Showing results by narrator "James Watkins" in All Categories

Buckskin, Nevada, was once a boomtown, then died a peaceful death. But when a fresh vein of silver is struck, Frank Morgan lets himself get pinned with a tin badge at the worst possible time. It's not the petty swindlers, or the stray murderer or two that will give Morgan problems. Instead, Buckskin is heating up from a miners strike, industrial sabotage, a hostile state militia, and an outlaw gang that decides the time is ripe for an all-out assault on the town.

It’s high-stakes, win-or-die football action in the far future, as aliens and humans fill positions based on physiology and leave their blood, sweat, and tears on gridirons across the galaxy. Last season, 19-year-old rookie quarterback Quentin Barnes overcame his racism and unified his team. He led the Ionath Krakens to a lower-tier championship, a championship that earns them promotion into the meat grinder known as “Tier One”. Now, he and the Krakens have to compete against the greatest football teams ever assembled and do far more than just survive each game.

Smoke Jensen sat in a cave and boiled the last of his coffee. He figured he was in Idaho — somewhere south of Montpelier — but he was certain about only two things: He was cold and he was being hunted by a small army of men. Smoke knew why he was cold — it was winter. He just didn't have a clear idea of why anyone was after him.

On the border between Mexico and Texas, Frank Morgan is caught between two warring ranchers, men who speak different languages but share the same stubborn courage - and are both being terrorized by a raider called the Black Scorpion. Texas Rangers are struggling to bring law and order to the chaos. But as the air is split by the sound of gunfire and men and women die, Morgan starts to see a different picture - and even comes face to face with the Black Scorpion himself. Suddenly, amidst deceptions, double-crosses and secret liaisons, the Last Gunfighter has become the next renegade.

From urban hotel rooms with interdimensional portals to far-future robotic societies, to far-flung galaxies, to the near future, to the present day with a twist. Eric Fomley's first full collection brings a variety of dark futures for your consumption and enjoyment. Flash Futures contains three very short stories and 21 sci-fi flash fictions guaranteed to take you to the future in 10 minutes or less.

Charley Sunday, a sensible, sober-minded Texas grandfather, imparts the American Cowboy legacy to his only grandchild as he and several of his grizzled cronies concoct a 1,000-mile longhorn cattle drive across 21st Century America. Four leathery cowboys, one insightful Indian, two strong-willed women, a two-gun oddball, a dog, and a little boy make an unlikely team as they trek from Colorado to Texas, continually running up against the forces of corruption.

Heading west to San Diego some honest pilgrims paid 10 men good money to keep their wagon train safe. Soon word comes to Tombstone, where Matt Bodine and Sam Two Wolves are wearing out their welcome gambling with Wyatt Earp. The wagon train’s guards turned against their charges and headed off to Mexico with six young pioneer girls captive. Everyone knows the tortures of the damned that await the girls in the hellholes south of the border. But only Matt and Sam will do something about it.

The seminal import of figurative language in the Bible generally, and the parables in particular.

Losing a sibling is hard. Losing three of them is even harder. Repairing a broken bond of trust is harder still. After his three brothers disappeared, one after another, gone to a mysterious place known only as The Rainbow Bridge, Buddy the degu is all alone in his cage. Confused and frightened, he knows only one thing for certain: he last saw his brothers in the hands of the human caretaker. That knowledge breaks the bond of trust forged between Buddy and his human in the years since he was a pup.

It's Christmas, and the human caretakers have told the degus that Santa Paws is coming to visit. They have no idea who he is, but since the human caretakers say he's bringing nibbles for them, and degus love nibbles, they're excited about it; though the news that he plans to come when they're sleeping seems strange to them. Will Santa Paws really be coming? If so, what sorts of nibbles will he bring? More to the point, can the degus stay awake long enough to make sure they don't miss his visit?

Oscar has everything a degu could need, or want, in the cage he shares with his brother, Romeo, but it's not enough; Oscar longs for freedom. Convinced he's missing out on an amazing adventure, Oscar dreams of the day when he'll be able to investigate the world beyond his cage bars without the human caretakers telling him where and when he can explore. Now, at long last, his chance has arrived. But will it be the exciting adventure he's always dreamed it would be?

Jenks the degu lives in a cage with his three brothers: Jacob, Jasper and Joshua. It might seem like a strange place to live, but they call it home and feel safe there. So you can imagine how scary it is for them when they are forced to leave their cage. Sure, they regularly leave it briefly for a bit of attention from their human caretakers, which they don't mind, but the thing the human caretakers are calling "The Great Degu Round-Up" is different, and they find themselves in a giant sandless sand bath.