by Billy Wong
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
The Brazen Blade - When her sickly brother is unable to attend military school as planned, young noblewoman Kathryn goes in his place. She impresses instructors and peers alike with her sword skills, and gains notoriety among them along with the nickname Kath the Blade. When one of her new friends is targeted by mysterious assassins and flees the school, she decides to follow in order to protect him. But even confident Kath is little prepared for the monsters, mercenaries, assassins, and scheming masterminds who stand in their way. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0172VJZT6/?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
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 next in the Iron Flower series, Iron Clash
"This is fun," Derrick said as he walked with the warrior couple up the steep brown slope beyond which the valley they sought lay. A gust of wind blew raindrops falling from the gray sky sideways, making him half close his eyes.
Not sure if he was being serious or not, Rose replied, "Walking through freezing rain in gale winds is fun? I can't see a thing, and you—you can barely walk!" Indeed, the big woman held onto her friend's hand to steady him against the heavy wind.
"An old fashioned adventure like this is still a welcome break from the type of stuff we've been going through for the last year or so before this, no?"
Rose and her husband Finn had been through rough times. Their battles to save their twin children and avert the dread prophecy involving them had taken an emotional toll, especially since Rose had lost an unborn child after being stabbed through her womb. Their struggles also put much of the responsibility for running their Center for Magical Study on Derrick's shoulders, a great burden for any one person. It was a good thing for all of them that some of the junior researchers had progressed enough for them to leave the center in their hands and take a break.
"This weather's even worse than you'd expect here," Finn observed with a frown on his wide face. "I mean, the Finger is supposed to be cold all year, but this is some storm."
Rose shrugged. "Well, maybe whatever ancient magic is in that ruin is acting up."
The God's Finger was a thin westward-pointing peninsula off the coast of northern Coblan, and a harsh place indeed. Barely any vegetation grew on its hilly terrain, nearly devoid of inhabitants human or otherwise. The trio had been visiting their friend Loreen, and while staying with the one-armed soldier learned of a great ruin in the Valley of Ghosts nestled deep within the mountains. Despite the tough trip and rumor of grave dangers they'd have to brave to get there, they could not resist the allure of new knowledge that might await. So just like old times, they set out on an adventure together once more.
"We're almost there," Finn said as they neared the summit, wrapping a tree trunk of an arm around his hulking yet voluptuous wife's not-so-thin waist.
They exchanged warm, contented gazes, and Rose felt a surge of adoration for him. She gav
e his mat of red hair a playful rub, and he put her in a gentle headlock in response. Finally they reached the top of the hill, and the challenge they saw before them hardly diminished their cheer. "That's a nice tall mountain we'll have to climb," said Rose.
Finn smiled. "Looks easy enough." The titanic tooth of the earth which stood before them must have been five miles high if not more, and looked about as steep and unforgiving as a sheer cliff face. "You brought climbing gear, right?"
She nodded. "Not like we need it."
"Oh, gods," Derrick groaned, "am I even going to be able to breathe up there?"
Grinning, Rose took a fuzzy green leaf out of her belt pouch and handed it to the scholar. "Here, I brought this just for you. It'll help you adjust to the higher altitude. Eat one and strap yourself to Finn's back."
"Why always my back?" her giant husband asked with a curious look. "You're just as strong."
"But you're the one who's always trying to prove his strength to everyone. So you carry him, and you'll get a better feat than me today." Besides, Rose's back pains were likely worse than his, even if she was not far shy of a decade younger. She had taken a lot more damage to her body, and would be dead a hundred times over if not for her unearthly resilience. Even if she was nigh indestructible, her countless scars and constant pain remained daily reminders of her lifetime of battle.
Derrick shook his head. "You guys make me feel so useless sometimes."
"You're not useless," Finn said. "Who else is going to read Old Script for us?"
He laughed. "That's a point. Though it wouldn't be if either of you took the time to learn more of it."
"We've been busy. Anyway, better get ready to help battle any monsters that attack us while we're climbing. Having you on my back is going to make it a little cumbersome for me to fight."
Derrick looked at Rose and asked softly, "We're not going to get attacked by monsters, right? What could live up there?"
"We probably could, though I'd hate being in the cold for so long. But there's no small likelihood we run into something else living, if not on the mountain then in the ruins themselves. These things never go that easily." Not with her luck, at least.
"Heh, I'm not scared, I have you two big brutes to protect me. So let's go and find ourselves some knowledge." Derrick began to tie himself to Finn's back and Rose aided him, making as sure as she could that the scholar wouldn't fall to his doom during their long ascent.
They started climbing barehanded up the mountainside, and got the first sign of trouble when a large amount of brown goo splattered atop Rose's fluffy dark mane. "Shit," she hissed.
"What happened?" Derrick asked, unable to see as he was strapped to Finn's back facing in the opposite direction. This way, he would readily be able to shoot his crossbow or slash his sword at anything that came at them from behind.
"Literally shit," Finn said, "that fell on Rose's head. Looks like a hefty dump, too—whoever took it can't be too small."
Releasing one of her handholds to brush some of the feces off, Rose heard the sound of flapping wings coming closer. She turned her head to spot what looked to be two scaly, winged great cats flying at the group's backs. "Of course," she said wearily, "who didn't expect this to happen?" Drawing her sword with her free hand, she spun still clinging to the face of the mountain and slashed. Gutted instantly by her massive blade, the creature went plummeting towards the ground with its entrails following close behind.
She glanced at the other monster, which now flailed its last in the air with a crossbow bolt through its face, and nodded. "Good job, Derrick. That wasn't so bad."
"Rose..." he muttered with a look up, and following his gaze she saw that half a dozen more creatures swooped down from above towards them.
