Ghost Corps Archives - Page 15 of 17

Go home. This is your last chance #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 04/30/2019 Kayelle Allen 8 Comments

Ravenstongue sauntered toward him. "Why you here?"

Tornahdo kicked back in his chair. After stretching out his legs, he crossed his ankles. "Why do you care?"

"Big ops tomorrow. Lights out in ten. Time for you to go home and go to bed."

Behind the bar, the keeper closed up shelves and battened down doors.

"Yeah?" Tornahdo flicked a hand toward the door. "I'll follow you out."

"I'm not leavin'. Didn't you hear? We passed inspection with the highest scores. Got a free night out." Ravenstongue jabbed a finger toward Tornahdo. "But you gotta go home like a good boy."

In no kingdom in the galaxy would that happen.

Ravenstongue lifted two fingers, signaling his cohorts.

The keeper ducked behind the bar while the goons flanked their wannabe boss, imbecilic grins in place.

A pair of demons usually sat on Tornahdo's shoulders. The bad demon laid out strategy while the good demon discouraged action. Tonight, the good demon flipped a middle finger toward Ravenstongue with a not-so-subtle suggestion to kick his ass.

Tornahdo took his time rising, slid his chair under the table. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'You gotta go home like a good boy.'"

Hanging his thumbs in his belt, Tornahdo gave him a slow smile. "Go back to the bar, finish your drink and we'll pretend we're all friends and leave together. This is your last chance for a peaceful end."

"Peaceful." With a scoff, Ravenstongue jerked his head toward Short Goon. "You hear that?"

"Yeah. Maybe we oughta do what--"

Ravenstongue jabbed him with an elbow.

"I mean, yeah! I heard that." He leaned closer to his boss. "We gonna?"

"No, you idiot. Shut your face and back me up."

How did these hotheads enlist? Ghost Corps must have been desperate for bodies. Literally. A fighter's corpse they could reanimate. Which was a sobering thought.

Was that what the corps thought of him?

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

He can save mankind. After he does one important thing. Die.
Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You'll live forever, they said. You'll save mankind, they said. They didn't say that to do it, first he had to die.
When Tornahdo signs on the dotted line, he puts his life into the steady hands of the mighty Ghost Corps. Three grisly deaths and three agonizing resurrections later, he's assigned duty on the space station Enderium Six.
He's facing his most dangerous mission yet, the very reason the corps exists.
Do they expect him to win? Fat chance. Tornahdo and his team are already dead and this mission is codenamed "Lights Out." No, there's more to this than he can see.
To discover the truth, he must face an unbeatable, unkillable enemy, and this time--somehow--find a way to keep himself alive...
Lights Out is in the Science Fiction/Space Opera anthology The Expanding Universe Vol 4, edited by Craig Martelle out Sept 17, 2018
https://kayelleallen.com/lights-out-save-mankind/

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What is Stress: Not being allowed to throttle an idiot #Humor #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Kayelle Allen 04/24/2019 Fallen Empires 4 Comments

What is Stress? Working with idiots...

WordWeb says you can define stress as difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension. Such as having a boss who's a jerk, or a coworker who's lazy or... well, you get the idea.

In today's post, a snippet from Lights Out, the hero is having a bit of stress...

In this scene, Tornahdo has been chewed out for something that in the regular army would have gotten him a commendation. Even a medal. But Ghost Corps is not regular. Not one bit. He sits down to have a drink and calm himself down, but one thought leads to another.

Tornahdo's family believed him missing in action. He couldn't go out in public. Ghosts got call signs, not new identities. He'd earned his by the way he fought, which, according to those who'd been resurrected with him, was a tornado.

"No, he's Hispanic-Terran," one had said. "He'd pronounce it different. We'll call him Tornahdo."

To which he'd offered a sweeping bow. "Sí. Gracias."

