by Billy Wong
Iron Tears - Famed warrior Rose receives a request for aid from Count Brandon, who uses the ogre attacks in his territory as an excuse to get her close intending to woo her. Unknown to him, her husband Finn secretly comes along to help. But the monster problem turns out more serious than any of them expect, especially when they must also protect a pair of much less experienced friends. Can the three mightiest warriors of their nation work together in their strained relationship long enough to save their land? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DSOOLFK/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Iron Champion - Nearly indestructible heroine Rose gets a letter from a foreign king inviting her to discuss opening a new branch of the center for magical study she helps run. Upon arriving in his kingdom of Terlon, she learns that his true motive is to request her aid against invaders from a larger country. Though annoyed by his deception, her compassion does not allow her to turn a blind eye to the suffering of his people and she agrees to help. Following unfavorable developments in the war, Rose finds more and more responsibilities being heaped upon her shoulders. A bitter dispute breaks out over the leadership of Terlon with her caught in the middle, and a battle with the enemy nation's war god looms near. But even that might not be the most daunting trouble fate has planned for her. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FGJFHVW/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Iron Melting - Wracked with anxiety over a dread prophecy concerning her children and guilt for the men she has killed to protect them, weary heroine Rose decides to take a break by visiting her mother with her family. But ill fortune strikes again as she and her husband Finn encounter The Lost, an organization of people who have lost everything and wish to balance the scales of fairness by making everyone suffer as they have. When they learn The Lost serve the same destructive force their children are foretold to revive, it looks like they may have to face a reckoning earlier than expected. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H16B2AS/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Iron Clash - With the ultimate weapon in hand, treacherous prince Victor gathers allies from around the world to join him in his bid for Kayland. As civil war looms, Rose races against time to stop Victor's power from growing out of hand and save her country. Foes old and new gather under his banner, forming the fearful coalition of the Tri-Principality. But when Victor using another guise calls forth the last survivors of an ancient civilization, will his deception force Rose and friends to exterminate an entire race? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IGUTHL4/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Iron Seeds - Rose thought she had saved her children from a dread prophecy by destroying the evil they were foretold to revive. Her kids grown, the family now adventures together in search of lost knowledge. But when the wheels of destiny turn again and a dark fate looms over the twins once more, they all must face the most powerful enemies yet. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MBNANWO/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Saving Fate -The adopted son of an earl, Mark fears he will never live up to his father's expectations. But when he learns his mother is a famous warrior who once saved their country from barbarian invasion, he sets out to meet her and become more than the underachiever he no longer wants to be. Joined by wild and brazen warrior princess Ann, Mark travels through barbarian lands and cursed wastes while ever hounded by the minions of an evil duke who plans to kidnap him to control his father. Will timid Mark find the strength to survive endless mercenaries, demonic shrubs, an awkward romance with the more experienced Ann, and the duke's conniving son who just happens to be named Marcus? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BC17YDW/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Blood of Kings - Illegitimate Mildred "Mildy" Pendragon wants just one thing: To prove to Camelot that she's as much a warrior as her daddy, King Arthur. With her cowardly Greek squire Ares and metrosexual best friend Lance at her side, she strives to prove her legendary bloodline through knightly deeds. But no matter what she does or who she beats, she cannot seem to win over chivalric society. On quest to save the fey from destruction by an evil mage, Mildy meets the mother she has never known and learns the bitter truth of her incestuous birth. She continues to fight for good despite her disillusionment, but accidentally kills Arthur's favorite knight and makes a bitter enemy of her father. Can she defy fate and save her family from imploding, or is the saga of the Pendragons destined to end in tragedy? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAXFMK6/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Lost from Legend - After losing his memory, Jack had moved on and started a family with the woman who saved his life. But when his former love finds him at his humble inn and reveals Jack was once a warrior king, he remembers her place in his heart. For all he adores his wife, he is hard pressed to reject the powerful queen who loves him. Urged to take back his throne and longing to complete his memory, Jack visits his homeland. There, he battles an elusive mage with ambitions to take the crown while his wife is terrorized by a ghostly stalker seeking revenge. But as he struggles to defend his loved ones from these mysterious foes, the mistakes of his own past may be prove to be his undoing. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNTX01C/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
