An excerpt from The Path of Enlightenment

Cover art by Jeffrey Kosh: www.jeffreykosh.wix.com/jeffreykoshgraphics

Laura tittered, yawned and leaned her head against her roommate’s lap. “I feel fine.”

“Sure you do. Maybe you should go to bed.”

“Tell me a story.” She placed a hand on the other girl’s knee.

“Okay… There once was a girl who drank so much wine that it made her act all weird and clingy. So, her roommate had to put her to bed.”
“So, the roommate is the hero of the story?”

“Something like that.”

“That makes the girl a damsel in distress.”

“Yeah, sure.” Tracy looked down. “Hey, are your pupils getting bigger?”

“I don’t know. Are they?”

Tracy sighed. “It’s hard to tell in this light.” She leaned down to see better. “Whoa, they’re huge.”

Laura giggled. “Look into my eyes…”

The blonde smiled, shaking her head. She stared at the other girl.

Her roommate asked, “What do you see?”

“I’m not sure.” She stared deeper.

“Look closer.”

Tracy leaned over a little more. “It’s too dark.”

Laura’s eyes started to shimmer. “Is that better?”

“Hey, how’d you do that?”

“Magic.”

The blonde stared, mesmerized.

Laura said, “Closer.”

Tracy obeyed.

The brunette twisted, kissing her on the lips.

Her roommate’s eyes went wide, but she did not pull away.

Laura kissed more deeply, her tongue darting up into other’s mouth.

Tracy trembled, responding in kind. Her eyes never left those of the brunette.

Releasing the lip-lock, her roommate said, “Now, let’s remove those clothes and get a little more comfortable.”

“Okay,” Tracy murmured and moved to obey.

Laura smiled. “Good girl.”

The Path of Enlightenment is available here: 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087BFHFSF

An excerpt from Mystic Trails

Cover art by Jeffrey Kosh: www.jeffreykosh.wix.com/jeffreykoshgraphics

He stretched his arms over his head and gave a sigh. Now, this is the life. Just out here enjoying nature. He remembered all the times he and Sid had played out here. Mel noticed the tire swing just waiting for the change of season. Soon, buddy. Very soon...

Mel wondered why life could not be this simple. I mean, there was a time when that was the case. Just being a man, living off the land. He remembered when his friends would come over and play Mystic Trails. With a character sheet and some dice, they would set off to find adventure. Except when we ran into that dragon and Jerry got his hair singed off. Mel chuckled at that. He told everyone that his deity made him shave his head.

During much of the game, the characters were travelling from town to town. Often they had to camp out in the wilderness. Mel usually played a warrior, and made sure the group rarely lit a fire. All kinds of nasty things would be drawn to the light, and the party would have to fight them off in the middle of the night. Eddie was always summoning something. He rolled his eyes. Sorcerers.

Sid bugged them to let him play, and Mel gave in. He loves playing the thief. Mainly because of the bonuses he gets for striking unawares. His brother was enthusiastic, but he did not understand the role-playing aspect of the game. He just plays himself. Mel always made sure to play his character, even if he did not agree with what they would do. Grimblade is a warrior. His sword does all the talking.

As the sun dipped past the horizon, he noticed a path off to the side. Huh? How long has that been there? And why haven't I seen it before? Mel stood up and headed over to investigate. At first glance, it just seemed to be a gap in the trees surrounding the pond. But the fading light had briefly illuminated what was clearly a trail going into the woods.

Mel stood there for a moment, wondering what he should do. It's getting dark. Maybe I should come back tomorrow. But he figured that he might not be able to find it again. After all, this was the first time he had even noticed it.

He knew that supper would be ready and his family would be waiting for him to come and eat. I'll just take a quick look.

Mystic Trails is available here: 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J1DR1WY

An excerpt from Pulling Strings

Cover art by Jeffrey Kosh: www.jeffreykosh.wix.com/jeffreykoshgraphics

The blonde shook her head. "That's enough for tonight. I think what we both need is... chocolate."

Sally rushed to the kitchen, returning with a box. She pulled off the lid and held it out to her friend. "You get the first pick."

Darla took a piece.

Sally commented, "Dark chocolate?"

The brunette popped it into her mouth and started to chew. "Mmm, inner peace."

Her friend announced, "My turn." She chose one and ate it. "Oh, that's good."

"Which flavor was that?"

"Chocolate caramel. I wonder what that says about me."

"Probably that your fingers are sticky."

"I didn't take anything."

"What? No, not like that. Do you always read into things?"