If taken prisoner, the enemy wouldn't find out who his family was, or who other ghosts were. Like any cover story, the more you lived it, accepted and believed it, the more solid it became. He was Tornahdo. Every minute. Every day. Right now, he fought the urge to kick into full tornahdo rage and slam through a certain officer's quarters. On his desk, his former commander had a framed quote, hand-stitched by his wife.

"Stress: the body's reaction to not being allowed to throttle an idiot."

How many times had the man shouted that Tornahdo was stressing him out? More than he cared to admit.

But today, he knew exactly what that quote meant.

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

He can save mankind. After he does one important thing. Die.
Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You'll live forever, they said. You'll save mankind, they said. They didn't say that to do it, first he had to die.
When Tornahdo signs on the dotted line, he puts his life into the steady hands of the mighty Ghost Corps. Three grisly deaths and three agonizing resurrections later, he's assigned duty on the space station Enderium Six.
He's facing his most dangerous mission yet, the very reason the corps exists.
Do they expect him to win? Fat chance. Tornahdo and his team are already dead and this mission is codenamed "Lights Out." No, there's more to this than he can see.
To discover the truth, he must face an unbeatable, unkillable enemy, and this time--somehow--find a way to keep himself alive...
Lights Out is in the Science Fiction/Space Opera anthology The Expanding Universe Vol 4, edited by Craig Martelle out Sept 17, 2018
https://kayelleallen.com/lights-out-save-mankind/

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Take from an enemy? A human? Never. #SpaceOpera #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 10/03/2018 Fallen Empires 8 Comments

Take from an enemy...

In this scene from Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire, the not-quite-human Six offers water to the immortal king.

Six slid their canteen off over his head and held it out to Pietas.

Accepting anything from a human, an altered one at that, had violated every instinct at first. To take from an enemy, yes. Always. Let one give you something as if you needed it? Admit a weakness before an enemy?

Never.

But this was Six.

Pietas took it.

Ultras could go days without water, but they consumed it when they had it. He wiped one dusty hand across his mouth. The satisfaction of assuaged thirst never failed to please. What simple things in life brought pleasure! In captivity, he'd dreamed of even a drop to cool his tongue. He'd sworn he'd never take water for granted again.

Six had offered it to their companions during the climb, but the entire lot refused anything a mortal's lips had touched. Yes, Six was a quasi-immortal, but to the others, that gave him even less status.

Pietas wavered on few things, but on this? Should he call the man human, mortal, quasi-immortal, or ghost? He'd elected to choose as the mood struck. But one in particular annoyed Six.

"Thanks, ghost." He thrust the canteen against Six's chest.

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Ghosts have no name #SciFi #SpaceOpera Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 09/26/2018 Fallen Empires 4 Comments

Six slid their canteen off over his head and held it out to Pietas.

Accepting anything from a human, an altered one at that, had violated every instinct at first. To take from an enemy, yes. Always. Let one give you something as if you needed it? Admit a weakness before an enemy?

Never.

But this was Six.

Pietas took it.

Ultras could go days without water, but they consumed it when they had it. He wiped one dusty hand across his mouth. The satisfaction of assuaged thirst never failed to please. What simple things in life brought pleasure! In captivity, he'd dreamed of even a drop to cool his tongue. He'd sworn he'd never take water for granted again.

Six had offered it to their companions during the climb, but the entire lot refused anything a mortal's lips had touched. Yes, Six was a quasi-immortal. A dead human soldier who'd been resurrected and enhanced with Ultra blood. A "ghost." But to the others, that gave him even less status.

Pietas wavered on few things, but on this? Should he call the man human, mortal, quasi-immortal, or ghost? He'd elected to choose as the mood struck. But one in particular annoyed Six.

"Thanks, ghost." He thrust the canteen against Six's chest.

Staggering, he swore in Spanish. "Find another name for me."

"Tell me your mortal name then."

"You know I can't." Six scratched his cheek. "Ghosts have no name. Gotta protect my family. If your kind knew who they were, they'd slaughter them. You wouldn't, but them?"

Now they were getting somewhere. "So you do trust me?"

