Category Archives: Writing Sample

Delicious

The crone fixed her yellow eyes on Gnat, and suddenly she spoke in English. “Baroness De Minimis,” she croaked, in a voice that sounded clogged with mud and twigs. “My young men will give you safe passage. You should not … Continue reading

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Too Many Letters

“Think of it this way. For you, this animal is a horse.” Jake leaned forward to pat his mount’s shoulder. “When you say it, it’s like that, horse. When you write it, you write H-O-R-S-E.” “You mean horsey, Jake. Horse … Continue reading

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A New World Obsession

I’m neck-deep in the WITCHY EYE setting and stories, and wanted to share this quote from the book (it’s in the POV of Obadiah Dogsbody, rough English factotum to a Yankee wizard-priest): The Tarock was a New World obsession, something … Continue reading

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The Perfect Word

I love finding and using in a story that perfect word, the one tiny word that communicates more than it seems. Let me give you an example from WITCHY EYE, my forthcoming epic fantasy (Baen, March 2017). From a confrontation between … Continue reading

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A Soldier’s Memories

“I have been deceived,” Bill whispered. “I thought the Dutch were great churchgoers.” “Oh, yes?” “Yes. I held the wall in Mobile with a crusty old Dutch sergeant named Harmonszoon. He named his gun Old Mortality, and he sat up … Continue reading

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On the Place d’Armes

The statue around which all this sweating, exerting, exhorting humanity swarmed was colossal. Rising from a square marble platform, it depicted two mustachioed men on horseback, each armed with a long pistol. One horse reared as its rider sighted and … Continue reading

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Support the Pacification of the Ohio

Serve Your Emperor… !! SUPPORT THE PACIFICATION OF THE OHIO !! ~ Join the Imperial Army Today ~ Dragoons : Musketeers : Grenadiers : Pikemen : Artillerymen Bonuses Paid for Friends Recruited

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Serpentspawn Depredations

SERPENTSPAWN DEPREDATIONS ~ The Pacification of the Ohio Continues ~ Cahokia. Good men and true in the service of HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, THE EMPEROR THOMAS PENN, are murdered! Honest men have died with their throats cut in their sleep!! their … Continue reading

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Witchy Eye: Calvin Was a Corn Reader

“Cal’s already had a ministry of sorts,” Sarah said. “No I ain’t.” “Now you’re jest bein’ modest.” Sarah turned to the monk to explain. “Calvin here was a corn reader.” “Was,” Cal said immediately. “Was a corn reader. I got … Continue reading

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Witchy Eye: Iron Andy’s Reputation

“I ain’t afraid. I jest don’t relish gittin’ my tongue cut out, and havin’ my fingernails torn off, and bein’ hung from a tree by my own guts. They say he crucified people in the Ohio Forks War. They say … Continue reading

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