Some kids are just born with it…1974 turned out to be a helluva year for Augie Shepherd. A rollercoaster of highs and lows.He almost lost his best friend, Ozzy. He also lost his lucky aluminum penny—one of just a few created that year. His lucky charm.On the first day of the new year, 1975, Augie pays his old buddy Ozzy a visit. And he meets Ozzy's newborn son for the first time. Augie's godson.Their first interaction is nearly... magical. ...

A hunt for ginseng takes a dark and dangerous turn...Ozzy immediately regrets taking his hapless brother Harry on his hunt for ginseng in the woods. But he forgets all about his brother when he finds the mother lode of 'sang plants.Unfortunately, his brother finds something even more sinister and problematic in the same woods. Decisions must be made, and both brothers must what the right thing to do is when there's nobody watching...A prequel story to the F...

She was taken, and only Bim and Hank can find her...The unlikely duo of a big white dude, Bim Mayer, and Hank "Hanky J" Johnson, a small, super-athletic black man, are on the hunt for a missing teenage girl.Nobody within a hundred miles of where she went missing has a clue of where she is, but Bim and Hanky J hold a few tricks up their sleeves. Hanky J never misses a detail, while Bim has April Mae's charm bracelet. Using his strange, unexplainable power, ...

First contact between a priest and an alien...Less than a dozen years from now, over thirty black ships containing the aliens the world will come to know as the Wannoshay arrive on the frozen earth of the Great Plains of America and Canada.When communications break down between the military personnel of the humans and the leaders of the Wannoshay, Father Joshua McDowell gets a chance to make first contact with the aliens.And just as he thinks he ha...

An early misadventure of Augie and Ozzy!On a chilly day in late March of 1974, Ozzy Mayer decides to take back Mayer Mountain with the help of his buddy Augie Shepherd.These two lifelong buddies, now in their early twenties, find themselves facing the harsh reality of growing up. A girlfriend with some surprising news, a set of uncaring parents, and a lack of funds on weekly, if not daily basis.As usual, Ozzy has a plan for making things better. And--as usu...

Music on the mountain might never be the same...!Augie just wants to take his new girlfriend to the music festival and get to know her better. His best friend Ozzy, however, has bigger plans.Plans that just might ruin the "Singing on the Mountain" festival high above Boone, North Carolina.It could take all of Augie's special skills, along with those of his talented-but-shellshocked brother Rubert to keep this day from getting ruined. Including helping the m...

What will you do when you learn the Truth?In the summer of 1834, a newly deputized journeyman finds himself hot on the heels of the monstrous man known only as the Disillusionist.Can an honest man defeat such a being?A dark fantasy tale from the distant past, featuring a young man destined for far greater things -- if he survives this assignment...

A storm is brewing overhead...An unlikely crew of humans and their dog traverse the countryside, maintaining the balance of the world for their mysterious bosses. Their work never ends.But sometimes, the results of what men do to one another outweigh any damage nature could possibly do.A short story about responsibility, morality, natural disasters, and... greyhounds.First published in Asimov's SF Magazine.

You know what they say: if you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.A group of misfits pile into their souped-up '75 Firebird and travel the world in search of false Buddhas.This band of anti-establishment punks have also stumbled across the secrets of time travel (hint: it involves bridges).Strap on your seat belt for a violent ride through time and space, in search of Buddhas on the road..."You don't have to be young and fiery to feel th...

If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.A young woman struggling with drug addiction catches aliens on her digital camera. A man with elemental powers struggles with morality and carrying out the orders of his bosses. The dead leave their graves and take up... surfing?Gunning for the Buddha collects fifteen stories that range from near-future science fiction to historical dark fantasy and contemporary horror, touching on a range of genres in the proce...

Some family curses really should be passed on...Tommy Roling does everything humanly possible to raise his infant daughter Corinne the right way. But a half year out of high school, Tommy finds himself a single parent as well as flat broke.And, with every full moon, he can't fight the urge to strip off his clothes and run wild through the pastures outside town.So when a stranger shows up, slashed to death, the day after Tommy's most recent full-moon run, To...

Sometimes those who can't be found just might not be lost…In the remote mountain town of Boone, North Carolina, Hank "Hanky J" Johnson and Bim Mayer find people that nobody else can. All thanks to Hanky J's brains and Bim's ability to psychically connect to other people.Their skills get put to the test when a group of elderly people go missing. All of whom used to teach at nearby Appalachian State University.And each missing person shares a connection to a ...