The Red Rider - After killing the werewolf that took her grandmother's life, a young girl is outcast from her village over the perceived taint from contact with the lycanthrope. A decade later she is the famous Red Rider, slayer of hundreds of werewolves. When she learns of a new breed of more intelligent lupines, her skills are put to the ultimate test, and even the help of other warriors such as overweight knight Herbert and cage fighting champion Evie may not be enough to overcome the rising threat. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JBTNXUA/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Fists Against Fear - When financially struggling mixed martial arts fighter Jason accepts an illegal underground bout out of desperation, he meets his match in a mysterious iron-fisted young woman named Cheryl. They find each other to be kindred souls, and strike up a fast friendship. But after Jason learns of Cheryl's history of battling dark creatures and it comes back to haunt her, the two of them must stand together against supernatural evil. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KK41O2O/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Raiders of the Dry Coast - Julius knows nobody wants to be friends with the bodyguard of an insane wizard. Having served Zog all his life, he wonders if there can be more for him than being the lonely companion to someone who views him as little more than a helpful pet. He finally quits after his master drags him off to hellish worlds full of slimy tentacles in search of power over life and death. Julius comes home alone, only to discover Zog's magic has dried up the sea on which the surrounding countries depend. Outlawed by the world, he cuts a deal with a king to help restore stability to the realm in exchange for amnesty. He hires brawling adventurers Claudia and Leon, and the three endure blistering dust storms and desert heat while battling monsters and displaced pirates to bring peace to the coast. After one of them pushes themselves beyond reasonable limits to save his life, Julius learns to open his heart to the carefree young wanderers who become his first real friends. But when a spectre of his past comes back to haunt him, Julius' new friendships and conscience will be tested against that which even he fears. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OW7MXB6/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
GLORIOUS - Ever since she glimpsed Virgil the Champion as a little girl, Gloria knew he was the only one for her. She spends her life dreaming of him, drawing his adventures and trying to teach others to "walk the path of champions." When she gets a chance to watch him fight in a tournament, she eagerly does so only to see him lose to the best warrior in the kingdom. Unable to accept this, Gloria vows to avenge his honor by learning his style in order to defeat his opponent. And so the delusional fangirl begins an unpredictable journey that will change her life, and the world... http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TXE253Y/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
The Blackbird's Song - Henry and Andrew are members of the Society for Conserving Artifacts, which seeks to save the relics of ancient civilization from the Last Church which deems them evil. When their efforts anger the church and they find themselves in over their heads, they are saved by Blackbird, a feral girl with superhuman fighting prowess. As the SCA's conflict
with the church explodes into all-out war, her abilities become their only hope of breaking the tyrannical institution's hold over the continent. But when the truth behind the church's actions comes out, Blackbird and her new friends' resolve will face its toughest test. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XXEJKCO/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Hammer Out A Future - In a world devastated by magical war, mercenaries Lars and Allen search for a way to heal the head injury Allen suffered during the conflict that destroyed most of civilization. On a job they meet Cart-Dragger, a warrior with a giant hammer whose deeds have made her a living legend. After she saves them from one of the God Soldiers, elemental giants once used as living weapons, they join forces with her to help rebuild her city. When the remnants of the empire that started the war attempt to rise again and take back control of the monstrous legions they once commanded, it falls to Cart-Dragger and friends to stop them. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018Q5MAAI/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Hammer Out A Path - After stopping the remnants of the Red Empire from reclaiming the world, legendary warrior duchess Cart-Dragger and her new allies finally make significant progress in the restoration of her city. When she expands her horizons and tries to mediate a conflict between two neighboring cities, she arrives just in time for one of them to be attacked by a sea monster army of unknown origin. Amidst ominous whispers of "the race of evil," Cart-Dragger must figure out whether old enemies are at it again or if the world faces a frightening new threat. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4EVQZP/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
First of Spears - Young prince Theo of Egrent longs for a way out of his impending arranged marriage with a boring earl's daughter. His life is changed by the arrival of Claire, a foreign diplomat and warrior known as the First of Spears who comes bearing demands from her liege. They swiftly fall for each other, but the power struggle between their kingdoms threatens to drive a wedge between them. As a third nation aided by a dark sorcerer seeks to invade Egrent and a mysterious new champion appears purporting to defend it, the pair must overcome all odds if they are to be together at last. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CKSBZOO/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Duskfall - After famously aloof general Eliza learns that Prince Milton plans to steal the crown, she leaves the battlefront to warn her king of his brother's treachery. When things don't go as planned and she loses her strongest allies, she must find new ones alongside young archer Charles who discovered the prince's plot. Along the way, she forges new friendships and learns to open her heart again. But Prince Milton's ambitions go beyond the throne, and all Eliza has may not be enough to stop him. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FB4OF3C/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Always Walk Forward - In a world wracked with eternal war between winged Anjeli and frightful Daimons, humans take shelter in magically shielded cities. Sam, the orphaned teenage daughter of a guard, lives and works happily with the other kids taken in by a playhouse director. Everything changes when her fellow young actor Eli is abducted without explanation by the secret police known as the Paladins. Calling upon the training from her late father, she sets out into the dangerous wilds alongside Eli's adoptive brother Vincent and Drea, a mysterious warriorlike older girl staying with them, to save their friend. But even as they make more allies and grow in resolve and strength, it remains to be seen if it will be enough against the Daimons and other perils that lie before them. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LG21OX2/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
