San Francisco, 1865.

At first, the immortal peyote-eating magician Celwyn is hired to deliver an automat, Professor Kang, to a priest called Talos. Everything Talos told Celwyn was a lie, and by the time their ship, the Zelda, encounters a terrific storm in the Arctic Circle, Celwyn finds he must reconsider his allegiance. He chooses Kang, and they travel to Singapore, preparing to journey west. In order to deflect the attention of the city’s police, they allow an American heiress to go with them as she escapes matrimony to seek adventure. Her crazy aunt hops another train, and the pursuit is on. The third member of their friendship is from Juba in the Sudan; a widower, scholar, and brave but superstitious man. Their deep friendship grows as they battle several malevolent forces at the same time, and rescue two orphans along the way. Celwyn has avoided caring about anyone for hundreds of years, and now must learn the cost of friendship, and loss. Eventually they reach Prague. The culmination of their battles with evil occurs on the Vltava River under the shadow of the Prague Opera House. As always, it is accompanied by the ethereal music of the magician.

Book 1 in the Celwyn Series

In 1865, the three protagonists set off from Prague on the train the Elizabeth to retrieve Professor Xiau Kang’s wife in Singapore.  The ‘family’ of protagonists encounter adversity and adventure, and Celwyn’s magic becomes the central focus.  Everything is based upon the question, “what if?”

The trip is fraught with unexplained occurrences, murders, magic, and more adventure.  Along the way, the author Jules Verne crashes his hot air balloon next to their train in order to join their entourage.  Once they arrive in Singapore they are attacked, and eventually end up on the Nautilus with Captain Nemo.  It seems that Professor Kang, automat and book lover, is also one of the few experts in the world on the basics of building a flying machine, something very much desired by Nemo.

Months later, after their return to Prague, Celwyn is wounded again and dies just Kang rendezvous with the Nautilus and Captain Nemo.

Book 2 in the Celwyn Series

Thanksgiving 2021 release

As the music dies, Pelaez, Celwyn’s darker immortal brother, brings him back, barely, with his magic. The party of protagonists travel to the Cape Verde Islands and the healer of immortals. After Celwyn is saved, the healer requests payment. This sends them to the catacombs at Capuchin which they will not forget. Before it is over, several of the protagonists question why it seems everyone from warlocks and vampires to witches, seem to be congregating in their world. Some of them become surprising allies, and a few of their allies turn against them.  In part II, work on the new flying machine begins in earnest bringing attention from the Mafioso and a cherub-like warlock called Duncan.  After a final battle with Duncan, the flying machine is destroyed and everyone at their compound is murdered by one of their own.

Book 4 in the Celwyn Series

February 2022 release

After the destruction of the main pirate ship, Celwyn discovers that another niece of the vampire Valentine Soriano has been taken prisoner by the pirates. Nemo, Tara and the rest of the adventurers follow that ship. The telegrams to Prague tell Mrs. Kang and the others that they do not know when they’ll be back, and little more. The Nautilus catches up to the pirate ship and retrieves the kidnapped vampire, and also discover nearly 500 slaves imprisoned in the hold.  They eventually trick the pirates into delivering the slaves to safety, and continue east.  The captain of the pirates has something of Nemo he must retrieve.  Meanwhile, one of the automats who survived the sinking of the main pirate ship arrives in Prague and murders Mrs. Kang.  The adventurers find a most complex problem awaiting them in the Sulu Islands, not knowing of the horrible murder in Prague.

Book 3 in the Celwyn Series

December 2021 release

The will of the protagonists, including Captain Nemo, is tested after the massacre at their compound.  They travel back to Prague, but along the way stop at an island off the northeast coast of England.  Findbar Island is perfect for their new compound where they will rebuild the flying machine.  It is also haunted by the participants from an earlier tragedy there, along with the mystery surrounding the sanitarium that once resided on the island.  Celwyn receives word from Tara McFein, who he is falling in love with.  As a spy for the Queen, a witch and vampire, she “participates” as Celwyn is fond of saying.  She also is being kept prisoner in the Tower of London.

The novel is initially based upon fact. When the Reich fell in 1945, the Allies rounded up Hitler’s top ten atomic scientists and transported them to Farm Hall, a mansion in the English countryside. Their intent was to seduce the scientists into working on the Manhattan Project. The fictionalization begins with Major Oliver as the M16 officer in charge of the scientists. As the first few days go by, he finds them impish, mysterious, and full of “marinated craziness.” Oliver also discovers an unsettling amount of strange occurrences he can’t explain, such as the shredded civilians from Hiroshima appearing in the dining room of Farm Hall. When one of the scientists is murdered, the woman smuggled into the mansion that night is suspected. Eventually Oliver becomes very close to her, finding that she pursues Pelaez, the immortal magician, who masquerades as one of the scientists. Pelaez wants to stop the war, all wars, and intends to sabotage the Manhattan Project. Major Oliver is in the way.