Lord Alchemist

The Lord Alchemist must be immune to hostile potions. But in all of Cymelia, there are only three with the alchemist's immunity: Iathor, his brother Iasen, and the half-barbarian herb-witch, Kessa.Though Kessa is hardly the expected wife of a noble, Iathor has secured a betrothal - but his brother has vowed to prevent the marriage by any means necessary.Iathor will do whatever he can to keep his wife, no matter what she's done or what his brother tries, but Kessa's own dark secrets may sabotage any hope of a happy ending.(This sequel to Herb-Witch contains mature scenes.)

When sickness comes to the country of Cymelia, alchemists and herb-witches create the healing brews that save lives. But this illness is different; the usual measures have little effect. Master Iathor is his city's best hope to discover a cure but even with his alchemical skills, the plague is spreading through the city, and amongst his own household . . .(This 6,000-word fantasy short story is a prequel to Herb-Witch, set some 20 years earlier.)

Mortal women have always fascinated gods - and wind-spirits have carried news of a beautiful princess to the sun-god, Allyon. But his servant, sent to investigate, falls in love and defies his master. Narrated by the Wind-priest Ches, who inserts a few personal comments, this is the story of the Morning Star.(Set in the same universe as "The Bear Prince," this (worksafe) story of lovers is a fantasy folktale for slightly older ears.)

The Bear Prince (and other fantasy folktales) is a collection of three folktales from a fictional universe. When small magics are real, what stories do parents tell their children at night? What tales do storytellers spin, so their listeners will toss them a few coins? Come, and find out...In "The Bear Prince," being kind-hearted brings rewards, but being sensible brings greater ones. "The Princess and the Sheep's Wool" implies the priorities of royalty, when magic potions are a real threat. Meanwhile, "The Jewel of Moon and Starlight" is a tale of vanquishing an evil dragon with cleverness, bravery, and compassion. An Afterword provides adults with thoughts on the fictional culture that could spawn these stories, but they can be read to children as easily as any traditional fairy tale.

When Dareus Kymus traveled to the Empire to seek a bride for his brother, he didn't plan on getting captured by pirates. Now his luggage is reduced to the clothes on his back and a few hidden alchemies, his traveling companions are an Imperial Wind-priest and a foreign "Bride of the Gods," and the itinerary includes a cross-country trek through ancient, poisoned battlegrounds all while staying ahead of the slavers who want to recapture them.Dar thought he'd been in scrapes as a lad, but the blightlands of the Empire are a crucible beyond his imagining. It will take all his luck, skill, and the talents of his companions to have a prayer of returning home . . .

To ensure his sons' immunity to hostile potions, the Lord Alchemist defied tradition to marry the only immune woman for generations: a half-barbarian.Jani's been hired to blackmail the Lord Alchemist into disinheriting his "mongrel" heir, Iontho. When she mistakes Iontho for a servant, Iontho takes the opportunity to pose as her alchemically-loyal minion and seek information about her mysterious employer.While the travel is worse than he'd expected, the company's better than either had hoped, and young hormones are fully engaged - but can youth and unexpected skills defeat age and treachery?(All That Glitters is an approximately 92,000-word novel, and has mature scenes.)

The Lord Alchemist must be immune to hostile potions. But in all the country, there are only two known immunes: Iathor Kymus, Lord Alchemist, and his feckless brother, Iasen.Kessa is a half-barbarian herb-witch, arrested for crimes she didn't quite intend. But when Iathor discovers her immunity to truth potions, he'll do whatever he must to court her -- guilty or not, she's his only hope of banishing his nightmare: a son enslaved to him by the loyalty potion that each Lord Alchemist's heir must drink, and defeat.But Kessa doesn't trust him, Iasen despises her tainted blood, and there's still the mystery of who complicated Kessa's little crime into the bigger one she didn't intend. They don't even have the benefit of lust at first sight. All they have in common is the alchemist's immunity, and an ability to get on each other's nerves. Will it be enough?