The real story of Orville Summinski begins in the California gold fields, but does not stay there for long. His family moves to Los Angeles and he winds up in the Mexican beer business. Through a mixture of luck and skill, he gains the support of his Mexican employer, marries a Mexican heiress, and becomes a Mexican hidalgo. How's that for a boy born in the slums of New York City? 8 Chapters.
Dirt-track race-car driver Mel Austin is badly injured in a crash and wakes up in the hospital being nursed by friend and fellow driver Arlene. They decide it's time to grow up and live a more conventional life, so marry and settle down to teaching and nursing, jobs they both like. But, they've been racing cars long enough that it's hard to stay away from the tracks and out of the cars on them... How can they scratch the itch without exposure to the danger?
This is a story in four parts of precisely 250 words each. Each 'chapter' uses the name of one of the four great Celtic Fire Festivals. It is short and, I hope, sweet.
A man is killed by religious militants while protecting his fellow workers. He unexpectedly wakes up to find he's been abducted by aliens and they have an offer for him. He accepts the offer to be placed in an environment like Earth was 35,000 to 40,000 years ago, complete with animals and humans of that time. But there's a catch, it's a one-way trip and he's a star in their version of a reality broadcast show. They supply some gear to help him survive, and now it's up to him to do so. / (Reviews)
Buck Harrison is a drifting cowhand looking for a place where he could settle and be happy. Leaving the ranch after his mother passed on, there was no place for him near the family on the Home Ranch, and his older brothers inherited all the properties. He did carry a bit of coin in his saddlebag though. A month of traveling saw him coming down out of the hills, seeing a Ranch house in the valley.
For some time I had been encouraged by my proofreader, the late Techsan, to put some of my better works into a compilation of sorts. Well, Techsan, this is for you. What follows are stories as yet unpublished, chapters from my novels that we felt had not received the attention they deserved, and stories that just cried out to be released again to the many new readers out there. Enjoy, Paris Waterman / (Reviews)