The Cracks in Nickolas' Armor
"I went away for a little while, drifting in and out of the tiny happy place we all harbor inside ourselves. With the fiery stone of magma smoldering in my left eye socket, however, my fortress of solitude wasn't a real haven. Thin tracers of crimson chased me. Tiny rivulets of lava ran across the untextured floor, the smooth surface offering no impediment to the narrow streams.
There were other things that came with the red streams, dark blots of shadow which moved of their own volition. I wasn't alone in my secret fortress and every time I turned my back on them, they shifted, moving into different positions.
I knew this place -- I knew all the blind corners and secret holes -- and yet, wherever I fled, there was darkness waiting for me. There were cracks in the walls and floors, scarlet tracery that oozed black blood.
At some point you have to stop running, you have to stop and realize that there isn't anywhere you can go where you'll be completely safe. You may think you've gone away to a mental sanctuary that is safe from physical turmoil, but it is just a shell, a hard blanket that you've thrown over your head so that you can pretend that you are secure. It just takes time, that's all, for whatever is pounding against your shell. Sooner or later, a crack forms."
From "The Transformation of Nickolas Caspian," found in Volume 1 of the Misfit Library quarterly journal. You can purchase the book here for $13.00 (and shipping, of course, they always get you with the shipping!).
writing
This is a reasonably comprehensive list of my published work, both virtual and physical.
THE MISFIT LIBRARY
I am Nine of Thirteen, one of the members of the Misfit Library, a writing collective which puts out a quarterly journal of our respective work. We are scattered across the globe and determined to change the face of the planet one story at a time. The link above will take you to Misfit Central where you can acquire copies of the journal as well as read exclusive online material.
SYMBOLIC
I wrote a column for OPi8.com's Transmit blogs: journals of the new dark underground. SYMBOLIC tracked the novel I was working on, referencing the process and the research materials which mad up the backbone of the work. In addition, SYMBOLIC busied itself with ruminations and considerations on the nature of language and communication. And a wee bit of mythology. The first 100 entries of SYMBOLIC can be found here on this site as well as at OPi8.com.
LITERARY REPRESENTATION
I am represented by Scribe Agency as my literary agents. Please contact these gentleman if you have any queries about my work.