Genevieve said, “Then we will not keep you. I wouldn’t want to delay you and make you have to hurry even more.”
Nicholas laughed and said, “I will have to push time as it is to get all around Earth. And then, of course, I have other planets that have the same need. So, I had better get going since so many people are waiting.”
The old man smiled at them all and slung his bag over his shoulder, holding it there with one hand. Placing the other on his wide belt, he drew a shimmering circle from inside his jacket. With a snap of his wrist, what looked like a sparkling hole appeared on the floor, and Nicholas carefully stepped inside.
Genevieve could see the sparkling threads of his magic appear from nowhere and draw the circle up over his body. As it rose, the man seemed to disappear. There were shocked gasps all around the room, and the Clothier could feel Doucet excitedly muttering in the back of her mind. << I told you that man had magic! >>
Before Genevieve could respond to her companion, she heard footsteps on the roof. With a gasp, she realized that the clattering on the roof of the BHB had been Nicholas arriving. They had all thought that it was the BHB doing a happy dance. Smiling, she realized that Nicholas’ brand of magic was the gift of joy and surprise.
Effervescent streams of cheer seemed to bounce around the room as they heard a joyful full-bodied laugh from the top of the roof. A resounding cry of, “HO, HO, HO! On Dancer, on Prancer, on Comet and Cupid! Now is the time we fly with a good heart and to bring cheer to many. To all here in the Badger Hole, we wish a Merry Christmas and to all a good night.”
Contributing Authors
It is far more enjoyable to read stories when you have some idea of who is behind the story. That knowledge adds an extra dimension to any readers enjoyment. Rather than us creating that introduction, each of the authors was asked to create an introduction of themselves so that you can get to know them a little bit better. We also asked them to identify the books and stories that they think you might enjoy.
It is our fond hope that you will find the authors interesting, the books and stories intriguing, and the whole experience worthwhile.
Author Introduction – Taki Drake
The mixture of technology and magic is where my mind and heart live. In today's world, it mixes engineering and creativity. In the worlds of my mind, technology and magic live intertwined. I hope that you will find my stories interesting enough to be frequent visitors to where my heart beats.
I am continuing to write my stories of intertwined technology and magic. The challenges of that are fertile grounds for many story lines and series. Several of those planned for the next few months have been listed below. I am happily writing each of them, discovering new worlds, new situations and new challenges. The wonder for me is the number of readers that are enjoying my visions and tales.
Enjoy the stories in the emerging genre of techmage!
Please feel free to contact me via email at taki@technologymage.com or visit my blog or my Amazon page.
Unfettered Mage
We Are Not Prey
Fleet of the Mage
Fleet Genesis - December 2018
Spatial Delivery - 2019
BattleMage Investigates
An Attitude Adjustment
The Case of the Frozen Hand - Coming soon!
Maritime Madness - TBD
Badger Hole Bar
Thru the Badger Hole
Grand Opening
The Remembrance Wall - December 2018
Treasured Knowledge - January 2019
Becoming Sephera
A Learning Experience
You Just Go On - 2018
Life Rebuilt - TBD
New Paths - TBD
Standard of Honor
Shade of Honor
Coven Codex
Floating in Time
Road to Honor
Honor’s Bridge - January 2019
Familiar Magic
Familiar Shadows
Familiar Trials - Fledgling
Familiar Travels
Unfamiliar Pathway - December 2018
Familiar Trials - Expert - December 2018
Familiar Trials - Master - TBD
Familiar Trials - Adept - TBD
Cookbooks
The Badger Hole Bar Food Cookbook
Fergus Favorites Cookbook
Marcella's Garden Cookbook
Marcella’s Autumn Harvest
Tasting Sampler
A Food Palate - Holiday Heartwarmers
Taking it on the Road
Baba’s Kitchen - Coming Soon!
Anthologies
The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of the Science Fiction Genre
The Tide: The Multiverse Wave
Inanna's Circle: Flight of Imagination - Thru the Darkness
Holiday Heartwarmers: An Anthology of Short Stories
Inanna's Circle: The Game Begins
Mysterious Hearts
Journal with a View
CyberWar: Digital Battlefield
CyberWar: Byte Conflict
Prime Fantasy
Phoenix Fantasy
Phoenix Imagining
The Imp Prince
The Goblin and the Grocer
Prime Peek I
Snapshots of Life I
Tales from the Pumpkin Patch
Haunted Hearts I
Reindeer Don’t Fly
Shadowed Light
Powerhouse Punch
Author Introduction – Kris Endicott
As a child, I watched science fiction shows and real-life space missions. My father and grandfather helped build the Apollo Lunar Lander.
I believed that when I grew up, I’d live in outer space. I was prepared. I drank Tang, the powdered orange juice of the astronauts.
Those childhood dreams helped guide my adult path.
Early in my engineering career, I was involved in designing key components for the International Space Station. Although I’ve never physically been outside the Earth’s atmosphere, a part of me has. My creativity and design skills.
I no longer work on NASA projects, but my creativity is still taking parts of me out into the galaxy in my writing.
For me, space travel has always been about the optimistic future. I write stories for all of us who wish to boldly go where our childhood dreams led.
http://krisendicott.com/
Publications
Artifact Found
(in Lindsay Buroker's Fallen Empire universe)
Anthologies
Mysterious Hearts
Journal with a View
CyberWar: Digital Battlefield
Prime Peek I
Snapshots of Life I
Phoenix Galactic II