Lydia Manx
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Serial
Night Time 02
Is this a funeral or the Jerry Springer show?? The mayor is dead, and his floozy dares to come to the funeral. But the grieving widow isn't the only furious one, because the dearly departed wasn't the only one to pass between Louella's bedsheets. It's a miracle anyone remembers to take the coffin to the hearse.
Night Time 03
It's been a busy day, what with the funeral and prying questions -- both for the survivors of the dearly departed and for Lynn and her mother. The question is, will it be a quiet night for insomniac Gwendolynn? A strange noise and a phone call aren't about to help...
Night Time 04
The insomnia lifts long enough for Lynn to get maybe three hours strangely deep sleep -- that's long enough for a mysterious power outage, a strangely timed phone call and the discovery of her mother -- or more specifically, her mother's body -- lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Maybe this is why Lynn's body doesn't like to let her sleep; obviously, nothing good ever comes of it.
Night Time 05
In the aftermath of her mother's death, Lynn is awash in people. People asking questions. People lending a hand. People being more trouble than they're worth. One person stands out, however. A special agent with an unusual affect on people. Something about his eyes makes Lynn suspect he's an insomniac like she is. She's more right than she knows...
Night Time 06
Sure, Lynn's mother is dead, but why is the FBI on the scene so quickly? Special Agents Adkison and Thomason are conducting one investigation, while the locals conduct their own. Little about the FBI agents is lost on the perceptive Lynn or the nosy Cinda -- including the fact that the killings might not stop with Lynn's mother.
Night Time 07
In the wake of her mother's death, Lynn is staying with her longtime friend and hardcore gossip, Cinda. With the innocence of one born without a sense of tact, Cinda is singlemindedly returning to the drama of the Mayor's death and whether or not any of his mistress's other lovers knew about each other. Lynn is still trying to assemble the big picture, however. One that seems to include special agent Harry Adkison in strange places...
Night Time 08
Special Agent Ericka heads to the small town diner to catch a quiet meal. What she doesn't figure on is running into the town's most tactless local there. No invitation? No problem! Cinda plops herself right down to enjoy a power lunch, asking questions in the manner only Cinda can.
Night Time 09
Lunch is over. Even a simple trip to the local beauty salon can't be normal now, however. Lynn can't take two steps without tripping over a well-wisher, a gossip or an FBI agent. Not that it's a bad thing when the agent is that strangely attractive Harry Adkison.
Night Time 10
The hairstyle Cinda's mom inflicted on her isn't the only strange and horrifying thing that Lynn discovers when she returns to the beauty salon after a cryptic walk with FBI agent Harry Adkison. The walls are falling and soon nobody will escape.
Night Time 11
Margie has the scoop on who's most likely to be named the next mayor, but Lynn's a little distracted getting to know the strange -- and slightly menacing -- being who has taken up residence behind Cinda's green eye.
Night Time 12
How's this for scary? Bobby Curry, small town police officer, has approached Lynn and Cinda. But it's not ditzy, tactless Cinda in control, it's dangerous, otherworldly Misty staring out of that one green eye. And Misty's in the mood for more than a cup of coffee...
Night Time 13
A horrible crime committed against Cinda's mother, rumors of killers lurking down by the river -- it seems nowhere is safe for Gwendolynn anymore.
Night Time 14
With a killer at large, Lynn is put in the local inn for safety. But while Cinda and Tina, the Dirty-girl-turned-Donna-Reed owner, bicker over the yummy FBI agent, Lynn has more serious concerns: where did she get those strange bruises on her neck?
Night Time 15
Leo Winters and his wife are stretched thin and unpleasant, outside and in. By chance, Lynn overhears Leo buying information in the coffee shop. What kind of facts could a rich old man be digging for in a town where the mysteries all seem to end in death?
Night Time 16
Why isn't the FBI pursuing the murder of Lynn's mother anymore? Behind Cinda's tactless doggedness, Misty is asking the questions and it seems at least one of the FBI agents has more than professional interest in the case...
Night Time 17
The FBI agent divulges a chilling past with startling similarities to Lynn's -- murder, stalking, strange behavior by people she had known all her life. With that in mind, could the Winters' strange argument have anything to do with Lynn?
Night Time 18
It's going to take more than a pancake buffet to win the affections of Harry Adkison, but you can't blame Tina for trying. Meanwhile, a menacing dream torments Lynn's sleep, with strange changes to her body that won't fade away upon waking.
Night Time 19
Harry Adkison shows up at Lynn's door, full of compelling mystery as usual, but for all his skill as a hunter, he is about to find himself the prey. Seems like Lynn's sleepy home town is becoming populated with stalkers... of every variety. Some games of cat and mouse are silly, but Lynn's oddly pleasurable bruises indicate some of the games are anything but.
Night Time 20
Lynn gets a few of the answers she needs, but if finding out what's happening to her own body and the people around her involves watching Harry Adkison brutally murder someone and drink their blood, maybe the questions were better left unasked. As unreal as it may seem, there are even stranger things than vampires preying on this little town.
Night Time 21
Listening behind a door, Lynn's getting clued in to who's going to live, who's already dead and how they're disposing of the bodies. The good news - due to a strange family connection, Harry Adkison is determined that Lynn should be saved. The bad news - it's too late for the town... and for Lynn's old way of life.
Night Time 22
Life as she knew it is over for Lynn. Now she's about to embark on a new lifestyle -- one that involves routine murder, bloodthirsty supernatural creatures and, oh, a new cat.
Night Time 23
You've just found out that your town is being overrun with ghouls and lawless supernatural creatures. The FBI isn't here to help, they're vampires looking to wipe the slate clean with blood. The ghost possessing your best friend wants to be chums, and you're developing a craving for blood. What could make your evening better? Try hellspawn.
Night Time 24
The Winters' home contains an insight into Leo that's definitely too much information, but more importantly, it contains something Lynn needs with increasing urgency -- fresh blood.
Night Time 25
Amid the interrupted carnal frolicking of the living, Lynn makes her final transition to living death. Mortal concerns are no longer hers. But that's fine, because there are plenty concerns of the occult type waiting for her, as soon as she has fed...
Night Time 26
The change in Lynn is apparent. She has new hungers, new ways of thinking, and now, a new family. Not everything from the past must be left behind, and, Misty in tow, Cinda will play a new role in Lynn's altered state.
Night Time 27
Lynn tests out her new state by tangling with the hellspawn -- not the smartest move, if for no other reason than her unprotected back shows that not everyone she assumed was an ally wants her alive. A narrow escape leads to a quick flight across the state line. For this little town, it's all over.
Night Time 28
Night Time 29
Art Ruby and his station wagon arrive just in time to solve the transportation crisis. Art has hit on Gwendolynn every month over the course of the past year, though -- will he notice Lynn's new secret, or is he too busy trying to hide his own to notice her transformation?
Night Time 30
You think vampires are dangerous, you haven't taken a car trip with a cranky medium and a trigger happy fed. This is one murderer who will be lucky if having his blood drained is the worst that he gets...
Night Time 31
It's hard to keep a murderous past quiet when you're giving a ride to a medium channeling spirits from the other side. Cinda/Misty pries a confession out of Art, but the real mystery is what master vampire Harry has planned next.
Night Time 32
It's hard to keep a murderous past quiet when you're giving a ride to a medium channeling spirits from the other side. Cinda/Misty pries a confession out of Art, but the real mystery is what master vampire Harry has planned next.
Night Time 33
The dying man behind the counter holds secrets about the forgetful old woman -- and Erika, who shakes in her shoes at the thought.
Night Time 34
Not so long ago, Gwendolyn thought she had an ordinary life. How long will it take for her to accept that petting demonic killer cats, chatting with undead spirits, and being a vampire are just everyday occurrences?
Night Time 35
Be discreet! Keep your affairs quiet! Turn down that stupid thumper stereo -- you never know when an irritable hungry vampire is listening, thinking about silencing you for good.
Night Time 36
Nothing like cheating on your wife in a dumpy motel room in the middle of a blizzard -- until the vampire who looks like the girl next door knocks and asks if anyone ordered take-out.
Night Time 37
First they're annoyed at the interruption of their play, then they're afraid of the second stranger at their door. Then Vinny and Melinda decide to make this nightmare into their dream come true. Whoops, their mistake.
Night Time 38
Vinny is a lot of things. Pervert, sociopath, slimeball. But at least he has blood coursing through his veins ... for a while.
Night Time 39
Who knew vampires could get snowed in? At least this will give Lynn a chance to hear all the dirt Erika and Cinda have found out about Art.
Night Time 40
Everyone has something on their minds ... but no one seems willing to say what it is. The small talk is too much for Cinda's self control, so she drags Lynn out into the storm again -- oh, no! Not more trouble?!
Night Time 41
Maybe Lynn never dreamed she'd become a vampire, but she has to admit it comes in mighty handing when dealing with mashers and pool sharks.
Night Time 42
Now wait, is this the serious Erika going out with Misty to get thrown out of the bar for being drunk and disorderly. Oh, my and she thinks she's funny, too!
Night Time 43
Lynn decides she'd just as soon be Art's executioner as his traveling companion. The time is nearing for justice, a parting of the ways, and an introduction to the mysterious Mitch.
Night Time 44
With Art out of commission, everyone can get some rest -- until the tawny stranger pays a surprise visit to Lynn's room.
Night Time 45
If this is the Teacher, why does he attack? If he and Harry are on the same team, why do they seem at odds? So many questions, but only one answer: " ... we knew she was a new kind ... " What on earth does that mean?
Night Time 46
Erika bursts into a room with three vampires and suddenly begins to understand why her partner Harry occasionally appears to have fangs. But there is no way she can understand the alliance Harry has with the unpredictably dangerous Mitch.
Night Time 47
Once again the company gathers in Lynn's room, this time to plan the parting of their ways. But wait, there's a sound next door, and this time it isn't Helen and Ernie's frolics!
Night Time 48
Art has escaped and summoned the Hell Spawn to carry Lynn away -- and Art is no longer afraid of the vampires ...
Night Time 49
The time has come -- Lynn must decide whether to leave to study with Mitch, or stay with Harry. Which would you do?
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 02
Charlotte is getting ready to run, but not before she takes the opportunity to torment her nosy neighbor with a little undressing.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 03
Someone has been sneaking around Charlotte's door. Her loot is even hotter than she thought it was. Oh, girl, it is definitely time to run!
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 04
Kenyon's club, Dark Whispers, is getting strange. Vampire slayers are watching it. Thrill-seeking yuppies are invading it. And now, a certain vampire named Charlotte is giving Kenyon a very big headache ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 05
Have you ever noticed that when you're traveling, you get hungrier than usual? What's Charlotte supposed to do when fast food just about throws itself at her?
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 06
After days on the road, all Charlotte wants to do is find some necessities of life: a nice wardrobe, a fun club, and some vampires who will offer her a smoke and not kill her on sight!
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 07
Giselle and Theo don't care if Charlotte is on the run -- in fact they seem rather amused by the whole idea. And now, past the dried up posters and dusty travel brochures, it looks like Charlotte's dream is about to come true ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 08
Vacation is on! No, wait, it's off! Now it's on! What, you call this a vacation? Charlotte's travel plans are anything but smooth, and a decent meal isn't to be found. Oh, but who is that rude little man? Vacation is on again!
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 09
Midnight sailing lessons? Well, Charlotte has other ideas, which include seeing something go sailing -- right up against the wall with a hairy splat!
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 10
The drunken mistress falls into bed with her wounded lover, much to Charlotte's disgust. Can't these people keep their minds on anything but sex? Apparently not, but Charlotte's vacation is about to take an interesting turn as pirates show up, intent upon taking over a yacht that Charlotte has already decided belongs to her.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 11
So spunky, but alas, he's so smelly ... Charlotte leaves the wounded pirate to the care of the yacht's crew, and seeks a few tools in someone else's cabin.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 12
The crew of the yacht are very nice to look at, but not much good for anything else. A blunder on the captain's part causes Charlotte to tip her hand more than she would have liked
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 13
Bobby is getting too nervous about Charlotte. Paulette is still drunk, and Claude the lecherous captain is making moves ... Charlotte needs a plan to deal with these fools, and soon. And a snack, don't forget the snack.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 14
Charlotte knows when it's time to hit the road -- or the water -- again: when lust-filled Claude's furious wife shows up to confront him!
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 15
Why do idiots always show up right before morning? Is there like some sort of club for stupid that lets out at four a.m? Fortunately the exhausted Charlotte finds the flavors of testosterone and stupidity a tasty combination.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 16
Charlotte returns to the mainland and finds an unexpected visitor -- one with some secrets of his own that shake Charlotte to the core.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 17
Jim has betrayed Kenyon by keeping his own pet vampire. Charlotte can wrap her mind around that. But then she finds out what Kenyon himself has been doing, and she knows she has to move quickly again.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 18
The club "Green Eyes" is closed and abandoned; Giselle and Theo are nowhere to be found. Charlotte hears that she is being blamed for their disappearance, and has no idea what has happened -- except that whatever has emptied the club can't be good.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 19
Teenagers are maddening even to their parents. For an ancient vampire, teen sarcasm and chattering are even more aggravating. Charlotte has to deal with two of them at once, and even the precious information she has to get from the girls doesn't quite seem to be worth the hassle.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 20
Beverly knows more than she should about the disappearance of Giselle and Theo ... maybe more than her mind can bear. But for Charlotte, this is information she must get, at any cost.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 21
Time for Charlotte to return to California and face Kenyon's sure-to-be-grim music! Some day she would have to get around to that stress-free vacation, but right now, she has to figure out a strategy that will allow her to live through this confrontation.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 22
Charlotte has time to kill while she figures out how to keep from being killed by Kenyon. A drive in a pink car -- just the thing! Until she spots some very shady characters who converge on a house with guns at the ready ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 23
Not quite as much fun as draining their bodies -- but hunting the four would-be murderers down in the dark is fairly entertaining, too. Looks like Kenyon has as much explaining to do as Charlotte does!
