A TOUCH OF BLARNEY
(Three interlinked novellas)
including St. Batzy & the Time Machine

Tumble through time...

...to Ireland in 1817, when tensions are high between Protestants and Catholics, and the fae people guide the fate of the villagers. A lovely Catholic lass stumbles upon the weekly ritual of fisticuffing between Irish lads. She falls into the lap of a handsome young Protestant. However, family ties, grudges, and two conniving faeries threaten their budding love. The faeries outsmart themselves when they hijack a time machine that has mysteriously appeared in their forest and are whisked to...

...Eugene, Oregon in the 20th century, amid a property feud between the local faeries and night elves. The conniving faeries from Olde Ireland try to stir up more mischief. However, a warrior gnome convinces the magic folk to control their destiny, and forces the intruding faeries to take refuge in the time machine once again, spinning their way toward...

...A basement laboratory in modern day western Oregon. An eccentric inventor is determined to reclaim his wayward time machine and save his beloved wife from her latest misadventure. If only they can travel safely past the black hole...

Excerpt from "St. Batzy & the Time Machine"

            On the monitors, Horace watched the giant fire hydrant. On the outside, it looked much the same as it had when Horace set it up for the dog next door. However, the monitors showing the inside of the hydrant revealed major changes. Living quarters for human time travelers were contained on the second floor of the hydrant. On the ground floor, a mini-nuclear reactor had been installed. A semi-circle around it contained a bank of monitors and control panels linked to the computer that controlled the time machine and contained a calendar program to calculate the day, month and year where the time machine had traveled.
            "T minus thirty seconds and counting," Clement intoned.
            Horace drew a deep breath to calm the buzzing of adrenaline through his veins. If this worked--no, when they proved the time machine worked, Horace would rescue Maddie and never let her travel without him again.
            "Ten, nine, eight..."
            A movement on one of the inside monitors caught Horace's eye. "What's that?"
            "...two, one. Activate."
            "I think we have an unexpected passenger." Horace dashed outside to where he had sited the fire hydrant a few short weeks earlier. Now only a flattened patch of lawn separated his back yard from the neighbor's fence.
             A freckle-faced girl with bright red hair leaned against the fence. "Have you seen my dog, Batzy?"

###

            Batzy felt dizzy. Disoriented. Like the time he ate a shoe and the metal fasteners didn't want to digest. Some grass would be good right now.
            He hopped off the chair, wobbled a bit, and scratched at the door. Funny, it didn't open like it usually did.
            He dug a little harder. Still nothing. Okay. Well, he wasn't in trouble until his little girl, Chloe, called him for dinner. In the meantime, he'd have a snack and a nap.
            Batzy put his front paws up on the control panel and pushed the button that dispensed treats.
            Instead of a treat, a voice spoke to him. "Manual override engaged. What year do you wish to travel to?"
            "Woof!"
            "Unknown command," the voice intoned. "Please state the day, month and year where you wish to travel."
            "Woof, woof!" Batzy was not pleased with this change the Big Human had made. He was getting hungry and this strange voice was playing games. "Grrr."
            The hydrant began spinning slowly, then faster and faster, until it stopped abruptly with a thump. The door bounced open and fresh air filled with many tantalizing smells filled the inside.
            Well, that was better, Batzy thought. Chloe should have his dinner waiting.
            With his tail curled over his back, Batzy trotted outside.

St. Batzy & the Time Machine is now in print--BUY NOW!