“Ye Gods!” 1. exclamation of surprise 2. collection of short stories ranging from dark whimsy to scathing satire
Warning: this collection contains occasional wry humor, biting... More > political commentary, social criticism, and dire prognostication. Side effects include but are not limited to: laughter, head shaking, and 3 AM epiphanies. Occasional tears have been reported.
Characters are taken from various pantheons (Zeus, Shiva), classical literature/mythology (Icarus), history (Custer), and real life (Bigfoot, space aliens).
This collection is intended to relieve the symptoms of boredom and ennui. It may be taken straight or with a grain of salt. Store in brightly lit areas such as beside a comfortable chair or on a bedside table.< Less
Previously (Frank, 2007), Saint Francis was released from his centuries-long emissary duty to marry. In The Shining Man’s Wife, the saint is recalled to “active duty.” Frank and... More > Elaine are sent west on a mission to a national park where a startling chain of events unfolds. A local TV station films Frank and Elaine dramatically rescuing a bison herd, and the clip goes nationwide.
Elaine’s “Ride through Fire” makes her a hot commodity on the talk show circuit. She appears on Larry King and Oprah, and Ms. Winfrey inspires her to start up a foundation to help the underfunded national parks.
Elaine soon attracts the attention of a secretive philanthropic organization called Filiae Mundi (Daughters of the World). The Daughters ask Frank and Elaine to solve an environmental problem at their remote mountain headquarters. In between helping the Park Service and Filiae Mundi, the couple's godson is discovered to possess a strange healing power and they must protect him from unwanted attention.< Less
Stephen Elder’s first collection of short stories was entitled Ye Gods! because it had several stories involving deities. Ye Gods!2 has only one such tale.
Instead, this second collection... More > offers penetrating analyses of ancient and modern history (“Stone Age Tax Time” and “Lewis Books a Trip), plus pioneering essays on zoology (“The Ant Olympics” and “Interview with I’ll Have Another”).
The author offers further enlightenment by explaining how appliances are sometimes possessed by unfriendly spirits. As a bonus, an excellent dragon recipe for knight stew is included.
The “Life” section examines the consumer finance industry, child abduction, and the return of the Tooth Fairy. Despite the author’s best efforts, the “Death” section turns serious in “Saved” and “He finally Stopped Loving Her.”
Ye Gods!2 includes three novelettes, The Writing Spider, Toby and Dervish, and Relatives. The novelettes are also available separately as Kindle Singles on Amazon.< Less
Stephen Elder’s first collection of short stories was entitled Ye Gods! because it had several stories involving deities. Ye Gods!2 has only one such tale.
Instead, this second collection... More > offers penetrating analyses of ancient and modern history (“Stone Age Tax Time” and “Lewis Books a Trip), plus pioneering essays on zoology (“The Ant Olympics” and “Interview with I’ll Have Another”).
The author offers further enlightenment by explaining how appliances are sometimes possessed by unfriendly spirits. As a bonus, an excellent dragon recipe for knight stew is included.
The “Life” section examines the consumer finance industry, child abduction, and the return of the Tooth Fairy. Despite the author’s best efforts, the “Death” section turns serious in “Saved” and “He finally Stopped Loving Her.”
Ye Gods!2 includes three novelettes, The Writing Spider, Toby and Dervish, and Relatives. The novelettes are also available separately as Kindle Singles on Amazon.< Less
"Ye Gods!" 1. exclamation of surprise 2. collection of short stories ranging from dark whimsy to scathing satire.
Warning: this collection contains occasional wry humor, biting political... More > commentary, social criticism, and dire prognostication. Side effects include but are not limited to: laughter, head shaking, and 3 AM epiphanies. Occasional tears have been reported.
Characters are taken from various pantheons (Zeus, Shiva), classical literature/mythology (Icarus), history (Custer), and real life (Bigfoot, space aliens).
This collection is intended to relieve the symptoms of boredom and ennui. It may be taken straight or with a grain of salt. Store in brightly lit areas such as beside a comfortable chair or on a bedside table.< Less
The Shining Man and his wife return on another mission. When Filiae Mundi, a wealthy but secretive organization, nominates Elaine to its governing Council, Frank and Elaine go to Washington, a nexus... More > of power and multilayered danger. Elaine proposes an initiative to put more women into elective office in an effort to fix the dysfunctional Congress. If successful, her plan may save the world, but it could mean exposing Frank as well as the organization itself to unwanted public attention. Frank manages to maintain his ongoing ministry to the animal world, but an unexpected turn of events taxes his powers to their limit.< Less
County detective Simone Fitzhugh discovers a series of seemingly unrelated deaths that look like heart attacks but are found to be murders. Her husband, retired detective Michael Demidov, realizes... More > the murders are related and suggests that Simone go to the FBI. Past history with the Feds (The Unlikely Assassin) makes Simone wary, but the FBI surprisingly enlists their help. Demidov’s innovative interrogation techniques help unravel a tangled web of illegal drugs, a gunrunning militia, and a sinister terrorist plot to bring down the US government, all hatched by a shadowy figure called The Spider. The detectives’ lives are further complicated when Demidov’s Russian mafia family tries to draw the estranged son back into the fold. With Simone’s help, Demidov manages to extricate himself from the clutches of his family, but the consequences prove to be both a great boon and a heavy burden.< Less
County detective Simone Fitzhugh discovers a series of seemingly unrelated deaths that look like heart attacks but are found to be murders. Her husband, retired detective Michael Demidov, realizes... More > the murders are related and suggests that Simone go to the FBI. Past history with the Feds (The Unlikely Assassin) makes Simone wary, but the FBI surprisingly enlists their help. Demidov’s innovative interrogation techniques help unravel a tangled web of illegal drugs, a gunrunning militia, and a sinister terrorist plot to bring down the US government, all hatched by a shadowy figure called The Spider. The detectives’ lives are further complicated when Demidov’s Russian mafia family tries to draw the estranged son back into the fold. With Simone’s help, Demidov manages to extricate himself from the clutches of his family, but the consequences prove to be both a great boon and a heavy burden.< Less
Senior citizen Jordan Smith loses his wife to cancer. Devastated and angry, he hunts down the HMO executive who denied their medical claims, but then progresses from revenge to political... More > assassination. Michael Demidov and Simone Fitzhugh, the county detectives assigned to the initial murder, are hard pressed to keep up with the enterprising Mr. Smith. Smith's latest job causes a massive and hilarious political furor in Washington. Predictably, the FBI hijacks the case from the county detectives, but mutual blackmail provides an unexpected resolution.< Less
The Shining Man and his wife return on another mission. When Filiae Mundi, a wealthy but secretive organization, nominates Elaine to its governing Council, Frank and Elaine go to Washington, a nexus... More > of power and multilayered danger. Elaine proposes an initiative to put more women into elective office in an effort to fix the dysfunctional Congress. If successful, her plan may save the world, but it could mean exposing Frank as well as the organization itself to unwanted public attention. Frank manages to maintain his ongoing ministry to the animal world, but an unexpected turn of events taxes his powers to their limit.< Less
