Showing results by author "CJ" in All Categories

Mandy Rose Bokum wanted to go home. Her mind and body were getting sicker. Three lonely years living in one room in California were enough. She yearned for peace. She craved love. She wanted answers. Why was her child stolen? Did the thief know her? Was it somehow her fault? The townies blamed her. Accused her of murder. It was time to tell Clyde Boudreaux that he was Hannah's daddy. Clyde fought his own demons. He was seven when he'd watched his granddaddy get lynched. Mandy struggled for years with her own dark secrets. Maybe two halves could make a whole.

Mankind’s wanderlust will eventually carry our species to the stars. Earth’s pioneers have always risen to the challenge of exploring our planet’s remote rain forests, highest mountain peaks, deepest ocean abysses, and deadly frozen polar caps. Answering the wanderlust deep within us is exactly what motivated the colonists of Byanntia to brave the dangers of space travel. Their reward is the opportunity to test their mettle against an alien planet - to explore an unknown environment and attempt to survive on their own terms.

Get ready for a leap into nostalgia and childhood dreams. Contained are four short stories from the Secondary Epoch, a time between wars, when Unicorns still frolicked in woodland glades, magical winged creatures still gracefully flew in the skies above, with Dark Lords still exiled in depths, and evil somewhere between a distant memory and a future that seemed far and remote. See the realm through hopeful hazel green eyes and experience the magic as if for the very first time.

After his boyfriend’s betrayal, Timothy Scott flees Los Angeles for a fresh start in San Antonio. Once he moves in with his best friend, Tim wants to volunteer at the local humane society. On the first day, he comes face to face with the man who bullied him in high school. Will Tim overcome the cruelty of the past and let forgiveness and love fill his heart? James Cannon is no stranger to life’s lessons. He was outed in his freshmen year of college by his brother and disowned by his conservative parents. But being his true self is freedom.

Curated from his writings for Graphic Policy - covering everything from a childhood love of superheroes to an ongoing exploration of more mature comics and geeky experiences - CJ Standal offers deep analysis into one of the hottest media today and the life of those who grew up loving that medium: comics.

Europe, 454 CE. King Ardaric of the Gepids is leading a force of Germanic troops to stop the Huns, led by Ellac, son of the now-deceased notorious Attila, once and for all. As Irmyl (mentored by Lorewyn) aids her people in the fight against Ellac, all eyes seem to be looking west toward Pannonia as the storm clouds gather and war is imminent.

In early March 2020 in New Rochelle, New York, teenager Geth Montego is fumbling with the present and uncertain about her future. She only has three friends: her best friend Tovah, who’s been acting weird ever since they started applying to college; Diego, who she wants to ask to prom; and the K-pop band BTS, because the group always seems to be there for her when she needs them (at least in her head).

Irmyl, a young woman of Hunnic descent (but raised amongst a Germanic tribe along the Danube River in the mid fifth-century CE), is confronted with a difficult task. Three years earlier, the Huns were pushed back in the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains by a combined force of Roman and Germanic troops, a battle that cost Irmyl's father and many in her village their lives. The notorious Hun leader, Attila, is now dead, but his son Ellac is once again threatening an invasion that will take the Huns straight through Irmyl's home.

In the town of Yardenfeld, Elyse Allium lives a miserable life. Living with her wicked mother, she slaves away at the local tavern in the hope that she can save enough gold to make it on her own and leave the town behind forever. However, when her mother announces that she will marry a horrible man, and is pregnant with his child, Elyse realizes she doesn’t have enough time to prepare.

Gray Langtry is on the run. As the only child of the British prime minister, Gray's life has been in turmoil ever since her mother was chosen to lead the country. Both she and her mother are targets of a Russian assassination plot. And what's worse, members of her mother's own cabinet are involved. A team of bodyguards never leaves her side. The press attention is relentless. And then there are the death threats.

When deep level oil fracking uncovers a vast subterranean sea, a crack team of cavers and scientists are sent down to investigate. Upon their arrival, they disappear without a trace. A second team, including sedimentologist Dr Megan Stoker, are ordered to seek out Alpha Team and report back their findings.

