Steven Meehan

OK
About Steven Meehan
I haven't always been an avid reader. When I was a kid, I would run away from books. I did whatever I had to do so as not to read. I watched a lot of television; it is simpler than reading, so it was a no-brainer for me. I did the whole summer reading the thing, but that was never for the reading, just the prizes. And sometimes, I didn't actually do the reading.
Before I go on, I should mention that I do believe listening to an audiobook is just as worthwhile as reading a book. Regardless, how you bring the words into your mind, whether through letters on a page, pixels on a screen, or words through a speaker, the result is the same. Given my daily commute, I don't have the luxury of time to read. However, with audible.com, I have access to all the literature I want. Audible.com is now my primary source of literature.
As I said, I wasn't an avid reader in my youth. However, one day, when I was still in high school, a good friend of mine gave me a book to read, Wizard's First Rule. I figured since he gave it to me and he was so excited about it, I would read at least the first few pages. After reading those first few pages, I decided to read the next few chapters, and then the next few chapters. Before I knew what had happened, I had finished the whole book. This single book, the whole series, in fact, was my entrance back into the wide world of literature that I had sought escape from for so long. If it hadn't been suggested to me in just the right way, I would never have gotten back into reading. That is why this series will always hold a special place in my heart.
And as the saying goes, "Youth is wasted on the young." Now that I don't have the time to read I wish I could reclaim the time I wasted when younger and use it to read or write, rather than being so obsessed with TV. That said, there are some good shows on television, but they are few and far between. Some like Castle, Angel, and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, have excellent story-lines and can be good for the brain. It also helps that they have a good dose of humor. Sadly, however, most TV shows are just candy, good in the short run but will ruin your health over time.
Now, what makes a good book, movie, or television show to me? Story is king, and the story will raise or sink whatever it is I'm trying to enjoy. The story, as a whole, has to be good. If any part of the story, beginning, middle, or end limps, then it can destroy the whole story for me. A perfect example is Unbreakable with Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis. The movie was great right up until the end where I forever lost interest in it. Now television shows and a series of books are different. There will be weak episodes or books, but so long as it isn't each sequel, it's okay by me.
Now a good question to ask would be "What authors have had the greatest influence on me?" Well here is a list of the top ones in, no particular order.
Terry Goodkind
Jim Butcher
Rick Riorden
L. E. Modesitt Jr.
Patrick Rothfuss
Brandon Sanderson
Are you an author?
Author Updates
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Blog postWith Misdirect and Drifting Earwig finished, and the month rapidly coming to a close, I turned my attention to the last piece of flash fiction for my patrons. While I’m not entirely comfortable with Romantic Comedies, I was eager to stretch my skills. Despite having watched several RomComs with friends and family over the years, it was difficult coming up with the initial storyline for my patrons. So, I rushed to my catalogue of NYC Midnight’s prompts and plucked a random one from the depths.2 weeks ago Read more
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Blog postMoments after completing Misdirect, my mind picked up the draft for July’s Ghost Story. While there was a little dust on the mental copy of the tale, I quickly dusted it off and dove into the last phase of editing the latest tale of Benjamin and his living partner. When I first sat down to flesh out the story, I wanted Benjamin to chase down the man he’s convinced killed him. Despite the sudden emergence of the fuzzy memory, the shade’s partner tried to keep him from storming off into the cit2 weeks ago Read more
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Blog postWhile I love that my mind drifts from topic to topic, sometimes it prevents me from focusing on the task at hand. A little while back, I stumbled onto a YouTube channel that captured my imagination, Skill Tree. I don’t remember what the first video I saw first, but I eventually fell into his leatherworking videos, and it didn’t take long for me to dabble in the craft myself. Unfortunately, that desire stole time away from my writing, which left my flash fiction for July lingering like dust in3 weeks ago Read more