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 24
The intruders, breaking into the house to murder the mysterious little girl, definitely picked the wrong vampire to mess with. Charlotte can't wait to finish this piece of work.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 25
On the run yet again, the trouble that Charlotte attracts turns a highway into a debris field filled with death, and time seems to go slow motion as she watches the sky sparkle with shards of her windshield ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 26
Even as she recovers her strength from the terrible crash, Charlotte manages to find someone new to infuriate -- and be infuriated by. But none of that matters when the familiar roar of a certain motorcycle reaches her ears, and she knows that her mental cry for help has reached someone else's.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 27
The little witch-spawn has taken a shine to Charlotte -- and Charlotte is as surprised as anyone could be by that turn of events. A tagalong kid is a pain in the vampire butt at any time, but now Charlotte also has to deal with the elemental Legs, whose emanation of power even makes Charlotte nervous, and who does not care for this child at all.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 28
Charlotte has to admit that the long years and Kenyon's infernal meddling with her have cost her some of her favorite memories -- memories of riding the roads with Kegs. She'll miss him when she goes to face the music with Kenyon. But something weird is happening, and the scent of magic is in the air ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 29
It's just not a bright thing to do, messing with Charlotte. Even when she's on the run. As a matter of fact, this "on the run" is getting her moving, meeting old friends again, and making her remember what a power a vampire can be.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 30
There are memories associated with the dive known as Eddie's ... memories that Charlotte can never leave behind completely. Memories of justice carried out -- but also memories of what happens when a vampire crosses the line ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 31
Surprises, surprises! The first one is Iris, and what she seems to know. And the second one is far better -- a surprise that Charlotte thought she'd lost twenty-odd years before!
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 32
A small, secret room in the luxurious upstairs apartment over a biker bar, and five powerful vampires have to ask a little girl for assistance ... and none of them are very happy about that at all.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 33
Charlotte keeps hearing more and more stuff she never thought she'd hear, like she how she missed her old pals and how they just avoided her for so many years ... and then she hears that Legs has lost track of the little witch spawn???!
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 34
Iris looks like a little girl, but she has enough witch power to keep a whole room full of angry vampires at bay ... and one in particular that she doesn't like at all.
Night Time 01
A small-town death blows the door wide open on some world-class gossip. The Mayor has died in bed, but he wasn't alone. Not only was the bed not his, but it had seen some highly varied traffic go through. There's going to be a lot of emotion surrounding this funeral...(Originally appeared 08-15-2005)
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 35
Eddie is the Master Vampire in charge, and two humans have interfered with his world. Their sentence is Death. At least it would have been, had the air not begun to glow like the sun and open up to reveal ... someone none of the vampires want to risk messing with!
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 36
The witch knows far more than she should have, and reduces some major vampire players to humility. The only good news here is that she doesn't seem to like Kenyon, either ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 37
Kenyon's figurative castle is beginning to crumble here and there. Nothing is working out the way he imagined it, and for the first time in a long, long time, he realizes that he has to carefully watch his step.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 38
Kenyon knows how to play "Good cop, bad cop," all right. Although he tends to view it like ordering take out for lunch! Bad news is making him hungry, but the worst of the news is yet to come ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 39
While Kenyon tidies up the mess he's made of Jim, Charlotte returns to Eddie's, caught up on sleep and about to receive a lecture on her wayward ways.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 40
Charlotte has asked for Eddie's help, and he would love to help her any way he can. Maybe it's his chance to change how things turned out ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 41
There are more vampires in the area than Charlotte ever dreamed. Kenyon has kept her in the dark for a long time, and her resentment is about to boil over. Not a good time to make her angry
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 42
Things aren't where they should be. People aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing. Idiots are in the way, and Kenyon is going to have to clear up all the problems himself. And who the hell is watching him, anyway?
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 43
The voice on the phone is driving Kenyon nuts and time is running out for his hapless bartender -- is the situation sinister, or just reeking of stupidity?
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 44
Had Kenyon seriously considered turning this idiot Tim into a vampire? What had he been thinking? Tim is so incompetent he can't even keep his stupid aunt from opening the door! Time to do Tim's thinking for him. Maybe they can even pull this plan off.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 45
A vampire war is coming; Kenyon's power madness has made that certain. And in the conflict, sides will be chosen ... and if not? Vampire values are not the same as human ones.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 46
Remember Tim's reference to a website and cameras and how it couldn't be viewed? Tsk, tsk, perhaps Kenyon should have a hacker on his side instead of a foolish pornographer-bartender. After all, Eddie does ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 47
There's a mystery surrounding the house that Tim and his perverted aunt are using, more that it just containing a half-dead vampire. There's someone else involved, the woman Nathan described as the most evil vampire in the world.
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 48
A plot is afoot, but there's time for Charlotte to have a snack before she takes on the next task. Oh, and the snack just happens to have transportation available!
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 49
Hank got lucky that night, getting cozy with a beautiful woman, as well as getting good and drunk. Sure hope it was his last request ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 50
Charlotte is ready to play out this Last Act of Jim. Maybe she should have done it back in Florida, but back there, she wouldn't have had the sexy company of Eddie, or Toby's massive presence to rely on. She just knows it's going to be good ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 51
Bartender Tim is only just starting to realize that his master, Kenyon, is not nearly as in control of things as he thought he was. Kenyon's territory is being invaded, and the invaders do seem to have the upper hand ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 52
Hank mounted the steps thinking about an adult party of sorts, but not one where the adults were hundreds of years older than he was. Gee, Hank, didn't anyone ever tell you that living nasty might be dangerous to your health?
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 53
Leaving the lecherous Aunt Maddie to find and figure out to do with all the gory bits, Eddie leaves to sow seeds of mystery, and Charlotte finds herself alone with Toby, who has a funny way about him suddenly ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 54
A hundred miles an hour down a busy freeway, and Charlotte's riding the suicide seat with a distracted vampire behind the wheel. Things haven't been going Charlotte's way very often since she decided she needed to liberate all that money and jewelry from the bank, and it looks like nothing has changed in that respect ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 55
There's something fishy about the man in the suit who accosts Kegs, Charlotte, and Toby by the side of the road. And he's about to find out just how deep and dangerous the ocean really is ...
Heading Towards the End of the Trail
When you're out in the wide open West, it's not a good idea to trust everyone you meet. Some folks just unnaturally have hidden agendas, and it's best to remember you're not always at the top of the food chain ...
Heading Towards the End of the Trail 2
They've offered more than just kind words -- the two strangers have brought food as well. Jenny, for the first time in a long time, is warm and safe and no longer hungry. But she doesn't know what her patrons have in mind ...
Heading Towards the End of the Trail 3
Ben feels like the luckiest boy in the west -- a full belly, no more beatings, and a new friend. But even with all of that, Ben doesn't know just how lucky he is -- Nate's grandfather knows exactly what should be done for strangers who don't "feel" exactly right ...
Heading Towards the End of the Trail 4
Though he knows full well the monsters he will have to destroy, nevertheless, Leon seems almost rejuvenated by his need to return to his family duty. What higher calling could a man have than to protect the innocent from creatures of the night?
Heading Towards the End of the Trail 5
The two vampires are so wrapped up in what they are planning to do to Jenny Foley that they fail to notice that two mere humans have identified them, and are even now planning what they feel must be done ...
Heading Towards the End of the Trail 6
The time has come for the hateful action, and Leon worries that he cannot protect his son Daniel. Daniel will have to find his strength in his own soul, but part of that search will require him to actually believe that he can make a difference ...
Heading Towards the End of the Trail 7
The time is Now, and cold steel and fire are the only way to cleanse the world of monsters ... but the events of the day will trouble Leon the rest of his life.
Patterns in Blood
Alanna Gilliam has a past that has changed her way of life forever. Unfortunately, it doesn't want to stay "past." No matter how far she has run, no matter what precautions she has taken, that frightening and mysterious past has arrived on her doorstep once again ...
Patterns in Blood 02
Mystery builds as Alanna discovers the reason behind the detective's visit -- the death of her ex-husband.
Patterns in Blood 03
Alanna Gilliam's desert home isn't as safe as she thought she had made it -- her past is surfacing on her doorstep in an ugly and frightening way.
Patterns in Blood 04
Instead of the secure fortress Alanna thought she had built, she finds a security system breached on almost every level. The past is endangering her once more.
Patterns in Blood 05
Alanna and Stockwell leave the compromised house to try to find some place more private. But there in the desert, someone -- or something -- is watching ...
Patterns in Blood 06
The past life that Alanna never wanted to remember again has come back in a twisted haunting way. Now she has to rely on someone else's help, and tell the horrid story from its bitter beginnings.
Patterns in Blood 07
In order to make the detective understand the true horror and desperation of her situation, Alanna opts to tell him her story from its very beginning. But what she doesn't know is that someone else is listening to her tale as well...
Patterns in Blood 08
After facing tragedy, Alanna pursued a kind of romance with the ever-present Randolph, less for love than for comfort, and Randolph was willing to promise her comfort, all right ... as long as it kept to his plan ...
Patterns in Blood 09
There wasn't a lot of passion, but things seemed normal enough in their relationship, Alanna recounts. Then a chance occurrence changed the climate of the marriage to a chilling cloud ...
Patterns in Blood 10
How do you stop yourself from looking at the revelation of the most horrible secret you've ever encountered in your life?
Patterns in Blood 11
Is it true? Could there possibly have been an innocent explanation for the secret investigation? Randolph put Alanna's fears to rest, but even now those fears rise up to haunt her ...
Patterns In Blood 12
Could anything be crazier than the story Randa has to tell Alanna? Crazier than believing it? Something as crazy as murder and arson, perhaps?
Patterns in Blood 13
In the darkness of the night, Alanna is alone with the growing suspicion that not only has her husband lied to her about his past, but that he hides a secret so monstrous that she can barely wrap her mind around it...
Patterns in Blood 14
The police refuse to take Alanna's fears seriously without more proof. They'll get their proof, all right, but Alanna has to wonder: Is it already too late?
Patterns in Blood 15
An unexpected death of a close family member, and there's no tears? Strange voices on the telephone, ugly messages following Alanna from work to home, and odd behavior by her in-laws are making her waking hours worse than any nightmare.
Patterns in Blood 16
Randolph is fishing for information, on some "papers" that Randa might have handed to Alanna mere hours before her death. Alanna, listening to his voice, still wonders which one of the is crazy.
Patterns in Blood 17
Alanna makes an unexpected visit to her mother-in-law's house, and finds no grief there at all for the dead Randa, and no love from her husband Randolph, either.
Patterns in Blood 18
Alanna visits the restaurant owner in the hospital, not knowing how soon she will visit that hospital again.
Patterns in Blood 19
Alanna is released from the hospital -- but into a new nightmare of destruction and gross revelation.
Patterns in Blood 20
The door is bolted, but Randolph is strangely angry and seems to care nothing for Alanna's injury ...
Dark Whispers: Running Amok 01
Charlotte considers writing an essay: "What I did on my summer vacation." After all, it should be quite the story, given that she's a vampire, and just happens to be carrying a trunkful of goodies ... Originally appeared 2006-07-31.
Patterns in Blood 21
Mugged, her house in scattered disarray from intruders, Alanna struggles to make sense of her world, only to suddenly smell -- smoke!
Patterns in Blood 22
Horror continues to mount in Alanna's mind as she finds out all the "surprises" her increasingly aggressive husband has in store for her.
Patterns in Blood 23
Disturbed by what Randolph has told her staff, Alanna does some investigating, and finds out far more than she ever wanted to know.
Patterns in Blood 24
Alanna attempts to resume a normal life, but the continuing weirdness drives her to drastic action ...
Patterns in Blood 25
Alanna relates how there was only one thing left to do ... run to Las Vegas and fulfill plans she had been making since she decided to divorce Randolph.
Patterns in Blood 26
Alanna once again finds out that just when you think the worst is over, Fate shows you that there's plenty more misery left in the universe.
Patterns in Blood 27
Peter's horrifying revelation about the state of Alanna's house makes her realize that she was never really as safe as she thought ... and neither were her friends ...
Patterns in Blood 28
She was supposed to have escaped. She was supposed to be safe. But Alanna is about to find out that her mysterious adversary is still one -- if not a hundred -- steps ahead of her.
Patterns in Blood 29
With food to eat, lots of shopping to unpack, and two strong detectives in the room, Alanna ought to be safe from the ominous stalker ... for while.
Patterns in Blood 30
Alanna went to live alone in the desert; someone found her there. She traveled to LA, and someone followed her. She shopped at the Mall, and someone was close enough to watch her ... and that someone -- something? is getting closer ...
Patterns in Blood 31
Part of the investigation is learning about all the members of the strange Hagen family that Alanna had the misfortune to marry into. The memories Alanna has to share are not very clear ... almost as though something was hidden from her.
