The bells of the Badia were ringing the hour when Vittorio Calandra ground his three hundredth disc of glass and finally understood that he had failed. He set the lap down on the bench, rubbed the grit from between his fingers, and held the lens to the window. Through it, the rooftops of Florence swam … Continue reading The Grinder of Light
Historical Fiction
The Watch That Wouldn’t Keep Time
The pocket watch sat at the bottom of a shoebox marked "ESTATE - MISC," and Nora Quill almost didn't notice it. She'd spent three hours sorting through the contents of a storage unit her great-aunt had left behind, mostly old letters and a moth-eaten quilt, when her fingers brushed cold metal beneath a layer of … Continue reading The Watch That Wouldn’t Keep Time
The Crown Remains
The broadsheet had been nailed to the post office door since Tuesday, but Elias Holt didn't stop to read it until Thursday morning, when the smell of old blood had finally faded enough from the square that he could stand to linger. By Order of His Majesty's Pacification Commission. All persons who bore arms against … Continue reading The Crown Remains
The Weight of the Eagle
The aqueduct hummed. Marcus Varro had never noticed it before — not in fifteen years of service, not through three postings across the empire. But standing here in the pre-dawn stillness of the Virginian hills, listening to the ancient water channels feeding the sprawling city of Nova Londinium below, he noticed it now. A low, … Continue reading The Weight of the Eagle
The Carpenter’s Heart: The Untold Story of Cleopatra’s Secret Lover
History remembers Cleopatra VII as the legendary queen who captivated Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, but what if the greatest love of her life was someone history never recorded? The autumn winds of 48 BC swept across Alexandria's harbor as Queen Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator stood on her palace balcony, watching Roman ships approach in … Continue reading The Carpenter’s Heart: The Untold Story of Cleopatra’s Secret Lover
The Deception of Margaret Blackwood: A Tale of Revenge on the High Seas
The salt spray kissed Margaret Blackwood's weathered face as she adjusted the worn tricorn hat shadowing her features. To her crew aboard the Crimson Dawn, she was simply "Black Matt"—a cunning quartermaster whose sharp mind for tactics had earned them more successful raids than any other pirate vessel prowling the waters between the Carolinas and … Continue reading The Deception of Margaret Blackwood: A Tale of Revenge on the High Seas
The Healer’s Daughter
The fever had taken hold of Thomas three days ago, and Elisabeth knew with the certainty that comes from watching too many neighbors buried that her little brother was dying. She knelt beside his small form on the rough-hewn bed, pressing a damp cloth to his burning forehead. At eight years old, Thomas had always … Continue reading The Healer’s Daughter
The Confusing Middle 