Please welcome J.M. Scheirer to the blog today! She is celebrating her first solo release, a short story titled, Black Dragons.
Welcome J.M.!
We've always called it the Cluster
of a Thousand Suns. Are there truly a thousand stars with inhabited worlds within
the cluster? Perhaps, but I doubt anyone has made it a point to count them all.
We much rather prefer the romance of the name to its reality.
Still, as we look to the night sky,
and all those points of light, we have to wonder about the worlds that surround
us. What are those other people like? What stories do they have to tell? A
thousand planets means billions of possibilities...
The Thousand Suns Saga's story begins almost 15 years ago. Inspired by Star Wars,
my partner, Tim, and I started by creating a couple of imaginary worlds
where magic and technology lived side by side. Almost every day, we've
added something new, building on the lore and mythology.
When
asked to write a story with assassins as the theme, my mind immediately
flew to the cluster's most notorious band, the Black Dragons. But what
tale could I tell to best reflect their nature?
"Black
Dragons" deals with the struggles of secrecy, of duty, and of failure.
Does our heroine manage to overcome her hurdles, or is she destined to
become one of the deceased herself? Find out for yourself, if you dare.
As the most feared group of assassins within the cluster, the Black
Dragons rarely have reason to worry. When their reputation is
threatened by outsiders, it's up to Selena Olian, prostitute by day,
Viper by night, to stop them. However, she discovers that even the most
talented of assassins sometimes fail...
Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/
Webpage: www.jmscheirer.com
EXCERPT:
The
door was the same non-descript metal as the others that dotted the stone
hallways. Selena pressed the access pad on the side and waited for the distinct
“chink” of it unlocking. The door slid to the side.
Master’s
office was a good-sized room dominated by a large, dark wooden desk near the
opposite wall. The only real decoration was a stiff black rug beneath the desk.
It extended out to rest beneath the two chairs on the reception side and the
few weapons of the trade that hung on the walls. Master himself sat in the more
comfortable executive chair behind the desk. He wore the close black outfit and
mask of the order, so she could never make out much about him except that he
was shorter and stockier than her. He looked up from the datapads scattered
over the surface of his desk when she approached.
“Viper.” He greeted her in quen’nare, the modified voice low and
grumbly. “Please, come in and sit down.”
Selena
approached, offering a bow before she sat. “How
did you know it was me?”
“I would
not be a very good leader if I did not recognize those under me… And Fox called
to let me know that you were here. Now, what can I do for you?”
“The imposters are getting bolder, Master.
I had one openly brag that he was a Black
Dragon when I saw the bad replica of a tattoo on his skin.”
“I assume you took care of the problem.”
Selena
dipped her head. “He will not be making
that claim again.”
“Good. The imposters need to know that we
will not tolerate them besmirching our name. Our profession may not have the
most favorable impression, but we have a long, honorable history and a
reputation that we have well earned. I will not let that falter under my watch.”
Selena
nodded. Everyone in the surrounding systems knew about the Black Dragons, and
she had heard their name spoken in both fear and awe even before she joined. If
you wanted someone dead, you went to the Black Dragons. “I understand, Master.”
Master
sat back in his chair, draping his covered arms over the armrests, and sighed.
“See if you can find out where this
imposter was inked. If you do, do not kill the artist. See if he or she inked
others, and make it very clear to this person that further marking will not be
tolerated.”
Selena
nodded again. “Of course, Master.”
“I am very pleased with your work, Viper. I
do not regret welcoming you into our Brotherhood.”
“Even though I am a Sister?” she smiled
back.
Master
waved it off with a hand. “There is a
reason we keep our sun lives separate from our moon lives. Do you know how many
people would be all too happy to arrest us, even kill us if they recognized us?”
“I imagine it would be quite a few. I
understand the reasons for all the precautions we take.”
“Of course you do, Viper. Is there something
else you need to discuss with me?”
Selena
shook her head. “I came here right away
to let you know. I did not think it was something that should wait.”
“No,” Master agreed. “We operate on information. You have done
well, Viper.”
She
dipped her head to him. “Thank you,
Master. By your leave.”
Master
waved a dismissive hand at her before returning his attention to ’pads in front
of him. She stood, bowed, and turned to leave. It wouldn't be easy to track
down the tattoo artist, but she was a Black Dragon. If Master wanted it done,
it would be done.
J.M. Scheirer:
On a cold day on Hoth…er…in Eastern Pennsylvania, in the depth of night
in the year of 1978, J.M. emerged into the world. She moved to
Endor…er…Southern Maryland as a young child, where she began the process
of creating worlds and stories about them. As an adult, she moved to
Tatooine…er…Eastern Washington to spend the rest of her life with her
soulmate (aka Tim).
There’s not enough time in the day for everything she tries to fit
into her life. On any given day, you can find her reading and/or
writing and/or playing video games and/or watching TV shows and movies
and/or sewing and/or baking.