books

2.15.20 - Query Letter

Rising from an impoverished Earth, “Crash” Downs achieved a dream: admission into the famous interstellar Ranger program. Billions will watch him and a group of underdog soldiers endure training and competition against genetically perfect opponents on the Challenge, a televised spectacle that makes celebrities out of soldiers. Yet, Crash’s fight is only a deadly distraction in a galactic game of cat and mouse between the oppressive United Corporate Federation and the star systems they subjugate. 

Behind the scenes, a savant hacker named Glitch stumbles across a devious plot by megacorporate titans to inconceivably destroy Earth completely. In a society drowning in hopelessness and fear, somehow he must convince a tenacious syndicate spy hunting him, the galaxy’s first telepath, and a gene-enhanced pilot whose dreams tell the future, to enter a fight against overwhelming odds, setting the table for the war to end all wars. The fate of humanity hangs in the balance. No matter who wins, the ultimate threat to life in the Milky Way is out in cold, unexplored space, and the waves of our gravity bomb will reach out to draw them in.

Beta Reader feedback has been overwhelmingly positive to this galaxy-crossing story told from the perspective of three imperfect souls in just under 112,000 words, Gravity’s Reach is the first of a planned science fiction saga drawing inspiration from titles like Starship Troopers, Mass Effect, and Ender’s Game.

11.11.19

I once had a thought that teaching would be a nice career
Shelving dreams of writing things that meant more to me
Ten years in and again the words I have yet to write weigh
Heavier now than they’ve ever been, the shelves bend in
I count down the days until I’m free again, dreaming when
The shelves come down and a life of story-telling begins

6.4.19

Doubt lingers like dead weight
Heavy, cracking the ribs
Shaking an taped together heart


Will you be there
Will you be real
Will you tell me
It’s okay to feel


If you’re here now then be here
Get rid of all the noise
You promised it’d be just us
You promised a lot
I’m afraid to ask
How many you broke
Along the way
Is it better to know
Or not know
I’ve never been good
At sticking my head
In the sand


So many questions I don’t want to ask

5.14.19

Will you be there
That’s all I need to know


Distracting a Ranger during a fight never went well for anyone


There’s awkward silence
Then there’s just silence
I wonder which is better


5.5.19

A staggering lunacy goes out to rubbish “Build-the-wall”-ers
Drinking margaritas while kind innocent immigrants brace
For what will happen when cinco drinks becomes seis


“If Carrion finds out, they’ll kill us and scrap it.  That kind of ship needs a good name.” 


Tell me of another love, of another way of living
That would mean more than this
Because I can’t think of one


From his perspective it was a good play.  He doesn’t know what we know.  The math tells me we need him.  My feelings don’t matter.”


You’ll be okay someday
Everyone hates it
But everyone says it


“One day, hopefully ages from now, these walls will collapse and be rebuilt “


Learn a lot by listening and watching
Take it in silent as the morning snow
Reflect on views from many eyes
Try to understand truth and lies


“Oh, I don’t like you. I don’t trust you.  But there’s a war coming that makes both statements irrelevant.” 


I’ll love you ‘till the end of time
Dreaming of your arms in mine


Sol is an elderly relative the family wants to kill off