Patterns in Blood 32
Having to call to mind all the disgusting tales of the Hagen family is wearing Alanna down. All she'd ever hoped for was a normal life ...
Patterns in Blood 33
While Alanna continues to relate stories of the Hagen family, the detectives have made yet another gruesome set of discoveries ...
Patterns in Blood 34
Sleeping the deep sleep of the profoundly traumatized, Alanna is unaware of what is going on beyond the door to her bedroom ...
Patterns in Blood 35
All but one of her old friends have been found to be dead, Michael is in the hands of her stalker, and another body has been found. Alanna has a deep fear of who it might be ...
Patterns in Blood 36
In a race against time, Alanna returns in disgust to the Hagen family home to find a key that might save Michael's life.
Patterns in Blood 37
Alanna gets to chat with a neighbor who also wishes her ex-husband is dead, but also has to deal with the horror that she's still being watched...
Patterns in Blood 38
Worried about her old friend Katherine, Alanna meets with the cult leader, Brother Georgie, and finds she has to deal with the most horrible memory of all ...
Patterns in Blood 39
He's a what? A double agent? A spy? A collaborator to a lot of murders? An assassin? Alanna comes to the conclusion that automatic weapons ... and other weapons more obscure are the only answer.
Patterns in Blood 40
Piles of bodies in the hallway, and the knowledge that the vampires are out there somewhere ... the best part of it all is that Alanna knows it's not her problem ... yet.
Patterns in Blood 41
The loathsome "Bobby" has words for Alanna, including the two "Vampire" and "minion." What on earth is he talking about?
Patterns in Blood 42
It's time for Nelson to do some explaining, but the explanation only leaves Alanna with more questions than she ever wanted to ask.
Patterns in Blood 43
It's about time Alanna heard from Stockwell, and from what he has to say, and how he says it, he's getting what he deserves.
Patterns in Blood 44
Alanna has had enough and wants answers -- not only from Stockwell before he dies, but also from that yippy little pest Lindsey, who's sending all the wrong signals ...
Patterns in Blood 45
Time to go meet the lung-shot Stockwell and make sure he tells everything he knows. Alanna can hardly recognize her own life in the revelations of the day.
Patterns in Blood 46
Alanna has been stalked, her friends murdered, her life ruined. She's out of patience as of years before, and it's time for her to take her fortunes into her own hands ...
Strange Bedfellows
Something fishy is going on at the vampire club called Dark Whispers. Too many deaths, too many conflicts, too much ... politics. An alliance has been endangered, and boundaries crossed. It's time to take a closer look...
Strange Bedfellows 02
It's time to prepare for Kenyon's summit meeting -- but the question is, why is he so confident, and how dare he make such a shocking request?
Strange Bedfellows 03
Natasha is full of worries and irritation at the upcoming wedding, which could turn out to be a deadly fiasco -- until she gets a call from a certain someone ...
Strange Bedfellows 04
And if you are a pair of powerful vampires who need to prepare for a rough meeting, a snack or two might be in order ...
Strange Bedfellows 05
Predators abound at nightfall, but only the bright ones are successful.
Strange Bedfellows 06
Not a love match, but a power grab -- that's all the forthcoming wedding is about. Natasha is worried about the outcome, and wonders how Harry and her Master can be so calm.
Strange Bedfellows 07
Kenyon's club, Dark Whispers, is hosting a meeting of vampires and werewolves. Everyone in the room can sense the danger ... except for the humans ...
Strange Bedfellows 08
Kenyon appears in the room looking like a costume ball. Who would have thought he'd dress like such a fool? But wait -- one piece of the outfit makes jaws drop and brows sweat, and the real reason for Kenyon's maneuvering is revealed.
Strange Bedfellows 09
Kenyon, in his outlanding dress and vain parading, has all eyes on him -- maybe he should be keeping more of an eye on his guests ...
Strange Bedfellows 10
The meeting is very important -- the very future of vampires and werewolves hangs in the balance of words and actions to come. What better to break the tension than a quick serving of champagne?
Strange Bedfellows 11
An alliance is being formed between the vampires and werewolves after all ... but not exactly in the way Kenyon had imagined.
Strange Bedfellows 12
Natasha and Harry join the werewolves at their base of operations. Smells like wet dog and magic, Natasha thinks, but she knows Harry and she can take them ...
Strange Bedfellows 13
Annoying as the werewolves can be, vampires can join them against a common cause -- an intruder is about to meet a formidable force!
Strange Bedfellows 14
When a vow is made, the task must be paid. This time a life hung in the balance, and was lost -- will another death bring justice? Or war?
Strange Bedfellows 15
Time to pick up the pieces! Werewolves and vampires working together?
Strange Bedfellows 16
More surprises -- Simon has regrets, and Harry ... oh, Harry ...
Strange Bedfellows 17
If Harry were not there, the jokester with the pink bikini would have been the first meal of the day ...
Stange Bedfellows 18
The mean-spirited prank of dressing Natasha in pink may have more dire consequences than making her look like a six-year-old's Barbie doll ...
Strange Bedfellows 19
Three vampires against a pack of werewolves?
Strange Bedfellows 20
The thrill of running through the night, afraid of no one, beneath a starlit sky -- it's like being a wild creature, formed from the wind and hindered by nothing -- right up until the earth beneath your feet gives way ...
Strange Bedfellows 21
Stuck in a tiger trap, the team of vampires and werewolf are beginning to see the pieces of an unpleasant plan ...
Strange Bedfellows 22
Some deep magic has been summoned, and that summoning is against all that the werewolves and the vampires call rules. Someone is going to have to pay for this.
Strange Bedfellows 23
There is some evidence of very dark and ancient magic in Archer's hideaway ... but Harry also has been around for a long, long time...
Strange Bedfellows 24
Magic, the likes of which Natasha has rarely had to experience, is in the air and the stones and the water of the grotto ... and waiting for her at the exit to the cave...
Strange Bedfellows 25
The scavenger hunt may have been a painful joke, but Archer is close to seeing how successful it was ...
Strange Bedfellows 26
Archer's penchant for magic has assured his house a thorough cleaning ...
Strange Bedfellows 27
If they weren't vampires, you could say that Harry and Natasha have been given a space to breathe, but they don't, so you can't. But they are leaping out of the fire for a late-night snack ...
Strange Bedfellows 28
The first order of business now is to get the magical artifact back where it belongs. Solomon's Fang is a heavy, dangerous weight.
Strange Bedfellows 29
The strangers are there to pick up Solomon's Fang -- but "Daisy" and "Hugh" are not at all who they appear to be ...
Strange Bedfellows 30
Camilla is the puppet master, visiting Harry and Natasha through her minion's mind. But there's something more than an ancient artifact that Camilla is hanging around for ... what can it be?
Strange Bedfellows 31
It's not really the end -- the finding of Solomon's Fang just heralds the beginning of something far greater.
Strange Bedfellows 32
Harry and Natasha witness an astounding change of alliance ...
Strange Bedfellows 33
Kenyon is on the hunt, and Renee has a hiding place, far, far away ... but it's an odd sort of hideout ...
Strange Bedfellows 34
The old house might mean something to Renee, but what it means to the new alliance as a group is -- danger!
Strange Bedfellows 35
Two strange werewolf bands are converging on the hideout, and all the weapons available for protection are from the realm of humanity -- not particularly useful in this situation.
Strange Bedfellows 36
Renee recognizes a voice from her past, and an uppity werewolf is about to learn a bit of a lesson.
Strange Bedfellows 37
Tensions are high, and the vampires must get away from this farm, before the rival werewolves appear again...
Strange Bedfellows 38
After nearly causing a war in Eastern territory, the team heads back to California to see if the smokescreen is working ...
Strange Bedfellows 39
In the foggy dawn, danger approaches from two sides ... but who in their right mind would dare to try to ambush Harry?
Strange Bedfellows 40
Natasha is surprised and chagrined when she sees who is walking in out of the mists ... maybe she shouldn't have grown so attached to Harry ...
Strange Bedfellows 41
Simon has appeared, and some nasty evidence has, too. Harry must keep them safe, but where the hell is he taking them?
Strange Bedfellows 42
The strange sounds in the dark are suddenly resolved ... but the mystery only grows greater!
Strange Bedfellows 43
DB is going to die. The only outstanding question is: What can they get him to say before he does?
Strange Bedfellows 44
Damson has a few words left before he becomes vampire compost ...
Strange Bedfellows 45
Damson Barlow's life is about to end, but he may yet have one more tidbit of information to offer ...
Strange Bedfellows 46
Simon and Harry have things under control right now, but DB, dying slowly, still seems to have some information they need ...
Strange Bedfellows 47
The strange painful process of dissolution has begun. But first, DB must understand what his life actually held ...
Strange Bedfellows 48
The game is afoot -- Kenyon has pulled a disappearing act, hiding his location from werewolves and vampires alike. Bet the powerful Council are going to love this little stunt!
Strange Bedfellows 49
One minute, Natasha is having a snack, and the next, both Harry and Simon are beyond her mental touch -- what's happening?
Strange Bedfellows 50
Witchcraft is in the air, and Natasha can't rely on Harry or Simon to make it all right again. But Harry knows someone who might possibly help ...
Strange Bedfellows 51
Harry has been compromised, which means that the group's ace in the hole was no longer the highest card in the deck. Political intrigue tangles them like a spider's web ...
Strange Bedfellows 52
Cynthia, the rogue vampire from Arizona has begun the opening deal in this little game. She has two Kings in her possession, but she doesn't know that Natasha has some aces up her sleeve ...
Strange Bedfellows 53
Cynthia has come to do battle with Natasha, Harry, and Simon ... but what weaponry does she think she has?
Strange Bedfellows 54
Some kind of ace is up Cynthia's sleeve, and she's counting on it ... in spite of her imminent danger ...
Strange Bedfellows 55
Well, Cynthia escapes her skewering only for find out that tackling Harry, Simon, Renee and Natasha wasn't her only big mistake ...
Strange Bedfellows 56
The witch is about to reveal how the rogue vampire Cynthia slaughtered her way to the top...
Strange Bedfellows 57
While Jasmine chants, the life-forces of the creatures around her begin to change ...
Strange Bedfellows 58
The spell that Jasmine has cast is having a strange and unexpected effect ...
Strange Bedfellows 59
The magic is still in the air, but everyone's focus has changed ...
Strange Bedfellows 60
The night of carnage grows bloodier still, but the magic unleashed is far more disturbing ...
Strange Bedfellows 61
Jasmine's strange magic and some horrible power snatch Natasha from her own life ...
Strange Bedfellows 62
The magical visions continue to show Natasha two brothers' dilemma during the American Civil War.
Strange Bedfellows 63
As Natasha sees the strange visions, she begins to see that the magic stretches far back into the past ...
Strange Bedfellows 64
Charles, in the past, finds his adversary was deserving of his fate, but what of the woman...?
Strange Bedfellows 65
The mysterious woman is still a stranger, but she might be Charles' best hope ...
Strange Bedfellows 66
Charles is about to find out the name of the strange woman who helped him ...
Strange Bedfellows 67
Charles is about to find out more than he wanted to know about his brother Beau ...
Strange Bedfellows 68
Charles has to come to terms with the fact that his brother Beau not only hid his actions from his brother, but also that what Beau did will have far-reaching ramifications ...
Strange Bedfellows 69
Charles has begun to accept the horror that Renee is recounting to him, but the next part of the story is even worse ...
Strange Bedfellows 70
Anger is in the air, an inhuman anger -- one that hates vampires just as much if not more than the human ...
Strange Bedfellows 71
Conclusion. What Renee has done in the past is not yet clear, but what Harry and Simon and Carlos and Marcus do in the present is about to make a big difference to Natasha ...
The Building
The setting is the night, the star of this performance is not who his audience thinks he is, and when this curtain rises, what is revealed is a stage for blood ...
The Building 2
Remembering Jerry remembering ... it was a way to pass the night in satisfaction ...
The Building 3
The story of the original Jerry continues, chronicling the last of his life.
The Building 4
The guard knew that Jerry had a particular destiny ...
The Building 5
Done with memories of Jerry, the guard turns to his own ...
The Building 6
Oh, kids, you shouldn't play with matches, or sharp knives ... or angry vampires!
The Building 7
The former vampire prince is on the hunt -- but once again, the hunter has become the hunted.
The Building 8
Jerry, the vampire formerly known as a prince, remembers the circumstances of his capture ...
The Building 9
How true that looks can be deceiving, and how sad that the same is true for members of one's own clan ...
The Building 10
Jerry finds Florida acceptable, even with the occasional iguana, even with the burning memory of that vampire bait ...
The Building 11
Jerry remembers the mistake the Council made when they kidnapped him so many months ago ...
The Building 12
Jerry's neighbor, Edna, enlists him in a search for Mr. Peaches, her poodle.
The Building 13
Jerry has found someone he didn't expect -- a troll -- and begins to wonder at the way plans play out ...
The Building 14
Negotiations with the troll have begun, but something is not quite the way Jerry expects ...
The Building 15
The troll is going to be a help to Jerry, but something else is strange ...
The Building 16
Jerry remembers again the crime against his Mastery ...
The Building 17
Jerry continues to remember with bitterness his incarceration in Michigan long months before.
The Building 18
He had nearly escaped that accursed coffin once, but something unexpected had happened ...
The Building 19
Jerry had no problem with making use of Tricia, but frankly, the troll was more pleasant company ...