"Pi, there's more honor in your left big toe than your entire race combined." He tipped up the canteen but then paused. "No offense."

"None taken. But we're stranded, my friend. Unless a miracle happens, by the time we get off this world, your family will be long dead." He added, "No offense."

Six finished his drink and plugged the canteen. "None taken. Sorry. Can't do it." He lifted the strap back over his head and settled it onto his shoulder, the canteen at his back. "Seriously, Pi, your people hear you call me you-know-what, it'll give away I was Ghost Corps. If they do, we both know what they'll do to me."

Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire

When the immortal Pietas is marooned on a barren world with no food and few survival tools, he knows it could be worse. He could be alone. But that's the problem.

He's not.

Half a million of his people sleep in cryostasis, trapped in their pods and it's up to Pietas to rescue them.

A human abandoned with him has become a trusted friend. But before Pietas can save his people, he must reconcile them to the human and take back command from a ruthless enemy he's fought for centuries. His brutal, merciless father.

Immortals may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever...

Universal book link https://books2read.com/u/bpW7Kg

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The Spike by Nathan Mutch @Nathan_Mutch #SpaceOpera #SciFi

Kayelle Allen 09/24/2018 New Book 2 Comments

Please tell us three things you'd like us to know.

One.

It seems like forever ago that I decided I was going to write a novel. It also seems like it was only yesterday. That's how life works sometimes.

I was willing to give it a shot. I'd write on Tuesdays and Thursdays to begin with. I didn't know what I was doing—I'd written short pieces before, but never a full-length novel. The project gathered steam with every writing session, and before I knew it, I had a book. The Unity was published, and I immediately began work on the second book. I built the universe for my characters while I was also building a family.

Two.

It wasn't until I wrote The Spike that I truly appreciated universe building in fiction.

A character is born.

The universe is born.

The universe is broken down and reordered to suit the character.

Few things survive the reordering of the universe, so the character is reborn.

Repeat as needed.

It seems like only yesterday that I decided to write books and, in doing so, reordered my own universe.

I'm glad I survived.

Three.

The Spike is a story about the human mind. It's about the lengths a person will go to uncover the truth, but more so, it's about the addictive quality of that search.

Ultimately, we can never know why we decide against one thing in favor of another.

Is it desire or attraction?

Is it a chemically predetermined path in our synapses?

The truth beckons to us. It invigorates like the thrill of mortal danger.

The truth is a drug.

Here's an excerpt from The Spike:

"This part of the country seems to have all hell for a basement, and the only trap door appears to be Medicine Hat."

–Rudyard Kipling

"We were born to die."

John McCormack knew a thing or two about death. He also knew a thing or two about when to keep his mouth shut. We were born to die—those were the words he spoke aloud just after closing the door to his last session with the military-appointed psychologist.

John recalled what the psychologist had said during their first session—that survivor's guilt was a natural consequence, especially since he alone had survived. No one could have foreseen that their brief exposure to the crashed alien ship would be fatal—that their hazmat suits would offer no protection.

"We were born to live our lives," the shrink had said. "The other Marines lived to serve. They died performing their duty."

John shambled away from the stuffy, claustrophobic office and stayed close to the corridor wall as if he might suddenly need it to steady himself. The faces of the fallen haunted him.

John spoke the words again. He spoke as if talking to his ghosts would somehow make them sympathetic.

"We were all born to die."

A strange but familiar voice rose up from his chaotic thoughts. It was so clear that it drowned out the memories, yet the voice itself was like a memory. As odd as it seemed to have a voice in his head that John felt didn't belong to him, what happened next was stranger still. His mind made the words his own.

"You are wrong, John. You were born for a specific purpose."

John nearly turned around and marched back into the psychologist's office. He was sure he had cracked, but the thought of dealing with a headshrinker again was a great weight pressing on his chest. He kept walking and took his ghosts with him.