Betrayed and left to die in the bowels of Karpella Castle, Torben’s plan lies in tatters. He's lost his fortune and an ancient threat has been unleashed on the world of Ulskandar, leaving him to fight for his life. A resurgent evil once again threatens the Kingdom of Dazscor & Aramore. Torben must join friends old and new to thwart the mage Aristotles, or risk the land falling under the shadow of a malign deity that wishes to enslave all to its will. Will Torben have the strength to join a fight hundreds of years in the making - or will he fall prey to the Dead God?

Manos Manu arrives on the Greek island of Mykonos to attend a friend’s luxurious wedding, but soon finds himself on the hunt for a serial killer. The murderer abducts his victims, runs their body through with chains, and sinks them offshore, attached to a buoy scrawled with the word "free". Local police find plenty of clues. But when the murders start making the rounds on social media, they’re in over their heads. Enter Manu, a data scientist who gave up lucrative Silicon Valley for Interpol only so he could freely "run multiple models on human actors".

An innocent Human child is murdered by an Elven artisan in the village of Foxglove Falls, under Lorewyn's jurisdiction as Constable. With the child's parents and the rest of the village outraged - and rightfully so - the administration of justice falls into the hands of a divided Elven tribunal...with Lorewyn's reputation and a promise she made on the line. Tristyn Caelbryn, a young novice Mage, is faced with a dilemma when the Nullification Act is passed in New Sylestia by the Elven council, preventing humans from continuing to practice the magical arts.

On the run with the only piece of evidence to his sister’s murder, Chase Bishop heads to the strange town of Dark Hollow Lake, Tennessee, to track down the killer. What Chase discovers isn’t what he expects, and at every dark turn, the truth is even more twisted than the killer’s mind. Nearly running Chase over, Melinda Bradley’s guilt has her helping him search for his sister’s killer and uncover a bigger conspiracy in her hometown.

In a place that was not quite the mountains and not quite the sea...an amazing thing happened. It was such an extraordinary thing that for hundreds of years, up until this very day, people have told and retold the story over and over again. The surprising thing, however, is that half of them have only told one part of the story, and the other half have only told the rest. And because of all that retelling, both halves of the story are now very famous. Very famous, indeed. But for some strange reason, the entire story has never yet been told. Never. Until now that is.

Iconoclast. Contrarian. Pugilist. Artist. Throughout his life, shrewd self-promoter and creative genius Edgar Leeteg possessed many titles, astounding fans and antagonizing critics. Considered the “American Gauguin”, the rakish ladies’ man originated the modern technique of oil painting on black velvet. Once memorialized by James Michener as the original rascal in paradise, he redefined artistic success by pioneering a form of painting in the South Pacific that would forever change the world.

Never let yourself get comfortable, because life is always waiting to throw you a curveball.... Quinn Riley’s life is finally back on track after being completely off the rails. She wouldn’t exactly classify her life as normal, but it’s a new normal for her. She has a new group of loving friends, including the apparition of a young woman who was good at knowing when she was or was not welcome. Yes, Quinn certainly feels great, but that feeling won’t last. Someone needs her help, and it may just put her in harm’s way all over again.

The only thing worse than being the girl raised by a serial killer is being the girl he blames for getting caught...and now, Morgan Ames’ father has escaped prison. Morgan knows she’ll be at the top of her father’s hit list. After all, she dared to defy him, abandoning him to rot in jail while she escaped to live a normal life. Every instinct screams at Morgan to run and hide, but she’s as much a predator as her father, and she refuses to allow him to turn her into prey.

Allie Callahan had her whole life mapped out: run her family's marketing firm, make her first million, and get that next big contract. Destiny had another plan. After a catastrophic event forces her to rethink her life's path, Allie discovers that the heritage she's tried so hard to deny is about to lead her in an entirely new direction. Unable to ignore her grandfather's Native American heritage, Allie embarks on a journey that will test her fortitude, strength, and courage, but it will also bring her the one thing she never thought possible - love.