The Building 20
After all his vampire years, Jerry has seen it all -- although there are some sights that make him wish he could bleach his brain ...
The Building 21
Tricia has become his mind slave, but Jerry is the one who is trapped in this unsavory meeting...
The Building 22
How odd that Jerry has fed off Tricia's blood, but now finds that he must feed her if he wants her continued compliance.
The Building 23
Once again Jerry is trapped in a mire of disgust, loathing spending time alone with the vulgar and sex-crazed Tricia.
The Building 24
The creature of darkness, the former Master of a city, the immortal drinker of lifeblood ... is so grossed out he can hardly wait for this trip to end...
The Building 25
Tricia is the bait to lure Celina to the front door, but can Jerry make it through the back of the house in time for the capture?
The Building 26
Drinking deeply from Celina's veins, Jerry discovers something very interesting in the thoughts that pour from her mind...
The Building 27
The months of torture, the humiliation, the loss of all that he had -- Jerry is ready to pay Celina back in the worst possible way ...
The Building 28
Charged with vampiric power, Jerry slowly allows Celina to understand her peril.
The Building 29
Suddenly Celina knows that the tables have turned, and the vampire she once tortured and laughed at has her in his power...
The Building 30
Too many people in the neighborhood -- and at least two too many police ...
The Building 31
b
The Building 32
b
The Building 33
Night has fallen, and it's time for Jerry to pay a visit to his new acquisition, and dish out to her some of what was served to him in the past ...
The Building 34
There was a reason the Vampire Council would have been smarter to have killed this vampire Jerry Cooper ... and Celina is finding what that reason was.
The Building 35
Battered, burnt, and nearly truly dead, Celina still holds on to a misguided hope of freedom from Jerry's grasp. But now we come to what Jerry really wants to know ...
The Building 36
Celina is ready to talk, ready to answer Jerry's questions -- but not truthfully, not even when threatened with death.
The Building 37
Jerry's next step is to get a certain troll some take-out ...
The Building 38
Jerry has a box lunch for his ally the troll, but what will they talk about over this dinner?
The Building 39
The long night is ending, and Jerry must find a place to escape the sunlight. And what an odd place he finds ...
The Building 40
Who is this woman, and why is she so unafraid?
The Building 41
Does the former Master dare to create a new fledgling, especially when the power needed to do so will alert every other vampire in the region to his whereabouts?
The Building 42
Jerry continues to perform the forbidden ritual with Julia.
The Building 43
Last chapter of "The Building." Jerry sees his next victim helpless before him.
The Complex
Ah, the story hasn't completely ended yet -- there is still unfinished business on this vampire's agenda ...
The Complex 2
Jerry begins his preparation to stalk Ben, hoping for sweet, sweet revenge.
The Complex 3
Jerry is about to embark upon a change -- but how difficult will it be with the new fledgling, so unsure of herself, at his side?
The Complex 4
Step by step, Jerry begins construction of a new identity ...
The Complex 5
The bottom-feeding forger has no idea that he's about to try to cheat a vampire, one who needs less excuse than that to exact a bloody retribution...
The Complex 6
The blinded vampire, Ben Richland, cannot perceive the passionate Jerry as he stalks Ben, hungering for his death ... and revenge.
The Complex 7
When the power is out, and a hurricane approaches, wasting time cursing and arguing is foolish -- especially when two vampires are watching you, hungrily...
The Complex 8
The vampires have their reconnaissance spot picked out, but two of the dumbest humans in Florida don't want to give it up. What's a vampire to do?
The Complex 9
Checklist: Moves faster than a human can track, has fangs, and wants blood. Can it really be a vampire?
The Complex 10
The storm builds more fiercely than anyone had predicted. Jerry's plans to waylay and destroy Ben may be blown away by a hurricane ...
The Complex 11
Julia has only been a vampire for a matter of hours -- it's time for her Master to teach her some skills ...
The Complex 12
The winds and rain lash the island, but it isn't just the hurricane coming that has the air scented with fear and blood ...
The Complex 13
Coconuts fly through the air like cannonballs with the hurricane winds, and even a vampire's life is in danger. But the vampire fledgling Julia has a quick lesson to learn ...
The Complex 14
Julia gets her first opportunity to teach a thug a well-deserved lesson ... Do you think he'll do well in school the next day?
The Complex 15
Dinner has been served! And now that the vampires have dined, it's time for dessert. Perhaps something sweet ... like revenge?
The Complex 16
Lying in wait for Ben, the vampire and his new creation hear disturbing thoughts in the air ...
The Complex 17
Suddenly not as powerful as she thought, Julia struggles with her lost humanity, understanding at last the price of her change.
The Complex 18
Ben Richland is walking into an ambush, but he's more wary of his appointed visitor than of his surroundings ...
The Complex 19
What is the history between the Vampire Council's messenger and Ben Richland? Jerry is nearly ready to put his own history on hold in order to find out ...
The Complex 20
Jerry, observing the banter and flirtation of Ben and Leonardo, wonders if the ritual that drained their powers also may have drained their wits ...
The Complex 21
And now we know the Vampire Council's concern ... and now Ben is glad for the news and horrified by its implications.
The Complex 22
Now let a powerful Vampire Master show you what he can do ...
The Complex 23
And just like that, what was once a Vampire Council envoy is now the opportunity for a midnight snack ...
The Complex 24
Jerry pays a price for his method of controlling the Vampire Council envoy -- being swept away by a river of blood ...
The Complex 25
Jerry is drawn again and again by blood, into the memories of Benjamin and Leonardo.
The Complex 26
His two enemies captured and in his power, Jerry takes them to his warehouse, hoping to make them into the next take-out meal for the troll ...
The Complex 27
His two captives have some serious conflict in their shared past -- Jerry must travel back in their memories to learn what it is...
The Complex 28
Lenny and Ben's first conflict is revealed, as the Vampire Master forces their memories decades into the past ...
The Complex 29
Helpless and doomed, Ben Richland still hasn't understood the depth of Jerry's hatred for him and his desire for revenge.
The Complex 30
There is information Jerry wants to get from Ben, but after years of plotting revenge, there's just so little time left for torture ...
The Complex 31
Jerry Cooper, Master Vampire, has captured an old enemy. He wants answers before he kills him, but a vampire is not above playing with his prey ...
The Complex 32
Which is more furious, the winds of the hurricane, or Ben Richland, who in spite of being trapped, still thinks that he's the better vampire?
The Complex 33
Is a hurricane really this destructive, or has Jerry inadvertently set loose some elemental magic? His fledgling, Julia, seems to think the storm might be a problem ...
The Complex 34
Maybe Ben Richland would rather die than talk, but dismemberment -- now that could produce another story entirely.
The Complex 35
The strong ties between Ben and Leonardo could cause some trouble -- but Jerry must find a solution, because there's information to be squeezed out of both of them.
The Complex 36
Aha, so there is something that the Vampire Council's toady actually does fear ...
The Complex 37
Jerry Cooper has two vampires captive, and he wants some answers from them ... and Jerry Cooper has no qualms at all about using any means necessary to get his information. In fact, the more painful the confessions, the more enjoyment for him.
The Complex 38
The amazing thing is that even though he's been drained of powers, manhandled, nearly drained of blood, tied up, silenced, paralyzed, and well and truly threatened, Ben Richland is still full of arrogance because he thinks he's dealing with some feeble upstart. Think he'll ever figure this one out?
The Complex 39
Bound together in spirit form by the Master vampire's illegal spell, Leonardo and Ben must face questions they would rather not answer ...
The Complex 40
At last the threat of true death has become real to the two trapped vampires, but even Jerry's dark heart will be affected by what he's about to hear ...
The Complex 41
Conclusion. Having learned the source of his betrayal, Jerry must decide what to do with the vampires he has captured ...
Good Morning?
Malaria has been eradicated from the face of the earth! Not to mention tuberculosis and the plague! And gravity, too, so you never have to worry about falling down again! Why do they allow stupid people to have passports?
Good Morning? 02
Nothing like a pre-monsoonal heat wave and a complete idiot to add color to a tour group ...
Good Morning? 03
Emma has nothing to fear from cameramen, but a local healer-woman is another story entirely.
Good Morning? 04
Recognized somehow by the local healer-woman, Emma realizes that pretending to be human is more of a pain than she thought it would be.
Good Morning? 05
Trudging through the rainforest, Emma comes upon a seemingly abandoned structure -- that is far more than rocks and moss...
Good Morning? 06
The inscriptions on the walls are too obvious to mistake the meaning of the darkened areas around the altar in the disused temple. This is not a good place for Emma -- but then, where is?
Good Morning? 07
Emma's trip to Indonesia has been a bit on the weird side, with blood-smeared temple walls and a healer-woman muttering spells ... but it's about to get stranger still ...
Good Morning? 08
Great way to escape a chatty old lady -- or is it?
Good Morning? 09
A note from Uncle Harry is a welcome promise of escape, but from what, Emma still doesn't know -- and doesn't want to find out!
Good Morning? 10
Emma has her plane reservation ready, her traveling case in hand, and she's eager to get back to what she thinks of as normal. Something else may have other ideas ...
Good Morning? 11
At last, a bit of normality, and maybe even a drive to the airport unaccompanied by an evil meat puppet ...
Good Morning? 12
The memory of her trip to Indonesia hasn't faded ... because there's a link there to the latest mischief Emma has stirred up ...
Good Morning? 13
Emma does some research into mines, but it's not gold or silver she's hunting ...
Good Morning? 14
Deep beneath the Michigan landscape, the salt mines remain cool and clean ... but Emma worries about teleporting into them -- the maps are none too accurate ...
Good Morning? 15
Emma brings Uncle Harry up to speed on her research into the salt mines of Detroit, but still hesitates to explain why she's so drawn to them ...
Good Morning? 16
Were the salt mines of Detroit a clean, safe workplace, or did they harbor something that could eat a man's soul?
Good Morning? 17
Emma, awaiting the arrival of Uncle Harry's favorite werewolf, muses about diaries, and her own past.
Good Morning? 18
Emma reflects on her strange lack of personal origins ...
Good Morning? 19
Remembering her adoptive parents' funeral, Emma recalls her numbness, and growing cynicism about the people around her.
Good Morning? 20
While Emma tries to come to terms with her parents' deaths, merciless monsters stalk her -- both supernatural and human.
Good Morning? 21
Grief dulls her, and rampant disrespectful news crews disgust her, but something in Emma's life is going to change her from the inside out ...
Good Morning? 22
Emma seeks to escape her grief by sleeping, but not only are there rude news-people in her front yard, there are even rude people in her dream ...
Good Morning? 23
Stalked in real life, stalked in her dreams, Emma is running out of any shred of patience ...
Good Morning? 24
Why would a figment of Emma's imagination be so persistently annoying? A dreamboat he's not...
Good Morning? 25
Emma has provoked the young man beyond reason, and punched him in the nose. Why not smack a vampire silly if it's all a dream?
Good Morning? 26
Still believing she is stuck in an irritating dream, Emma meets someone interesting, and the "dream" becomes a lot less irritating ...
Good Morning? 27
Esmeralda -- Emma -- is confronted by Master Vampire Harry, who is charming, handsome, reassuring ... and just as unbelievable.
Good Morning? 28
Telekinetic abilities and vampires are easy enough for Emma to dismiss in the wake of her adoptive parents' deaths, but the reality waiting outside her home is something truly distasteful ... and maybe dangerous ...
Good Morning? 29
Something stalks Emma ... what is it? A TV reporter, perhaps? One about to get his comeuppance?
Good Morning? 30
The menacing voice has Emma trapped in her house -- can it really not enter? But even if it can't, can it starve her out?
Good Morning? 31
The time has come for Emma to say goodbye to her past, and take her place in the world -- the supernatural world, that is.
Good Morning? 32
And now that you know you can use this trick to avoid one danger, why not use it again...?
Good Morning? 33
Seriously, did Penny just think Emma was going to sit there in the car and smile as it was being smashed on the highway?
Good Morning? 34
Emma is ready to read an encyclopedia and a score card to keep track of all the supernatural creatures she's learned about in the past 48 hours ...
Good Morning? 35
Is leaving a wake of catastrophe Emma's newly-found birthright?
Good Morning? 36
When one door closes, another opens, they say. The door to Emma's past has closed, but she's finding more doors than she was looking for...
Good Morning? 37
Exhausted by trying to come to grips with a world of supernatural beings, Emma knows the next step has got to be ... lunch with a werewolf?
Good Morning? 38
The memory of first meeting Harry hasn't unearthed many clues, though it has brought a sense of comfort. But lying in a dirty cave, Emma must examine her life more deeply to find a solution...
Good Morning? 39
Preparing for Riley the Werewolf's visit, Emma goes shopping -- and as usual, trouble is hot on her heels...
Good Morning? 40
Emma's life is so complicated that an evening with a werewolf is -- almost -- relaxing...
Good Morning? 41
A blizzard is building, but the storm worries Emma less than what might happen to her underground...
Good Morning? 42
Is Emma's knack for telekinesis natural, or is it magic? No one knows for sure, and Emma is worried about the connection between magic and salt, not to mention the accuracy of her maps.
Good Morning? 43
A Michigan blizzard snows Emma and Riley in, so they should be safe from intruders, but something else is stalking them -- in the snow and from the past.
Good Morning? 44
A snow plow driver with a camera? During a blizzard? Something isn't quite right with that, and Emma isn't about to ask questions close up...
