HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
Available for preorder.
Only $.99 on Kindle
ISBN: 9798500000828
2020 dawned under the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic. Seven months in and we are still not out of danger. While some businesses have begun to open, many have not. Several never will. The long-range repercussions of lost lives, lost jobs, and extended isolation have yet to be felt.
I started working on SHROUDED in late February.
The plaster core is painted with latex paint and four layer of marine polyurethane.
The next step was landscaping the installation site and putting in plants.
There are red and black tiles around the sculpture and ten pounds of glass stones.
Over time, the plants will envelope the sculpture, enrobing in in a natural shroud.
If you get a chance, check out STAR TOUCHED. Tatiana has to deal will a different kind of hate and bigotry.
Maryland’s Regional (Virtual)
Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
May 22-25, 2020
You’ll need to register for each event to get the link, but it is free
Pick up your copy of Star Touched and Wolf Dawn
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly SecretGifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
Brent tumbled down the side of another sand dune, landing in a crumpled heap at the bottom. Three days of wandering this desert under an unrelenting sky. No food. No water. There wasn’t even night on this desolate world, only glaring daylight. The only signs of life he’d seen since arriving, were the dried bones of past prisoners. This wasn’t a punishment. It was torture.
Spitting gritty particles out of his mouth, Brent struggled to his feet and trudged on. Before he got caught up in it, Brent used to believe in the criminal justice system. That was before he was set up by his best friend. Franklin’s liberal use of bribes had ensured Brent’s conviction.
“Die, or go insane and die.” Those were the choices they gave him before digital transportation. Brent had another – escape and revenge.
The sand beneath his feet shifted, pulling him toward a dark opening. “No!” he cried, scrambling away from the sinkhole.
Nails and fingers raw from digging at the coarse sand, Brent fell into the pit, wondering what other hell awaited him. For a moment, he hung in midair, then woke in the prison transport center. He blinked at the giant hourglass on the table, watching as bits of old bone fell into the bottom portion. Was it real?
“You’ve been granted an appeal,” said his lawyer, holding out a credit transfer tablet.
Brent smiled as he approved the extra ‘lawyer’s fees’. This time he’d have his revenge
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers. But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers. Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends and herself.
Could it get any better than this?” said Jake. He sipped his drink, then gazed across the lake at the white capped mountain. “Clear blue skies, clean crisp air. It’s as spectacular as everyone said.”
“Hon, I hate to break it to you, but we need to pack up and leave right now.”
“What?” he said, nearly choking on his cocktail. “What for? This place is perfect.”
“Apparently not. I just got a message that it’s no longer safe. They’re closing the park, effective immediately.”
“No!” Jake shook his head. “Just because some bureaucrats can’t do their job doesn’t mean they have the right to spoil our vacation. It’s the first we’ve had in ages.”
“It’s more than politics and you know it. The infestation is creating havoc. They have no choice.”
He pointed at the view. “Look at that flawless peak, delicately dusted with powdered sugar. They’re going to ruin it.”
“No, they won’t. I promise we’ll come back as soon as things settle down.”
“Right, sure we will,” said Jake. “Remember Pompeii? Completely buried. Atlantis? Sunk along with all the unicorns. Mars? Uninhabitable. Before that it was Quirinus. That planet’s nothing more than an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.”
“Okay, maybe you have a point. We still have to leave.”
“I suppose,” he said, gathering his belongings. “but this place better still be here after the fumigation. Damn humans. Every time we think those parasites are gone they spring up out of the ooze like a virus.”
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers. But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers. Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends and herself.
Wind tugged at Lalita’s clothes as she scrambled into the cave. The first large drops splashed on the hot rock, evaporating almost immediately. Lightning laced across the sky and thunder reverberated in the small space. The drops became a torrent.
Niches, filled with ancient pottery and other personal items, dotted the walls of the cavern. She felt like an intruder and couldn’t shake the sensation of hot breath puffing against her neck. An un-looted, dustless cave didn’t seem right.
“That was close,” said Jake. “I wonder how long this storm will last.”
“Not long I hope,” said Lalita. “The cave opening looked like a mouth.”
Jake laughed, then began shoving arrowheads, bone tools, beads, and jewelry into his backpack. “We can make a fortune on eBay with this stuff! I can’t believe it’s just sitting here after all this time.”
Lalita shuddered and moved to the entrance. “Put those back.”
“Finders keeper. The owners are long dead.”
“I don’t care. It’s wrong. The rain stopped. Let’s go.” Lalita stepped outside. The sun was already out.
“Jackpot!” said Jake. “A gold bracelet. Just need to get it off this old bone.”
Thunder boomed. The ground rumbled and shook and a gust of air knocked Lalita down. She turned, heart pounding. All that was left of the cave was a pile of rocks. With a groan, the mouth of the cave reopened. Lalita’s hands shook as she looked inside. No Jake, and the cavern was exactly as they had found it.
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers. But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers. Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends and herself.
Lightening flashed across the sky, strangely overlaid across the blue, cloudless view. Half-formed figures and houses appeared along the riverbank. Children laughed as they splashed in the water. There was a village here once, full of life.
“Please. Not again.” The words barely made it past his tightening throat.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. He fell to his knees, trembling. The heavy sack he wore dug into his shoulder. But that wasn’t what caused the churning inside him. It was happening again, just as it had every day since the storm. Unable to stop it, he watched as thick, roiling clouds and an orange wave poured across the valley, obliterating the town.
Children screamed over the roar of the fire. Their anguished cries penetrated past the hands clamped over his ears. Even with his eyes squeezed shut, the image burned into his vision. Nor could he block the smell of burned flesh.
Tears streamed down his face, untouched by the surrounding inferno. Firestorm was his creation. His fault. And it was his order that deployed it. He was the one who turned the world into a blackened, ash filled landscape.
“I’m sorry. So sorry.”
No one offered forgiveness. There was no one left to hear the words. Still sobbing, he pulled a seed out of the sack and pressed it into the barren soil. One seed for every life lost. Doomed to relive the destruction he caused until life returned. A millennia of toil. That was his punishment.
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers. But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers. Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends and herself.
