belonging - Stories

In a universe where constructs are bought, sold, and wiped clean, a repurposed intimacy model named Lukas discovers he's been many people—soldier, pop star, lab rat, cop. Now he's on a stolen ship, a hacker, a thief, and a clock counting down to neurological collapse.

Some ghosts won't stay buried. Some truths won't stay hidden. And some love stories begin with a gun to the chest.

The siege is over. The city is theirs. But for Darien Haskal and his feral Vanguard, the real war has just begun. Raymond of Toulouse has seized the Holy Lance and declared himself God's chosen commander. Baldwin of Edessa plots from the north, hungry for revenge. And somewhere in the Sultan's tent, a prince's back is being carved open to pay for Antioch's fall. The Vanguard marches south alone—extorting coastal cities, hunting spies in the hills, and building a sanctuary for outcasts. Jerusalem waits. But the road is paved with fanatics, betrayal, and the corpses of kings.

Scenes and moments between the main story "Jewel in the Dirt" and its sequel "Too Much Too Few".

The chapters are not chronologically, but will have a timeline explanation.

Ash is a modern cowboy on a large cattle ranch in Oklahoma. He lives a fairly simple life and has found his place on Nasser Ranch, along with his friends and fellow cowboys (and girl). Things begin to change soon after their new hands arrive. And one of those new hands turns Ash's world upside down.

Kismet is a transgressive coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a stifling North London summer. It explores the fragile boundary between childhood innocence and the electric, often terrifying, awakening of adolescent desire.

A blind boy hailed as a saint. A sorcerer-prince branded a monster. Bound by magic, divided by war, and caught in the crushing grip of the First Crusade.

As thirty thousand starving crusaders batter the walls of Antioch, Wylan—a stable boy turned reluctant holy icon—discovers his soul is tethered to Ishan, the Seljuk prince sworn to destroy his army. Together, they share visions, stolen warmth, and a truth that could burn them both.

The city bleeds. The earth shakes. And when the sky turns red, their swapped bodies become the least of their sins.

Yet another collection of poetry, added to as the mood or fancy strikes me. I hope you enjoy at least some of it.

Ex-Military recluse Hank runs his isolated farm with measured violence and tactical clarity. When Jesse, a 22-year-old, stumbles into Hank’s world, the "math" of the farm changes forever. Jesse is more than a stray; and his dark past is about to catch up with him.

Hank doesn't offer pity; he offers an absolute, grounding ownership. But while trying to protect the boy, he realizes he can’t hold the line alone and calls in favors.

The debt is about to be paid in lead and spent fury.

One week after their first encounter Leo meets up with the two brothers Sam and Kenny to escape to the lake in Hadley Woods. Leaving behind suburbia, and in a quiet secluded spot, they pass the day together sunbathing. The shared intimacy and shared secrets solidify what has become a "secret society of three."