Kinsman Redeemer
Years before Wiley was born, a pact written on parchment was made between his guardian, the Englishman Lord Harold of Rockhaven Castle, and Kormac the Dane. The parchment was stolen and altered, putting 250 English soldiers in mortal danger and challenging the ownership of both estates. In the spring of 1013 King Svein Forkbeard of Denmark arrives at Rockhaven with the altered pact, claiming to be the kinsman recipient of the promises made therein.
Thirteen year old Wiley is determined to become a knight even though he has no father. Wanting to see the enemy up close, he disobeys orders by sneaking into the great hall. Recognized by two Danish strangers he runs for his life, but not before catching the windblown parchment. Later kidnapped and taken to Denmark, Wiley discovers his identity and finds two unexpected allies-King Sveins seventeen-year-old son Knute and Sveins sister-in-law, Lady Freya, who help him escape the wrath of Forkbeard.
Aided by his friends, an alchemist with Greek Fire, the Norwegian Viking Thoren, and a strange dwarf named Toadskin, Wiley probes the mysteries of the parchment, new enemies, a lady underground, his own beginnings, his future as a knight, and Gods foreknowledge.
Thank You Mom and Dad
A young boy reflects on his family and the joys and trials of life. He considers living alone and then makes up his mind about what and who is really important.
A Chaos of Kittens Meets a Knot of Toads
A Chaos of Kittens Meets a Knot of Toads tells a story using unique terms to describe groups of animals. Some of these terms are almost 1,000 years old, having been made up by English and Frenchmen, mostly sportsmen and hunters on horseback, during the French conquest of England starting in 1066. Some familiar terms, such as a gaggle of geese, are still in use today, but these forgotten names are so entertaining, modern readers will be delighted to see them used again.
The chaos takes place in the imaginary land of Critter Crowds, where the kittens have brought about the misery of indigestion and burping among the knot of toads and smack of jellyfish at the toad pond. The noise being made and the pebbles being kicked into the pond by the kittens at play have caused a hearing to be called by a parliament of owls who select a jury of six, one purple dragon, two mice, and three wombats to decide what to do about it. A pounce of cats arrive to defend the kittens, followed in part by an unkindness of ravens, a leap of leopards, and a crash of rhinoceros all trying to help. Soon the hearing becomes too loud for anyone to decide who is at fault or how to fix it. When their leader, the lion McNabb, shows up, everyone learns that by working together with a good plan and orderly cooperation, their problems can be solved.