Stories

A novel in fifteen chapters.

Fourteen-year-old Daniele Ferrero and his best friend Giacomo are finally finishing middle school. As they embark on the endless summer holidays amidst the mountains and olive groves of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, they begin to grow closer. But will Giacomo prove worthy of Daniele’s affections?

Meanwhile, Daniele’s other best friend Marco is waiting in the wings, and he suspects that Giacomo’s motives are anything but selfless.

With thieves and crooks finding new ways to dampen the glorious shopping experience, a hero emerges. He lives by the moral code of exchanging goods and services, and he will uphold it. Fast and nimble, he is a blur to customers. Villains tremble at the sight of him.

He is Retail Ninja.

"Man in Motion," follows Be Rad and begins in 1985. To most Americans, 1985 was about the second Reagan term and the economic boom that was following the stagnant 70's. The culture was wrapped up in materialism, so it's no wonder that Madonna's "Material Girl" was popular then. Then there is this parallel culture, the gay culture, reeling from the onslaught of AIDS.

A year after the infamous Black Daze Massacre, Chance and Nikki are nowhere to be found. Six, an assassin trained in Qah’livan, being recruited by a familiar figure to track down certain people responsible for illegal experimentation. Skylar Knightley, on the other hand, just recently finished his Primary Course from the Ministry of Solus Magus. Meanwhile, Mateo Rodriguez is a refugee in hiding but soon discovers his destiny in the midst of chaos.

Teios Kyr, however, continues their plans as these new heroes arise to prevent the Black Sorceress from coming back to life.

Russ was blessed with the gift of beauty. The kind of beauty that causes witnesses to stare in awe and fall into an immediate state of infatuation. And while he doesn't have much trouble finding boys who would give anything to be with him...Russ is missing that same desire in his own life. He wants more. He wants the chills, the thrills, the longing...is it possible that it simply isn't out there? Or will someone come along...and finally give him the thrill he's been searching for?

In the east are monsters. In the north is the witch. In the south is the capital. To the west is the waste. The land is called Xin. Life has been nothing but cruel to the children soldiers Sumi and Harakin. They were not expected to survive as long as they have. In the north, a child with shadows ventures to the witch's lair. In the south, an organic mechanic is expelled from her guild.

How will these different individuals from a distant land connect to the events in Books One & Two? And what will happen with the monsters?

Mateo Tate Edwards is a young man who since birth has been travelling the world with his family. Both parents are staff working for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, and although born in New Zealand, he is an Australian who has travelled to some very amazing places with his father - Joachim, mother - Edith, older sister - Helena and younger brother - Kerwin.

Trevor Carlson is making his way through graduate school. He’s the best friend and beta to the most powerful wolves known to exist. Rather than be swallowed by the shadows of his friend’s success, Trevor’s shown time and again he’s a confident and powerful force who can stand on his own. A summer internship working at his friends pack in California broadens his horizons and reminds him not all education takes place in the classroom.

Thank you to Carlos Hazday for his tireless work as editor and pushing me through writers block to make this story what it is.

For some reason, Prompt 134 reminded me of a true encounter. With some license to make the story much more interesting.

What you'll find here are words of warmth, memories that make me smile, and observations worthy of noting. May they amuse, touch, or inspire you.