FICTION INDEX
(Excerpts from works of fiction, dated as precisely as possible)

The following works are mine (intellectual property rules apply, in other words). These are pieces of what I consider to be the best of my work. If you read the clip and want to know more about the story, send me a note and I'll forward the remainder of the piece of work. They're too long to post on here in toto, that's the primary reason I didn't. Since I ain't in this for the money, the first one's free. After that, we might have to discuss some form of barter. I ain't too clear on the rules, yet.

As I've said before, language and subject matter rules apply. If they were made into movies, they'd probably be rated "R" for language and adult subject matter, including sex and/or violence. Mostly sex -- I don't have any real interest, just yet, in writing potboilers or suspense novels that include a lot of violence. Most of my stuff is what's known as "character fiction", which is to say it's about people and what they do. Most of the people in my work don't do violent things. If there's something here that's milder, that is also noted.

STONE FREE
Summer/Autumn 1999
About a widowed, youngish woman from Greater Cincinnati, and how she makes decisions about the next span of her life. WARNING -- this work has sexual content. Additionally, there is an interracial relationship, and there are some references to drug use. If any of these things offend you, spare us all.

EASTER PARADE
Spring 1999
This is a short story, complete. It's actually fairly clean -- though most kids under thirteen wouldn't understand all the references, there's nothing in this that would be offensive to anybody except perhaps a bit of strange religious allegory and a certain homegrown irreverence. In other words, the language and subject matter would probably pass other than on prime time network television.

COLD MORNING LIGHT
1997
Another complete short story. This one is a little more adult. It's also one that was published in a Cincinnati area literary magazine, "Dream Weaver". Good people, and if you live in or around Cincinnati, worth picking this magazine up if you like amateur writers or are one yourself. The title was stolen from a song from Todd Rundgren's "Something . . . Anything?" album only after I'd beat my head against the wall for several months trying to come up with a title other than "James".

EXPEDITION
1996
This story borrows many qualities from a person and a relationship now in my past. As language and subject matter go, it shouldn't offend any adult, and most thirteen year olds would think it was so clean it was stupid. The guy on whom I based the male character was a good friend of mine, but neither of us wanted to ruin the friendship, or he wasn't interested in me, or something, blah, blah, blah. In other words, it didn't really happen -- but it's a nice piece of work anyway, I thought. "Dream Weaver" didn't want it. What do you think of it?

SOUTH OF THE SONG
1994
This is a story about a guy from South Carolina. Adult language and subject matter disclaimer applies. I lived there, once, and fantasized that there was a man living there who was like this, though in reality it's more like I was. I don't think it's more than half a bubble off plumb, though, for what a man who was like I was would have been live if he'd lived in Myrtle Beach when I did. Which is to say it's totally specious but do you like it? Want to read more of it? Let me know.

EVEN FARTHER SOUTH
1996
Same disclaimer as before. If you didn't guess, it's mostly because I didn't have a name for the second story. I'm not even sure it's finished -- we're getting into ancient history here, by my lights, going back this far. Don't worry -- if you have enough interest in the character to read the second work and want an ending, I'll write one before I send you the remainder of the text, if this is the one you want. Really.

FOOL, IF YOU THINK IT'S OVER
1995-1997
See previous disclaimers. I worked on this one for a long time. Obviously it's still not finished -- I never came up with a decent title for it. I gave in a few seconds ago and stuck that on it just because it needs something and that's not entirely inappropriate. The work is better than the title, I promise.

WHEN ATTITUDE BECOMES A PROBLEM
1992-1995
See previous disclaimers yet again. I worked on this one incessantly, until I finally found an appropriate ending for it and wound it up. As was the case, back then, I almost had to be in love with the main character, to a degree, to stick with it. Mike Stretto is, again, what I would probably have been had I been a man in his field of endeavor.

ATTITUDE PROBLEM II
1996
Disclaimers et. al. I know. I didn't come up with a title for this one because . . . well, because I just didn't. Sue me -- as you've guessed by now, when I write I write A LOT. Stretto was easy -- I always knew what he was going to say and do. My life was exploded like a Mr. Potato Head at the time, I spent a lot of time writing stuff I didn't know anybody but me would read. That's all.

HAS HIS FATHER'S EYES
1997
Again, lame title for this one, just tossed it on here for this and it may change, if there's ever a reason. This one is rather more adult in most subject matter -- there are sex scenes, there is the usual language used by grown people, etc. etc. So if this offends you, please don't. 'K? Thanx.

How Sharper Than the Lion's Tooth

A cautionary tale. For control freaks. No, really.

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That's it for now. There are also several unfinished projects in my 'old kit bag', so smile, smile, smile. Yeah, right. Should I finish any of them, I'll stick the first twenty-five or thirty pages up here, just like the rest. Don't hold your breath, though.