Shayla’s World
Master assassin Shayla Carver has killed many times. That’s what assassins do, nothing to lose sleep over, but this mission is different.
She’s never killed a whole planet before.
Shayla Carver, master assassin (retired) and planetary governor, has made more enemies than an Imperial tax collector. To atone for her murderous past, she’s now exiled and tasked with rebuilding her home planet, a planet which was burned to ashes many years before. But deadly ghosts from her past haunt her every step, and suddenly even her own survival is the least of Shayla’s worries.
Chalwen is bodyguard to the Emperor’s nine-year-old son, heir to the throne. But when she suspects treachery inside the palace her superiors dismiss her warnings. Then the Emperor is assassinated. Chalwen must solve the murder to prevent the ensuing conflict from descending into full scale interstellar war.
Visit Shayla’s World for background, worldbuilding, and trivia.
Standalone stories
Trapped in the lengthening nights of Elysium. Abandoned by the last convoy south. Alone with her teenage son. Anna never thought she would die this way, but a fight for survival unexpectedly becomes a battle for the future of the entire colony.
The virtual world comes alive and reaches out into the real world with deadly results. University professor and devout technophobe, Charles Hawthorne, has to confront technology full on to end the hidden threat to humanity.
Non-fiction
Even amongst friends a detailed critique can be hard to take, but blunt and honest critiques are a necessary growth pain for any writer. Venturing into the anonymous jungle of online critique groups in search of tough love is both terrifying and exponentially rewarding. The Critique Survival Guide shares practical tips for surviving – and thriving on – the harshest of critiquing experiences.
Writer’s block fills writers with dread because it feels impassable, something we just have to accept and wait for inspiration to strike. But we needn’t be passive victims of writer’s block. We can strike back with a combination of self-awareness and a suitable kit of tools. Breaking the Block provides a collection of approaches to keep the words flowing.
Ian S. Bott, Writer and artist 