2015 REVISED EDITIONScarlet of Lysia is an honest pedlar, a young merchant traveling the wild, undefended roads to support his aging parents. Liall, called the Wolf of Omara, is the handsome, world-weary chieftain of a tribe of bandits blocking a mountain road that Scarlet needs to cross. When Liall jokingly demands a carnal toll for the privilege, Scarlet refuses and an inventive battle of wills ensues, with disastrous results.Scarlet is convinced that Liall is a worthless, immoral rogue, but when the hostile countryside explodes into violence and Liall unexpectedly fights to save the lives of Scarlet's family, Scarlet is forced to admit that the Wolf is not the worst ally he could have, but what price will proud Scarlet ultimately have to pay for Liall's friendship?

2015 REVISED EDITIONScarlet the pedlar and Liall the bandit find themselves among hostile company aboard a Rshani brigantine headed north through icy waters. Liall has been summoned home to Rshan na Ostre by way of a cryptic message, and Scarlet, after a near-fatal encounter with bounty-hunters seeking Liall's head, recklessly follows Liall into danger.Now the unlikely pair -an honorable Hilurin and a giant northern rogue- are relentlessly pursued over rough seas on a perilous journey for Liall to reclaim his past, but what new dangers await them in the fabled Land of Night?

The sun has returned to the Land of Night and Liall has claimed a throne he never wanted, but many still oppose the presence of his beloved Scarlet at court. While the powerful barons clamor for a royal heir to secure the succession, rumors fly of Liall's marriage to a baron's daughter, driving a painful wedge between the lovers.But the proposed marriage of Lady Ressilka isn't the only reason Scarlet has grown distant. His magic is changing, mutating into a dangerous power he does not understand, and the only people who might be able to help him control it are the Ancients, who once tried to murder him.When the borders of Rshan are threatened and war looms, Liall agrees to a forbidden pact to save Scarlet, but the bargain may cost the Wolf his life.

Scarlet and Liall set out with the king's army on a perilous journey to the frozen heart of Rshan. As Scarlet's fabled magic begins to change, Liall places their entwined fates into the hands of those who covet magic above all else, but will they save Scarlet or enslave him?

Marion Casterline is the highwarden of Malachite, an ancient, beautiful city floating in a shallow sea. In the aftermath of a brutal gang war, there is finally peace in the city, and new life every year through the sacred ritual of Aequora. Through Aequora, exiles, outlaws, and orphans can become citizens of Malachite. This ritual is vital to the city's survival, because Malachite is populated only by males.Jean Rivard grew up in the Zanzare slums at Marion's side. As boys, they were branded into the violent Teschio gangs ruling the criminal underworld of Malachite. Known in the slums as the Prince, Jean became a spy, an assassin, and Marion's lover. As men, they worked together to destroy the Teschio and crown Kon Sessane as magestros of the city, only to drift apart after the battles were won: Jean to the Black Keep, Marion to the grand halls of the Consolari.When Marion announces his engagement to Kon's son, Jean is hurt and resentful....

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Erotica. 33965 words long. First published in www.torquerepress.com, 2005

The sun has returned to the Land of Night and Liall has claimed a throne he never wanted, but many still oppose the presence of his beloved Scarlet at court. While the powerful barons clamor for a royal heir to secure the succession, rumors fly of Liall's marriage to a baron's daughter, driving a painful wedge between the lovers.  But the proposed marriage of Lady Ressilka isn't the only reason Scarlet has grown distant. His magic is changing, mutating into a power he does not understand, and the only people who might be able to help him control it are the Ancients, who once tried to murder him.When the borders of Rshan are threatened and war looms, Liall agrees to a forbidden pact to save Scarlet, but the bargain may cost the Wolf his life.

Fantasy/Romance. 68593 words long. First published in www.torquerepress.com, 2006

Fantasy/Romance. 59949 words long. First published in www.torquerepress.com, 2006