***

Soon after John was granted separation from the Marine Corps, he found work at an off-world mining operation with the same company that had shot down the alien spaceship—an irony few of his fellow miners failed to point out. But John didn't require reminders. He remembered perfectly.

The alien ship had entered Earth's orbit undetected by every space observation network on the planet. GISEC, the Goryeo Inter-Korean Space Exploration Conglomerate, detected the ship with an automated orbital salvage and reclamation platform and mistook it for space junk. The AI on the platform decided the ship was a danger to nearby satellites and attempted to disintegrate it. If it wasn't for GISEC, the ship might have come and gone unnoticed.

Of all the places in the world, the falling ship's trajectory sent it hurtling toward downtown Medicine Hat. In the blink of an eye, the city was leveled. The city that was built on a giant gas field—the city with hell for a basement—was destroyed by a fireball from the heavens.

Nathan Mutch Social Media

Nathan Mutch's first novel, The Unity, is the first book of a planned three-part Science Fiction series. The second book in The Unity Empire Series, A Song for the Dead, was released June 2017.
His current projects include: A prequel to the Unity series about the origins of the Ash Stone character; two co-authored books; a stand-alone fantasy novel tentatively titled, Between Realms; and of course, the third installment of The Unity Empire Series.
The first of the two co-authored books is an experimental science fiction mind-bender written (so far) entirely by correspondence. The second co-authored book delves into the Fantasy genre.
Nathan Mutch currently lives in Northern Canada with his family.
Website https://nathanmutch.com

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Daughters of Ayor by David R Bernstein @drbauthor #SciFi #SpaceOpera

Kayelle Allen 09/21/2018 New Book 1 Comment

Please tell us three things you'd like us to know.

Originally this story was supposed to be a side story for a larger universe I’ve written, but it developed into its own concept. Now, I plan to build on this idea and turn it into a full series.

The hero in this story is a snarky science officer that is forced to command an irradiated ship with no crew. He gets a bit sarcastic due to his current lot in life!

Daughters of Ayor is actually a spin on the Daughters of Air from the Peter Pan books.

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Define Stress: Not being allowed to throttle an idiot #Humor #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Kayelle Allen 09/19/2018 Fallen Empires 6 Comments

In this scene, Tornahdo has been chewed out for something that in the regular army would have gotten him a commendation. Even a medal. But Ghost Corps is not regular. Not one bit. He sits down to have a drink and calm himself down, but one thought leads to another.

Tornahdo's family believed him missing in action. He couldn't go out in public. Ghosts got call signs, not new identities. He'd earned his by the way he fought, which, according to those who'd been resurrected with him, was a tornado.

"No, he's Hispanic-Terran," one had said. "He'd pronounce it different. We'll call him Tornahdo."

To which he'd offered a sweeping bow. "Sí. Gracias."

If taken prisoner, the enemy wouldn't find out who his family was, or who other ghosts were. Like any cover story, the more you lived it, accepted and believed it, the more solid it became. He was Tornahdo. Every minute. Every day. Right now, he fought the urge to kick into full tornahdo rage and slam through a certain officer's quarters. On his desk, his former commander had a framed quote, hand-stitched by his wife.

"Stress: the body's reaction to not being allowed to throttle an idiot."

How many times had the man shouted that Tornahdo was stressing him out? More than he cared to admit.

But today, he knew exactly what that quote meant.

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

He can save mankind. After he does one important thing. Die.
Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You'll live forever, they said. You'll save mankind, they said. They didn't say that to do it, first he had to die.
When Tornahdo signs on the dotted line, he puts his life into the steady hands of the mighty Ghost Corps. Three grisly deaths and three agonizing resurrections later, he's assigned duty on the space station Enderium Six.
He's facing his most dangerous mission yet, the very reason the corps exists.
Do they expect him to win? Fat chance. Tornahdo and his team are already dead and this mission is codenamed "Lights Out." No, there's more to this than he can see.
To discover the truth, he must face an unbeatable, unkillable enemy, and this time--somehow--find a way to keep himself alive...
Lights Out is in the Science Fiction/Space Opera anthology The Expanding Universe Vol 4, edited by Craig Martelle out Sept 17, 2018
https://kayelleallen.com/lights-out-save-mankind/

