Irwin Gilbert is a hoarder, a bookworm, and after a cosmic event leaves the earth void of all electricity, the owner of what might be the world's largest remaining cache of novels. Irwin has a dilemma, however, the world has turned cold and he has no idea how long it will last. When faced with freezing to death, can he dare to burn "his friends" and how will he choose which will be used to keep him alive. This short story originally appeared in "The End: Visions of Apocalypse" edited by N.E. White. I wrote it the weekend I learned of Ray Bradbury's death and is a homage to this master of science fiction.

All of London believes Evie's husband is one of the world's greatest inventors, rivaled only by the reclusive Earl of Westmorland. Nobody knows that Evie, not her husband, is the real mastermind behind his genius inventions. When Evie's husband is brutally murdered, she is forced to seek out a new partner through whom to sell her creations. Desperation leads her to seek out the earl, a man her late husband despised and returned the sentiment. Though he neither likes nor trusts her, he can't help but feel that her husband's murder is more than it seems. And when Evie's name is added to the suspect list, he has to intervene. Striking a reluctant partnership, Evie and the earl search for the man--or woman--who killed her husband, and uncover a much larger threat--one that threatens all of England.

A dark foe. A forbidden love. A deadly, high-seas quest. Mercenary sailor Jack's past comes back to haunt him when his crew receives a commission during the height of hurricane season. Charged with returning the all-too-familiar Prince Valory to the capital by way of the isles, Jack and schooner Windjammer battle storms and sea-monsters alike in Oceana's treacherous waters. Jack's new patron, however, is no ordinary nobleman. A hardened soldier and powerful commander, Valory boards Windjammer to scour the isles for signs of the mysterious new threat at Oceana's borders: an evil that burns innocents alive and smashes ships to pieces. Yet Jack isn't without secrets of his own -- secrets that unravel under the growing intensity of a forbidden attraction to his patron. Forced to reclaim his lost title, Jack comes face-to-face with the past he thought he'd outrun. As Windjammer races to defend Oceana from invasion, he and Valory must work together to untangle the threads of the dark alliance threatening their home, crew, and kingdom -- or risk losing everything in the process. [Book One of a Fantasy/LGBT+ Romance series. This is a sample; the full draft is available on Patreon.] ★