Released - The New Moon Murders

January, 1930 - Chicago

Something evil stalks the streets performing human sacrifices every new moon.

The police are baffled. High society wants it covered up. The mob wants the murder weapon.

Fearing the involvement of a long time parishioner, aging priest Father Burke turns to a man he once thought possessed.

Private detective Thomas Gunn, tormented by visions he cannot control, takes the case only to discover that staring down the business end of a Tommy gun is nothing compared to stopping an ancient evil bent on world destruction.

In the tradition of H. P. Lovecraft and Dashel Hammitt, The New Moon Murders is a classic hard-boiled detective story fused with the elements of star-spanning horror.


The New Moon Murders is available as an electronic book from Amazon.com , iTunes, Barns and Noble, or in every other format known to man on Smashwords.

The New Moon Murders - Part 2

Special thanks to M S Jackson for the new cover art! In case you missed it, here's the link to Part 1.

Part 2

 “You mean Eric Fuchs is the New Moon Murderer?” Father Burke half yelled over the cold Chicago wind.

“I don’t know that he is,” Thomas Gunn said. “Then again, I don’t know that he isn’t. What I do know is that he killed his father-in-law.”

“That can't be. True, Patrick Lynch wanted his daughter to marry an good Irishman but he came to respect Eric. In fact, I would even say they became friends. Mary said more than once that her father sided with Eric concerning his dedication to the store.”

“They must have had a falling out because after he stabbed Captain Lynch, Eric came home and threw Mary down the stairs. I saw it as we passed through the foyer when we left.”

The New Moon Murders part 1

One of my great loves in life is writing fiction. One of my great frustrations is that I don't get to write enough of it. What follows is the beginning of a novella I wrote back in December titled 'The New Moon Murders.' During June Gloom I'll attempt to finally finish it. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

To keep an RPG bent to it, I'll post characters at the end of each chapter. I'll also post a link to a PDF and ebook. I've never published an ebook before so any hints or suggestions are appreciated as well.

Enjoy! (hopefully)
Keith

PDF
EBOOK

The New Moon Murders

A Thomas Gunn Detective Story

by R. Keith Athey

12/07/2010

Part 1

Gods Game 2.2 - Greetings

Gûndaff's home world lay on the other side of the portal. The gateway's green border framed a forest clearing filled with green grass and tall oaks. On the other side a lone figure stood facing the portal. Gûndaff smiled and raised his hand in in greeting.

An arrow struck the ground between the old man's feet as a female voice yelled from the other side. “Gûndaff Faêrenfarr, you step one foot through that portal and I'll drop you where you stand!”

Corporal Hernandez's pistol was drawn and pointed at the voice on the other side. Gûndaff placed his hand on the gun forcing the Corporal to lower his side arm.

“Friend of yours, General?”

“Worse,” said Gûndaff. “A friend's insane ex-girlfriend.”

God's Game 2.1 - Returns

The God's Game Saga continues. We leave Jack behind for a bit to pick up a new thread in the story.

God's Game 1.8 - Departures

Episode 1: Arrival
Episode 2: Reunions
Episode 3: Nigh Watch
Episode 4: Big Dogs
Episode 5: Judgment
Episode 6: On Display
Episode 7: The Uninvited
Episode 8: Departures

And now for this week's episode: Departures

Gods' Game 1.7 - The Uninvited

Episode 1: Arrival
Episode 2: Reunions
Episode 3: Nigh Watch
Episode 4: Big Dogs
Episode 5: Judgment
Episode 6: On Display
Episode 7: The Uninvited
Episode 8: Departures

This week's episode: The Uninvited

No Fault

This is another story in the Skipping Stones universe containing the first person testimony of a Blorb named Blasphornomiconiumoocus at his trial for the genocide of Planet Caractus's entire population. In his defence, it really was an accident.

The Blorb are a race of huge, tentacled, slug creatures who eat rotting meat and are bent on galactic domination. To make things worse they are powerful psychics with the ability to bend other races to their will. They stink, leave a trail of slime where ever they go, and treat all other races as lackeys who exist for the sole purpose of serving the Blorb Syndicates. There is absolutely nothing to like about a Blorb. This, of course, increases the enjoyment of writing dialogue for them.