Read more →

Meet the immortal king Pietas live on Instagram #SpaceOpera #Cosplay @nitsvetov #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 08/29/2018 Cosplay 6 Comments

Photo shoot – Cosplay live on Instagram
with Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas

On September 1, 2018, Nik will portray Pietas, the immortal king from the Bringer of Chaos series by Kayelle Allen. The cosplay will be performed in a live feed from Russia.
To take part, follow Nik on Instagram.
The exact date is September 1, 2018.
It begins at 7:00 AM Eastern. The event runs for three hours (till 10:00 AM).
You can pop in at any time.

About Nik

Nik Nitsvetov is a photographer and award-winning cosplayer. A gamer and anime fan, he often cosplays characters from popular series.

He lives in Russia and is a strong supporter of Russian Cosplay. His personal photography ranges from cosplay to portraits and includes animals and nature.

JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It’s a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

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Charon’s Blade and Watch Your Six #SpaceOpera #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 07/25/2018 Sci-Fi Art 12 Comments

There were surprises as I started putting together Bringer of Chaos: Watch Your Six. This is the final book of the Bringer of Chaos trilogy, so tying up loose ends is important. I went to great lengths to ensure everything was covered, right down to creating weapons like Charon’s Blade (shown here).

As I wrote, I got to thinking, what would humans need ghosts for with all the Ultras in exile? How many ghosts had there been? Would the Ultras who’d been captured be released? How many Ultras were there? What were the powers they imparted to the various ghosts? Why didn’t Six get much of those powers?

The biggest surprise to me was discovering Pietas’s real agenda for humans. I’d always known he wanted to destroy them, but why would he after coming to respect and love Six? And if he wanted to kill them, why hadn’t he already done it? After all, he holds the title Destroyer of Worlds. He could do it. What’s stopping him?

I wrote a spinoff short story about Ghost Corps. Lights Out will release in mid September inside The Expanding Universe Vol 4, edited by Craig Martelle. The anthology will feature multiple authors, all with stories in the sci fi and space opera genres. It’s going to be a real treat for fans of the genre.

Charon’s Blade

I hired an artist to create images of the Ghost Corps weapons. They were designed to kill Ultras, so they’re formidable (and nasty). Livius designs scifi weapons as art. I found him on DeviantArt.com. Having the images and the technical aspects of these helps me create the people who wield them.

What kind of person would carry a weapon called Charon’s Blade designed to stab and then inject the victim with poison? Why such an extreme weapon?

Considering it was designed to wound creatures who come back from the dead, it’s at least a little bit understandable. Even so, Charon was the mythical guide to the underworld in ancient mythology. This knife has quite a legacy just in its name.

I know the answers to all these questions and have the basics of the journey plotted. But as I write, this story reveals more and more. I plan many more books featuring Pietas, his family and fellow immortals.

To see all the art, join one of my reader groups. You’ll get four free books and news about books coming soon. I’ll be sharing a member-only first peek at the art, plus other inside secrets about the Ghost Corps.
Sci Fi, Space Opera and Fantasy ONLY
Sci Fi, Space Opera and Fantasy PLUS Romance
You can unsubscribe at any time.

JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It’s a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

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Do you love dragons? @Nano_Core #MFRWauthor #MFRWhooks #SpaceOpera

Kayelle Allen 07/11/2018 Character Insights 8 Comments

Do You Love Dragons?

I love dragons. Funny thing, several of my characters love dragons too. Gee, how about that? *wink* How about you?

In the Bringer of Chaos series, the character Six has a dragon tattoo that covers his entire back. Pietas keeps dragon statues in his quarters, everything from small egg-sized ones to larger pieces. His sister wears a pendant with a blood-red dragon that has gold wings. The dragon symbol is throughout the story. After all, who wouldn’t love dragons?

