Titus Fogg

Titus Fogg hates magic, and with good reason. Born into a murderous family of cruel and powerful casters in modern Massachusetts, magic has contributed to every bad thing that has happened to him since birth. After finally managing to banish the most likely evil (but definitely dirty-minded) entity called Shade from his body to the sidelines as his shadow, Titus has the chance to have a normal, magic free, high school life. But, when Tess Roe, his classmate, neighbor and model of justice at their school realizes she can see the creatures Titus calls the Wyrd too, Titus must return to the world of the strange to help her. Soon Titus's dark past comes to light as he must prove that he isn't responsible for the death of one of Tess's friends, and the theft of a magical book that could lead to the destruction of Arkham.

Ghosts of Eagle Valley

Ask anyone in Eagle Valley, Virginia, and they’ll be happy to tell you the history of their little town. After all, it’s a fascinating story. Way back in the 1700s, some of the town’s bravest young men marched off to fight in the Revolutionary War. Later, Eagle Valley’s mill brought the American Dream right to their doorsteps. During the Civil War, families were split between staying loyal to Virginia or re-joining the Union. Even as recently as World War II, Eagle Valley locals fought for victory half a world away. The town of Eagle Valley is proud of its long history, and even more proud of the ancestors that built their town.

Of course, if you ask the ghosts that still haunt Eagle Valley’s streets, you just might hear another side of the story. In this four-story collection, the ghosts of Eagle Valley set the record straight. Every town has its secrets, and these skeletons are ready to come out of their closets.

Ghosts of Eagle Valley is the companion short story collection to Ellen Smith’s debut novel, Reluctant Cassandra. Available only on Channillo for Charity, proceeds from Ghosts of Eagle Valley will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. 

Silent Spaces

A selection of speculative short stories on life, death, and change. 

1. Dig - A conversation between a gravedigger and a strange visitor to the cemetery. (April 30, 2019)

2. Wildmoore - An intellectual physician confronts memories of the past when he attempts to cure a young heiress who has come down with a mysterious illness. (May 31, 2019)

3. Letters - After the death of her mother, Eliza discovers more than junk when cleaning out the attic. (June 30, 2019)

4. Small Magic - Bee's grandmother feels a change in the wind. Soon, Bee does, too. (August 31, 2019)

Myth and Environment: The Ecology of Nature Spirits

A portal to the enchanting world of Nature Spirits, this book allows you a tantalizing glimpse into the fascinating lives of elusive mythological beings who may have been living side by side with us since the beginning of time. You may have heard about some of them, but many others will surprise you! Unlike any other book written about these mythical beings, it shows how closely they are connected to the natural world and its ecology and how they interact with or even represent the environment. In addition, it brings to light a world that had never been explored before – the world of Urban Nature Spirits, who are said to have migrated with us into cities since Biblical times. You will explore mythology, history, literature, and psychology as you are shown how to study, observe, and understand these beings – the core of the natural world in all its myriad manifestations.

God's Voice

"God's Voice" is a thought-provoking adult fiction novel that weaves a quirky, comical, and affectionate narrative around the life of an unassuming man named Henry. Unbeknownst to him, Henry's mundane existence takes an extraordinary turn when he unexpectedly finds himself in deep conversations with a mysterious, enigmatic visitor who claims to be none other than God.

As the story unfolds, Henry's journey of self-discovery becomes a fascinating exploration of the universe's grand mysteries. God, in a captivating and often humorous manner, sheds light on the intricate tapestry of human beliefs, touching upon various religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. Through these conversations, God challenges conventional notions, revealing that no single religion holds a monopoly on truth. Instead, humanity has often misunderstood the true nature of divinity.

Through their exchanges, God guides Henry to unravel the profound, cosmic puzzle of human existence, all while sharing the belief that mankind's purpose has been misconstrued throughout history. In selecting Henry as a conduit for this revelation, God embarks on a mission to reorient humanity's understanding of its place in the universe.

"God's Voice" is a captivating and heartwarming tale of enlightenment, self-discovery, and the cosmic comedy of life. This novel invites readers on an engaging, introspective journey, exploring the profound and humorous moments that shape our understanding of existence, spirituality, and our individual roles in the grand scheme of things.

Love me a myth!