This story, while small, is pivotal to the overall Skipping Stones arc, but it didn't fit within the other writings. The anti-hero is tangentially responsible for saving the galaxy from domination by a time shifting race of crystalline robots. Blasphornomiconiumoocus would hate to be known as the saviour of the galaxy, but that's how history documents his otherwise dreadful life.

Gods' Game 1.6 - On Display

Episode 1: Arrival
Episode 2: Reunions
Episode 3: Nigh Watch
Episode 4: Big Dogs
Episode 5: Judgment
Episode 6: On Display
Episode 7: The Uninvited
Episode 8: Departures

This week's episode: On Display

Gods' Game 1.5 - Judgment

Episode 1: Arrival
Episode 2: Reunions
Episode 3: Nigh Watch
Episode 4: Big Dogs
Episode 5: Judgment
Episode 6: On Display
Episode 7: The Uninvited
Episode 8: Departures
This week's episode - Judgement

Gods' Game 1.4 - Big Dogs

Episode 1: Arrival
Episode 2: Reunions
Episode 3: Nigh Watch
Episode 4: Big Dogs
Episode 5: Judgment
Episode 6: On Display
Episode 7: The Uninvited
Episode 8: Departures

Episode Four - Big Dogs

Gods' Game 1.3 - Night Watch

Episode 1: Arrival
Episode 2: Reunions
Episode 3: Nigh Watch
Episode 4: Big Dogs
Episode 5: Judgment
Episode 6: On Display
Episode 7: The Uninvited
Episode 8: Departures
Episode Three - Night Watch

Gods' Game 1.2 - Reunions

Episode 1: Arrival
Episode 2: Reunions
Episode 3: Nigh Watch
Episode 4: Big Dogs
Episode 5: Judgment
Episode 6: On Display
Episode 7: The Uninvited
Episode 8: Departures

In the last episode, Jack Large arrived in Misty Bay. It didn't take long for the brawling Straulian halfing to find trouble. This week we continue the story in part 2, Reunions.

Gods' Game 1.1 - Arrival

This next piece of fiction is in the Swords and Sorcery genre and flowed from a group of villains I created for D&D 2e. The villains were the evil counterparts to my gaming group's adventurers. I invested a great deal of time in their original creation. I was greatly surprised when the bad guys' leader managed to take down most of the party via one-on-one duels. The legend of Lord Havoq grew from there.

When I began writing this story it was to placate some of my old gaming buddies who wanted me to write about their characters. Well, what began as a simple adventure to slay a dragon turned into a novel regarding the greater war between the Rangers of Tehas and the minions of Lord Havoq.

Space Pulp: Artifacts

1.

Orange and yellow clouds gathered, darkening in preparation of a Saturnian Summer storm. The birdman flew away from the pursuing tempest, grateful for the tailwind and the clouds that hid him. Lightning flashed between nearby clouds, causing the birdman's hair to stand on end. Then the rain came.



Streams of water flowed past his brow and into his beard. The tailwind became erratic, tossing him about like a child's doll. His wet, blue tunic clung to his thin body proving little protection from the fierce weather. He had to find shelter soon or he and his precious cargo would fall into the clouds below to be lost forever in Saturn's dense, lower atmosphere. He tightened his grasp on the leather satchel that slickened in the rain.

Skipping Stones

With sight that was not sight, an ancient being looked upon the third planet of a distant yellow sun. Its billions of inhabitants scurried through their day-to-day existence unaware of the drama unfolding heavenward. Tension gripped its populace as regional conflicts threatened to escalate into that planet's third world war.

Her thoughts shifted to the system's fourth planet. As if descending from orbit, she viewed the cold, red planet's surface and the remains of an unmanned vehicle sent from the third planet. The craft lay dormant covered in red dust. She marveled at the vast effort that delivered so little return. "Primitive," she said thinking of the beings who hurled the robot from the third planet. "But with a capacity to adapt."

The nearly airless planet was a venue of her creation. The actors approached. She watched the drama unfold.