The Drachensturm Dagger (dragon-storm) on the left belongs to Pietas. In the first Bringer of Chaos book, he performs a ritual with it. I wrote only that the dagger was new and that it had turquise stones the same color as his own eyes. I decided to commission Nano-Core (aka Livius) on DeviantArt to create the dagger. He listened to my description, then spent nearly a day playing with designs. He would show me dragon pictures and get my feedback. Because he’s in Germany and I live in Georgia in the US, we had a time difference. Livius is a night owl, so it worked out well for us.

If you want something unique for your scifi world, from dragons to ships, I recommend him. He is super easy to work with. You can find him on this page: Nano-Core on DeviantArt. While you’re there, check out other art Livius has done. This is the sixth sci fi weapon he’s created for me that show on his page. He’s creating a special weapon series for the Kin that will be revealed in my next newsletter. You won’t find them anywhere else until then. And wait till you hear the origin story of this dagger! Meanwhile… here’s a snippet for you.

Excerpt from Bringer of Chaos: Origin of Pietas
Pietas and his sister, Dessy, are about to complete a ritual using the dragon dagger pictured.

I’ve been dreaming about dragons.” His sister unzipped her leathers down to her rounded bosom, and pulled out a fine chain dangling a dragon charm. “In the dreams, yours are teal and silver. Mine are ruby and gold.”

He took the pendant in hand. The golden creature sparkled, its eyes glistening as if wet with blood. “Beautiful.” He rubbed a thumb over it, and the dragon warmed to his touch. He smiled into Dessy’s pale eyes. “How often do you dream them?”

“Every night. Tas, what does it mean?”

At hearing her childhood name for him, he dropped the pendant. “Dragons are primal protectors. They symbolize defeat of the beast within and show selfless courage.”

She tucked the chain back inside her top. “How do you know that?”

“How do you not?”

Dessy called him a rude name, and shoved him

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Tag: Ghost Corps

Go home. This is your last chance #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Go Home

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

What is Stress: Not being allowed to throttle an idiot #Humor #MFRWhooks #SciFi

What is Stress? Working with idiots...

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

Take from an enemy? A human? Never. #SpaceOpera #MFRWhooks

Forged in Fire

Take from an enemy...

Ghosts have no name #SciFi #SpaceOpera Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire #MFRWhooks

Ghosts Have No Name

Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire

The Spike by Nathan Mutch @Nathan_Mutch #SpaceOpera #SciFi

Three Things About Nathan Mutch

The Spike by Nathan Mutch

Science Fiction by Nathan Mutch

Nathan Mutch Social Media

Daughters of Ayor by David R Bernstein @drbauthor #SciFi #SpaceOpera

Three Things About David R Bernstein

Science Fiction by David R Bernstein

David R Bernstein Social Media

Define Stress: Not being allowed to throttle an idiot #Humor #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Define Stress? Working with idiots...

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

Meet the immortal king Pietas live on Instagram #SpaceOpera #Cosplay @nitsvetov #MFRWhooks

Photo shoot – Cosplay live on Instagram
with Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas

About Nik

Charon’s Blade and Watch Your Six #SpaceOpera #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Charon’s Blade

Do you love dragons? @Nano_Core #MFRWauthor #MFRWhooks #SpaceOpera

Do You Love Dragons?

Tag: Ghost Corps

Go Home

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

What is Stress? Working with idiots...

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

Forged in Fire

Take from an enemy...

Ghosts Have No Name

Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire

Three Things About Nathan Mutch

The Spike by Nathan Mutch

Science Fiction by Nathan Mutch

Nathan Mutch Social Media

Three Things About David R Bernstein

Science Fiction by David R Bernstein

David R Bernstein Social Media

Define Stress? Working with idiots...

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

Photo shoot – Cosplay live on Instagram with Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas

About Nik

Charon’s Blade

Do You Love Dragons?

Photo shoot – Cosplay live on Instagram
with Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas