My stories cover time travel to space opera, shootouts to alien invaders. This book is a collection of my short stories, written over many years. Several have been published previously, and some are available individually. short story, scifi, science fiction

Loosely based on the Primary Russian Chronicles, the story is of a Saxon prince and his two companions who arrive at the time of the founding of a Viking empire on the major rivers of Russia. In spite of implacable enemies and rapids, the Vikings and their allies swarm down the Dnieper River and attack the queen of cities - Constantinople. kiev, rus, viking, viking battle, byzantium, viking age, viking history, viking trade, kiev stories, russia history, dnieper river, Constantinople, Byzantium, Byzantine, Khazar, ambrose, polonius

An unholy alliance of Viking raiders and kings sends the largest Viking armies seen in Alfred the Great's time into the last remaining Saxon kingdom. Can Christian Wessex survive the barbarian onslaught? With Alfred away in the west fighting two invading forces, His son, young Edward, must face a huge Viking army rampaging through the heart of Wessex, without his father's help. Can the young and inexperienced Prince Edward lead a Saxon army to victory? How are they going to handle the traitors within? Ambrose, Edward's uncle, and Polonius, a Byzantine scholar, will once again be called upon to help in the bitter struggle. Viking, historical, war, Wessex, England, Saxon, Alfred, alfred the great, Danes, edward, polonius, ambrose, history of wessex

Ambrose and his friends flee for their lives from imperial Constantinople. The Grand Chamberlain wants them dead, and has dispatched an admiral and a fleet to dispose of them. The prince hopes to return to his native Wessex. Caught by pirates, they are enslaved on Crete, but manage to cause a slave rebellion and escape to Alexandria. The Byzantine fleet follows, and Ambrose is forced to flee across all of North Africa. They are forced to fight mercenaries, Tuareg raiders, and the open desert. Finally, a Muslim slave trader sneaks them into southern Italy, but even there the chase is far from over. Historical novel, action, Byzantium, North Africa, Alexandria, ambrose, polonius, prince of wessex, byzantium, byzantine empire, crete

After seven years of hard-won peace, a Viking army lands in Wessex and attacks Rochester. Alfred the Great has traitors within the Empire, and two powerful Viking Kings to his north. Nevertheless, he manages to drive out the invaders. He hits back at their sanctuary, and enrages Guthrum of East Anglia. The West Saxons cross the Thames River, decimate the Viking settlements on the northern shore, and seize London. Guthrum gathers his forces and marches south, while Alfred and his army prepare for the battle which will decide the fate of all Britain. Alfred, historical, Viking, Wessex, England, Saxon, Ambrose, polonius, king guthrum, guthrum, alfred the great, adventure

Timm Bruce is the son of a farmer on a small agricultural planet, who escapes boredom and his father’s control by enlisting in the Space marines. Soon he finds himself fighting the alien TRILL in space, and then again on a contested planet. Newly promoted, he is sent to arrest or kill members of the Vuorran race. He does his duty, until one young woman is able to steal his heart and remove his military conditioning. Able to again think for himself, he disobeys his orders and rescues the young woman and her baby from the clutches of the evil emperor. Safe on a secret Vuorran haven world, he finds himself appointed as military commander of the tiny Vuorran forces. His strategic brilliance gives the Vuorrans some slight hope, as his ragtag forces strikes several blows against the giant human empire. With the arrival of a powerful alien race into human-occupied space, it appears that the Vurroans might have a chance to survive!

The Great Army of the Danes invades Wessex, and, after two sieges, Alfred forces King Guthrum to agree to withdraw. When the leader of the Great Army breaks his word and invades Wessex in early winter, he nearly succeeds in Capturing Alfred and destroying the last independent Saxon kingdom in Britain. King Alfred hides in the forest, until he finds a base deep in the fastness of a marsh. From there he starts to strike back. He deals with the traitors within, and sends the word for his fyrd to gather in when winter ends. Spring finds his men rallying to his banner, and Alfred defeats the Danes. Britain is saved. Viking, historical, war, Wessex, England, Saxon, Alfred, alfred the great, great army, danes, guthrum, king guthrum

Ambrose rides north with his brother the king to face the all-conquering Great Army of the Vikings. When the battle is averted, Ambrose and his friends ride north as spies and join the Great Army. Recognized, the friends must flee and battle their way back to safety. Ambrose is wounded and only the love of a maiden and friendship of a trader saves him. Viking, historical, Viking, Wessex, England, Saxon, Ambrose, polonius, great army

Claude Bruce is a barrister and an amateur detective who is caught unaware into the mysterious disappearance and the subsequent murder of Lady Dyke, his friend's wife. Together with White, in an amateurish Sherlock Holmes' fashion, Bruce must use his power of deduction to find the culprit. But unlike Sherlock, Bruce is fallible and makes some costly mistakes which results in a humorous but enjoyable murder mystery. The power of this novel lies in its expression and the layout of the puzzling case which has endeared this novel to the mystery lovers for generations!

This timely volume reveals in great detail how educators closed the “performance gap” for low-income students by linking expectations and results. Drawing heavily on the words and experiences of students, teachers, and parents, this book describes how students who traditionally had not succeeded academically in school began to do so. Effort and Excellence in Urban Classrooms demonstrates just how this was done by including: In-depth descriptions of classrooms and schools where students began succeeding when educators assumed the responsibility for their successData-based discussion of teachers’ views on parental involvement in schools and parents’ views of teachers’ and schools’ actions on behalf of studentsIdentification of the kinds of support that schools and districts must provide if educators are to be successfulAn unrelenting emphasis on how educators enabled students to be motivated and to produce high-quality work “At last, a book that helps us see and feel what a ‘no excuses’ approach to teaching is like in urban classrooms! This close look at teachers and students in high-poverty settings gives new meaning to ‘all children can learn.’ A must read for those who are serious about closing the achievement gap.” —Michael S. Knapp, Center for the Study of Teaching & Policy, University of Washington