The narrator of The Edenite Case is Ellit2, a Ceph detective in the Galactic Union's Division 51. Cephs are loners by temperament. When Ellit2 is assigned a partner, a human no less, the Ceph is very unhappy. The two detectives gradually reach a working accord that becomes deep respect and affection. Ellit2 and Rae Maxxon are tasked with investigating atrocities committed by one group of humans (militant Edenites) against another (non-militant Edenites). They travel to several worlds where...

A fascinating look at the world through the eyes of various beings, this collection has something for everyone, from humorous short stories about creature to science fiction, romance, and a children’s story. As the title promises, there are also several stories about angels. “A most enjoyable afternoon,” says author Tori Napoli.

Jordan Smith, a senior citizen devastated by the loss of his wife to cancer, hunts down the HMO executive who denied their medical claims. Smith soon progresses from revenge killing to political assassination. The detectives assigned to the initial murder are hard pressed to keep up with the enterprising Mr. Smith, whose last job causes a massive and hilarious political furor in Washington. The FBI hijacks the case from the county detectives, but the agency ends up making Smith a surprisin...

A look at life through the eyes of Grift and Graft, corvine students of mankind. The Crow Chronicles describes how two crows move from the open countryside into town. The two friends have to adjust to a lot of things, such as traffic, pizza, and several raccoons who have already made the transition to city life. Their biggest adjustment is to humans. Grift and Graft even learn to read in order to better study the twoleggers. Along the way, the crows make several new friends, but things do ...

The Shining Man and his wife return on another mission. When Filiae Mundi, a wealthy but secretive organization, nominates Elaine to its governing Council, Frank and Elaine go to Washington, a nexus of power and multilayered danger. Elaine proposes an initiative to put more women into elective office in an effort to fix the dysfunctional Congress. If successful, her plan may save the world, but it could mean exposing Frank as well as the organization itself to unwanted public attention. Fr...

Newspaper columnist, author, blogger, cabinetmaker, home inspector, and Certified Old Guy Stephen Elder holds forth on a wide range of topics: education in America, worries about English, rants on Congress, why young women talk funny, myth correction, and string theory. Elder calls ‘em as he sees ‘em. Written under the influence (i.e. of Mark Twain and Dave Barry with an occasional dark detour into Ambrose Bierce), there is plenty of food for thought. Though his dry wit may be an acquired ...

Previously (Frank, 2007), Saint Francis was released from his centuries-long emissary duty to marry. In The Shining Man’s Wife, the saint is recalled to “active duty.” Frank and Elaine are sent west on a mission to a national park where a startling chain of events unfolds. A local TV station films Frank and Elaine dramatically rescuing a bison herd, and the clip goes nationwide. Elaine’s “Ride through Fire” makes her a hot commodity on the talk show circuit. She appears on Larry King and O...

The Treehugger and the Gillie is just another silly love story. What’s wrong with that? When construction worker Dan Warden is ordered to cut down some large old trees, there are unintended consequences. He’s made ten dryads homeless, and they’re unhappy. Bad things can happen if you mess with dryads. Dan tries to convince the ladies that it wasn’t his intent. He offers to help them find new homes, but will the dryad leader forgive him or punish him? Poor mortal Dan compounds his problem b...

College student Sandra Neuermann is abducted and brutally assaulted. She escapes her captors, but cannot escape the depression that follows. An alert counselor figures out what she needs: revenge! He refers her to Nemesis, a secret organization that targets rapists and sex traffickers. The field operatives of Nemesis are called “Furies” and they are formidable…and successful! Neuermann dismantles a cruel trafficking mob in New York City while Nemesis manages to keep below the government's ...

Enginewitch is a diatribe masked as a sci-fi novel. It is based on current events that add new fodder daily (and much faster than can be digested). The Enginewitch is Shiloh Alderman, a young woman who can control electricity with her mind. The older brother of her best friend recruits her into the CIA where she is drawn into a daring plot. The president's total lack of government experience, clueless foreign policy, incessant lying, disregard for law, and delusional tweets have marked him...

When a stranger named Frank shows up at a small housing development, everything seems to take a turn for the better. The new head carpenter soon gains the respect and admiration of everyone he meets. But a routine background check on Frank turns out blank, and this soon attracts government attention. An investigation uncovers some details about Frank, but the incredible reality of his life remains a mystery. Frank's real past has left him completely unprepared for his present involvement, ...

Stephen Elder’s first collection of short stories was entitled Ye Gods! because it had several stories involving deities. Ye Gods!2 has only one such tale. Instead, this second collection offers penetrating analyses of ancient and modern history (“Stone Age Tax Time” and “Lewis Books a Trip), plus pioneering essays on zoology (“The Ant Olympics” and “Interview with I’ll Have Another”). The author offers further enlightenment by explaining how appliances are sometimes possessed by unfriendl...