R J Hore

Young Queen Nefasti's hold on her throne is tenuous. Her powerful neighbor to the west has declared war, and her other neighbors want something in return for their offered aid, such as her hand in marriage and her kingdom. Assassins lurk in the shadows while handsome suitors try to bribe her with gold and jewels. Her best friend and protector is leaving and one of her favorite ladies-in-waiting is threatening to commit suicide. Could anything else go wrong?

A party at the home of a respectable socialite sets in motion a sequence of events which lead a group of reluctant companions on a quest for King Arthur's tomb. Martin Owen is a mild mannered accountant, ignored and disrespected, even by his own family. But an experiment in hypnotic regression wakens a mysterious long dormant spirit from the time of Arthur. Intrigued, the party's guests are drawn in further slowly forming an impromptu team on the trail of buried Roman treasure and the forbidden secrets of Camelot. Each interrogation of the sleeping spirit, leaves it encroaching further and further upon Martin's life, until we are unsure who is controlling who. Meanwhile, the romances, ambitions, illicit affairs and secrets of each of the party members are exposed as the shadow from the past inexorably leads them to glory or doom.

TOLTEC NOON, the final Book of the Toltec Conquests plays out, set in 1215AD, the Toltec Empire has conquered England and Ireland, and set its sights on Europe. Contending with revolts from within and without, as the expanding Empire struggles to rule their English provinces, with three protagonists struggling to survive. Fergus continues to plot in the devious world of London politics. Taking matters into his own bloodied hands, he lets nothing stand in the way of becoming the high priest. But there are others as ruthless. General Mixcoatl must lead an army into Scotland before he can assume the rank of governor of the province. But old debts and old passions return to plague him as a new and deadly crisis rises from across the ocean. Rowena's lover and the father to her unborn child has left for the wars across the Channel and she fears he will not return, or if he does, it will be impossible for him to wed her. Hunted by assassins, she must leave those she loves and once more strike out on her own. Religious politics blaze hot, wars rage, and blood is shed as these three struggle for power and the ultimate good of the land.

THE SECOND CHAPTER IN THE SAGA OF A WORLD WHERE THE TOLTEC EMPIRE CONQUERED THE BRITISH ISLES 1215AD: The Toltec Empire rules the Isles, within it three lives struggle to survive turbulent times of war, plague and religious conflict. The Toltec Fortress overlooking London is under siege from a native revolt as Londoners try to overthrow their oppressors. Trapped within the Fortress, our three protagonists must endure their own trials. Fergus, appointed Interrogator for the god Tezcatlipoca in England with the mandate to suppress or convert the native Christians, must find a way to work with the local priests of Tezcatlipoca and that god's rival, Quetzalcoatl. He finds himself caught in a delicate balance as a go-between for the people trapped in the fortress, and the rebel forces surrounding them. Captain Mixcoatl's loyalty is torn as his best friend throws in with the desperate governor and his scheme to turn the Toltec province into an independent kingdom. Outnumbered and beset, Mixcoatl must once again look to the sly King of Gwynedd for assistance to raise a force to save England and the life of his pregnant wife. Rowena, maid to Captain Mixcoatl's wife, finds herself on the parapet with her mistress staring down at a rebel army, facing the final assault with a group of women and children. The fate of the Island Colonies hangs in the balance, and our three protagonists are drawn ever closer, as forces clash over who will rule the overseas jewel of the Toltec Empire.

Hounds of Basalt Ville: As usual, Randy is behind in Bertha's wages. When she begs him to help her younger brother in a northern mining town, it's an offset opportunity. Just because there are mysterious goings-on in Basalt Ville, and rumors that Hell Hounds have been seen, there's no reason for worry. The body count piles up, with hounds baying and even stranger things rising out of the ground, making for an almost-typical few days outside the office. Murder in the Rouge Mort: There are some people Randy would really rather forget. Faster Frederica is one of them. She has a nasty reputation and a bad habit of playing with very sharp knives. So what is he to do when she appears in his office and insists on hiring him to find her missing brother, Fast Freddy? Only it turns out Faster also needs a bodyguard. Apparently there are some dead bodies lying around, the Committee of Public Safety is looking for her, to chat, as well as an assortment of underworld characters. Randy finds himself caught in the middle of a gang war, and an investigation that leads him into the depths of a dangerous building in search of answers. The Treasure of the Sarah Madder: Take an order from the Committee of Public Safety he can't refuse and add an expedition made up of an apprentice wizard still wet behind his drooping ears and a teenage elf who just happens to be the favorite niece of a high-ranking CPS agent. With no idea where he is going, what he is looking for, or who is supposed to be trying to stop them, private eyeball Randy is set for a typical trip where things can only go wrong. Exotic locations, exotic villains-who could ask for anything more to break up the monotony that started out as a typical day at the office?

Menagerie a Trois: The usual pressure on Randy to solve cases while trying to avoid getting involved with some serious nasties sounds simple enough. Did we mention shadowy figures with scythes or the seductive crime bosses?Murder on the Disoriented Express: Private Eyeball Randy accepts an assignment to escort two harmless elves-an elderly maiden aunt and her attractive niece-on a relaxing train trip across the continent. Seems simple enough. If only...Silence of the Sands: His secretary Bertha has gone missing, and so has her mother and a large tourist island. Good thing someone stuffed a kitten in Randy's pocket. Just another typical day outside the office, complete with wayward women and a missing beach.