This is a series about myths and the creatures and beast that populate them. Yet, human imagination is vast and tireless, and despite my best efforts, cataloguing every single creature that human kind has imagined throughout the centuries is an unachievable—not to mention very intimidating—goal. Nonetheless, I searched and researched the peculiarities and identities of as many mythical creatures as possible, particularly those that are most cryptic and which nature is less known and I'll introduce them to you. All their biographical data and peculiarities but not without adding a tiny touch of my own, as each week each mythical being will be introduce with a short story, mostly of the flash type, of my own creation.

Enjoy!

The Phantoms of Lillicrap Manor

The hotheaded Hal Baker, middle-aged physics professor and skeptical Bostonian, arrives in England for a guest-lecturing stint at the University of York. This is a temporary gig maneuvered by his daughter to keep him out of her hair as she plans a wedding of which he disapproves. He stays at the ancestral home of his noble British forbears, Lillicrap Manor, which has a name analogous to both the rundown condition of the estate and to the generations of familial dysfunction that has plagued his extended family on both continents. Hal enters into a close, albeit unlikely, friendship with the manor’s only domestic, Christopher, who is the epitome of British protocol and decorum. Together they embark upon a whimsical scheme of strategic ploy mystically mirrored by an alternate scheme having occurred almost a full century beforehand, this one involving Hal’s maternal ancestor, Elizabeth, and her maid.

Thirteen Moons

Thirteen Moons is a collection of short stories portraying a side of life that is at times inexplicable, and at times remains unspoken. Embracing the magic of everyday life, these stories show a world grounded in a reality healthily skewed by fantasy.

Madness Intact

A young woman undergoes various physical and emotional changes as she clings desperately to her insanity, all the while watching the relationships around her crumble and fall. As time carries on, new truths are revealed and old secrets emerge with the arrival of the nefarious "they". Watch and witness a verifiable plunge into the depths of madness and mania. 

Lot 149

“It’s just a light flickering, must be faulty wiring or something – isn’t it?”

Lot 149 is a paranormal story about Keira, a recently divorced woman who purchases a decaying old farmhouse with a truly spectacular history. Country living, a tidy divorce settlement and a job promotion that allowed telecommuting – this farmhouse would be a fresh start for both Keira and her son Tad, a break they so badly needed.

"Sure it needs work -- but don't we all?"

Leaving a big city job behind, Kiera embraces country living and is intent on raising pasture-fed pork and free-range chickens and the latest developments in organic farming; however, she soon realizes how much work is involved in restoring the farmhouse. To help with repairs, she calls in Frank, a local handyman and pest control guy.

“It’s a house with a history, that’s all. Plays tricks with your mind. Most old houses are like that.”

As Keira and Frank work on the house, several unnerving things begin to happen, and the secrets of the house begin to revel themselves. One of the locals, Joe Adams, fills Keira in on the previous owners:

They had two boys, long time ago, one of them had fits or somethin’.

Ain’t nobody seen that boy for decades. Most of us though they put him away –

He had a thing for cattle – bit of a freak, strange things always happened when he was around.

Ol’ Johnston down the way said he did in his whole herd, but nobody could prove nothing. And then there was the Smith child –

Now, decades later, Keira is the owner in full possession of the old farmhouse on Lot 149.

To check out this novel, please go to https://www.amazon.com/author/lizmcadams

The Last Minuters

When recent divorcee Margaret Ayinger decides to end her life, she wants to go out in style.  For those who have done their homework and for whom money is no object there is only one place for that: The Precipice Hotel.  Like a hospice for the terminally eccentric, it has stood for over a hundred years in a region plagued by yearly forest fires.  Upon arrival, Margaret finds the old place nothing like what was advertised. 

Oh sure, the staff are friendly.  And the food?  Positively four star!  Something about it though just doesn't sit well with her.  For instance, the people who randomly swan dive from their balconies late at night, the impossible thing living in her bedroom, and the automatons in black body stockings roaming the halls.  Oh, and the purple monster named Fred who lives in the gorge.  

Allie's Choice

Allie comes home when her grandmother dies to finish the B&B that her grandmother had planned. While working on the house she finds a wooden box and opens a door to the past which changes her family in ways she could never imagine.

The Warlock Case Files

It's tough being a warlock in Washington, DC. Magic doesn't pay the bills, and sometimes you have to take on other jobs. 

I'm Dafydd Smith, and I'm a warlock. No, not the "sold my soul to the devil" type warlock. The "male witch" kind. (Everyone gets those confused, so don't feel bad.) 

