A collection of paranormal, horror and fantasy short stories woven around old legends, odd characters, the occasional werewolf and the darkness within, some of which have been published or picked up the odd award. There are things you cannot see unless they want to be seen, and some legends linger on despite the modern world. A Gift in the Dark is a compilation of short works, many based around old myths and legends, and starts with a tale of a miner's descent into madness, history and legend, drifts through darkness, past a retelling of Red Riding Hood, up a crane, and along to the end of the world.

Sam is the most promising swordsman among this year’s crop of Paladin trainees...and knows it. Brash, cocky, and unbeatable with a sword (well, almost), Sam is the kingdom of Thule’s best hope against the violence wrought by demons. The only problem is that Sam is really Lady Samantha, daughter of the seventeenth Duke of Haywood, and if her father has his way, she’ll be marrying a Paladin, not becoming one. But Sam has never held much interest in playing damsel-in-distress, and so she rescues herself from a lifetime of boredom and matrimonial drudgery. Pity that Tristan Lyons, the Paladin assigned to train her, is none other than the hero of her childhood. He hasn’t recognized her as Lady Samantha--yet-- but if he does, he’ll take away her sword and send her packing. Sam is not the only trainee hiding secrets: Braeden is a half-demon with a dark past that might be unforgivable. Sam, Braeden and Tristan set out for the western coast, charged with rooting out an infestation of demons that has made the West unlivable. As they travel, they uncover a deep-seated corruption of power that threatens to derail everything they stand for. Rebellion stirs, led by a rival faction of warriors who tempt Sam to join them with an irresistible offer. A war between men is coming, and Sam must pick a side. Will saving the kingdom cost her life -- or just her heart? Reminiscent of Mulan, but with a medieval fantasy twist, Paladin is a tale of adventure, action, and romance.

"The Children of the moon" is a fantasy story about wolves first meeting with mankind. When they first meet each other, mankind and wolves trust each other, but after several years, man have turned their backs to the wolves and nature. In this story, wolves are the guardians of the Balance, the balance in nature between all living things. When this Balance is disrupted by the arrival of man, the wolves must act to keep their oath.

Natalie Abernathy was born into a world where the lines on your skin tell everyone who you are. They appear like tattoos and change with every choice you make, every person you meet. Only one line remains constant. Your love line. The only colored line on the human's skin, a blood red mixed in with the black. Natalie's world is consumed with The Sickness, the next stage in human evolution that can strike you when you are fourteen. Or doesn't. If you survive The Sickness, you become one of the Elite, faster, stronger, smarter than the humans who don't get The Sickness. The Elite's lines are colorful, beautiful in their own way. A mixture of deepest purples, the darkest blues, and dominate greens. They cover the black lines the Elite were given at birth, rewriting their destinies forever. As Natalie comes to find, the Elite aren't what they seem. The Sickness is not what it seems. Her heart is broken by the loss of her best friend Cecil McCourt, who succumbed to The Sickness days before their shared fifteenth birthday. Her friends surround her, trying to fill the void left by Cecil. Time moved on, carrying Natalie along with it. Now it's three years later, everyone's senior year. Days before school starts, Natalie befriends the new boy in town, Union Davidson. Cecil (now known as Cyrus) is quick to warn her away from him. At first she thinks it's a trick but as things start to happen, Natalie finds herself trapped between the thing she wants most in the world and something else quite darker than she imagined. © SCCourtney ~ * ~ Finalist in the Watty's 2012

Smile, nod, and follow. That's slightly most of Elea's life living in the shadow of her beautiful best friend Marilyn--naturally second place to this first place kind of girl. When she meets Liam, the tall, sweet smelling, not to mention good-looking guy Marylin is friends with things might look up. Or not. Through time and distance, Elea will finally find herself and maybe even have her own happily ever after.

The human race. Forever crossing lines of boundaries drawn from morality. This collection of poetry sheds true light on us humans, and our failed attempted to stop crossing lines.

I walked along a lonely road, No soul to keep me fair. The shallow beating of my heart Near stopped in me for fear. The whispering wind was haunting me It's song my death bed cry My solemn march a tribute be To living as I die We know the dead never come back...... but do they?

Rising Sunsets is an enlightening journey through the mind of David Fletcher, a bright and ambitious young man who is determined to conquer the world and prove his unsupportive father wrong. When reality strikes and nothing works out as expected, an unusual opportunity to go to Japan to teach English to schoolchildren presents itself. There, he discovers his true self and finds an inner strength and independence he never knew existed. Throughout the story, David uncovers Japanese culture and easily embraces the traditions until suddenly, those age-old beliefs stand in the way of his happiness. And, through an unexpected encounter with love, the course of his life is changed forever.

Past events have lead to the temperature rise of Planet Earth. As a consequence, water has expanded and sea levels have risen. The Earth has flooded. People are forced to live on the water and fish for food, society has collapsed and, in the absence of almost all authority, anarchy rules the world. The Earth's surface is now 92% water and, compared to the 21st Century, it is barely recognisable. Ty is sixteen. Like many people his age, he lives on a boat with his family, fishing to survive. But Ty's life is about to change. When a freak storm flips Ty's world upside down, he tries to pick up the pieces and settle down again. But the skies are definitely not blue yet, as Ty is about to experience the real horrors a world without order can bring.

"Who am I kidding? Was I really coming back here? To this? It was worth it. True. I told Eagle I would come back. True. Fighting for freedom was more important. True. Not coming back would brake all the rules I built around myself to protect me over the years. True. Not coming back would be completely and utterly selfish. True. Despite all these reasons, I'm following my heart by saying coming back here would be a mistake. True." In a dangerous and hostile future, on an oval were teenagers are tested every month to make a drug, Delphine finds her friends taken away one by one. When her last friend goes, she nearly gives up. Can a new found crush help her see them again?? And when something happens that no one on the oval could have predicted, will she come to realise what was right in front of her eyes?