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Blog postDespite my frustration when I was a child, I’m glad that my parents kept me busy every second of the day with countless events and activities. One of the more pivotal groups they put me into was the Boy Scouts. Unlike every other troop that sold popcorn to fund their activities, my troop sold Christmas Trees. We never We were so successful, that we never had to do anything else. Of course, as a kid, I didn’t really understand the importance of the event. All I cared about was the yearly ski t3 weeks ago Read more
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Blog postWhile I cannot remember the first time I played poker, I have some vivid memories circling around those crowded tables. One such memory took place during a tournament at an old Hard Rock Cafe. As the evening wore on, I kept moving from table to table, adding chips to my growing stack. Unfortunately, I don’t remember if I won the night, or simply took second place. Either way, the core of the memory took place earlier in the night and centered on eliminating someone from the tournament. After4 weeks ago Read more
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Blog postWhen I sat down to write this nano drama, I stared at the action in the prompt. As the seconds ticked away, a distant memory thundered through my mind. Since I was a middle child, there were times my older siblings had to keep tabs on me. Looking back at those times, I can appreciate how much trouble I caused them. One particularly stressful occasion happened during my brother’s watch and dealt with a roll of tape. While I’ll keep the details of that escapade to myself, it sparked the basis o1 month ago Read more
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Blog postAs Daniel sauntered past the pile of crates, he snatched the lone pad sitting atop the stack. Once the screen flared to life, he thumbed through the files. Halfway through the documents, his head fell to his shoulder as he lifted the top from the nearest box. With a sigh, the captain turned toward the massive fellow and poked him with the tablet’s edge. “Robert, is everything on this manifest packed into those containers?”
Laughter bubbled out of Robert and his crew as the jolly mounta1 month ago Read more -
Blog postJust before Independence Day, I sat down in front of my laptop and poked through a collection of past prompts from NYC Midnight. After a few minutes of deliberation, I selected the genres for July’s Micro Fiction. Ultimately, I leaned into a random number generator for the selection, and up first was a Comedy. However, with my recent work with Crime Capers, blending the two was an easy decision. However, when the prompt called for centering on massaging, I didn’t know what to do at first.
1 month ago Read more -
Blog postAfter confirming the results from Tarian’s logs, Jarvis waited for the dwarves to return. When the stout warriors returned, the party’s leader instructed most his dwarves to remain while he led Jarvis into the woods. With a brief back and forth, the dwarf agreed to let a handful of Jarvis’s crew to join him. Will the dwarves betray their new allies once they’re deep in the foreboding forest? Or will this expedition intensify their friendship?
While Jarvis dabbed his forehead, the rough1 month ago Read more -
Blog postWith Friendly Banter and Reunion written, I turned my attention to my patron’s last story for June, a mystery. Thankfully, I’ve developed a couple of characters that are perfect for helming this tale. Unfortunately, the only difficulty is how much I love both detectives. That love makes it all too hard to choose which one over the other. This month, my earlier stories simplified my decision with the interaction between Jessica and Kyle in Friendly Banter. I couldn’t leave Kyle being shown up2 months ago Read more
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Blog postWhile June was rapidly ticking away, I stared at my second prompt for the month and nothing was springing to mind. Thankfully, with a moment of clarity, my mind snatched onto a bit of world building I did for a story that spawned from a piece of art I stumbled onto over on Facebook. I created a wonderful character for Siphoning the Stone and while I didn’t mention her lineage in the tale, I always wanted to connect her with another character, Leodor from Darren Gilbert: Journeys.
I hav2 months ago Read more -
Blog postThe summers of my youth consisted of lots of swimming. Unfortunately, all that swimming was for the local swim team, and I was very much in the middle of the pack. Despite that, I remember pushing myself so I could be a member of the first relay team. Towards the end of my time on the team, I finally achieved that goal. Even though my place on the first relay team didn’t last long, the fact that I reached that level meant a lot.
