Myths Endure on Mars

The Myths Endure on Mars series includes Anubis on Mars, Saint of Mars, Ithax's Offspring in Space, and Nerites Amid the Stars, The Serpentine History of the Saint (May 2024) and Wolf Boy Returns from Space (September 2024). The novellas follow a chronological order though each book can be read separately.   

 

Anubis on Mars, Saint of Mars, Ithax's Offspring in Space, and Nerites Amid the Stars will be reissued in May 2024 along with expanded chapters and a new short story. 

The Serpentine History of the Saint will follow that same month. Wolf Boy Returns from Space will follow this coming fall.

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With the help of her investigators, Francesca Paraclete, a devil's advocate, researches the possible canonization of a medieval saint: Lady Margaret.

If canonized, Lady Margaret will be the first Siphon or mermaid saint. Frankie must consequently deal not only with difficult-to-access and interpret historical records, she must also handle political issues--those who support a Siphon becoming a saint; those who don't.

Her duties are complicated by a possible spy from the College of Cardinals, a cat-like being who insists on accompanying her everywhere, and her personal invisible consultant, a Cubus named Will who is possibly over 2,000 years old.

To  keep things simple, Frankie focuses on locating Lady Margaret's relics. Frankie, her spy, and her consultant start the search in Bamburgh Castle in Northern England. Their investigation will take them to the Faroe Islands, the Isle of Man, King Arthur's Carlisle, a holy well, several shrines, and Norton Priory. At each location, they encounter lore connected to the sea and possibly, hopefully, the true story of Lady Margaret.

 

The Serpentine History of the Saint's anticipated publication is May 2024. 

 

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Incubus Lider wants a greater purpose in life than feeding off boring human sex dreams.

Catholic priest Rhys wants to have his own incubus.

Unexpected companions, Lider and Rhys travel to Mars on the same ship as a new religious sect. The sect follows a mix of ancient Egyptian creeds and prophetic revelations. The members' desire to create an exclusive community is challenged by assault and possible murder within its upper ranks.

Rhys convinces the authorities to let him investigate with his invisible partner, who can enter dreams and memories. He and Lider descend to Mars, where they discover a crime larger than anything even a human can imagine.

Anubis on Mars is part of the Myths Endure on Mars series. It takes place two or so years before Saint of Mars and five years before Ithax's Offspring in Space.

 

Anubis on Mars is available on Amazon. 

 

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Monseigneur Rhys and his Cubus, Lider, detectives from Anubis on Mars, investigate another murder.

A Mars citizen is being considered for sainthood. The process of canonization is proceeding smoothly--until it turns up unexpected historical details, angry relatives, and a sudden death. The death could derail the process. Or it could be entirely unconnected.

Rhys and Lider's aid is sought by the Devil's Advocate, Francesca Paraclete. Frankie needs Rhys and Lider's help. She isn't sure she can trust her own investigators. She isn't sure she can trust Mars citizens. And she isn't sure she can trust the invisible spy or Cubus who enjoys making wry comments in her head.

No matter the implications, the Devil's Advocate must know the truth. Mars needs a saint.

 

Saint of Mars is now available on Amazon. The May 2024 publication will include the new short story "The Exorcism of Lider." 

 

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Quin has a problem. He needs to return to Mars to take up his duties as administrator of the Mars Trading Depot. But someone left a clone in his ship cabin. A gorgeous, clever clone, who might just tempt Quin to break laws he agreed to when he emigrated to Mars in the first place.

Allec doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. So what if he's a clone? So what if he's only going to live a few months? He's on a spaceship. He's learning a new profession, and he has a handsome and kind boyfriend. The politics of his creation are not his problem.

As Quin and Allec near the end of their nine-month mission, they grapple with issues that affect Martian finances, family betrayal, political upheaval, and their own happiness.

Ithax's Offspring on Mars was originally released on April 12th in commemoration of Yugi Gagarin's travel into space. 

Ithax's Offspring on Mars is available on Amazon. 

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Author's Note: Mermaids and mermen are to me what I suspect horses were to a lot of my friends growing up. 

It's hard to tell because even as a kid, I was unlikely to collect mermaid dolls and posters and similarly-themed dish towels. These days, I have a lot of cat stuff, mostly because I decided not to fight people's tendency to give me cat stuff. I suspect I'm simply not a collector-type of person--of anything, that is, except books. 

Still, sea people are enchanting. There's E. Nesbit's Wet Magic as well as Stargate: Atlantis. (I always wanted the city to remain below water.)  And there's a lovely moment in Voyage of the Dawn Treader where Lucy, leaning over the side of the ship, sees a sea maiden and makes an instant connection. C.S. Lewis never tackles sea people directly but they haunt the Narnia books. They attend the coronation of the Pevensie children but are absent or only referenced in other books.

In other words, C.S. Lewis gives them the qualities that attend them in folklore: mysterious, unmanageable with an edge of ruthlessness.

My sea people, Siphons, are more cool-headed Fortune 500 CEOs. But the wonder of the sea--which I live near and can't imagine ever leaving--attends their rituals and customs and, naturally, their ability to produce tails. 

In this particular tale, Meke and Rill work to resolve a ritual-gone-wrong between them from nearly a decade earlier. The resolution gains critical status when the fate of Siphons on Mars enters the equation.

Nerites Amid the Stars is now available on Amazon.