The Unworthy and The Damned - When a revolutionary claiming to be a Nephilim descended from fallen angels plunged the land into civil war, it fell to the strongest of warriors, Princess Eleanor to stop him. Years later after the princess is thought to have grown complacent, young merchant's daughter Celia is attacked by assassins while out on routine business. With the help of sympathetic assassin Edge and healer-in-training Lina, Celia investigates while being hounded by hired killers including a powerful necromancer at every step. But when the motives behind her family being targeted go deeper into the kingdom's secrets than expected, she may find herself in way over her head. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XQGP77X/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
The Golden Dawn - Saint Princess Julianna, powerful warrior mage and ruler of Aerilea, sacrifices her life defending her land from a mountain sized monster god. When she returns from the dead years later, she learns the nations united under her banner have drifted apart and sets out to restore order. But a new danger threatens the very existence of the floating continent on which they live, and Julianna and her allies must rise to the occasion to save it once again. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F5XM89/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Stand Short and Proud - Young height-obsessed monster hunter Meg has a problem. As humanity seeks to make peace with the monsters that share their world, she and her companions find themselves in danger of losing their livelihood. When they meet an officer from a local fort who offers them work, Meg and fellow hunter Patrick decide to give the military a try. As they settle into their new environment and start to make friends, little do they know the discovery of a mysterious giant sword will subject them to peril beyond even what they are accustomed to. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B071X546T1/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Also check out my short stories here! http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=n:133140011,k:billy+wong+short+story&keywords=billy+wong+short+story&ie=UTF8&qid=1424913116
Sample of Iron Bloom
It was the glint of sun off steel that caught her eye. Rose stopped, basket of freshly picked herbs in hand, and stared into the Whit family's barn door through which she had seen that misplaced sliver of light. While metal was common enough on a farm, most farming tools were made of dull iron, and Rose had only seen light reflected so sharply off honed steel—like a sword blade. Inside the barn, she thought she glimpsed a bulky shape, moving with stealth and speed. A thief?
Her first thought was to run for help. But how long would it take to get back? Likely too long, for the Whits. She should go warn them, she thought. Yet she worried to let the burglar out of sight, and perhaps give him a chance to catch her off guard later. What if the Whits weren't home? If so, she would have to confront him alone anyway. She would not escape herself only to leave him here, free to ambush her neighbors.
Rose set her basket down in the grass and crept towards the barn, knowing now what she meant to do. It wasn't that she wasn't scared; her heart pounded in her chest, and sweat moistened her scalp and tunic. Though she had long played at being a warrior with her friends, to confront real danger was an altogether different matter. But she would do all she could to protect the Whits and their innocent child. So she entered the barn, carefully picking up the hoe just inside the door.
The man's broad back came into view to her left, and Rose raised her hoe to strike. Then she hesitated. What if this was no thief, after all? Despite his armament, he could be a family friend, or even an agent of the crown on legitimate business. She could not just attack, with no knowledge of his intentions.
"You!" she said in what she hoped was a commanding voice. "What are you doing here?"
He turned, and immediately she realized her mistake. The feral gleam in his eyes, the smirk that pulled at his thick lips—he could be nothing else but the kind of villain she had suspected and feared. "Are you the daughter, then? A big one you are, but I don't mind. All women scream the same." His huge sword came up, gleaming like flame.
On the verge of panic, Rose swung at his face. He parried easily, and countered with a slash she barely managed to deflect. The hoe was poorly balanced for use as a weapon, and she was hardly an experienced warrior in the first place. The robber pressed his assault, battering relentlessly at her, and she found herself retreating across the hay-strewn floor. She felt her back bump up against the far wall, and in desperation tried to force him back with a sudden burst of offense.
For a moment, he seemed to falter against her flurry of quick pokes, and she thought she had a chance. But then he cut through the hoe's shaft with a well-placed blow, and the next thing she knew an impact like a heavy punch slammed
into her middle. She felt herself shoved back, driven against the wood behind her. Then the pain hit, a world-shattering explosion tearing through her body. For a moment she was blind, but stubbornly she blinked her vision back. Slowly, her attacker came into view.
Rose stared at the man as he loosened his belt, his wide, greasy face split with a lusty grin. His breath reeked of rotting meat, and she ached to run screaming out of his reach. But she couldn't scream because her mouth had filled with blood. And she couldn't run because his sword impaled her just below the ribcage, nailing her to the wall.
She could barely breathe, and when she inhaled blood spurted out around the edges of the wide blade. The wound should already have killed her, she knew, but the freakish vitality which kept her alive now prolonged her suffering. She wasn't just going to die, but her killer would also rob her of her last dignity. He dropped his trousers, and his smile widened while he watched her squirm. He reached out to pull her pants down, and blood ran down her chin as she hissed with outrage. She did not know if the sword would get in his way, but he would surely just pull it out if it did. As his fingers brushed her waist, Rose made her choice. Her hand snaked down, snatching the paring knife from her belt, and she plunged it into the side of his neck.