Good Morning? 45
Emma is drawn to trouble nearly as much as trouble is drawn to her. That might be why the old miner's journal whets her appetite for exploration...
Good Morning? 46
What could possibly make a werewolf so angry? Emma is about to find out that it wasn't because she didn't pack a chew toy for him...
Good Morning? 47
What was once to be an outing born of curiosity is now laced with dread...what scares a werewolf?
Good Morning? 48
Riley needs to cough up some werewolf knowledge if he's to keep Emma from making an impulsive leap...
Good Morning? 49
Riley has left, in search of his werewolf contacts. With the blizzard still raging, Emma is forced to wait -- and wonder where Riley went.
Good Morning? 50
Well, Riley has some answers for Emma -- but they aren't about the questions she asked...
Good Morning? 51
Unlike Riley, Gordon is actually willing to tell Emma something about her salt caves, mistakenly thinking he could convince her to turn away from her quest...
Good Morning? 52
Gordon is one smooth-talking werewolf...but his information leads to a very rough decision.
Good Morning? 53
Emma finds yet another obstacle to her expedition -- and this one brings out her worst...
Good Morning? 54
The fey creature Star has pushed Emma's buttons big time, being both irritating...and scary.
Good Morning? 55
Emma is on her way at last -- maybe even a little more quickly than she wants...
Good Morning? 56
As Emma rides in the backseat, she has less and less patience with the fey Star, who seems to have her own agenda with the werewolves.
Good Morning? 57
Through snow and darkness, the descent is about to begin...
Good Morning? 58
Watch your step -- the first one's a doozy!
Good Morning? 59
In all the worry about what creatures might be found below the earth, Emma and her werewolf pals haven't taken into consideration what the mine itself might do ...
Good Morning? 60
All alone, Emma makes her way along the enchanted tunnel...wait -- what's that sound?
Good Morning? 61
If you tread forbidden ground, and open forbidden doors, why be surprised at what you find?
Good Morning? 62
Face to face with a dangerous creature right out of mythology, Emma needs to keep her wits about her if she wants to search the dragon's hoard.
Good Morning? 63
Time is running out for Emma to get back to the portal, but wait, was that the plan all along?
Good Morning? 64
A gift for Sapphire has beguiled the dragon, but what is it that derails a nice conversation?
Good Morning? 65
Four more visitors enter the dragon's cave! Were they invited over for breakfast?
Good Morning? 66
The evil Fey Star has become nothing more than a green-misted belch, but how will the Gatekeeper react to Esmeralda's unauthorized entry into his prisons?
Good Morning? 67
Wait, the dragon Sapphire was wrong? Has Emma's trip into the salt mines under Detroit been for nothing?
Good Morning? 68
This is what Emma has come all this way to see -- but not who...
Good Morning? 69
The face in the wall, a face Emma has seen before -- can the Gatekeeper tell who carved it?
Good Morning? 70
Whatever took over the Gatekeeper's body is gone, and anyway, Emma has three loyal werewolves to protect her...maybe...
Good Morning? 71
The face on the wall is older than you'd think a smiley could be, and Emma's finding out that where this face comes from, a smile is not what you want to see...
Good Morning? 72
Four werewolves, a dragon, a blood-sucking spirit, and a young lady walk into a cave...no, it's not the beginning of a joke. Far, far from it!
Good Morning? 73
Never bend down and put your face next to a deranged semi-werewolf...
Good Morning? 74
Uncle Harry has brought in reinforcements, but the creature possessing Stefan still has its sights on Emma. Can the werewolves control it?
Good Morning? 75
With a big, overprotective werewolf, on her side, as well as Uncle Harry the Master Vampire, and Parrot, the vicious devourer of -- well, anything -- Emma is finally safe. Unless something else shows up...
Good Morning? 76
The time is approaching for Emma to leave the mines, but how can she leave without the answer to her questions?
Good Morning? 77
The Gatekeeper's madness isn't the only danger in the mines -- nor are the monsters.
Good Morning? 78
The prison in the mine is a corridor between worlds, worlds that have sealed horrors into the walls. Harry has to find a way out of the prison -- without Riley's hair-trigger temper getting them killed.
Good Morning? 79
Harry, Riley and Emma have found a great lake in the underground prison. Is it the way out?
Good Morning? 80
In the hallucination-like rock festival of death, Emma sees a human gone wrong -- with no sense of direction, how long will she last before one of the creatures decides to make her a lunch?
Good Morning? 81
In the maze of tunnels in the magical prison, only one thing is on Emma's mind -- to get out of there.
Good Morning? 82
Out of the mines and back into the frigid Michigan winter! Unfortunately, Uncle Harry appears to have forgotten where he was parked...
Good Morning? 83
Having the dragon show up outside the mines was a surprise, but what she has to say is far more shocking.
Good Morning? 84
Out of the mines at last, Emma is about to embark on another leg of her long trek.
Good Morning? 85
Emma finds herself in the dubious hands of a chauffeur who makes her wonder if he's evil, or just plain stupid...
Good Morning? 86
Emma is not about to relinquish the sword of Domenico Rosso to the care of random luggage handlers. How will she keep her treasure safe?
Good Morning? 87
And now we bring you back to Emma's present predicament -- and nothing from the memories of the salt mines is giving her any hope at all...
Good Morning? 88
Life has been as normal as it gets for Emma, so a little side trip to check out another cave couldn't hurt, right?
Good Morning? 89
A pile of treasure isn't nearly as interesting as who's lurking in the dark with it...
Good Morning? 90
Another dragon -- will this one prove to be as friendly as Sapphire was?
Good Morning? 91
It's amazing enough to meet one chatty dragon in a lifetime -- but two of them?
Good Morning? 92
There are dragons, and then there are dragons...but a trap is a trap is a trap.
Good Morning? 93
Something is not right, even beyond being trapped in an enchanted cave. Emma's time is running out...
Good Morning? 94
Emma is trapped, and escape hasn't been successful...is death close? Or worse?
Good Morning? 95
Pieces fall into place, but still not enough for Emma to know who it was who set the trap for her...
Good Morning? 96
Saved by the appearance of the dangerous being Parrot, Emma is sent to examine her memory of a play-date with a werewolf...
Good Morning? 97
Emma continues to mull over a memory of a day when she didn't think to ask the right questions...
Good Morning? 98
Conclusion. Saved by the vicious creature known as Parrot, Emma finds herself in need of another rescue...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive
What some call 'fairy tales,' others call 'major nuisances' -- and they're more real than you would like to think...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 02
Ruby Galloway is one hot mama, turning heads and getting attention all the time. Unfortunately the other thing she does all the time is get herself in deep trouble...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 03
Whatever it is that Ruby got involved in, she can't even talk about it until she's drunk...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 04
As if skin-walkers weren't enough, something else even more sinister arrived...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 05
Something is not right with Ruby, but Delilah still has a job to do...and her boss seems to be out of touch.
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 06
There's a troll that has got to go -- Delilah has no qualms about taking a bounty for getting rid of him...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 07
While she waits for Lenny to get over himself, Delilah lets herself fall into memories...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 08
Remembering her youth, Delilah finds that her memories only make her hate trolls more...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 09
Now let's return to Delilah and the troll: a people-eating troll, we might add...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 10
Delilah knows how to deal with a troll, you better believe it...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 11
While Delilah cools her heels in the klink, she remembers the last time she got jailed for troll-killing...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 12
There's a way to survive being unfairly jailed, and Delilah knows all the turns...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 13
Even if your savior is an idiot, it's great to be out of jail...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 14
Ruby is a disaster waiting to happen...is a bar the best idea at this point?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 15
Ruby, in one of her past pecadilloes, was infected with the blood of a Vermillion Court vampire. And while she herself isn't a vampire, can it really be any kind of a good idea for her to get staggering drunk?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 16
Delilah has to seriously think about what her friendship with Ruby could do to them both -- Ruby's connection with a clan of vampires could put them in the middle of a war...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 17
Something may be after Ruby, but something worse could happen if Delilah gets caught in Ruby's house...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 18
Tripping in the old church, Delilah stumbles onto a tale of an ancient conflict...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 19
Delilah is being told a fairy tale -- about trolls living in harmony? Yep, that's got to be a fairy tale all right. To Delilah, trolls are only for killing...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 20
The story of the naming ceremony flows on, with the king unaware that the sons to whom he will entrust his legacy are not his at all...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 21
In the tale told to Delilah, the three naming-seers have come to the end of their cleverness...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 22
Delilah continues to be shown a strange history -- one that becomes more horrific as it unwinds...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 23
Oh, what a gruesome path greed, laziness, and deceit lead a seer down...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 24
The newly-named trolls, Matt and Bob, take a walk to get away from the traumatized court ... but to where?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 25
The princes are frozen between the worlds, while the worlds themselves are beginning to crumble...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 26
The two troll princes are trapped in an odd dimension, and the gods see that their imprisonment is tearing the world apart. Is it time to act?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 27
Welcome back, Lydia Manx, and the ongoing adventures of Delilah Monroe, who is armed to the teeth, and ready to rumble right into trouble again...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 28
A luminous man who can read thoughts -- is he a god in some dimension? And what does he want with Delilah?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 29
It's a great trick for Edwin to take over Jeff the cat's body...but what can a cat do in a troll hunt, and why can't Edwin do this task himself?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 30
Jeff the cat inhabited by Eddie the demi-god may be the key to finding out what Ruby has been up to with her dark magic...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 31
Is she really a friend if she rifled through your suitcase to find a way to cast a spell...and is the spell actually what she said it was?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 32
Ruby has been caught by her lies and they are killing her. But being betrayed by the council might be the least of Delilah's problems...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 33
Eddie the demi-god has revealed some awe-inspiring powers, but there's something oddly naive about him...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 34
Eddie the demi-god is entirely too fascinated by California culture. Delilah's first hurdle is getting him back on task...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 35
Against all normal odds, Delilah and Eddie the demi-god have stumbled upon the banished trolls and witches. Now what?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 36
Delilah has somehow managed to find the four creatures from another dimension for Eddie. But just finding them wasn't going to be enough...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 37
Eddie the demi-god has some sort of agenda regarding the four persons he's been hunting. But it's unclear what he's up to -- is he helping them or is he out to get them?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 38
The two witches are in deep trouble -- what will happen when the boy-trolls are added to the mix?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 39
And why were the trolls and witches so disrespectful to their demi-god Eddie? Do they actually know something he doesn't?
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 40
What looked to be a major battle between the witches and the demi-god gets derailed fast when Delilah's best friend walks through the door...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 41
With Sam back in Delilah's life, things are a little less dangerous...but there are still questions without answers...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 42
You have to hand it to those wicked girls -- they just don't give up...
When Fairy Tales Come Alive 43
Conclusion. Delilah is a Hunter, and she has followed her quarry to the end. But what end do they deserve?
All-Nighter
From weirdness in the past to a differently flavored weirdness in the present, Sammy is about to pass through an office door that leads to...
All-Nighter 02
Sammy saw enough weirdness back in West Virginia for a lifetime. And yet the weird seems to find him wherever he is...
All-Nighter 03
Sammy's got the new night job, but who have we here? Lindy? Oh, man, what's she doing here?
All-Nighter 04
Being holed up in an abandoned house with a herd of zombies after you is bad enough -- but zombies are zombies, after all. Things could get worse...
All-Nighter 05
In the "safe room," Lindy and Dean are about as safe as they can be in a town full of zombies and gun-toting nutjobs -- but they still need to get away...
All-Nighter 06
It looks like Lindy and Dean got away from being the next zombie lunch, but something's wrong out there, and then, like an ill omen, someone else showed up...
All-Nighter 07
So Sammy has a background in theft, and Lindy has recognized him. Maybe the zombie apocalypse made Florida's iguanas and alligators look a lot more appealing...
All-Nighter 08
There's a reason Sammy is kind of a dopey kid -- you don't grow wise and productive from being slapped around. But is this new job going to be any better for him?
All-Nighter 09
Lindy remembers how she and Dean narrowly escaped the zombie attack and the militia's massacre, and what came next...
All-Nighter 10
Lindy was trying to escape the zombie invasion, but Dean was less than helpful...
All-Nighter 11
Sammy continues to wander back in memories...
All-Nighter 12
The media has finally come to admit that there's something to this story about zombies...but they're not very forthcoming about what to do about it if you're just a kid...
All-Nighter 13
Lindy recounts meeting Sammy in zombie-infected West Virginia...
All-Nighter 14
Lindy and Dean met Sammy and Ginny in an otherwise deserted town. The rest of the population has fled the zombie outbreak -- but how can this foursome survive?
All-Nighter 15
Sammy is fairly adept at liberating -- stealing -- what they need, especially a camera for eyes on the misshapen world. But there's danger inside as well as out there...
All-Nighter 16
Back then, Dean was getting crazier and crazier. When will he snap and turn himself over to the vigilantes and zombies?
All-Nighter 17
Dean is just about as spaced out as they come, and Ginny must keep him together. So it's up to Lindy to take charge, and Sammy to take orders. How do you think that's going to work out?
All-Nighter 18
So Lindy is a retired zombie hunter. Nothing like a career choice that makes you have to lock yourself away to sleep safely! How did it come to this?
All-Nighter 19
Sammy has blown the head off the zombie that used to be his cousin Leon, and Lindy has smiled her way out of an encounter with the murderous vigilantes. Surely their road is all downhill from here...
