Collection of Published works and previws of Future Titles
Not all things are what the seem. Charlie Douglas takes on a private investigation job to locate a missing woman. The case is standard until the missing becomes found, and culprit becomes the missing person.
Anthology includes stories by: David Farland, Tim Lewis, Sara Jordan-Heintz, Vail Henry, Mark Beard, Sherry Rossman, A. R. R. Ash, L.S. King, Michele Stuart, Stephen Johnson, AJ Skelly, Clint Hall, Rosemary Williams, Katharine Reid, Tracy L. Snyder, Kevin A. Davis, Melva Gifford, and Mike Jack Stoumbos. Cover art by Vividcovers.com. Edited by Robyn Huss
Learn More
Phillip is any other kid that you would meet in the Chicago suburbs. He goes to college, hangs with friends, and takes risky gambling loans, all while using his ability to flip back in time attempting to correct past mistakes.
Anthology includes stories by: Marie Brennan, Paige L. Christie, Gerald L. Coleman, R. A. Colón, Kevin A Davis, Joe Kielbowicz, Tim Lewis, Katharine Reid, Sarah J. Sover, and Rosemary Williams. Art by: Michael Bielaczyc, Paul Bielaczyc, Ariel Burgess, Amanda Carman, Melissa Gay, Debbie Hughes, Kelly Keuneke, Amanda Makepeace, Amy N. Romanczuk, and Charles Urbach. Cover art by Justin Gerard. Edited by Richard Fife.
Learn More
Jardin Collum runs a small information systems business in a hole in the wall office. The work is dull trying to find new direction in life following marital issues. The world turns upside down when a new client requests work that stretches the grey area of morality. Wit, know-how, a little bit of luck - and a device that manipulates gravity - will be needed to finish the job, and without spending a decade in jail.
Anthology includes stories by: Terry Beyer, Foster Bridget Cassidy, David B. Coe, Blue Cole, Gerald L. Coleman, Milton J Davis, Jason Denzel, P. Andrew Floyd, Charles E Gannon, John G. Hartness, Alexandra Hill, Robert A. Hilliard, Jr, Faith Hunter, David Alan Jones, Tim Lewis, Seanan McGuire, Jana Oliver, Brandon Sanderson, Morgan Smith, and Sarah J. Sover. Cover art by Dan dos Santos. Edited by Richard Fife
Learn More
Travel to Proxima b has become as common as a trip to Europa. Each year a few FTL merchant cargo vessels make the journey to bring supplies to terraformers, and ship back the ore from the processing plants. This was the fifth run for the crew of Osprey, completing one parsec in only twelve weeks, the crew only had one light year to go, give or a take a billion miles. Everything is common for Cargonauts, until it isn’t, and you become marooned in the darkness of space.
Col. Benjamin Markson (ret.) needed to get away from his ex wife, and 250 miles straight up to the space station Glimmer in the ring of Newer Orleans seemed a good distance. He set up a small business, transitioning his experience in his military police role to a private investigator. Life was normal and he wanted to be forgotten until a case made him known to all the wrong people, and he moves from solving a mystery to plain survival.
Marin is a 9th generation Park Ranger with his family footprints in the dirt going back to Yosemite’s inception in 1890. But the family prints go back further as he is one of very few people left carrying some of the Ahwahnechee blood, the original native residents of The Valley. His role was simple in the summer; patrol the lands for the hints of fires. Control the natural ones, and isolate the accidental. But the worst were the intentional, and one particular pyromaniac simply called Fuego; but no one other than Marin believed this person existed; partly because the fires looked natural, but mostly because the source of the fires were powers imbued into Fuego by the spirit of Kosso.
Learn More
Dexter Fatious scouts, plans, prepares, and executes, literally, but each time by chance, his careful plan has a minor fluke of unintended success. He is working to change his fate to re-earn his respect among the guild, and not by accident.
Filled with action, thrills, intrique, humor, and whole scoop of sarcasm. The story has its roots from watching too many Ryan Reynolds movies; as if that's a thing.
A journalists gets a rare opportunity for an interview with God to ask some eternal questions, and obtain some thoughtful introspection.
Jardin Collum returns as Switch. Riding the wave of her popularity is short lived when she becomes a suspect for a robbery. Working to clear her name with the police, the more difficult effort is trying to stay alive from those who framed her.
The third in Switch series. Jardin Collum, known as Switch by those close, hits a midlife crisis unlike anything expected — parenthood. Battling responsibility with duty becomes a full time job trying to balance life and death, literally.
Following my 'success' in eigth grade, I decided to revisit the story and write a longer version when I was a junior in high school. The story provides a little more history to our character's experiences to include some jumps back to ancient egypt. My intent is to do a little cleanup and throw it up on Wattpad, but there is a chance this could turn into a full fledged novella, or more.
The story that started it all. Written October 16th 1986 for Mrs. Luke’s 4th period 8th Grade English class. We were given the assignment to create a tale using several Halloween themed words, such as cauldron, apple, gargoyle, and so on. By Mrs. Luke’s urging, I entered the tale as #114 for the annual spooky story Halloween contest at Fegley Middle School in Portage, IN. On Friday October 31st, the principal shared on the school intercom to announce the winner, and I was elated to learn I won first place. This was much to my friend Adrian’s chagrin, who said I plagiarized the story. (And while I will admit I now recognize unintended literary influences, the story is original because it was based on a recurring nightmare I had as a child.) I went down to the main office and my prize was a pumpkin bucket filled with Halloween candy. So I give you my first “published” story, that was handwritten in less than spectacular cursive, and replicated here nearly verbatim, with just a few, dozen, grammatical corrections, and a few returns so it is no longer a monstrous 880 word single paragraph; because even that would be too scary for a spooky story.
