman, living alone, employed in a call center for an extermination company. Just another citizen living  a live of quiet obscurity…

…until one night when a meteor crashed in the field behind her house.

Being naturally curious, Artemis went to investigate. She found the crater easily. At the bottom was a sphere about six inches across, too smooth to be from space but doesn’t look like a man-made satellite. As she calls the police to report it, the sphere cracks, releasing what looks like smoke or gas. It’s actually the suspension medium for a nanovirus of unknown origin.

When the Police arrive, they found Artemis unconscious, barely showing any life signs. She was in a coma for six months while doctors tried to figure out what was happening to her.

What did the virus do to her? It literally rebuilt her body, adding four inches of height, increased muscle mass, heightened the acuity of her senses and refining the functioning of her brain. Her IQ skyrocketed to genius level (approximately 160).  She developed a knack for languages, learning French, Russian, Greek, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. Her sense of balance allows her to become a skilled acrobat. She is nearly superhumanly strong and fast, with heightened reflexes and durability.

Artemis comes to the attention of Section Alpha. They train her to use her strength. (Her trainer is a werewolf.) They also train her in several martial arts though she has a preference for Eskrima. (Manfred: Why Eskrima? Why the sticks? Artemis: Ever read Marvel Comics? Manfred: Enough said but I’m not calling you Mockingbird.) Section Alpha make a pair of Eskrima sticks for her use, provide her with a tactical suit and support. While she isn’t primarily assigned to work on a local level, she is available to local law enforcement if she and her team mates are needed. The team does enjoy a good working relationship with the county sheriff.

The team Artemis is assigned to, based in Lakeland, Florida, is comprised of Supervisory Special Agent Manfred Drake, Senior Special Agent Tristian James, Special Agent Grant Haylen (the werewolf who trained her), Special Agent Arlo Boudreaux and Special Agent Asa McNair.

Though she and Grant are listed as chimeras (humans who have enhanced abilities because of outside factors), there is no mention of their enhancements in the public record. (In the early twenty-second century, Artemis’ records will be the inspiration for the Enhanced Human Program. Many consider Artemis to be the first true Enhanced Human.)