Stickmaker

Murder at the Shapeshifters' Ball by Rodford Edmiston now on Kindle

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Worlds where being different ISN'T your biggest problem!

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Murder at the Shapeshifters' Ball
by Rodford Edmiston
Buy it on Kindle

Stickmaker's collection of classic SciFi Transformation Tales leads off with a great detective yarn!

Everybody who can be anybody is at the party, including someone willing to kill a beautiful elf!

Thirteen stories set in about ten different worlds deliver mystery, suspense and adventure. With a few important transgender transformations among the furries, aliens and fantastic creatures!

There's a sample of the first story after the break!

Chaos Theory - Masks 18 - by Stickmaker on Kindle

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A hero's cape flaps in the breeze, half a continent away a villain hatches a fiercely stupid plan...

When the villains start tripping over their own feet, the heroes should be able to lean back and enjoy some slack time.
But it doesn't quite work that way...

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Masks - 16 - The Narrow Man by Stickmaker on Kindle!

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War is over and for the survivors that means it's time to cleanup and recover. Unfortunately recovery doesn't always mean rest as Energia and her team find out when they are tasked with investigating a newly discovered secret mountain hideout. Jelly turns to jam and they end up in the THICK of battle with...

The Narrow Man
Masks 16
by Stickmaker
Now on Kindle


For a skinny guy almost a century old, he can take a punch!

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Masks 14 - Vic, Continuing Education - Now on Kindle!

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"Well, it's official," said Energia, sourly, as she and the others managed to enter the upstairs hall at about the same time on the way to breakfast. "I'm a C-cup. Knew things were getting tight around the chest, so I measured, first thing this morning."

On Kindle!

Masks 14

Vic

Continuing Education
by
Rodford Edmiston

Masks 13 - Vic, The Other Half, on Kindle NOW!

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"Oh, you know you love it!" said his Mother, cheerfully. "Anyway, the doctor says you need to stay here longer than originally planned. The good news is, it's because they think you have powers!"

Maks 13 - Vic


Masks 13: The Other Half


by
Rodford Edmiston
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Masks 12 - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Now on Kindle

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"The students from outside the mask community are a small but rapidly growing part of our campus," Eve added, nodding in turn. "The school wasn't really intended for them, though. Some of them never really fit in, there, since they weren't interested in becoming masks. They - or their parents - just wanted training in how to use their powers; not how to fight crime, wear a costume or maintain a private identity."

Maks 12


by
Rodford Edmiston

Masks 11 - Complicated Life - Now on Kindle

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The State Troopers waited at their roadblock. All other traffic was diverted. It was just them and the armed fugitives headed their way at high speed in a hot - in more ways than one - muscle car. The brigands could outrun the police ground vehicles, and even the helicopters, but not the radios. The Troopers stood in the afternoon sun, sweaty, tense and edgy, shotguns and assault rifles at the ready.


Masks 11


by
Rodford Edmiston

Now on Kindle from DopplerPress
Masks 11 on Kindle

Masks 10- Deepest Danger - Now on Kindle

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There's something in the water, no literally! Some THING huge and ugly with destruction on its mind.
It's a fight that's going to require the best the community of masks can muster -- a gathering of heroes like no one has seen before! The call goes out, the threat will be met -- for the world is in

Deepest Danger!

Masks 8 - Love is a Mask - Now on Kindle

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As I walked towards the deceptively simple cabin my hackles rose. There was a strange vehicle parked in front of it, a ridiculously oversized SUV. Before I could decide what to do about it, though, I saw someone. Someone familiar. I felt an odd mixture of relief and aggravation.

Masks 8 on Kindle


by
Rodford Edmiston

Masks 7 - A Super Summer Vacation featuring Energia on Kindle

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Interning with a real adult Superhero team for the summer? Sign me up, thought Energia. The Planetary Guardians have their own superbase hidden in a mountain and everything!

And one of her friends from the super-school she attended would be interning too. It would be the coolest summer ever!

A super special Masks adventure at a super special price! 99 cents!

Masks 7

Masks 7 on Kindle

Masks 6 - Some Assembly Required -- Now on Kindle!

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"I know, you were told to come here to see if I could help you with a problem," said Piano, gently ushering her into a chair. "I believe we can help you while you help us do something good for the world."


Some Assembly Required
by
Rodford Edmiston

 

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Masks 5 - Energia - Out of Template's Shadow - Now on Kindle

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The Leader narrowed its pupils, just a bit... the equivalent of a slight smile for its species. The most important of the group were already supporting the plan. The others would go along, eventually. It sat back and let them plot and scheme, only occasionally asking a question or making a suggestion. Yes, this would work well...

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Masks 5

Energia

Out of Template's Shadow


by
Rodford Edmiston

Masks 3 - Template and Energia - published on Kindle

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A school for superheroes seemed like a good idea at the time. Template is on the faculty and her niece, Energia, is a student when they find out that not everyone agrees on the wonderfulness of education.

High level conspiracy? Alien technology? Is someone trying to kill off the superschool? And the supers with it?

It all started with someone launching a killer missile at Template's secret identity, Jenny’s aunt-er-uncle, Randy...

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Now on KIndle...