With that memory firmly locked in place, I turned my atte2 months ago Read more -
Blog postAccording to the plans I’ve devised, I should have finished this draft earlier in the month. However, after running around completing so many things that have vied for my attention, I returned to the story of Jarvis and his crew. During a brief lull in the siege between the never-ending horde and the crew of the Discovery, Jarvis seeks confirmation of certain claims from Tarian’s logs. Despite trusting the leader of the previous expedition, Jarvis is unwilling to spread the information about2 months ago Read more
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Blog postFrom the moment I pulled this month’s Genre poll, I knew I wanted to have Jessica cross paths with Kyle Rickman. While these two briefly met in Knight’s Dual, they didn’t really interact. With that deficiency in mind and the fact that I’ve created characters perfectly opposed to each other, I knew they would eventually have to interact. As a result, I was eager to craft their true meeting. Unfortunately, I didn’t know the best way to narrate it.
After kicking the can for a couple of da2 months ago Read more -
Blog postWith everything that’s going on in the world and my life, my fuse has been a little shorter than usual. Thankfully, I’ve kept it in check by focusing that frustration into my writing, specifically Ramas Caldwell. With the common thread between this loner and myself, I poured all the recent frustrations into him as he sought a drink at a local tavern.
While I have plans to bring the intricacies of his abilities to my readers, for now, I’m content with teasing the depth of his fantastic2 months ago Read more -
Blog postTraveling overseas can be fun. I remember the trips I took during my high school years. Aside from the sights, especially in Greece, the most memorable aspect of the trip was a piece of advice I was given. I don’t remember who gave it, but I was told to barter with the shopkeepers, especially with dollars, rather than paying the listed price. Growing up in America, I was conditioned to check the price and pay it. But during those two escapades, I was surprised at the deals I could find with t2 months ago Read more
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Blog postThink about all the trips you’ve ever taken. Provided they weren’t solo expeditions, I’m sure you’ve dealt with a jerk who needed to make the trip miserable. It seems to be one of those inevitable rules of life: you will have to deal with someone who wants to ruin everyone’s experience. The flip side of that rule is one of discipline. If you’re willing to reign in your frustration, you can still find pleasure in the journey.
Keeping those facts in mind, I turned to my attention to Luca2 months ago Read more -
Blog postOver the years, I’ve created several characters for my collection of stories. While I made some of them for a single story, others brought me such joy that I couldn’t help but continue their stories. Aside from the central characters from Dead Man’s Hand and Drawing Thin, there are other individuals traipsing through my mental landscape, acting out their lives. Fortunately, when I set out to write this month’s micro-fiction, I plucked Jessica from the chaos and skimmed through her history and2 months ago Read more
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Blog postWith Weighing Pillage and Baited Duel written and published, I turned my attention to the last piece of exclusive flash fiction for my patrons, a mystery. When I pulled the results of the poll, I knew I wanted to lean into some of my dad’s stories from his time as an FBI field agent. The most memorable one came from his time when he served with the FBI’s internal investigations. One attorney who prosecuted those wayward agents came to my dad and asked him why those agents never had a bad thin3 months ago Read more
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Blog postThroughout my life, I’ve always wanted to be the best at whatever I was currently doing. Usually, it was something trivial in the scheme of things. But I pushed myself until I grew tired of the hobby, and it dwindled from my mind. After years of searching, I’ve identified the handful of hobbies that make me smile. And with each passing day, I push my limits, seeking to become the best. With that desire pushing me, I continue to reach new plateaus of skill.
Will I be the best that’s eve3 months ago Read more -
Blog postFresh off the heels of writing Weighing Pillage, I turned my attention to another favorite character, Darren Gilbert. While I’m detailing his early life over on WattPad, he was a character I created for my patrons with Act of Heroism. When I finished that story, I knew I had a character that I couldn’t ignore.
