Final Reverie, published by J. Ellington Ashton Press

After many changes, Final Reverie is finally released! This book became a part of me quite quickly, and I have been in love with it since the beginning.  As my first full novel, I could not wait to share it with the world!

My debut novel, Final Reverie, is now available on kindle and paperback. Join in on the adventures of Franklyn and Chij as they embark on an epic journey and battle true evil.
"Mother Nature’s shrieks were heard across the realm when man’s technological burden ushered Armageddon upon her flesh. The malevolent urges within her magical aura escaped with a vengeance upon the lands, much of it finding solace in a concentration of power within the nefarious vessel of Nafets. Her only hope for a future of peace was to release her own virtuous magical aura upon the land, spreading it far into the hidden reaches of her peaks and valleys.
Two heroes, Franklyn – an adolescent boy, and Chij – his wolf brother, travel the land with a sole purpose of helping those that cannot defend themselves from the creatures that lurk and feed upon the weak. In a twist of fate, their carefree days come to an end when tasked to search out Nafets and destroy his hold upon the world, and once again balance out the yin and yang of magical existence.
Throughout their journey, Franklyn and Chij encounter heroes of the past that guide them toward the final battle, as well as Atrin - an aspiring adversary that wishes to overthrow Nafets and claim his seat upon the throne of malevolence.
Franklyn and Chij endure an emotional journey filled with blood, tears, and self-discovery as they encounter the unexpected and become entangled in an expedition that will test their abilities and emotions further than ever before."

Available now:

Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Final-Reverie-Essel-Pratt-ebook/dp/B00LCFLB3M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403908281&sr=1-1&keywords=Final+Reverie
 
Paperback:
https://www.createspace.com/4864203

Misunderstood: An Anthology for Those Hiding Behind a Mask of Hope

Misunderstood: An Anthology for Those Hiding Behind a Mask of Hope is a special project I have been working on.  Although I have one poem included within, this book is the sum of some fantastic up and coming writers.  Each was brave enough to share their inner feelings in both poem and story form.  The editing may be rough in parts, the grammar may not be perfect.  It isn't meant to be.  Instead, I allowed the raw nature of the submissions to shine through the feelings that were emitted onto the page. 

"Being a misunderstood youth in today's society can mean many things to many people. For a parent, it can be a confusing time. We often attribute misunderstandings to their use of technology, in lieu of the imagination that we expressed at their ages. For our children, it can be a frustrating experience. They desire relief form the pains they endure each and every day, whether emotionally, physically, or in secret, yet they fear the stigma of a drug induced cure. This book is about the frustrations, fears, facades, and frailties that our youth is faced with each and every day. It is an attempt to express the power of hope and desire for relief. The contributors within have agreed to share their bravery in the form of pictures and words, reveling the reality behind the mask that our youths wear each and every day."

The contributors to this project are each new to the writing business, but their passion that is shared within is unmatched.  Please feel free to review the book, not on the overall visual content, but on the emotional content that is within.  After reading each piece, I urge you to then read their bios at the end to get a feel for the people that were brave enough to share their innermost thoughts.

BATTLE BEHIND THE MASK. 2

Co-Written by Mike McSurdy and Andrew Buttillo

THE EARTH BENEATH MY BODY WANTS TO BE BETTER ACQUAINTED.. 6

Michelle Haynes

NOTHING IS GETTING BETTER. 8

Peyton Pratt

ONE MORE DAY. 10

Franklin K. Johnson

SCARS. 12

Jordan Smith

PRETEND.. 14

Elektra Schubert

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER. 17

Andrew Buttillo

BLACK HOLE. 21

D. Souza

CHANGE IS GOOD.. 22

Jordan Baxter

My CORNER. 25

D. Souza

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. 27

Andrew Buttillo

OUR LAST NIGHT. 30

D. Souza

THE ADDICT. 40

Jordan Smith

DETRIMENTAL PERMANENCE. 41

Essel Pratt

YOU ARE DIFFERENT. 45

D. Souza

FATHERLESS. 47

Jordan Smith

LOVE SUCKS. 49

D. Souza

DROWNING.. 56

Mike McSurdy

THE VICTIM... 58

Jordan Smith

YOU’RE NOT ALONE. 60

Mike McSurdy

. 65 

Undead War: Tales of the Zombie Apocalypse (Dead Guns Press) (Volume 2)

The Undead War: Tales of the Zombie Apocalypse, vol. 2 is a collection about those hat should not have survived.  Those that our society claims are abnormal in comparison to normalcy.  My story, "XMB3", was originally written for a charity anthology that sadly never happened.  However, I kept it in a safe place as I waited for the perfect opportunity to submit.  Luckily, this anthology came along. 

"The Undead War means a battle of survival for the remaining pockets of humanity. It's the only thing that matters these days. Survive and win at all cost. The old ways of life mean nothing anymore. Those God-forsaken 9-to-5 jobs, the bills, the corporate empires, politicians bickering over stupid crap, all those laws on the books and everything that meant anything were swept aside. That includes those nice big screens televisions, computers, jewelry, gold, those fancy cars and the money that everyone slaved their asses off to get - it don't mean a damn thing anymore. When those things came back to life, the governments said they were going to eradicate the undead, the zombies, zekes, ferals, walkers or whatever those damned things are being called these days, but instead the governments the world over just collapsed. There's nothing left of the old ways of life just the surviving and dying. Everyone here has got a story of the horror of the old days, the days after and everything in between. Everyone here survived, or maybe they didn't but this book might help you survive the hordes and remember those dark days. All you gotta do is just get to reading and maybe you'll learn something. Read the tales from the Undead War from these survivors: Tim Tobin, John L. Thompson, Joseph Rubas, Dave Fragments, Kameryn James, Ryan Neil Falcone, Chris Limb, Matthew Wilson, Kenneth James Crist, Greg McWhorter, M. Leon Smith, Jordan Mierek, Cindy Rosmus, Matthew Howe, John X. Grey, T. Fox Dunham, Paul Dick, Richard A. Becker, Gary Murphy, Essel Pratt, David S. Pointer, Ginny Bowman and Shane DeMink."

• Series: Dead Guns Press
• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 20, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 149477030X
• ISBN-13: 978-1494770303
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches

Silent Scream

Silent Scream is "a brilliant collection of short stories from a group of very talented indie authors" and includes my short titled, "Canopic Servitude".  I originally wrote the story for another anthology,  however it was rejected due to the abundance of fantastic submissions.  I was a little saddened by the rejection but used the upbeat tone of the rejection to rework the piece.  It wasn't long before Silent Scream came along and I submitted.  I was ecstatic to see the piece was accepted. 

"A collection of short terrors from the minds of various talented Indie Authors. Sit a spell and discover what happens when a storekeeper decides to change locations and realizes she has to move more than boxes. Then discover what happens to a young lad dying to shed his boyhood only to discover a most unimaginable horror. Also, discover a world where ferocious felines with a hidden agenda over power two local residents and resurrect their mighty king and queen. With much more to explore, Silent Scream has something for everyone."