She shrugged. "I'm an avid reader."

"And your favorite subject is plays on words?"

Sally wondered aloud, "Has there ever been a play on words?"

"I don't know. All the plays I've seen have contained them. I think if there are no words, you call it mime."

"That renders me utterly speechless."

Pulling Strings is available here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0776CCSJJ

My 5-Star review for The Haunter of the Moor by Jeffrey Kosh

An ancient evil haunts Talbot House. This tale mixes folklore with the mundane, giving birth to a terrifying menace beyond the mortal ken. Patrick Conroy is a medical student, seeking a place of solitude. He learns about an old mansion, steeped in myth. Too rational for superstition, he determines it to be the perfect place to study. But the evil in those walls refuses to be ignored.

He meets a group of gypsies, and is smitten with a girl named Maggie. She comes over with her grandmother to help clean up the place. But something wicked lies waiting in its very stones.

Nearby, they discover that which was buried beneath the ground. And the revelations become more disturbing: the shedding of savage blood, evil imprisoned in the earth, those who stayed at Talbot House were never the same again. Patrick himself has been haunted by visions that seem so real...

In the midst of this, Maggie's grandmother forbids her seeing Patrick anymore. Noting the sudden change in her demeanor, he heads over to the gypsy camp in search of answers. What he finds are more questions.

The enigmatic Father Wales steps in to provide guidance. He tells the young man of the horrid history of the place in which he now resides. The evil there is growing stronger, and they must fight off a menacing monster in canine form...

The Haunter of the Moor is available here:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Haunter-Moor-Irish-Ghost-ebook/dp/B01BRHYSFM

An excerpt from Afterworld

She smirked. "Have you forgotten? Or did you think it was just a dream?" She ran her fingers through her red hair, tossing it about. Then, she turned to look at him. "You're dead."

The shock hit him all of a sudden and he fell over onto the floor. He had caught a glimpse of small, firm breasts before he tumbled onto the carpet. Zack lay there, dazed. "Who are you?"

She giggled. "I'm your guide, silly." She pointed at him. "You're dead," she gestured all around, "this is the afterlife!"

Zack's head was spinning. "What? But it looks just like my apartment!"

"Well, it's similar. But you'll find this is a very different place from what you remember."

The man looked around, bewildered.

She noticed. "Disappointed? Were you expecting something else?"

"Well, yeah."

"Maybe halos and harps? A veritable paradise?" She let out a high-pitched laugh. "Did you actually think that's where you'd end up?" She chuckled. "Oh, that's great. Zack Reed: Mr. Love 'Em and Leave 'Em himself fancied he'd make it to the pearly gates! No, my dear. You get to stay here with me."

"Hey, I'm a good person. I care about people..."

She pointed an accusing finger. "You use people. And now, I'm going to use you for my enjoyment."

Afterworld is available here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C0VHWJ8

My 4-Star review for Small Cuts to the Psyche by Mark Taylor

It's the little things that just drive you crazy. Like a paper cut, they ache and throb giving you no relief. This collection of tales does the very same thing: it gets your attention and holds it in a death grip.

An adolescent girl winds up in the hands of monsters. A desperate man struggles to overcome death itself. Another must travel through time, yearning only to walk through a field.

There are tales within tales and abrupt endings that leave you reeling. Not all of the characters are human, but they all have something to say. If only there is someone to listen...

Terrors will reach from beyond the grave, and brilliant minds will make gruesome choices. Games will be played, and nightmares realized. The worst things occur in the darkest of places.

Among the delectable morsels on this literary buffet, is a tale of a contract unwisely terminated. Be careful of the wolves who walk in human form. Spirits will refuse their rest and men will have to face their fears.

And it all comes down to a journey through the mind of a madman. The common threads woven throughout this tapestry lead to an inevitable conclusion. For in the end, the most terrifying thing we must face... is the one in the glass staring back at us.

Small Cuts to the Psyche is available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Small-Cuts-Psyche-Mark-Taylor-ebook/dp/B00MQNEUDC

The Human Condition by Mark Taylor

Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself what you are truly capable of. Don't lie...your reflection will know. 

The Human Condition is about the deepest, darkest part of the human mind—that part of us we suppress. But what if...just for a moment...we let the maladjusted you out to play? Would you be capable of the demented? Of maniacal, deranged violence? 

This collection of macabre short stories will have you on the edge of your seat as you come to realize you are not that different from the monsters in these tales…the ones hiding in polite society…the one in the mirror.

The Human Condition is available here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010XULOWY