With every word, I’ve watched Darren grow from a timid young boy to a master yet disgruntled spell slinger. Despite knowing that I wanted to explore his life, I wasn’t sure what3 months ago Read more -
Blog postAfter pulling the results from the monthly poll, I was eager to churn through these stories. While I’ve quickly come to love the new characters for my ghost tales, I was happy to return to some of my older characters I haven’t spent enough time with. The first one to get a refresher was my master thief, Jessica Calhoun. While I have a tentative nickname for her, I wanted to elevate her character. Despite pitting her against a top-notch private investigator, I wanted to ground her in the world3 months ago Read more
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Blog postIt’s been a couple months since I’ve published an installment to my stories hosted over on Wattpad. Despite my endeavor to bring fresh stories to the world every month, there are months when my wants are knocked down. However, much like Jarvis and his expedition, I refuse to surrender. This month I carved out a few hours and dedicated that time to finishing the most recent tale for Discovery.. As the horde increases their strength and numbers, Jarvis orders Cecile to upgrade more of their can3 months ago Read more
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Blog postSometimes, delving through random YouTube videos can be highly informative. Typically, I’m watching them to kill some time, but from time to time I stumble onto a gem. One such video highlighted the space battle from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Early on, it references Alfred Hitchcock’s definition of tension. While I could quote the man, I’d recommend watching the video so you can hear his full answer. But the important takeaway is about ensuring the audience knows something is wrong.3 months ago Read more
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Blog postWhile it’s been a couple months since I’ve tried writing a comedy, I felt the itch to expand my skills, so I searched through past prompts for NYC Midnight’s Micro Fiction competition. When I read the prompt, the basic storyline thundered into my mind like a truck through someone’s front wall. With each passing second, the vague idea crystalized and in the blink of an eye, the dialogue between a couple tumbled into my laptop.
As I went through the drafting process, my mind flashed thro3 months ago Read more -
Blog postWhile I was setting up my new phone, I stumbled into my Photo of the Day app and I setup its widget on my home screen. With the quick previews, a collection of lavender flowers caught my attention. Instantly, I knew it would be the center of a story. With my desire to create a story based on the image, I collected the URL and prepped my digital notebook for the story. As the days ticked by, the potential story wormed its way through my mind, poking at the collection of characters housed there3 months ago Read more
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Blog postIt has been said that there are only a few truths that are absolute. The first is the tax man. He will always get his due. However, the other commonly agreed absolute truth is death. While taxes are inconvenient, people strive to extend their time on this earth. The mystery of what comes after our fleeting life is a source of plentiful stories. Countless creatives have tried to capture their image of what happens next.
My first foray into micro fiction was a ghost story, and as it tumb3 months ago Read more -
Blog postWith only a handful of days left in the month, I dove into the last story for April. Just like Combustion and Extraction, I wanted to explore the dynamic between Marcus and his living partner. From the moment I sat down to work on this tale, the rough outline flourished in my mind, like a weed invading a garden. Despite likening my story to something that’s undesirable, after several rounds of editing, I refined the narrative and fleshed out the dynamic between Marcus and his partner.