All-Nighter 20
More zombies ... and now the mercenaries know that Lindy and her crew know about the zombies, too. Is Sammy's hideout going to be safe enough?
All-Nighter 21
Oh, joy, Uncle Scott brought his own provisions with him...
All-Nighter 22
Uncle Scott's idea of dealing with the end of normal civilization was to get blind stinking drunk. Is it possible for Lindy to shoot both him and Dean and get off the mountain and out of the snow and zombies?
All-Nighter 23
It doesn't take long for Sammy's world to crash into Lindy's -- and what makes people scream in the night...
All-Nighter 23
Blood and screams from a hazardous spill site? Clean up on Aisle 10 has never been harder...
All-Nighter 25
Something's amiss outside the sleep clinic -- how could so much supernatural mayhem find a couple of survivors from the zombie attack in West Virginia?
All-Nighter 26
Lindy and Sammy have thrown their lot in with Grant, and is that the wisest thing they could do? Oh, hell, no...
All-Nighter 27
Zombies in the past, werewolves in the present...and the future holds some kind of...what the hell are those things?
All-Nighter 28
Talking birds that can hear your thoughts? Whose side are they on, anyway? And how did Sammy and Lindy end up on somebody's side to begin with?
Dark Whispers: Tale Untold 01
Something strange is going on. Lani's friend Elisa, normally so charming, has a new man in her life and she's begun acting very strangely. Lani's starting to have grave misgivings about this girl's night out. Part one of four.
Dark Whispers: Tale Untold 02
Elisa has always been one of Lani's favorite friends, but this new man of hers is beyond sleazy. Those clothes, those mannerisms, that van -- ugh. If this wasn't Elisa's birthday next week, Lani would be out of here. What's going on that Elisa can't see what's happening to her?
Dark Whispers: Tale Untold 03
Elisa's birthday is next week and she's calling in a favor: she wants Lani to come to her new hangout and meet her new friends. But Lani is less than thrilled with all of it: the sleazy boyfriend, the over-the-top man-cave van, and especially, the weird vibe coming from Elisa...
Dark Whispers: Tale Untold 04
Elisa's new friends include the owner of the trendy Goth club she has insisted on dragging Lani along to. A special invitation to the private party in the back proves to be the final straw, but has Lani decided to put her foot down too late? Part 4 of 4.
Dark Whispers: A Winter's Flavor 01
Those bloodsucking scoundrels down at the Dark Whispers club are at it again, and this time the menu is a little more exclusive: Lilac Lake, daughter of Petra Lake -- yes, that Petra Lake -- is about to enter a world where the paparazzi are the least of her troubles. Part one of two. (Originally appeared 2004-12-18)
Dark Whispers 01
Department of Homeland Security? Vampire hunter? Whoever Kirk Grady is, all he's going to end up as is Cassandra's next hot lunch. Perhaps with a little assistance from Harry, one of her most trusted acquaintances. Provided Harry's not too busy tracking that troublesome human Lani, that is...
Dark Whispers 02
People are talking, but Cassandra is not getting the answers she wants. Did her old friend kill Cassandra's loathsome cousin, or not? And what could possibly strike fear into the heart of a vampire?
Dark Whispers 03
Cassandra and her long-time friend, Harry, clean up after dinner.
Dark Whispers 04
It's a long walk back from the scene of the latest feed, giving Cassandra plenty of time to lose herself in thought and contemplate her relationship with Harry.
Dark Whispers 05
Cassandra comes home to find a 'gift' on her front doorstep -- and something very disturbing inside...
Dark Whispers 06
An unsolicited videotape finally answers the question of what happened to Cassandra's semi-cousin Greg...
Dark Whispers 07
Vampires aren't the only monsters on film -- what is Lani really up to?
Dark Whispers 08
It's not that Cassandra is upset that Greg is dead, it's that someone else got to him first...
Dark Whispers 09
Kenyon still doesn't know what happened in Greg's van, and that's a good thing. Now, what does Kirk Grady, boy Homeland Security Idiot, know, and how did he get information?
Dark Whispers 10
Cassandra is feeling invaded. First Greg shows up again in her world. Then Kenyon thinks that he's calling her shots. Lani breaks into her home with her schemes of revenge. Now what?
Dark Whispers 11
Time to find out what the Department of Homeland Security thinks it knows.
Dark Whispers 12
The interrogation of Harry's pet human is taking a strange turn...
Dark Whispers 13
Harry's agent is almost worthless in his fear, but Cassandra is more worried about the vampire Morgan moving into her territory...
Dark Whispers 14
Cassandra is attracting way too much attention from some people that it's best not to be noticed by. Even an experienced vampire thinks twice when asked to join a master for the hunt.
Dark Whispers 15
Looks like that human Kirk has been trying to serve two masters. Harry and Cassandra play along...
Dark Whispers 16
Kirk, under orders, is bringing Harry and Cassandra to the lair of the ancient vampire Morgan. What has brought Morgan to invade their territory?
Dark Whispers 17
Kirk Grady poked his nose into business that was none of his own, and that is how he came to his end. Too bad, Kirk. But what is Morgan really up to?
Dark Whispers 18
Jasmine is not actually human, but has a need for Morgan's help. (*Note the rating: not for kids.*)
Dark Whispers 19
Cassandra's got other toys besides her fangs to make Jackson's last moments memorable...
Dark Whispers 20
With a fresh body in the basement, can Morgan usher them safely out of his lover's house once again?
Dark Whispers 21
Apparently the medium Jasmine is more than just Morgan's flavor of the week, but finding out exactly what will have to wait.
Dark Whispers 22
Photos from New Year's Eve proove valuable for more than just trashing the reputation of folk who irritate Cassandra.
Dark Whispers 23
Just how deep is this mess Cassandra is finding herself embroiled in? There are too many sets of eyes watching her movements, and not all of them are human ...or even vampire.
Dark Whispers 24
The bodies are piling up, and suddenly, even for a vampire who likes vampires, there is just about standing room only...
Dark Whispers 25
Angry living. Angry undead. And very, very angry dead. There are simply too many people in Cassandra's living room...
Dark Whispers 26
Conclusion. Things are getting too hot. Too many deaths, too many high level vampires bickering. Cassandra and Harry need to wade out of this mess, and woe to anyone who stands in their way.
Bohemian Morning 01
Once again, Lydia Manx drops us into her wicked world of the supernatural, right into Bethany's chaotic carnage...
Bohemian Morning 02
After a muzzy kind of waking up, Bethany begins to remember more clearly what the breaking news is reporting...
Bohemian Morning 03
Bethany has allowed herself to be kidnapped -- but that's really no description for what she has in mind...
Bohemian Morning 04
When Bethany has her hands full, it doesn't mean she's merely busy...
Bohemian Morning 05
Bethany continues her vampiric hunt in the foggy darkness...
Bohemian Morning 06
This is why you never provoke an already irritable vampire...
Bohemian Morning 07
Think of it as supernatural liposuction for the too-fat underbelly of crime...
Bohemian Morning 08
Even as Karl's lifeless body dangles in the night, the bad guys can't believe that Bethany is...wait...a worse guy?
Bohemian Morning 09
Not only are these thugs evil, they're awfully stupid...
Bohemian Morning 10
Four taken care of, four to go...
Bohemian Morning 11
Down to three of the scumbags left, and who knew what would happen?
Bohemian Morning 12
Last man standing is the boss of that ugly gang, and Bethany still has some business with him...
Bohemian Morning 13
Bethany gets to psychologically explore the life of a sociopath...
Bohemian Morning 14
Having made a messy confetti of Bob, Bethany must move on to the next task...
Bohemian Morning 15
Time to stop fighting, right? Bethany recounts the end of her night's work...
Bohemian Morning 16
Although Bethany seemed to have got away with her brand of street justice, a couple of people already know what she did...
Bohemian Morning 17
Bethany has enlisted a companion for her meeting with the mysterious Davy. Wouldn't you know the escort would show up stoned?
Bohemian Morning 18
Barely a day has passed since Bethany passed her vigilante judgment, but now she's headed for the more luxurious end of the spectrum...
Bohemian Morning 19
Bethany is about to find out who Davy really is. Drum roll, please...
Bohemian Morning 20
If Harry is worried, maybe everyone should be worried, too...
Bohemian Morning 21
So Harry thinks that some West Coast vampires are out of control, and that there are too few real Masters. Is Bethany part of a solution or part of the problem?
Bohemian Morning 22
Is it a kind of dance of power, or a hand of cards being played very close..?
Bohemian Morning 23
Bethany has kept her secret for a long time. One wrong move and she'll reveal what will mean an automatic death sentence...
Bohemian Morning 24
Vampires don't like witches. Vampires are not thrilled by werewolves. In fact, vampires rarely even like each other. What on earth is Harry up to?
Bohemian Morning 25
The loud, rude, and over-perfumed woman is about to learn a permanent lesson about annoying a couple of busy vampires...
Bohemian Morning 26
Much to Bethany's chagrin, Harry Adkison knows all about her secret house, and in one short day, has made some fundamental changes to it...
Bohemian Morning 27
Conclusion. Bethany's rampage was fierce, but will it be paled by the Vampire Council's plans?
Further into the Darkness
The story "Bohemian Morning" continues in this serial, with Bethany still making waves...
Further into the Darkness 2
Bethany has teamed up with some seriously dark supernaturals, and they don't seem to like her any more than she likes them...
Further into the Darkness 3
Having established her supremacy over the witch and the werewolf, Bethany still has to keep an eye on Harry...
Further into the Darkness 4
At first Bethany thought she was the problem, but here's Harry, hanging around with creatures forbidden by the Council...
Further into the Darkness 5
There are so many powerful supernatural creatures in the room, Bethany would be in bigger trouble if a fight broke out. Can she keep her mouth shut?
Further into the Darkness 6
Facing the prospect of annihilation, the room of supernaturals still needs to do a meet and greet...
Further into the Darkness 7
Harry has orchestrated a meeting of strange supernatural beings to let them know of the Council's plans...
Further into the Darkness 8
A wildly disparate group of supernatural beings -- and Caleb the Surfer. And suddenly, two of the gang discover that they know of a certain place in common...
Further into the Darkness 9
Bethany is enlisted to help Harry gather more information -- even though it seems at times like he knows everything, but in the background, something odd is up with the witch Jasmine...
Further into the Darkness 10
Something is really wrong with Jasmine, and it's happening at the worst possible time...
Further into the Darkness 11
A certain vampire has information about the Council, but it looks like only Bethany has the background to meet him...
Further into the Darkness 12
There's enough power among this group to cause real havoc, but can it be controlled enough to help them?
Further into the Darkness 13
Time for Jasmine to explain just what is going on with her...
Further into the Darkness 14
Jasmine opens up about what is going on inside her...oh, wait, that's not Jasmine...
Further into the Darkness 15
Jasmine has been secretly -- and sometimes not to secretly -- dabbling in witchcraft too deep to be safe...
Further into the Darkness 16
Harry's secrets are about to be revealed -- some of them, at least...
Further into the Darkness 17
The war begins...
Further into the Darkness 18
As the creatures of mass destruction near the house, Bethany and Harry set out their plan...
Further into the Darkness 19
A plan has been made, but what of the plans of the attackers?
Further into the Darkness 20
Someone unseen has killed Eddie the moment he stepped out the door.
The rest are trapped in the house...
Further into the Darkness 21
Harry has seen enough of Bethany's abilities to know where her true value lies...
Further into the Darkness 22
Caleb's first glimpse of a werecat delights his inquiring mind, but it's going to take magic -- big magic -- to subdue the beast...
Further into the Darkness 23
The creatures are caged and helpless -- helpless to get out, but that doesn't mean they're safe to touch...
Further into the Darkness 24
Valerie has been badly injured, and Morgan and Jasmine are exhausted. Now it's mostly in Harry's hands...
Further into the Darkness 25
The masked creature, thwarted twice, now has questions to answer...
Further into the Darkness 26
The warrior is obviously trapped, but there's something off about him, like he has something in reserve...
Further into the Darkness 27
Removing the talisman from the warrior's ankle seems to have removed his power, but how long before there's no power left at all?
Further into the Darkness 28
Valerie, attacked by the crone-witch, has been destroyed by the spell. The defenders are down another player...
Further into the Darkness 29
Marie Rose, the crone-witch, has been delusional all her life. But what has motivated her to this horrible attack?
Further into the Darkness 30
The caged prisoners were beaten. But some unknown spell washed through the cellar, and nearly destroyed them all. Where is the source?
Further into the Darkness 31
Bethany's removal of Kenyon's tracking magic may work, but there's barely any time left to spare...
Further into the Darkness 32
Conclusion. The first battle has been won, and Bethany is safe for the moment. Where Harry will put her in harm's way again is yet to be seen...
[Return to the Top]
Poem
Shadows
Poem
A future so uncertain
poem
Stop! with a sigh
Poem
Waiting for fireflies
Evening comes to mind, with anticipation of tiny lights in the air...
Shards of hollow glass
Poem.
the dream
Poem
Just 21
Poem
Temple Song
Poem
Snow
Poem
Secret Smiles
Blank verse. The faces we present to the world do not always show the turbulence beneath.
Desire
From the revitalized beat movement in Michigan, free verse showing the harsher side of Woman's relationship with Desire.
Beginnings
The start of a love affair in blank verse.
Very Bad Weather
Poetry for a dark and stormy night, from "The Chicken Poetry."
Sanctuary
Free verse.
