Raw Talent for me is my first publication. It is a look into me as a person for you as a person. People tend to relate to similar situations and circumstances and not even realize that connection because we don’t take the time to sit and get to know each other. Raw Talent is my way of saying here I am, as I am. I’m no longer scared of criticism or how someone will take what I have to say. I’m doing what only I can do and that is showing you me. My goal with Raw Talent is to show you as my fellow readers that you can be you as well. Before you become shocked by the variation of works in this series. I have a Christian base, so you will find God, without him there is no us. You will also find relationship works. It can go from clean as a church to dirty as a sewer but that’s how life is. Everything isn’t all glitz and glam. Poetry can be interpreted how you see fit. I decided to do something different and that is explain to you what each piece means to me. So, come and get Raw with me.

Commissioned in death to save a world in peril, a tabletop RPG fanatic is reborn as a humble farm boy with the rulebook for the universe at his fingertips! Young Erich’s quest for an invincible character build will require more than his decades as a number-crunching munchkin, though. Even with power-leveled skills, feudal life is no cakewalk—especially when you keep drawing more attention than you can handle… Can Erich adapt to his strange new world before his worst impulses take the campaign of a lifetime completely off the rails? Let the dice fall where they may!

Killian's new world order threatens to destroy all that Aspen holds dear and has grown to love. However Aspen has a terrible decision to make: should she join Killian's new order or stand against him as she discovers that she has amazing powers too.

The iconic inhabitants of Larry Marder's unique Beanworld universe are introduced in this complete collection of Beanworld comic-book issues #1-#21! Join Mr. Spook, Professor Garbanzo, Beanish, and many others as they experience adventures in their world that prove, whether friends or adversaries, they are all ultimately dependent on each other for survival. Marder's deceptively simple artwork illustrates a self-contained ecological fantasy realm with its own unique rules, truths, and lingo. Beanworld has delighted readers from grade school to grad school for more than a generation, earning a spot on the New York Times Graphic Books Best Sellers List.

Jane Lake, disillusioned with her career as a jazz singer and frustrated in love, returns home from London to a small town in the English Lake District. Reacquainting herself with her circle of women-friends (Ruth, Sarah and Margaret), it becomes apparent that their lives of rural isolation are not as tranquil as they first appear: Sarah's long-term partner, Philip, is in amorous pursuit of Margaret's daughter, Stella. Jane intends her stay in the family home to be short. Her rehabilitation, however, becomes protracted and she discovers that those about her are embroiled in the small town's romantic bohemian scene. Jane's sense of dejection intensifying as she realises that most of the men she's interested in prefer her younger brother, David, she increasingly relies upon the bottle in order to maintain a rational view of things. Long-standing friendships cannot be maintained without rivalry and resentment playing their part. As the plot thickens involving the various key-players in Jane's life, she herself teeters between personal jeopardy and a burgeoning self-knowledge that might just permit the prospect of love…

For a person privileged to say I played for Scotus, specific images immediately come to mind: rugged practices, exacting coaches, expectations of excellence. Those words also mean representing not only yourself and your teammates but also thousands of people over the years whoas players, coaches, fans, and friends of the schoolwere proud to call themselves Shamrocks. Forty-four times in the past eighty-five years, the Shamrocks of St. Bonaventure and Scotus Central Catholic have captured state championships in both boys and girls sports. There have been innumerable district and conference titles, monumental victories on the biggest stages in Nebraska high school sports. There have been all-state players Shamrocks who went on to collegiate glory and careers in professional sports, hall of famers, and coaches who are among the legendary names in the annals of Nebraska prep sports. This is the story of the Shamrocks by the Shamrocks.

In his past life, Chou Sekiei was the undefeated war hero Kou Eihou—no pressure, right? Now, a thousand years later, all he wants is to get a nice, cushy job as a civil official and build a quiet life for himself. Too bad that he still has fighting prowess he can’t explain. Too bad that as a child, he was taken in by a renowned general and trained alongside Chou Hakurei, famed for her talent and beauty. Too bad that he’s gotten into rescuing pretty (and pretty immature) merchant prodigies. Sekiei was really looking forward to some peace and quiet so he could kick back and read, but when the foreign nation of Gen launches an invasion that triggers war, he’s forced to put his books down. With the power of skills he’d hoped never to put to use again, Sekiei will once more have to make a name on the battlefield... Will he and his friends be enough to save their homeland?

A not-too-bright hero must prevent an evil prince from reclaiming his kingdom in this hilarious fantasy adventure manga series opener. The forces of evil have returned to the Kingdom of Dikay! All hope is lost! There will be strife and clamorous discord! The people need a hero! Is there no one around who can vanquish the malevolent tyranny?! Uhmm . . . Anyone . . . Anyone? Enter the legendary Van Von Hunter, the Hunter of Evil . . . Stuff! Together with his loyal, memory-challenged sidekick, he faces off against the deposed former ruler of Dikay, who has come back to reclaim his throne! Pseudomé Studio’s Mike Schwark and Ron Kaulfersch, winners of TOKYOPOP’s Rising Stars of Manga™ competition, have created a side-splitting blend of hilarity and adventure! Based on the much beloved online comic. Praise for Van Von Hunter, Volume 1 “[A] humorous adventure. . . . The figures are well-designed and likable. . . . An amusing quick read.” —Publishers Weekly

Modern mages, known as Mage-Knights, materialize their souls as armaments. Attending a school for Mage-Knights is Ikki Kurogane, a failed knight—the Worst One. One day, he is challenged by Stella, a Rank A knight, to a duel, putting lifelong servitude on the line. What Ikki lacks in magical power, however, he makes up for with his unorthodox mastery of the sword, leading him to victory! “I’ll do it! Make me do whatever you want! Stupid creep!” Though she regrets her defeat, Stella begins to fall for Ikki. Meanwhile, in the battle for the top of the knight world, the Worst One begins to grab the attention of every Mage-Knight out there, becoming known as Another One! The curtain rises on Ikki’s school-based, sword-action underdog tale as he cuts through one powerful foe after another! © Riku Misora / illustrations © WON / SB Creative Corp.

Be wary, ye whoÉ Sorry. Just wanted to warn you up front that some of these stories donÕt have conclusions. Most of them do, but some I just never could finish. Oh, yeah, and some of them are parts of series that are here published alone because I just was unable to find the other stories. I swore when I was young that that would never happen to me. It did. IÕm dealing with it. The reason that such stories Ñ those without endings and those for which there are other, connected stories Ñ is that, well, IÕm getting old. I wanted to collect the majority of my writings before IÕm dead. Some of these are very early stories. The earliest, I believe, is ÒCounterterrorist.Ó Yes, the main characterÕs name is Jack, but it was written many years Ñ decades Ñ before Jack Bauer, counterterrorist, made it to TV in 24. That should be obvious, but I thought IÕd mention it. Just try to enjoy the stories.