4 months ago Read more -
Blog postDuring my youth, rainy weather was the worst, especially when it struck, and I couldn’t escape to a dry patch. However, just before heading to college, I became a PADI certified scuba diver, forever altering my opinion of storms. After spending time submerged in lakes or the ocean, getting drenched no longer had the same effect on me. Now I can stand in the downpour and the constant patter of raindrops is hypnotic and utterly soothing. That said, I can understand why people prefer to either s4 months ago Read more
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Blog postEven before I wrote my first piece of exclusive flash fiction, New Personalities for my patrons, I’ve preferred writing some genres over others. After writing Partners, I really wanted to continue exploring this fledgling partnership. Fortunately, my wonderful patrons demanded another ghost story, which allowed me to detail a second entry, Combustion. However, I really didn’t want to wait for my patrons to select the genre again. So, I blended the mystery with Benjamin’s ethereal presence to4 months ago Read more
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Blog postThere is great truth in the beauty of simplicity. Throughout my life, I’ve only received one massage. It was a fantastic experience that I would like to duplicate given the right opportunity and means. However, it wasn’t the most relaxing thing I’ve done in my life. Those belong to the simplest of things, like skipping or throwing stones. Once you’ve collected your ammunition, there is something invigorating in the simple motion of flinging rocks. Unfortunately, just because something is rela4 months ago Read more
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Blog postLast month, when I sat down to write my ghost story, I thought about my issue with purely episodic storytelling. Before I wrote Partners, the only thing connecting my ghost stories was the note directing the shade to their next step in their journey. However, I thought about my favorite television shows, and I realized they fleshed out a central storyline one installment at a time. So, I created a pair of characters while laying the groundwork for the central storyline I wanted to follow with4 months ago Read more
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Blog postUnlike the flash fiction I write for my patrons, where they select the genres, when I prepare these micro tales, I maintain complete control over the process. Despite the rapid turnover with flash fiction, micro fiction is even faster with its word limitation. That constant churn works wonders for my skills. The severe limit of this type of writing has its drawbacks and benefits. While it’s challenging to cram the entirety of a story into two hundred and fifty words, it allows me to hone aspe4 months ago Read more
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Blog postEvery character needs to have a handful of defining traits. These range from aspects of their personality to specific garments or gear. This gruff wanderer’s key item is his helmet, which was the first thing I defined for Ramas. Eventually, I added a few more pieces of equipment, including his cloak, and gifted him with a set of powers that I was eager to explore. While I enjoy exploring this unique collection of abilities, I cannot for the life of me remember what inspired them.
Unfor4 months ago Read more -
Blog postHaving just finished Partners and Select Wares, I was staring at the end of the month with one more story to finish for my patrons. However, I didn’t have a single idea for that storyline. Fortunately, when I don’t have any idea about potential narratives, I am quick to pull a prompt to seed my stories. So, I sat down at my laptop and pulled up some past prompts from NYC Midnight and randomly drew the skeleton for my latest thriller. This tale would take place on a canal and a headlight would5 months ago Read more
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Blog postWith each passing year, I fully intend to dedicate all the spare time I have to writing. Despite those lofty goals, life steps in and kicks me in the mouth. Whether I get sucked into some games, tv shows, books, or troubling times, I’ve never been able to claim that level of dedication. This year is no different. The constant barrage upon my focus forces me to make choices concerning the one limited resource we all have: time.
There are days when I make decisions that allow my creative5 months ago Read more -
Blog postWith the month rapidly coming to a close, the moment I finished crafting Partners I turned my attention to the second genre selected by my patrons, Science Fiction. While I have crafted several worlds that could serve as the basis for this tale, one of them jumped to the front of the list. Despite knowing the genre and the location, I was having some trouble crafting the ultimate storyline. With the block fully in place, I plucked a prompt from NYC Midnight’s collection. Of course, this is du5 months ago Read more
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Blog postThe thing I love about micro fiction is the word limit. Having to tell a story with a cap of two hundred and fifty words forces me to focus on my diction and keeping the narrative tight. With that limitation, I’m willing to experiment with genres that I’m not entirely comfortable with, like romance and comedy. However, that doesn’t mean stories always flutter to the forefront of my mind. So, when I sat down to outline this piece of micro fiction, I pulled a random first line to kick-start my5 months ago Read more
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Blog postDespite playing a lot of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, I’ve kept myself focused on my writing. When I pulled the genre poll for March, I was happy that my patrons wanted to see another Ghost Story. While I enjoy the formula I’ve found with Journey of Thanks, I wanted to try something a little different. So, I sat down in front of my computer and stared at my collection of screens. Unfortunately, for a while, I couldn’t think of a potential storyline to explore. But as my mind went blank, I s5 months ago Read more
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Blog postWhen I sat down to pull the prompts for my Micro Fiction, I didn’t have a clue what shape this micro tale would take, aside from leveraging Solomon. So, when I sat down to crank out this narrative, I pulled up the first line generator and was intrigued by what splashed across the screen.
