1 State of Grace
Page 33
But maybe Mr. Nickleby, the new English teacher and newspaper advisor, can help. He has the key to both of their desires. He’s willing to make their dreams come true.
Of course, getting what you wish for has a price. But that doesn’t matter, right? If you want something badly enough, you’ll do anything to get it, no matter what it costs. Even if it’s your soul.
Beauty & the Beast: A Modern Fairy Tale is a contemporary take on the classic story by the author of the Wolf Dasher series. John R. Phythyon, Jr. weaves a dark fairy tale both familiar and fresh about understanding what’s important, finding one’s place in the world, and the consequences of obsession.
Be careful what you wish for . . . you might just get it!
Click here to purchase Beauty & the Beast: A Modern Fairy Tale from Amazon.com.
Short Stories by
John R. Phythyon, Jr.
“The Darkline Protocol”
Wolf Dasher’s mission is simple: find out who is leaking secret information from the Urlish consulate in Mensch, Bretelstein to the Phrygians. But things get complicated quickly when the traitor is an innocent, and she’s making Wolf the prize in a sinister game of snatch and grab. Now the hunter becomes the hunted!
Click here to get “The Darkline Protocol” from Amazon.com absolutely FREE!
“Passion Play”
Juliette has no choice. Charles III plans to outlaw magic when he ascends the throne. She is not going to be put to death for practicing her art, especially since it aids in healing and fertility. She’ll enlist the aid of anyone who can help her persuade Charles to adopt a more reasonable stance, but, if that fails, she’ll just have to take matters into her own magical hands. At the new king’s coronation, politics and religion collide as one woman acts to prevent paranoid ideology from becoming law and wreaking harm in this page-turning short story from the author of the Wolf Dasher series.
This quick short story has intrigue, sex, politics, and action. I have to say, it's one of the best short stories I've read and well worth the price.
–Dwight Fidler, Amazon.com reviewer
Click here to purchase “Passion Pay” from Amazon.com
“Sleeping Beauty:
A Modern Fairy Tale”
Beth Shipman has been in a coma for two years. Now sixteen, the only one of her friends who still comes around to visit is Carl, the young man who has been in love with her since the first day of Sixth Grade. Her mother is going insane, but she has a desperate plan to awaken her Pretty Princess. She’ll just need to convince Carl to believe in magic. She’ll also have to outwit Beth’s father. After all, he’s the one who put her to sleep, and he doesn’t want her waking up. Is True Love’s First Kiss enough to overcome madness, fear, and self-doubt? This short story is a creepy re-imagining of the classic fairytale that explores what happens when parents go too far to protect their children.
. . . a fast-paced and truly enjoyable short.
–Mark Abrams, Amazon.com reviewer
Well-timed, well-told, neither longer nor shorter than it need be, Sleeping Beauty is indeed a modern fairy-tale, with all the gruesome cruelties of the old set in the world of the new.
–Sheila Deeth, Amazon.com reviewer
Click here to purchase “Sleeping Beauty: A Modern Fairy Tale” from Amazon.com.
About the Author
John R. Phythyon, Jr. wishes he were a superhero or a magician, but, since he has not yet been bitten by a radioactive spider or received his letter from Hogwarts, he writes adventure stories instead. He is the author of the Wolf Dasher series of fantasy-thriller mashup novels, as well as several short stories, a two-act comedy, and numerous game manuals. He won awards for the latter and hopes to make millions with the former.
He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, their children, a dog, and a cat. His current projects include the next book in the Wolf Dasher series, world peace, and desperately wishing for the Cincinnati Bengals to win a Super Bowl in his lifetime.
Connect with John online at his website, www.johnphythyon.com, where he blogs regularly about the Wolf Dasher series, his writing, and other matters related to his career. You can follow John on Twitter at @JohnRPhythyonJr, on Goodreads.com, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/johnrphythyonjr, or email him at john@johnphythyon.com.
Sign up for John’s mailing list to be the first to hear about new releases!
If you liked State of Grace, please write a review online!
Acknowledgements
No author works in a vacuum. A good book requires lots of help. Without the following people, State of Grace wouldn’t be nearly good enough.
Jill Jess – for terrific editing and an amazing cover. It’s hard to explain how much better the book is due to her work. Trust me: it’s a lot better.
Michael Jasper – whose “Making Digital Books” series helped me understand all the technical issues of getting an eBook published. Check it out at http://michaeljasper.net/tag/making-digital-books
Michael T. Nickerson – who repeatedly retweeted me and did a lot to get me more exposure for no particular reason other than he seemed to like my work. Read his blog at http://mtnickerson.blogspot.com
Derek Blass – who almost single-handedly taught me how to use Twitter effectively. Check out Derek and his novel, Enemy in Blue, at http://www.rogue-books.com
Michael Stackpole and J.A. Konrath – whose personal success and blog posts convinced me I could do this.
Dave Hageman, Mike Hansen, Kelly Hodgson, Doug McNair, David Phythyon, and Jill Sibley – who all offered honest criticism on my design ideas that needed fixing. Thanks for being real friends and telling me when I was wrong.
Table of Contents
Prologue: The Sons of Frey
State of Grace
Chapter 1: Shadow Six
Chapter 2: Thirst for Blood
Chapter 3: Magic
Chapter 4: Conquest
Chapter 5: For the Glory of Alfheim
Chapter 6: Highly Irregular
Chapter 7: Ambassador Dasher
Chapter 8: Two Phrygians
Chapter 9: The Thing about Elves
Chapter 10: Shadowcat
Chapter 11: Watch Your Back
Chapter 12: More Dangerous than Mensch
Chapter 13: Operation: Hammerfall
Chapter 14: An Unexpected Pleasure
Chapter 15: A Very Different Kind of Woman
Chapter 16: Two Problems
Chapter 17: A Reckoning
Chapter 18: The Forest
Chapter 19: A Deadly Mistake
Chapter 20: Kenderbrick
Chapter 21: So Beautiful
Chapter 22: A New Day is Nigh
Chapter 23: A Fresh Voice
Chapter 24: Are You a Patriot?
Chapter 25: Briefing
Chapter 26: Clandestine Meeting
Chapter 27: An Atheist and a Shadow
Chapter 28: A Show of Unity
Chapter 29: Ravager and Starfellow
Chapter 30: Silverleaf
Chapter 31: Blackhand
Chapter 32: The Hand of Destiny
Chapter 33: Arrest
Chapter 34: State of Grace
Chapter 35: Betrayed
Chapter 36: Assassin and Torturer
Chapter 37: Asking for Death
Chapter 38: Alfar Does not Have a King
Chapter 39: A Change of Heart
Chapter 40: Revelation Day
Chapter 41: Time to be Elves
Chapter 42: Living Bomb
Chapter 43: Not Fit to Travel
Read Wolf Dasher’s next thrilling adventure!
Short Stories by John R. Phythyon, Jr.“The Darkline Protocol”
About the AuthorJohn R. Phythyon, Jr.
Acknowledgements
From.Net