Losing her love was the least of her troubles.

When an opportunity to study on another planet presents itself, Larissa Malinya is all too eager to escape the home that holds so many grief-filled memories.

Afraid of losing anyone else in her life, Larissa resists her growing attraction to Janssen, another botanist on the ship. But before she can reconcile her feelings, an emergency landing exposes them to a brazen attack.

Detained in a strange medical facility, Larissa unwittingly despairs that she’s the lone survivor. Heartache soon turns to horror when she discovers the scientists’ diabolical plan to create an army of super soldiers.

Can Larissa and her fellow captives hatch a plan to thwart their efforts? To avert disaster, she must make an impossible choice:

Will she choose love, or turn her back on it for survival and the greater good?

SHAKIRAN is an exciting companion novella in the Tamisan Series that will transport sci-fi and paranormal fans to a fascinating world on the outskirts of the Known Universe, filled with suspense, danger, and romance.

**Spoiler Alert** This book contains spoilers for the books in the TAMISAN Series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it is HIGHLY recommended that you read TAMISAN and ENIGMA first!

In a broken world where the gods have perished and the faith of five nations has collapsed, Bai Cen—a failed demigod "abandoned" by the Creator—awakens in the abandoned divine realm.

He has no heartbeat, feels no pain, and his memory is blank. The only thing he knows is his own name, etched into his body like a serial number. He is neither human nor divine.

The girl "Xu Wu" (originally named Kaiting) was once an overseer under the divine authority system but has now become a traitor. Tasked with determining whether Bai Cen should be destroyed, she instead chooses to take him on a journey when she realizes he lacks an emotional module.

To uncover the truth of "who am I" and "why the gods created humanity," they travel through the five nations left behind by the deities.

(Note: The name "许雾" is rendered as "Xu Wu" in pinyin,Adjustments can be made if alternative transliterations are preferred.)

We all know about Greek Mythology, to some extent, but what if it was all formed around the tellings of Tiresius the Prophet about an alien species that would greatly impact the 21st century.

Because of the widespread knowledge of Greek mythology, Kronos was able to evade his doom at the hand of Zues. The alien emperor plans to turn the entire Earth and all its lifeforms into fuel to launch into space and begin his leech-like conquest. To do this, he raises two ignorant young humans, implanted with special abilities.

Little do they know, there was a secret fail-safe, prophesied but nearly lost to time that may change everything.

Her DNA is a weapon, and some will stop at nothing to control it.

Tamisan thought her troubles were over after the defeat of Dr Starrick, the scientist who performed illegal experiments on her, transferring her consciousness into the body of a native of the planet Althar 3. But when Tamisan is set upon by someone she thought she could trust, she realizes that Starrick wasn’t the only one who had an interest in her new abilities.

When the attack leaves her an amnesiac and stranded in the jungle once again, Tamisan is found by the Waikari natives – only they think she’s Sifayah, the young woman whose body she now possesses. They want to help her remember, only the memories they hope to restore are of a life that Tamisan never lived.

With her attacker still at large, Tamisan must learn who she is all over again, and fast. She needs her abilities to defend herself from those who would use her, but without her memories, how will she tell who is friend and who is foe?

ENIGMA is an exciting second (and final) book in the Tamisan Series that will transport sci-fi and paranormal fans to a fascinating world on the outskirts of the Known Universe, filled with suspense, danger, and romance.

### Introduction: Embracing Love, Grace, and Forgiveness

In a world often marked by division, judgment, and resentment, the call to let love rule over judgment, grace over condemnation, and forgiveness over bitterness resonates deeply. These principles not only foster personal peace but also cultivate a community rooted in compassion and understanding.

**Reality Facts:**

1. **Impact of Judgment**: Studies show that judgmental attitudes can lead to increased anxiety and stress, both for the person judging and the one being judged. This cycle of negativity can hinder personal relationships and community cohesion.

2. **Power of Grace**: Grace, defined as unmerited favor, has the power to transform lives. When we extend grace to others, we create an environment where healing and growth can occur, both individually and collectively.