For unpublished book covers, notional designes are derived using images from Creative Commons license. Refrences in source code, or contact me.
Check out my Book Icons Project and provide your suggestions.
Near the end of the 21st Century, many things have changed in the world, and too many remained the same. Governments became corporations and the corporations ran the government for profit. But most people still wanted the same things; a few luxuries, a few friends, and a little something to call their own. Jardin Collum was one of those people just looking for something simple to enjoy life; and then a new client showed up, and nothing would be simple anymore.
Spoilers!
Click for some recurring themes, hidden gems and few little darlings I couldn't delete.
JordanCon Staff Summary: A hacker gets drawn into corporate espionage for an estranged wife, and only illegal tech can save the day.
“A brilliant detective noir story about intrigue, humor, and heartbreak” – Avery Collum.
“Certainly, the best book from a new author in 2019 with an engaging villain” – Mauvaise Benderhast.
“A mesmerizing tale of twist and turns that walks you along like you're on a leash” – Tabitha Collum
“At least the paper is recyclable” – Mara Wiley.
* All direct quotes expressed are by characters in the book and do not represent real people. Any association to a real person perpetuates a personal need for notoriety and insatiable desire for adoration.
The story Switch was ordered through the JordanCon Anthology. The stories for the inaugural JordanCon Anthology were chosen and incredible Artist Guest of Honor Dan dos Santos created some beautiful cover art for the book. I may have a few extra copies I excitedly purchased, that have many author signatures. Reach out if you're interested.
The sequels of Switching and the finale Switched are in work!
The owner of Inkd Publishing contacted our writing group with his intent to create an anthology, Hidden Villians, to kickoff his new company. He set the Fireside Critique GroupMark Beard, Kevin Davis, Clint Hall, Vail Henry, Tim Lewis, Katharine Reid, and Rosemary Williams. to task with plenty of time to imagine and write a story. So of course I waited until the month before submission deadline to get started, as my Scrivener Writing History image shows, which also happened to be the same month I was writing for the JCon Anthology deadline.
Kevin appreciated my other noir-like stories with humor innerspearsed, so as I set to task trying to come up with an idea for the story. I thought I needed to do a little research, which is usually procastinating by binge watching television and old movies. I was rewatching <spoiler>...The Usual Suspects one evening, and that became the impetus for the storyline. Much like my story Switch, I set the backdrop to be Huntsville Alabama as I find it helpful to have a physical area I know well to write in. I'll even walk the streets to get my mind in the character, and even during the weather or time of day that takes place in the story... although I opted not to walk down an alley at four in the morning to get the full effect. Because of the premise of the story, this became a little more dark as I worked to suss out my character and make her both likeable but atypical. Then I become so focussed on the villian, the noir, and tacit feelings for the character that I totally forgot to add a SciFi or Fantasy element! I guess I'm hoping that areas which require a suspenstion of disbelief are enough to scratch the fantasy itch and make the story enjoyable in companion with the others. Here are few other Spoilers about the story.
The idea for the story Twelve orginated about five years ago as a time traveler that cold jump back twelve minutes a single time during the day. As I started writing the story for the JordanCon 2022 anthology, I was looking for a way to add more loops to fit the theme of the anthology, "Neither Beginings Nor Endings". I was at the end of finishing the story Accomplice for the Hidden Villians Anthology, and only had one month to meet the deadline for JordanCon 2022 Anthology. It was an interesting month trying to finish the story, as my writing history shows, and I stuck to my personal mantra "If it wasn't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done".
There were a few more hurdles and research that needed to be done, like learning how to play Texas Hold'em, and trying to get the voice right for an African American character, which I think still needs more work, and squeezing in probably far too many easter eggs. Also, as with most of my stories, I write a beggining to get the idea, then write a great ending, and then suffer trying to pants... the style of writing, also called Discovery Writing, where the writing happens organically without a clear plot and going along instinctually. I.e. writing by the seat of your pants. the details in the middle that get me to the end. It's not the best process, but it's my process. I guess since I plot a little before I pants, I'm more of a Plantser.
Marin is a 9th generation Park Ranger with his family footprints in the dirt going back to Yosemite’s inception in 1890. But the family prints go back further as he is one of very few people left carrying some of the Ahwahnechee blood, the original native residents of The Valley. His role was simple in the summer; patrol the lands for the hints of fires, control the natural ones, and isolate the accidental. But the worst were the intentional, and one particular pyromaniac simply called Fuego. No one other than Marin believed this person existed; partly because the fires looked natural, but mostly because the source of the fires were powers imbued into Fuego by the spirit of Kosso.
More details and spoilers whent the story is finished.
Gladius - Fate follows day by day, and for some, life after life. There is no escaping destiny, but it's possible to shape it.
Wendigo - Some just want a little place in the woods to be alone, but it's hard when your soul is driven to protect the forrest and kill all who enter.
Knot - The interwoven fibers wrapped upon themselves to form a simple clump, and become the source of power for all in the world who can wield it.
Flåte - A young girl sets aloft on her raft to escape a ordinary life in seek of adventure, but when she comes across a boy who needs her help, the adventure becomes more than what she ever imagined.
Tim Lewis manages rocket programs by day, and collects hobbies by night. Writing has been the longest running hobby, going back to middle school and first place in a Halloween story contest. He took creative writing at Purdue, but his public works have all been scholastic and technical. In the years following, there has been an accumulation of short stories and scenes brewing that few have seen beyond his laptop. Tim leans toward Sci Fi, Urban Fantasy and Noir, where each contain an element of humor from a life spent as a smart ass. He published his first fiction work, Switch, in 2019 and continues to write and submit as he aspires to his favorite quote by Benjamin Franklin, “If you wou’d not be forgotten / As soon as you are dead and rotten, / Either write things worth reading, / or do things worth the writing.”