In addition to drawing pictures, I’ve also been known to write a word or two. These excerpts, from my published fiction, are in the supernatural horror vein -- not surprising, since all my published work is through White Wolf, whose bread and butter is that very genre.

The physical books are out of print, but both the Year of the Scarab trilogy and Dark Ages Cappadocian are still available as pdf publications (click those titles if you’re interested).

The Year of the Scarab Trilogy

Best categorized as pulp action/horror, this trilogy follows a small group of modern-day vampire hunters who get caught up in a supernatural struggle for an ancient ritual that promises untold power. Despite the epic scope, I tried to retain a down-to-earth angle -- and a lot of monster-hunting adventure.

It was my first attempt at long-form fiction (and dashed out under a tight deadline). I cringe at the overwritten passages and clunky exposition; still, I think it offers a good ride with fun twists, and the characters are relatable (even Carpenter...) and engaging. If nothing else, I learned a lot from writing this. Nothing like diving into the deep end of the pool.

1. Heralds of the Storm
   

2. Drawn into a struggle against the forces of darkness, Thea Ghandour meets an enigmatic figure who claims to share her goal: the ultimate destruction of evil. Maxwell Carpenter has tracked an entity of incredible power to an obscure temple in the heart of Chicago, and asks for Thea’s help in defeating it. Thea soon learns Carpenter has not revealed everything -- but can she discover Carpenter’s real agenda before it’s too late?
   

3. Lay Down With Lions
   

4. Questioning the origins of his ancestors, the estranged vampire called Beckett comes to Chicago and unwittingly stumbles across the conflict between Thea Ghandour and Maxwell Carpenter. Beckett discovers he is not the only supernatural being drawn into the struggle -- for, at its center, is a powerful immortal: the mummy Nicholas Sforza-Ankhotep.
   

5. Land of the Dead
   

6. In flight to Egypt with a stolen mummy artifact of incalculable power, Maxwell Carpenter is pursued with equal intensity by the mortal Thea Ghandour, the vampire Beckett, and the mummy Nicholas Sforza-Ankhotep. Each hunts Carpenter for his or her own reasons, but only by joining forces can they hope to stop him from succeeding in his shocking quest.
   

Dark Ages: Cappadocian

This series focuses almost exclusively on vampires. I felt it was important to show that the undead still interacted with -- and relied upon -- the mortal world. In working out those details, I thought that it'd be fun to include perhaps the two most hapless sidekicks in literature: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. So the mortal servants, Falsinar and Beltramose, became my attempt to channel William Shakespeare and Tom Stoppard. (Check out the ego on Bates...)

1. On the down side, I worried too much about cramming plot points into White Wolf's canon. I worked past that hang-up by the last quarter of the book, but there was no time to rework the previous material -- my fault, since I was about four months past deadline. (Inspiration finally overcame writer's block; Chapter 20 onward was written in one 30-hour sitting -- a single draft that went straight to the editor.) Luckily, I had a very understanding editor in Philip Boulle.
   

Published in 2002, Dark Ages: Cappadocian is part of a 13-book series, with various authors handling different books. Each is meant to stand alone, but they tell a larger story when read all together.