Heart Strong
Free verse
The New Dawn
Dawn looks different to night creatures.
Mummy
Mummy
What secret is around the next corner?
A Night Out of Sorts
A storm intrudes upon a night's sleep.
Long Road Trips
That pre-dawn moment, just before the journey begins.
When I Grew Up
Wild Dark Sky
Loving Pets
Time
Fire or Flames
Chaos Reigns
Sleep
Moon Madness
Crystal Moon
Blood on the moon, again
Poem.(Originally aired 06-19-2004)
Looking to the Sky
Frost On The Bloom
Basement Boys
Poem. Originally appeared 2004-10-23.
Truly Madly
Daylight Saving Time Before Spring
Spring
A new season, a new heart.
Under A Cherry Moon
The poetry of vampires.
Beguile Me No More
...Stop giving me those looks from afar;
The time is gone for the moment ...
Good Morning
Sketched on the back patio,
Leaves dappling the chalk art...
Softly Woven
... Trails of caresses still touching my skin
Even with the distance of miles and time ...
Dinosaur Souls
"...Answers are there to see..."
Wildness In My Heart
"...Senseless violence of our species,
echoes of primal paths..."
Outer Space
"The distance I picked was not far enough..."
Apple Cider
A poem for Autumn...
[Return to the Top]
Unknown
Seven Steps Up--New Mexico 2003
Cover story
New Mexico: Churches
Cover story
[Return to the Top]
Opinion
Las Vegas
Cover story.
Holiday Memories
Walking through the tree lot, stomping in the puddles littered with real pine needles in a drenching Southern California winter rain; these are the memories that define Christmas.
Waves of my World
Some of my earliest memories are of walking along the beaches of California with my grandfather. The briny smell of the ocean mixed with the heavy scent of driftwood burning in the distance while walking along the beach with my grandfather make up a piece of my childhood's memory landscape. We would visit and he would take us kids down to the pier in Seal Beach on his daily walks and talk to the men dropping their lines off the jetty. As a card carrying Irishman he had the tales to tell. He would chat the fishermen out of their catch. Smoking his cigar and gesturing he slowly he began, "Hey, boy, you think your wife wants to cook that little bit of fish?"
Il Fornaio: A Review
Lydia Manx takes us along on a visit to the restaurant "Il Fornaio" for some Italian fare and beautiful views.
A Weekend with Hellboy and Mamma: Movie Reviews
Staff Writer Lydia Manx gets the movie-going bug and tells us what she thought of "Hellboy 2" and "Mamma Mia!"
Notes From the Office 12: Death of an Age
Staff writer Lydia Manx has some words for readers.
Notes From the Office 13: Rough Times Café
Introducing a new category this week: Rough Times Café. Ideas for surviving in an uncertain economy.
And Then There Were Zombies -- Go Get 'Em, Jane
Even though the Piker Press Staff didn't tackle Zombies this August, Lydia Manx finds herself drawn to a book about them ... Jane Austen and Zombies?
Australia Through Other Eyes
Lydia Manx relates her trip to Australia -- through the words of other people, told in the books, "One for the Road" by Tony Horwitz, and "The Explorers" by Tim Flannery.
Meat is Meat -- Pork or Sirloin -- You Be the Judge
Lydia Manx explores two southern steakhouses and explains which one to drool about.
Shared Books
Lydia Manx shares with our readers her views on the books she borrowed this past year.
The Eden Paradox: Book Review
Lydia Manx reviews the book "The Eden Paradox" by Barry Kirwan.
Henderson the Rain King
Lydia Manx takes time out from her vampire series and reads "Henderson the Rain King" by Saul Bellow.
West with the Night: Book Review
Lydia Manx reads and reviews the memoir "West with the Night," by Beryl Markham.
Eden's Trial: Book Review
Lydia Manx reviews Barry Kirwan's second book in the Eden Trilogy: science fiction thriller "Eden's Trial."
The Lost City of Z: Book Review
Lydia Manx reviews the book, soon to be a movie, "The Lost City of Z."
Back to the Garden: The Story of Woodstock - Book Review
Pete Fornatale takes readers on a trip back through time to the spectacle that was Woodstock.
Dracula Untold: Movie Review
Vampire writer Lydia Manx avoids the sunlight by seeing "Dracula Untold" in IMAX.
Eden's Endgame: Book Review
Barry Kirwan takes his readers on a thrilling science fiction journey in the fourth novel of his Eden series -- "Eden's Endgame."
Fifty Shades of Grey: Book Review
A gag gift ends up on Lydia Manx's "Desperate Reads" bookshelf...
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Short
Nightplay
What was supposed to be fun evening at the club has turned into an involuntary adventure at what it's like to be dead. After a run-in with vampires, spirit mediums and vengeful dead, this ghost is about to learn that the underbelly of the city just gets seamier when you cross over to the other side.
Memory
The past is viewed through the lens of the act of remembering itself, as a quiet child in a large and noisy family learns to take mental snap shots and hide them away.
Bit of Life?
Rachel is suffering from a strange malady. Cramping muscles, tormented dreams that bleed over into her waking hours until she cannot be sure what's real. How can this be happening to her? And how is it that she keeps seeing ...him? *Parental Advisory*
View From A Cloud
Release from pain, a happy haze of comfort. That's all Trina can ask for any more. That, and to watch what lies outside her window ...
Autumn
Missed the bus, missed the field trip -- but there is one thing that this kid knows about what to do when life seems more serious and sad than it should ...
Halloween Fun
blurb
Heading West
Another town, just like the ones the wagon had passed by before, all the same, all filled with broken dreams and weary travelers too tired to keep on going. Who is to say what lead people to settle in this one?
Heading West, Part 2
A stranger joins Jenny at her campfire. At long last Jenny has met someone to talk to, someone who seems to have a strength and serenity that Jenny seriously envies.
Heading West, Part 3
Conclusion.
Johnny is all ready to give his family the beatings he thinks they deserve from his big hands. But one little woman with a piece of green firewood is going to change his way of thinking -- forever.
Christmas Thoughts
Vampire fiction Staff Writer Lydia Manx brings us some remembered images of the holiday season, and a little bit of crazy cheer.
Fair-Weathered Life
Wait a minute! What happened to California weather in the winter of '06 - '07???
Valentine From A Vampire
Looking at the calendar I couldn't believe it was already February. Where had the time gone? It seemed like only yesterday I had been out at my mom's tapping her jugular. How time flies!
St. Patrick's Day Food
Join Lydia Manx in her kitchen as she prepares her family's traditional St. Patrick's Day feast!
Just Desserts
If you're going to play at office politics, you had better know just who you're meddling with. Some people have talents the company relies on, and satisfaction in the workplace is priceless.
Mother's Day Lost
The nightmares are never going to go away, Harry. Is it the lonely nature of your vampire life, or the memories of what might have been from when you were still human?
Heading Further West
Creatures of the supernatural who thirst for blood and emotional fears have taken a shine to Jenny, and the Wild West is about to get a bit Wilder...
Flower Power
"Flower clairsentience," it's called, or "flower reading." Vampire writer Lydia Manx takes us with her to a friend's flower reading party. No one bothered to tell the medium there was a writer in the room, not even the spirits.
In the Cards
When an alliance of clashing colors becomes a game of chance, and a betrothal turns out to be a bad deal, you can be sure that no one -- no one -- is going to be a winner.
Summer
Memories of summer -- the baseball games, the lightning bugs who clung to the sunflower leaves during the day, the time with family, the outings with friends ... this is a season to build rich treasures of sight and taste and images that will keep us warm and entertained during the winter months.
The Red Ripe Goodness of Summer
Lydia Manx shares her secret talent for making jam.
Pumpkins, Palms, and Ponies
Finding something good about a southern California heat wave, Piker Press staffer Lydia Manx evades traffic to visit pumpkins and the Del Mar Racetrack.
Winter Land
Sometimes it's not what you GET for Christmas, it's what you get taken away from you that makes the season bright ...
Get Political: The City That Never Sleeps
Vampires with grand social ambitions definitely do not like to be taken by surprise, especially when they've been working hard on the campaign trail...
A Valentine from the Heart
Vampire writer Lydia Manx offers her readers a twisted valentine ...
What's Your Name Again?
Spin staw into gold? A little man with an unknown identity? Lydia Manx revisits "Rumplestiltskin".
The Adventures of Snow and Rose
"I always hated this fairy-tale," says Lydia Manx. "It was a pleasure to give 'Snow White and Rose Red' a new look."
Dancing On The Edge
Calls peal out in the night, and a vicious death spooks the neighborhood pets ... and what begins as curiosity is about to become a terrifying discovery ...
If These Walls Could Talk
Life is like a pointless maze sometimes, and you have to wonder if breaking out of it will bring you freedom and beauty -- or will it bring you great danger? Staff Writer Lydia Manx treats us to a colorful little tale in a strange setting.
Just Straight Up Foolery
Never trust a vampire writer not to mess with your head ...
Dawn's Early Light
In the search for youthful looks and greater beauty, people's vanity could become the very thing that destroys them ...
Existence of the Unasked
Possibly the most annoying of alien abductions is not the one which is simply inconvenient, but the one that is also completely mistaken ...
Recycled aka Repurposed
No matter how down on your luck you are, it's best to see with open eyes and watch where you're going ...
School Days
In many guises and shapes and circumstances, there is One who waits to meet us all ...
Finished Project
Some holiday windows are dark; remember those alone this Christmas.
Resolutions
Jilly's resolution ought to have been "Don't get involved with Celia's craziness ..."
Grey Skies
The time had come, there was no way to avoid it...one last visit to his best friend.
Garden Distractions
Cleaning up the garden can be satisfying to the heart and to the eye ... and sometimes, to the ear as well.
Waiting For Nightfall
When it comes to the end, do you do what is right, or do you do what is inevitable?
It's the End of the World As We Know It, Part 1
For some people, the end of the world as they knew it was mentally devastating. For Rebecca, however, the fall of civilization is just one more bit of weirdness in an already freaky world ...
It's the End of the World As We Know It, Part 2
It was the end of the world, but they got used to it. Now something new is happening...
My Summer of Bees
The bees spent the summer in the old birdhouse, but it was really time for them to move to a new home.(Originally appeared 10-15-2007)
With No Announcement
When you're on the run, there's one sure place to get as safe as you can, and that would be Uncle Harry's place ...
Ortega Spam
It's the chance of a lifetime, a way to go from rags to riches, in one easy step, guaranteed returns on your investment ... go for it!
The Guardian
The vampire has his own story, but what about that poor, displaced old troll?
Vampires 101
Looking for Mr. Right -- or should we say Mr. Night? Dress your best and accentuate those fangs!
Sweet, Sweet Obsession
It's always the quiet ones you have to worry about...
Forgotten Things
Aunt Cecilia lived longer than the family thought she would, and kept them guessing until the very end...
Westward Dust
Vampire writer Lydia Manx weaves another tale of horror with the starting episode of "Westward Dust."
Westward Dust 2
A dark beginning to her life, and now, a darker circumstance...
Westward Dust 3
And then there was blood...
Westward Dust 4
Conclusion. A new caller is at the door, and it's not one of the paying customers...
Gold in Those Yukon Hills
It was gold that drew them all, by the hundreds. Death met them, and cold and emptiness were their constant companions. But some learned that there was more to the land than ice and snow and gold ...
Lindy's Day -- Dough of the Dead
Nice clothes, new cell phone, company car -- now that's a good start to a business trip. But the way Lindy's day is going, you know it has to be Monday. Part One of Three.
Lindy's Night Continues: Dough of the Dead II
They're everywhere she looks, zombies gobbling and munching. What? Meatlovers' pizza? Lindy is almost as grossed out as she is scared! Part Two of Three.
Lindy's Fun Filled Follies: Dough of the Dead III
At first it seemed like it was only pizza zombies in the little town, but now Lindy has seen the marching undead on other streets as well. From horror to fear to now annoyed, Lindy makes a leap to regain control of her life...
Fool Me Once
A simple prank? No, not at all. A complex prank? Sure, why not? A killer of an idea for a prank? Of course!
Piracy of the Last Frontier
A hacked computer has to be reformatted here. A server has to be taken offline there. People are accustomed to piracy...at least they thing so...
What Time Is It Again?
A daring rescue back through time! A bear chasing a bare woman! How can people not be shocked by that?
Bad Feng Shui
The arrangement of furniture is so important. In an office, where things are placed can often affect productivity, and thus, profit. In which position a person is placed affects profits, too ...
Smith, Jane Smith
More than100 years have passed since the birth of the famed author of the James Bond stories, Ian Fleming. Fleming has had a tremendous influence on novel-writing and movies, and this week, Staff Writer Lydia Manx pays a tribute to him ...
Coffee of Course
It's nice when you can tell good stuff from lousy stuff. You know what to look for in the future. But what future is there when you know, absolutely, that you've had the very best there will ever be?
The Dinner Date
On April Fools' Day, it's not a good idea to accept a date unless you know what he's really like, or where his dark whispers will lead you.
Dark Whispers: A Winter's Flavor 02
The holidays have a way of bringing out the most aggravating part of family togetherness. But a spur of the moment decision to stop by the Dark Whispers nightclub is just the thing Lilac needs to brave through Christmas dinner with her family and to admit that, in the end, her mother really does have impeccable taste. Part two of two.
