Go forth, seek the corners where the Worldblood pooled in timeless dream
– Mantra of the Four Corners
On the eve of the Deep Night Festival, Sidge proves his right to the title of Cloud Born, and while Kaaliya bears witness to his triumph, she can’t help but notice the gleam of mischief in their patron’s eyes. The Jadugar is scheming.
Sidge and Izhar continue on their pilgrimage and find that each has their own ideas on how to secure the future of the Stormblade Temple. At Sidge’s insistence, they follow the mysterious Chuman into realms where mortals have not tread since the days of the first Attarah. Deep in the marshes of Sli’mir’s Realm, Sidge must face the terrifying truth about his Ek’kiru nature and confront a lie buried at the very foundations of the temple he has devoted his life to preserving.
In Stronghold, Kaaliya delves into the Jadugar’s carefully held secrets. But when commoner’s tales and legends grace the very sky, she embarks on her own journey only to find the past she is running from has finally caught up to her.
Forge of the Jadugar is the exciting sequel to Pilgrim of the Storm and the second book in the Stormblade Saga series. Book three, Wake of Alshasra’a, is scheduled for release in early 2017.
Sample: Chapter One
Description:
Sidge, acolyte of the Stormblade Temple wants nothing more than to make his eccentric mentor, Izhar, proud and ascend to the rank of Cloud Born in the Stormblade Temple. Fearful of the return of an ancient foe, humans established the temple beneath the Undying Storm and learned to channel the storm dragon Vasheru’s power.
Only Sidge isn’t human – he’s a bug humanoid known as an Ek’kiru. And though he has memorized each of the twelve thousand mantras, he can’t yet channel even a spark of the Mighty Dragon’s power.
Sidge embarks on a pilgrimage to follow in the footsteps of the Savior of Humanity and learn to channel. But his first trip outside the temple proves a greater challenge than anticipated as he wrestles with otherworldly encounters, a society unwilling to accept him, and his growing feelings for a streetwise woman named Kaaliya.
The journey will test not only Sidge’s faith but his sense of identity as he and Izhar race to ensure the future of their temple does not fall into the wrong hands.
Awards:
Sample: Chapter One
Description:
Nineteen-year-old Spencer Harrington is the son of the Crimson Mask, the world’s most powerful superhero. Since witnessing his mother’s abduction two years ago, he’s been confined to his father’s arctic bunker. When the “Icehole” comes under attack by a rampaging robot, Spencer is forced to launch into his father’s dangerous world of weaponized human beings known as Augments.
With no powers of his own save a multi-tool, a quick wit and a boatload of emotional trauma, Spencer seeks to uncover his mother’s fate and confront his absentee father. As he stumbles through a web of conspiracies and top secret facilities, he rallies a team of everyday people and cast-off Augments. But Spencer soon discovers that the Black Beetle isn’t his only enemy, or his worst.
Reviews for Crimson Son:
“Crimson Son is a strong, rite-of-passage piece, examining the bonds of father and son and the impact each can have on the other, set against the worlds of augmented super-beings and shadowy government conspiracies. It shouldn’t work as well as it does, but it does. In spades.”
– Fanboy Comics – 5 stars“This bright, quirky fantasy, gives “superhero” a whole new meaning… The world Russ creates is so real, so believable, that you’re left wanting more of this character driven, action packed book.”
– The Author Visits – 5 starsCrimson Son is a 5-star book. Fast paced, engaging, character-driven, and a fun voice I love to read. As far as non-traditional Superhero books go, Crimson Son blows Steelheart out of the water.
– Laura Masiano – Hidden Corner of the Interwebz – 5 stars“More than just a “superhero” novel, it has emotional subplots that touch on coming of age, seeing your parents as other adults, trusting friends, and the triumph of the human spirit. “
– Bookie Monster – 5 stars
Awards:
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Description:
They were never designed to be heroes. State-sponsored superhumans known as Augments, they were designed to be living weapons to end a war against a tenacious enemy. But what do you do with a living, thinking weapon when the wars are fought? The enemy routed? What do you do when you’re no longer the only State with those secrets?
Their creators couldn’t surrender the power so they sought a way to hide it in the shadows. But one by one, the Augments began to disappear. The quiver emptying. The world would come to know them by many names; Hurricane, Ember, Aurora. What they could never know was whether their appearance heralded a miracle or a disaster.
Five personal tales of a history gone wrong, relayed through both the eyes of the Augments and the powerless inside the Crimson Son universe.
The ‘Cane Train struggles to keep tabs on the irrepressible, Hurricane and charts the program from the very first operation to a grisly clash of Augments.
Fat Man and Little Boy tells the story of a man of earth-shattering power who can’t escape his troubled past.
Codename: Danger follows an inner city kid who escaped the streets only to live a life of fear. The fear, a gift of the Augment program, has kept those around him safe but at his expense.
Aurora emerges in the waning days as a desperate administration seeks to find a way to regain control. For the first time, women are allowed to apply to the Augment program but greater control is far from what their experiment uncovers.
Alter Ego explores the quiet sacrifices of heroes and one young girl’s obsession with her favorite Augment, Ember.
SHORT STORIES
All These Shiny Worlds
“The Spider and the Darkness” – Short Story – Fantasy
Amazon US
Zombiefied
“An Apocalypse of Zombies” – Short Story – Zom Com
Amazon US
Redacted Story
“Invasion” – Flash – Apocalyptic
Amazon US
The Mental Ward: Stories from the Asylum
“The Doctor’s Session” – Short Story – Horror
Amazon US
Carnage: After the End Volume 1
“Prophecy of Numbers” – Short Story – Apocalyptic
Amazon US
Smashwords
FREE FICTIONAL WORK
Tempest – Short Story – Fantasy
Trickster – Flash – Literary
Grandpa in a Box – Short Story – Humor
“The Precarious Perch of Lookout County” – Short Story – Weird West
Anachronistic – Short Story – Science Fiction / Dystopian
NON-FICTIONAL WORK
Contributor at GeekDad
Staff Movie Reviewer for The Speculative Edge
Australia & South Pacific Destinations > Introductory overview on the Solomon Islands
Game Review: Adventure Chronicles
Ghost Writing for a Local Real Estate Blog (December 2010 through June 2011)
College Courses & Majors > Careers in criminal justice for veterans
Purchased through Helium.com (Ghost writing, buyer unknown.)
Job outlook for clinical laboratory specialists
Purchased through Helium.com (Ghost writing, buyer unknown.)
FICTIONAL WORK IN PROGRESS
Wake of Alshasra’a – Novel – Fantasy (70k words of 80k; First Draft)
Crimson Son 2 – Novel – Science Fiction (50k of 80k; First Draft)
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