“Who would have poisoned the old man’s dog?”
With that simple line, Solomon’s latest adventure played out in my mind. When the story finished, I sat behind my computer and my fingers flew across5 months ago Read more -
Blog postThis past Christmas, Santa brought an Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch for the family. Unfortunately, for the first couple of weeks, it sat on the television stand collecting dust. Despite bringing Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Santa brought no more games for the family. One day, after I finished pummeling computer opponents with Kirby, I returned the console to its dock. As it slipped into its home, I saw the trio of racoons standing on a tiny island. With a brief smile, I remembered playing5 months ago Read more
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Blog postWhile I’m still working on my artwork, other projects have been busy sapping my free time. However, I’ve added a pair of name plates to my growing collection. Despite the different feel from the previous entries, I’m happy with how the plaques for Chris and Charles turned out. Over the next several weeks, I’m planning on bringing more artwork to the world, so stay tuned.
Hunker down in your chair and enjoy the artwork below. As always, if you want a better look, click a picture to head5 months ago Read more -
Blog postWhenever I pull a Chicken/Beef pot pie out of the oven, I take a deep breath and I’m instantly transported back to my childhood. While my mother didn’t make them often (I don’t remember if she made them by hand or pulled them from the freezer), I can’t help but see my mom’s beaming smile. Whenever my mind wanders to my mother, I feel her love wash over me. Fortunately, pulling out one of these pastries isn’t the only way for me to feel connected to her. Since she was the cook for my family, w5 months ago Read more
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Blog postEvery so often as I sit with my nothing box, my mind drifts to the memories when my life flashed before me. While most of those moments lasted a handful of heartbeats, a single instance drew out for several days. For those who aren’t aware, Guillain-Barre is a syndrome where your immune system gets kicked into overdrive to combat a disease. Unfortunately, it gets confused and once it’s finished dealing with the original issue; it attacks your nerves. Thankfully, with swift and proper care, I5 months ago Read more
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Blog postWith Conversations and Recovery finished, I turned my attention to the last piece of flash fiction for my patrons. While I’ve leaned into Political Satire’s in the real world, it’s so much easier to create a fun story when I blend it with another genre. Thankfully, I’ve created a few worlds that are perfect canvases for these projects. With the setting chosen, it took me a little while to connect all the connective tissue with the base infrastructure I had created.
So, grab a seat and6 months ago Read more -
Blog postWith the requirement from Arlen weighing Darren down like an anchor, the student pushes himself to complete his personal challenge. When he’s not in class, eating meals, working with Lia, or sleeping, Darren locks his door and toils away at his creation. Every time a classmate comes to his door to pry him away from his obsession, Darren refuses and sequesters himself with his work. After several weeks without hearing from his friend, Randall comes to the Academy, looking for a favor. Will Dar6 months ago Read more
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Blog postWhen I first introduced Aiden in the micro-tale of Dueling Students, he and a classmate were dueling with each other. Since then, I’ve been telling more of Aiden’s story and his drive to become a better spell caster. Given the lifespan of the elven teachers, I’ve been able to explore their characters as well. This time, I’m shifting the attention to Arlen and her mastery of certain magic.
However, the crux of the Academy is preparing their students for the life outside of their walls,6 months ago Read more
Titles By Steven Meehan
On his way to the tournament Marcus unearths the identity of the man who is orchestrating the tournament. And despite the involvement of Bertrand Dempsey, one of the most influential criminal masterminds east of the Mississippi, Marcus heedlessly enters the tournament, only to discover too late that he got more than he ever bargained for.
Now Marcus must rely on more than his wits or smooth talk if he is going to stay one step ahead of the tournament’s organizer. He will have to rely upon the unique skills that mark him as special in order to leave the tournament with his money and his life.