3. **Forgiveness as a Healing Tool**: Research indicates that forgiveness can lead to improved mental and physical health. Letting go of bitterness not only frees the individual but also paves the way for reconciliation and deeper connections.

**Biblical Verses:**

- **Love Over Judgment**: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." (Matthew 7:1) This verse reminds us that love should guide our interactions, encouraging us to see others through a lens of compassion rather than criticism.

- **Grace Over Condemnation**: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8) This passage emphasizes the importance of grace, urging us to extend the same gift to others that we have received.

Forgiveness Over Bitterness:"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32) Here, we are called to embody forgiveness, reflecting the grace we have been shown.

By embracing these principles, we can transform our lives and the lives of those around us, creating a legacy of love, grace, and forgiveness that echoes through generations.

The setting for this fantasy is an Earth governed by machines, with humans relegated to a slave race. The story assumes that, as there are degrees of intelligence, there are degrees of consciousness. The only true and complete consciousness is of the type generated within the unique human mind.  Smart does not mean conscious; the most advanced artificial intelligence is not conscious and can only replicate a flawed facsimile. We can contemplate the meaning of life and the nature of reality and illusion. Speculation about an ethereal realm where physical laws do not apply is illogical to a machine programmed on rational terms. Our unique ability to speculate on the meaning of reality and illusion is beautifully illustrated by the famous ‘butterfly dream’ of the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi and is the inspiration for the title of this novella

“Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly.

“I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again.

“Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.”

Should you challenge the system, or follow it? That's what 18-year-old Fabel Groves has to ask herself. Both options could be dangerous in their own ways, but only one way to find out.

Benjamin Harris moves to a small town with his parents called Desertville (The town his father and uncle grew up in). One day, Benjamin Harris visits a diner and encounters a girl named Marley. She claims that Jesus has told her that Benjamin is the one destined to solve the mystery of her father's disappearance. Her father, Joseph Williams, vanished five years before their meeting.

Initially, Benjamin is skeptical-he doesn't believe in such revelations and finds Marley's claim somewhat laughable. Nonetheless, he agrees to help her. Thus begins an unexpected adventure with Marley and her sister, Naomi. Together, they uncover secrets about the T.S.I. (Top Secret Institute), a government facility involved with mysterious jewels and extraterrestrial life.

Yet, the most profound mystery Benjamin Harris will unravel is not just the secrets of the T.S.I. and Marley's father, but one that lies much closer to himself.

Terry is one of the people of the rainforest. She is grateful for all the gifts it gives to not only her people, but to humanity in general. Her people have long been suppressed by the ruling class. But they still protect the rainforest that all the people both in the village and the city depend upon.

In the following link, you can hear my reading of the first few pages from each of the ten short stories in my Mindscapes speculative fiction collection. Note that although this book is available in electronic, paperback and audiobook format, these readings from each of the short stories is my own and NOT a sample of the professionally produced Audible audiobook read by professional voice talent.

What if instead of aliens' invading Earth, humans invaded their planet?

After World war III reduced Earth to ashes, the last remnants of humanity fled to the stars, carving a new empire among the clouds of an alien world- *Elysium*. But this new paradise was already home to a native civilisation, one now shackled under the terms of a brutal treaty. Every year, the aliens pay tribute. Every day, their skies are shadowed by the ships of their human overlords.

The people of Elysium live under the boot of the Dominion-an authoritarian human regime that controls every aspects of life. Children are bred, not born. Raised not to love or dream, but to dominate. The highest honour in this twisted society is to become an Avatar-a chosen warrior diplomat engineered to mimic their slaves and maintain human supremacy.

Evan, a gifted but rebellious young recruit, never wanted this life. He dreams of something the Dominion forbids: *freedom.* But when he's selected to complete in the Trails, a brutal gauntlet meant to forge the next generation of Avatars, he must fight not just to survive-but to understand the truth behind the Dominion, the aliens they oppress, and the role he was bred to play.

As Evan's beliefs are shattered and loyalties tested, he'll face an impossible choice: rise as a symbol of oppression, or burn it all down...and take himself down with it.

In a world built on ashes and lies, what does it mean to be human anymore?