Dark Whispers: New Year's Resolutions
The problem with an unnatural life span is that after a while, there's nothing new under the sun -- or in the darkness. And there no better recipe for trouble than a jaded vampire.
Dark Whispers: Let The New Year Begin
Cassandra's New Year Resolution may have been to stir things up by thinning the human herd a little bit, but before she can get on to the real business, there is the small matter of Greg. A vampire can wait a long time to exact revenge.
Dark Whispers: Night Breaks Ever So Gently
Not that Cassandra liked her cousin much anyway, but Greg's van has been found -- without Greg. Bad news for at least one vampire.
Dark Whispers: Guest in the Dungeon
Even a vampire has to watch what she eats. A careless snack lands Vickie in one of Kenyon's less inviting playrooms, where she learns a lesson that possibly even Kenyon doesn't know.
Just a Fluke
Well, we've all been warned often enough...
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Comics
Peek of the Week 08
Sails against the sky
Peek of the Week 015
A secret pool on a hiking trail.
Peek of the Week 025
Waves pounding a Pacific shore soften the lines of the landscape with mist.
Peek of the Week 061
A Giant Swallowtail in the garden
Peek of the Week 078
A vision of a boat in San Pedro ..
Peek of the Week 083
Plumeria unfurl their blossoms in a San Diego garden.
Peek of the Week 099
Beach at Del Mar, California
Peek of the Week 105
Local honeybees decided to move their queen into our backyard's spacious birdhouse. I have been snapping pictures weekly of the hive as they grow.
Peek of the Week 108
In a backyard birdhouse, a colony of bees has found a home.
Peek of the Week 112
A hillside view in El Cajon, California, USA
Peek of the Week 130
African daisies on the Pacific Coast of California.
Peek of the Week 142
Scarlet macaws at San Diego Wild Animal Park.
Peek of the Week 148
Plumbago blossoms in the spotlight.
Peek of the Week 157
Brilliant begonias grace a patio garden.
Peek of the Week 164
White snapdragons are framed in a bower of greenery.
Peek of the Week 173
Winter in Southern California.
Peek of the Week 178
Pictographs at Atlatl Rock, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada.
Peek of the Week 181
Time to dream about spring flowers!
Peek of the Week 185
Cloud play on a ferris wheel at Disneyland, California.
Peek of the Week 192
Figurehead of the ship, "Star of India."
Peek of the Week 196
Rich view of an amaryllis.
Peek of the Week 199
A boat rests in a quiet pond.
Peek of the Week 204
A butterfly rests before taking off into the world.
Peek of the Week 208
Closeup of a sunflower in the sun.
Peek of the Week 219
A dew-jeweled spiderweb on an autumn morning.
Peek of the Week 223
Caterpillars feed on passionflower vines in a butterfly exhibit.
Peek of the Week 227
A brilliant sky, and an exotic locale in Florida, USA.
Peek of the Week 234
Everglades, Florida, USA
Peek of the Week 246
Sunset gilds a wave near Boca Raton, Florida.
Peek of the Week 253
Birthday daisies in a quiet portrait.
Peek of the Week 269
A face appears in an old stump.
Peek of the Week 281
Banana spider in Florida, USA.
Peek of the Week 288
A reflection captured in the polished surface of a musical instrument.
Peek of the Week 290
On Deerfield Beach in Florida, USA, kelp washes ashore with amazing beauty.
Peek of the Week 293
Lydia Manx torments the colder parts of the world with a view of a Florida pool.
Peek of the Week 300
A banyan tree stretches its trunk-like branches.
Peek of the Week 304
Old coral with "snake holes." Florida, USA.
Peek of the Week 308
Storm clouds moving in along the coast in Florida, USA.
Peek of the Week 313
Lightning in the clouds above a Florida beach.
Peek of the Week 316
A coconut scowls at the photographer.
Peek of the Week 324
A demon cat hides in full sight ...
Peek of the Week 335
On the edge of the world in Florida, there's really only "One Way" to go as you start your day ...
Peek of the Week 339
Bare branches take hope for Spring under a deep blue sky.
Peek of the Week 349
Rays of the fading sun in southern Florida, USA.
Peek of the Week 354
Cumulus clouds stalk a Florida neighborhood.
Peek of the Week 363
A cascade of storm clouds in a Florida sky.
Peek of the Week 376
When it gets to be nearly December, this is where I'd like to be ...
Peek of the Week 385
Ms. Manx likes to torture the rest of her frozen country by letting them know what winter is like in Florida...
Peek of the Week 389
If you look closely, you can see some interesting wild life -- pier in Florida, USA.
Peek of the Week 394
Unlike money, bananas do grow on trees.
Peek of the Week 399
Highway system for pests...
Peek of the Week 403
The exotic foliage of the Florida beaches.
Peek of the Week 410
Tropical weather paints a spectacular sky in southern Florida, USA.
Peek of the Week 414
Chiaroscuro sky in southern Florida, USA.
Peek of the Week 419
Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean in southern Florida, USA.
Peek of the Week 426
A bonfire in the sky!
Peek of the Week 428
Ms. Manx loves to torment us chilly northerners with images of HER December in southern Florida, USA...
Peek of the Week 430
Fire in the sky, southern Florida, USA.
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Nonfiction
Peek of the Week 044
Coyote graffiti howls from the rock
Painting Sugar Cookies
Almost everyone I meet has some taste or happy moment that involved a cookie. Sometimes it may have been decades ago, but nevertheless there is a cookie in their background. Lydia shares her delight in making and painting cookies with her nieces.
Peek of the Week 048
A patriotic garden
Taking Memories to the Fair
Some things from childhood are still as sweet as you remember them. Lydia Manx takes her memories of fairs past with her as she visits the summer fairgrounds.
California Pizza Dreaming
The mysteries of pizza revealed!
Peek of the Week 055
Hot air balloons take to the air.
Fast Track
Where the turf meets the surf
down at old Del Mar
take a plane
take a train
take a car.
There is a smile on every face
and a winner in each race
where the turf meets the surf
at Del Mar...
Autumn Recipes
Lydia Manx is one cruel chef. Just reading about her autumn favorites is going to make you fat.
I Cook Therefore I Am
Lydia Manx shares her New Year's recipes for seasoned tri-tip and veal scallopini.
Enchiladas!
Piker Press Staff Writer Lydia Manx shares her recipe for delicious cheese enchiladas.
Birthday Cakes and Fun
A surprise birthday cake? How about one called Chocolate Mocha Dessert Cake? Staff writer Lydia Manx tells us how it's done.
Crab Cakes for Dinner
Lydia Manx shares her recipes for crab cakes, fettucini alfredo with asparagus, and salmon patties.
Self-Realization
Overlooking the Pacific Ocean is a spot devoted to religion. This particular religion places a high value on meditation, and surrounds itself with natural beauty to help people understand that they are part of a greater universe.
Salad Days
Lydia Manx makes salads a part of her regular diet, but isn't inclined to let them be dull ...
April Chaos
When you've had so many adventures in one month, it takes a while to sort it out. Staff Writer Lydia Manx brings us a travel tale to tempt us to visit Southern Californa.
Summer Fare
Lydia Manx shares her summer salad recipes to accompany a barbecue.
Pear Crumb Pie
Lydia Manx shares her recipe for Pear Crumb Pie.
Holiday Foods
Lydia Manx shares special holiday food recipes from her kitchen.
Rough Times Café: Cheap Luxury: Aunt Grace's Puffs
Shoestring budget, but longing for what seems extravagance? Try making cream puffs!
Beets Of Course
From start to finish, Lydia Manx shows us what to do with this spring's crop of beets.
Quiche
Quick, easy, and nutritious -- try making quiche for breakfast or the main meal of the day.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Just the thing for a friendly summer evening with friends to chat and savor the taste -- stuffed mushrooms!
Zucchini Cake -- Answer to Abundance
Lydia Manx shares her recipe for zucchini cake, a marvelous way to use up those prolific zukies.
Coleslaw!
Lydia Manx shares her recipe for quick and easy coleslaw.
Candy, Anyone?
It was a different kind of Halloween back when Lydia Manx was a kid ...
Almost Buca Di Beppo ... On the Cheap
If you've ever loved chicken saltimbocca at the wonderful restaurant Buca di Beppo, you'll enjoy this home-made version.
Bread Pudding: Not Just for Leftovers
Lydia Manx shares her recipe for bread pudding, a sweet old-fashioned treat.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Lydia brings her culinary expertise to bear on a request for Red Velvet Cupcakes -- which requires lots of research -- and that requires lots of cupcakes!
Spanakopitas: It's All Greek To Me
Calling this dish "Spinach Pie" makes it sound like something your mother would MAKE you eat. Instead let's call it "Spanakopitas" and savor every last bite!
Summer Time Snacks: Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms
Here's an easy, tasty appetizer sure to please at the next get-together: shrimp-stuffed mushrooms.
I Scream You Scream
What summer treat is better than freshly churned home-made ice cream? Lydia Manx tells us how to make our own.
Sushi
Food that is art, to be eaten artfully, to be prepared with focus: sushi.
Food, Glorious Food: Onion Puffs
Simple and savory -- these could brighten up the table of any party or get-together.
Fish Food!
In the mood for fish, Lydia Manx shares a recipe for salmon with mango cilantro salsa.
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News
Booksigning: A Writer's View
Ah, fame and fortune! All of us writers want to sell a book, go on tour, and do book signings! Don't we?
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Novella
Some Day
"ARE YOU READY FOR SOME VAMPIRES???" The crowd roars in response -- and Lydia Manx brings to the media a new facet of an eerie world where things are rarely as they seem to our unsuspecting eyes ...
Some Day 02
Billy is a bit on the stupid side, it seems -- even after cheating on his wife and trying to kill his lover, he has some idea he is still in control of the situation ...
Some Day 03
Josie is being pressured into making some decision, but instinctively she knows that dealing with a vampire on any level will give them some power over her. It's up to her to find a way to get out of there and try to make some sense of the horror ...
Some Day 04
Vampires in her bedroom, vampires in her garage -- Josie has absolutely had enough of vampires to last a lifetime, and it's only been today that she discovered that vampires are real. Still irritated by the loss of her favorite wooden spoon, she has no intention of going down without a fight ...
Some Day 05
What does this vampire want with Josie, anyway? An admission that vampires are better than humans? Guess what, Mr. Fangs, you ain't gonna get that very soon ...
Some Day 06
So, if vampires are supposed to be an improvement on the human condition, why is this one confused and unaware of what's going on as well as clueless about women?
Some Day 07
More disgusting revelations leave Josie reeling, but she has information the vampire Master had better listen to ...
Some Day 08
No one has actually said Josie is a prisoner in her own home, but she's not being given much leeway. However, she has no intention of being a willing victim of abuse and dishonesty ever again...
Some Day 09
Cut the vampire's throat? Well really, how many choices does Josie have left?
Some Day 10
Josie got the jump on the vampire Joel, and is in her car ready to take off into the night. Wishing she had cut his head off, she finds that he has anticipated her move ...
Some Day 11
The radio program made it sound as though Josie had shown up with gunfire to greet her husband Billy. Now Josie will have the police looking for her as well as vampires following her. Life just keeps getting better and better ...
Some Day 12
Billy is dead, there is no longer any doubt. For all that he was a filthy cheating scumbag, he had still been Josie's husband, and now she has scant time to grieve and learn to move forward.
Some Day 13
An evening of vampire reckoning leaves Josie disgusted and in need of another shower. Maybe her death is imminent, but why die dirty?
Some Day 14
Conclusion. Josie has had enough. She wants some answers, and she has some very pointed questions -- so pointed that they could just about stake a vampire to a wall on their own ...
Here Comes The Bride
The alliance has been made. The sworn enemies have negotiated a truce; a ritual gesture must now be offered, a symbolic melding of the two territories. The Masters have decreed what the symbol will be. Do they care what that ritual will do to the lives of certain individuals? Noooo ...
Here Comes The Bride, Part 2
The trip to the mall and the bridal store, with all its attendant clerks and frothy fabrics is -- to Renee -- far more of an annoyance than a couple of car-jacking punks ...
Here Comes The Bride, Part 3
Renee has not made an effort to be agreeable about her politically-planned alliance. And just when her Master is about to let her have it, an even more immediate problem comes to light ...
Here Comes The Bride, Part 4
The maniac trying to force them into a car wreck will just not give up. Renee is really beginning to hate her maid of honor's SUV ...
Here Comes The Bride, Part 5
After nearly being killed by a lovestruck but strangely homicidal werewolf, Renee returns wearily home. What is that on her doorstep? A lost dog?
Here Comes The Bride, Part 6
Two werewolves at her front door? Did they think she liked pets, or did they have a good reason for being there?
Here Comes The Bride, Part 7
Renee gets some food for the hounds, and gives us a whole new view of Chinese Take Out.
Here Comes The Bride, Part 8
Renee is finding out more than she cared to know. Marcus is rude, Carlos is less than bright, and something is going on that has her Master worried ...
Here Comes The Bride, Part 9
While Carlos naps and hopes for a belly rub, Renee pushes Marcus' buttons and wonders if it's wrong to tease the dog ...
Here Comes the Bride, Part 10
There are lot of things happening that just don't add up, but even though Renee doesn't know the sum, she can see that an avalanche is about to happen ...
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Essay
Tales Untold
Lydia Manx shares with us some of what happens to her when she finds an idea or a prompt for writing.
Zoo Magic
When you take kids to see exotic animals, your own perceptions take on the children's wonder.
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