J. M.’s Stories

Various short stories and vignettes are available free at http://universal-nexus.com.

Published works:

Stolen Time
A young genius is kidnapped by a mad scientist bent on ruling the universe by conquering its past. Can Serena stall him long enough for the Daggers to rescue her? Will she push Janoke Greenbriar too far and outlive her usefulness? Are the rumours that Greenbriar can alter minds true? Find out in this, the first novel set in the wide universe of Universal Nexus!
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Coming soon:

Tapestry of Life (working title, subject to change) (collaborative work with Shannon Haddock)
A collection of Universal Nexus short fiction.  It will include the various stories from out web freebies as well as several new works not seen yet.

Branded
Jasmine Ethencourt is a twelve year old girl worried about all the same things as any twelve year old girl: keeping her knives sharp, her blaster in working order and charged, not starving or freezing to death, fighting off an invasion of man-eating lizardmen from the other side of the galaxy, etc.  Take a glimpse into the life of an Allurian child during the Dichidian Expansion, a terrible episode in the history of the Vorton Galaxy as vicious, ruthless creatures attempt to conquer their galaxy to hunt, enslave, or exterminate everything in their path.

Ana’s Story (title TBD)
A world on the far outskirts of Galfarra is attacked by a band of cruel, merciless, twisted neo-imperialists.  This peaceful world was home of the galaxy’s finest artists, and paradise to one young dancer/actress.  When the ballet troupe Ana was part of gets invited to perform for the Ylvortain queen’s birthday celebration, she couldn’t be more thrilled.  She’d lived on that world during her days of studying the art of performance by hitchhiking through the tri-galaxies, and fallen in love with it.  When they land she is suspicious — why are the temples in ruins?  Why are their guards at the royal palace?  Why are there doors?!  The Ylvortains have been enslaved, and she realises there’s only one thing to do, she must save them.  She can’t do it alone.  Flying home, she enlists the aid of the infamous rebels-for-hire force, Darrien’s Daggers.  A long and brutal struggle looms on the horizon, but Anastasia Hasna Amir, actress, dancer, Dagger will see it ended with the Ylvortains free or die trying.

The Chronicles of Kaelee & Dejah (series)
Twin girls born by an undisputed miracle find the miracle of their existence comes with a price: they’ve been marked by the most mysterious spirit of all, Destiny.  The find themselves drawn from their home on Sweytz to a place, literally, out of their mother’s old Earth fantasy stories and guided by fae goddesses, capricious elves, and an enchanted bear.

Rialanna’s Romance (working title) (collaborative work with Shannon Haddock)
Mrrsharan Rialanna Nahirim Sullockalonesk-Evans, pirate captain, smuggler, and sometimes honest merchant was minding her own business when a dashing rogue crashes into her life.  He’s wanted by just about everyone in the galaxy — one way or another, except Rialanna — though he is rather handsome, and sort of charming, she supposes.

Katel (title TBD)
Katel deBoer is a little girl growing up on Earth, a world in the Terran Confederation.  Her mother is a courtesan, her father is a Mugdarran, her other father is a goði (a priest) — the only truly Respectable member of her family is Brenda, her other mother who’s a school teacher, but one outspoken against Bureau of Education policies and curriculums.  Religion is frowned upon as backward superstition; Mugdarrans are hated as barbaric savages; Gretchen’s job, while perfectly legal, is licensed as prostitution and thus is looked down upon; and Brenda, classed a disruptive radical, has lost a fight against having to teach that various non-Human races, especially Mugdarrans, are sub-intelligent, sub-evolved, and sub-Human according to ‘sound scientific principles’.  Katel is being harassed for being half-Mugdarran, an issue made worse as her Humanity is virtually non-existent.  The family seeks a new home among the stars, and Katel finds herself on the strange world of Sweytz where she’s no longer the ugly, teased child, but a blooming beauty the gents and ladies are both vying for the affections of.  Could she have really found acceptance, friends, even romance?