Drustina gets involved in a war of attrition with the Viking invaders of Hibernia by plaing a game of 'Cat and Mouse' amidst the various islands and rivers that comprise the estuary of the river Shannon. She achieves a spectacular success at the little town of Askea where the island crossing and rocky gully proves to be a perfect place to set one of her cunning traps.

The Island at the town of Askeaton where the battle was fought. Though Drustina's fight predates the castle and the present abbey.

River Deel in full flood. A dangerous and treacherous river.

Kara Jenkins is an attorney whose life is going well apart from one thing, she doesn't have someone to share it with. Until one fateful day she meets Madison Roberts in the park. The two hit it off right away, and it feels like a case of love at first sight. Will their feelings for each other be enough to hold or will Kara's past keep them apart?

The Bat and the Dragon
By Paul Calhoun

I've been desirous of going back to romance plots and this one (like everything else) has been in the pipe for a long time.

My first time writing a gay couple starting that way rather than becoming through disguise and circumstance. I couldn't resist putting in a bit of stereotypical dialogue (though stereotype for me is very different since mine comes from reading so many books written by LGBT scholars).

Oh, right, plot. Halloween party, one decides he's tired of being the only married gay couple at the parties, skinsuit, catwoman, evening out. Obligatory cameo by characters from other story arc. How big is this town anyway and how come there are so many people buying skinsuits there? Hey, that sounds like the plot of a story!

"Mother bought a huge new mirror — and it's haunted!"
Arliss' sister had informed him on the phone.
"You'll see when you come home!"

Arliss In Wonderland (or Ten Years Before The Looking Glass), by C.S. Lewis-Carroll

The Faithful, North African and Middle Eastern Islamic nations, are plotting to seize the oil resources of the Middle East. By controlling the earth's oil and its major trade routes, they plan to bring the world to its knees. Then, when the entire world is kneeling, the Faithful of Allah will read to them from the Koran, preaching the message of Islam, the True Faith. The Faithful will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. But how far will they go? And how many lives will it cost?

Christmas Past.
By Angharad.

She wept as he held her. “Why d’you have to go?” he asked. She shook her head and cried some more. “Don’t go, please don’t go.”

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A Story of Love, Medicine, the Military, Orphans, and Viet Nam
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Caution: A small part of this story depicts events related to the sexual abuse of a child - me. No, it didn’t happen exactly the way written, but close enough I still, have an occasion, flashbacks. ________________________________________________________________

The Chief sort of wilted. “I don’t know how to say this gently. The first BabyLift flight out of Vietnam crashed. It will be on the news tonight. Already the Mayor, and worse, the Newspapers have been clamoring for their favorite Emergency Medical Technician to help. So… you’ll be packing your bags. The Mayor talked to the Governor. The Governor called the President. The President called the Pentagon. The Pentagon called the Governor’s Military office, repeatedly, then the General called your CO at Moffett Field, and then your CO called me. As of 0800 today, you have been federalized.”

CHAPTER 5
That was the start of a new life indeed. Each time I had visited her at university, she had been clearer and sharper in the focus of her femininity, truer to herself. Up until the funeral, it had all had to be folded away and kept in storage whenever she came home. Now, the bird was free, and I had to keep a careful watch on where and how high it flew. I had Kevin to watch, for starters. Then again, her tastes seemed to be heading more in the direction of the shortest skirts she could get away with. The genie was well and truly out of the bottle, and that container was in the local recycling bin and headed for a crusher

The Faithful, North African and Middle Eastern Islamic nations, are plotting to seize the oil resources of the Middle East. By controlling the earth's oil and its major trade routes, they plan to bring the world to its knees. Then, when the entire world is kneeling, the Faithful of Allah will read to them from the Koran, preaching the message of Islam, the True Faith. The Faithful will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. But how far will they go? And how many lives will it cost?