Masks 2 - Template The Intrepid: A Learning Experience - Kindle Edition

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A school for superpowered children seemed like a good idea and definitely a change from fighting mad geniuses and superhuman brutes. But who knew that helping set up a school for super-powered teenagers would be so challenging? Not to mention dangerous and exciting...


Excerpt From _Angel of Peace_

"You're writing a book?

"Many newspeople do. Most don't get published."

"I doubt there's much about me you don't already know."

"What about your time in the First World War?"

"That didn't last very long, and in most ways was unremarkable."

"You did fight in the trenches, though."

"For a short period."

"What do you remember about that? Does anything stand out?"

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Unoriginal Titles

I don't read a lot of fiction these days. Neither do I always think things through. The Masks series was originally written in response to the first Incredibles movie. They were intended for the entertainment of myself and other members of the Transformation Stories Archives. If I had realized it would become a commercial product I'd have called it something besides Masks, which is too generic.

Likewise, I didn't realize there was already a series titled "Angel" on BCTS or I would have lumped together my "Angel of..." stories under another title.

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Golden Age Masks Excerpt

An excerpt from The Modern Age, an unfinished novel set in the Thirties of the Masks universe:

"Wow," whispered Dutch, looking over the edge of the roof at the street far below. He glanced back at the Night Master, who was preparing to throw a grapple wrapped in rags across the gap between the buildings. "You've done this before?"

"Many times," the Night Master replied, as he sent the padded hook whistling through the air. It caught on a vent pipe projecting from the roof of the penthouse of the lower, neighboring building.

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Masks 28: Epilog

Epilog

The man was rather ironically young, actually much younger than I was expecting. We met at the small building I'd had constructed where the old and blocky office had stood. He seemed to take personal offense at the fact that I'd had the new, very small structure put up with my own money on my own property. Of course, like many archeologists, he seemed to take any deliberate change to the landscape as a personal offense.

Masks 28: Part 9

Masks XXVIII: Old School

by

Rodford Edmiston

Part Nine

Michelle walked past the bathroom, stopped, reversed and looked in through the open door. She saw her wife staring into the mirror over the sink.

"I didn't think you were the narcissistic type."

"My dad likes to joke that noses run in our family," said Vic, sadly. "Mine did look a lot like his, before; it's smaller, now, and a different shape."

"I think you have a cute nose," said Michelle.

Vic just sighed.

* * *

Masks 28: Part 4

Masks XXVIII: Old School

by

Rodford Edmiston

Part Four

Vic and her boss were meeting one of the archivists working to examine and conserve the Operators' lair and its contents. The three of them were all currently seated in Drake's small office.

"We finally heard from a family member of one of the Operators," said the archivist. "She's a great-granddaughter of Captain Sticky, and an Internet influencer. She uses the online name Hannah Anna Banana."

"Ow," said Vic, wincing. "It's not even that popular of a song."

Masks 28: Part 3

Masks XXVIII: Old School

by

Rodford Edmiston

Part Three

"Turkey Jerky?" said Cal, reaching over to hold out a bag to his office mate.

"Thanks," said Vic. She gave a huge sigh as she accepted some of the smoked meat.

"You seem down."

"It's just... there are so many things which are just... hanging. The 'You're Arrested' mask murders, the identity of whoever hired those guys to steal the balance blades, the mastermind behind the fake volcano and that radioactive android at the Super Combat islands..."

Masks 28: Old School

Masks XXVIII: Old School

by

Rodford Edmiston

Part One

Vic's new helmet was slightly bulkier than the previous one, but it was also actually lighter. Drake had called Vic to his office for the presentation. While her boss read aloud the note which came in the box, Vic examined her new headgear.

"Ugh," she said, peering it from various angles. "Looks like something a Star Wars Stormtrooper would wear."

In spite of this opinion she put it on. At least it fit well.

Dog and Butterfly

A little something to hold people while I complete the next Masks story. This is set in the same world as "The Master of Cuts" and "In the Hollow of the Devil's Hand."

Dog and Butterfly

by

Rodford Edmiston

She was dealing with another of the old man's challenges. She was to go covert, on her own, in strange territory, staying hidden for a full twenty-four hours. That meant avoiding all contact, leaving no trace. Which meant not feeding.

He'd left Calli on the outskirts of a New Orleans subdivision, less than two hours before dawn.

Wings, Again

Another reason I like characters with bird wings is one of my favorite childhood books: The juvenile novel Black and Blue Magic by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Wikipedia says it came out in 1967 and I must have first read it within a couple of years at most. I now have an ex-school library hardback book of the 1972 edition.

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TFOS: Freddy on the Loose: Part 28

TFOS: Freddy On The Loose

by

Rodford Edmiston

Note: This story uses background and concepts from the _Teenagers From Outer Space_ role-playing game, Copyright and Trademark R. Talsorian Games, Inc. This particular installment of "Freddy on the Loose" also uses properties Copyright and Trademark by DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures. The original characters and story are Copyright 2024 Rodford Edmiston Smith.

Big Events

Masks 27: Tales Old and New, Part 8

Part Eight

Ike Kenniman was hosting a holographic conference among supers. Since many people were involved, teams had only their current leader - in most cases a chairperson - displayed. The participants were all established super teams - among them Tricorne and the Assembly - and a few individuals.

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