One day I'm minding my own business, heading out for a bite to eat after a hard day exorcising ghosts, when I run into a vampire. Yeah, you heard that right. A vampire. With his fangs in some guy's neck. It was kind of sexy and scary all at the same time. 

What did I do? Well, read on, and I'll tell you how I got rid of a ghost haunting a vampire. And if you enjoy that one, there will be more stories. Hanging around with a vampire appears bring on all sorts of supernatural stuff. Who would have thought it?

I'm changed the frequency to once a month, and I will be adding a new short each month until I get back to working on the next book.

Cover Image Credit: Captblack76 | Dreamstime.com - Vampire Portrait Photo

Mouths of the Dark

Eric Neal's life changes on the night he sees the eyes glowing in the depths of his backyard. He becomes obsessed with what is watching him from the shadows, and his world begins to decay around him...

All we have left is Eric's journal. It is a chronicle of a young man's descent into a consuming darkness...

Warning: this series contains adult content.

The Mouths of the Dark series is complete. Watch for more stories set in the same world of shadows and light!

Modern Magic: Book One

Modern Magic is a series of modern-day retellings of classic fairy tales. The first is Fashionista. 

For four generations, the House of Zangari has been a purveyor of luxury leather goods—shoes and purses and belts and boots. If her father had made a will, Allegra Zangari would have inherited the company and continued the family tradition. But Enzo Zangari had died intestate and her evil stepmother inherited the business and seems determined to run it into the ground.

Hugo Prince is the heir apparent of Prince’s, a global empire of upscale department stores based in Chicago. Hugo used to date Allegra’s stepsister Julia, a gold-digger of an upwardly mobile socialite. He was just a trophy for her, and their relationship soon fell apart. But not before he met Allegra.

Now, in the week after Christmas, Allegra and Hugo are about to meet again. With a little help from her ghostly great- grandmother, and the support of her friends, Allegra will save her family’s company and find her happy ending.

Set in Chicago, Fashioista is a sweet, clean, modern-day re-imagining of Cinderella set against the world of shoe design and high-end department stores.

The Modern Magic series will continue with Hunter's Kiss (Snow White), Hero's Kiss (Beauty and the Beast), and Rapunzel.

Note: The shoes and accessories described in this book are manufactured out of leather, including ostrich, crocodile, and pigskin. This reflects the current realities of the marketplace and not the author's own wardrobe. 

Crossing the Streams

Non-human romance. Tarot-powered difference engines. The bureaucracy of the gate to Hell. These and more appear in this anthology of strange stories by Jeremy Zimmerman. This anthology collects five genre-bending tales from fantasy to steampunk to cyberpunk.

“I won’t spoil the ending, but I will offer that the imagery in this tale is so wonderful that the settings sometimes transported me away from the main character’s conflict. The scenes in this story, like Impressionist art, consist of ordinary subjects displayed in mesmerizingly vacillating light. Whereas I usually care most about plot and about character development, these descriptions were so robust that I would gladly read additional pages of Zimmerman’s work just to reimmerse myself in his language.”
– KJ Hannah Greenberg, Tangent, regarding “A Crazy Kind of Love”

“Unchained Melody is a sharp, beautiful blow to the heart. Zimmerman wrote a heroine who is recognizable; a woman who is defining herself, on her terms.”
– Lillian Cohen-Moore, author of The Imperial Companion, and Hatavat Chalom

Cross and Circle

Evie and Carlotta are expecting the imminent arrival of their first child when an unusual group of men claims to have come for their son. Building off of a pendant that one of the men wears and her own research into pecked crosses across the world, Evie uncovers secrets related to the organization the men serve, pecked crosses, and her wife's family history.

Cabin 18

Delia Osmond embarks on a solo venture, deep into the Olympic National Forest, in a state known for its serial killers and local hauntings. As she settles into her home for the next few days, Delia discovers she is not alone. Between the sounds of the ocean and those of her uninvited companions, she treads the impossible line between survival and sanity. Follow Delia's journey as she finds relief from the treacherous drive to an eerily beautiful cabin in the middle of nowhere, only to find herself battling demons she never expected to face.

Haunted

Follow this series as strange and unexplainable encounters are shared.   

Many of these happenings are true, however, events are creatively embelleshed for entertaining fiction.