(The Deal was optioned by TNT!) The mysterious Lee Cutter and his Carnival of Wonders hold a secret darker than any of the citizens of 1930's Junction City, Kansas can imagine. When Mr. Cutter shows up to town early one morning promising an end to the dust storms that have decimated the town's crops and stricken many of the children with the brown plague, young Matthew Porter is spellbound. His little brother Luke is deathly ill from breathing the dust-laden air. Plus, it would be amazing to hear the sound of the rain on his tin roof again. But at what cost? In this chilling short story about sacrifice and the cost of happiness, Matthew will come face to face with the terrifying secret Mr. Cutter's Carnival holds and learn the heart-wrenching truth about what it means to make a deal with the Devil. Excerpt: The man leaned down and fetched a matchbook out of the black boot that rested on the bench. There was no dust there, either - not even on the bottom. He stood up and brought one of the matches to the tip of the cigar. I never saw him strike it, but it fired just the same. He held it to the cigar and puffed on it several times until the end looked like the inside of a coal stove. "Lot of 'em 'round here?" he asked again, shaking the match and exhaling the thick smoke into the air above my head. "Yes, sir. All over. They eat what's left of the crops, even the roots. My pa says that's the real plague." "Does he now?" The man looked amused. "He says we won't ne'er grow a crop again until God sees fit. No rain either." He turned his head and scanned the street like he was looking for someone. "You ever see God here in Junction City?" I looked up at him, squinting, but didn't know how to answer. I'd never seen God anywhere. "My name's Lee," he said, holding out his hand. "Lee Cutter. What's yours?"

-A short thriller-

Waking up in the middle of that night isn't fun, especially when knocks woke you up.....

The Cartwright clan has worked the farm for almost a century. On the surface, they are prosperous pillars of the community. But once a generation, a wicked harvest must be reaped, to ensure that the family never falls. The appointed time for Joshua Cartwright's offspring approaches. He has to remind himself that we all must suffer, so that we do not take our blessings for granted. Reviews for Birthright: @Finnyh "Birthright's uniqueness, quality, and authenticity are what set it apart. A piece to indulge every fan of horror, historical fiction, and Southern Gothic themes. Ian delivers a compelling story about a family curse through the ages, all the while keeping up a sinister tone and the 'feel' of a different time and place. Ian's Deep South horrors will never fail to entrance and haunt me." @rosaimee "Ambience and tone are incredibly well weaved, in that it's both terrifying and beautiful. With each chapter it grows in complexity, and a solid backdrop enriches the plot." @LynnS13 "Birthright goes to the heart of Southern Gothic. It understands that pace is all when it comes to this special breed of horror. It doesn't boil over or spill; it simmers and goes skin deep."