Merry CHRISTmas!!!

Merry CHRISTmas to you and yours!

Luke 2:1-19 (New Living Translation)

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart.

"Zero Hour" re-released

 

In celebration of October and the "spooky season," I have re-released my "Zero Hour" short story collection. Previously released as two volumes, this new edition compiles all of the stories from volumes 1 and 2. It is available in both paperback and downloadable ebook versions. As a special promotion, the ebook is available for $0.99 through October 16, at which time it will go to its "regular" price of $4.99.

Are you ready for tales that carry you through the farthest reaches of imagination and lead you face-to-face with timeless truths? From the deck of the Titanic to the distant future, from carnival sideshows to secret laboratories, author Stoney M. Setzer presents this anthology of short stories that explore the shadowlands of imagination through the lens of faith.

Check it out today, and as always, reviews on your purchase platform and/or Goodreads are greatly appreciated. Thank you again for your continued support!

Coming Soon--"Who's the Monster?" Anthology

 

On October 15, Ye Olde Dragons is releasing Who's the Monster?, their second classic monster anthology. My short story "The Sentinel" will be included in this. It is a direct sequel to "The Hired Fang," my story from their Moonlight and Claws anthology, and it also takes place in the same continuity as the other two stories of mine that Ye Olde Dragons has published ("Skin Deep" from When Your Beuaty IS the Beast and "Operation Breakout" from Tales from the Tower). All of those anthologies are great and definitely worth your time, and I'm honored to have been able to participate in all of them.

Here's the blurb:

WHO'S THE MONSTER?
Classic Monsters Anthology #2

Who really is the monster in the Frankenstein mythos?
Creator or Creation?
Who is the victim, and who is the victor?
Join us as we explore variations on the theme of Frankenstein -- doctor and monster -- in modern-day, historic and fantasy settings, through the eyes of creator, creation, and those they encounter along the way. We'll visit some friends and settings we've met before, and new ones to make you smile, shiver, and shed a tear.
Guaranteed, you'll never look at a mad scientist the same way again.

***

I hope you'll check out check out Who's the Monster? on October 15. Also, come back soon for another "Coming Soon" announcement!

Excerpt from "Operation Breakout"

 

Yesterday I mentioned the new "Tales from the Tower" anthology, which will be released on May 1. Below is an excerpt from my contribution, "Operation Breakout," as featured on the Ye Olde Dragons facebook page. I hope you enjoy it!

#

“Gillis! Hit the wall, now!” Sarge commanded.

The sound of running footsteps was followed by the thunder of the dining area wall exploding. Gillis had done his job, crashing through and making a hole big enough for us to run through. Operation Breakout was underway.

Offering up a quick prayer, I followed the sounds of my cohorts to find the opening and hustle through it. Getting outside the building was the easy part. Now we had to fight for our freedom as the guards regrouped. At least we could use our newfound abilities--the ones we got here--against them.

Maybe Sarge should have called it Operation Bedlam. Chaos erupted all around me, partially because of me, but of course I couldn’t see it. Thanks to our captors, I hadn’t been able to see anything in weeks. I could hear it, though--from the panicked shouts of the guards to the crackling of the flames to the whistling of the projectiles I hurled through the air.

All the experiments we had suffered through had endowed each of us with a superhuman ability at the cost of a disability. Some combinations had no bearing on each other. Villanueva had acromegaly now, but that didn’t impede his newfound power of firestarting.

Unfortunately for me, blindness and telekinesis didn’t mix well. My other four senses were heightened, but that only helped so much. There were a lot of metal objects around me--I could tell by a certain smell I had never noticed when I was still sighted--so I knew I had plenty of stuff to throw. By my amplified hearing, I could also distinguish and pinpoint the voices of my comrades and our enemies, helping me aim my makeshift missiles.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t see what I was throwing, nor could I see what anybody else was doing. With my mind, I picked up an object that I estimated must have weighed twenty pounds and started to launch it…

“Mays! No!” Sarge cried. “Don’t throw the propane tank that way! That’s where Villanueva’s aiming!”

I heard him, but I had already thrown it by the time the words sank in. Please, God, no! No no no…

KA-BOOM!

A wave of heat and pressure slammed me backward. I hit my head against something hard and blacked out.

#

The anthology comes out on May 1. Thank you for your continued support!

"Tales from the Tower" available on May 1!

 

On May 1, Ye Olde Dragon Books is releasing their newest anthology, "Tales from the Tower: Fairytale Anthology #2." It includes my short story "Operation Breakout." Purchase links will be coming soon.

In honor of this event, all of my ebooks will be available at a special price of $0.99 from now until May 3. This includes all three books in the Wesley Winter series. Just go to the Tinnie Press homepage, click on the headings for "Wesley Winter" and/or "Suspense," and download the titles of your choice. Happy reading, and thank you for your continued support!