Please note that excerpts from each chapter of "The Edge of Justice"  and "The Long Journey" can be found and read by following the link on the bottom of this page.

A good story should function on many levels, serving to entertain, to stimulate thought and to compel change, depending on the perspective each reader brings into the process.  The search for deeper literary meaning ultimately depends on the degree to which the reader can engage the narrative and relate personal experience to the text.  Therefore, a novel first read during the teen years may carry far more subtlety when re-read as an adult.

"The Edge of Justice" did not begin as some kind of formal social criticism, yet the act of writing encourages introspection, and the mental exploration of ideas framed within the context of a written work aids in solidifying the writer's perspective.  The reader, however, cannot examine the mind of the author.  Each person brings a unique set of prior experiences and expectations into the text.  Some readers naturally seek deeper meaning, while others remain content to let a story unfold on the virtue of its plot line alone.  Both views carry merit, so a good book ought to function on both levels.

In terms of its plot, "The Edge of Justice" follows the story of three people who are caught up in the tide of larger, political and military events unfolding around them.  Dathan Herulus, an officer in an Azgaril army who serves as the main protagonist, relates the story from his own perspective.  He tells the reader what it's like to experience warfare as a junior officer in an army where political intrigues complicate every decision.  He comes to a point where he must choose between the dictates of his conscience and direct orders from superior officers.  This dilemma has occurred throughout history, but remains problematic for modern soldiers ordered into harm's way overseas.

Brenna Velez, an Illithian warlord's daughter, flees from the invading Azgaril as they arrive to plunder her family's home.  Driven northward in her quest to avoid capture, Brenna eventually arrives in the high altitude land of Tamaria just as winter begins.  There, she meets a young Tamarian soldier named Garrick Ravenwood.  Their relationship develops as the conflict between Tamaria and the invading Azgaril comes to its bloody zenith.

Garrick comes into the story with a troubled past.  He's seeking a place in Tamaria's army partly because he believes in the rightness of defending his nation, but also because he has nowhere else to go.  Brenna presents him the opportunity to contrast his own culture and philosophical perspective with hers, but can he trust her?

The deeper question undergirding these three characters concerns how people arrive at their definitions of what is right and what is wrong.  Only three possible choices exist for this problem.  The first centers upon accepting the consensus of the larger society; a value system weighted by the majority and heavily influenced by the cultural norms imprinted upon a person's mind from childhood.  The second seeks to develop an eclectic, deeply personal "truth" derived from the examination of many philosophical views; requiring introspection and vigilence in molding behavior to harmonize with the goal of living a virtuous life.  The third choice requires an external, verifiable standard that must apply universally to all circumstances; a view nearly always accepted by people who adhere to formal religious tradition.

It is quite possible to read "The Edge of Justice" and not think of these issues at all, but the questions wrought by each character's experience can bring these problems to light for any interested reader.  On the periphery, my thoughts about racial prejudice, xenophobia, sexual morality, sustainable energy use and the maddening human tendency to evaluate other people by the lone virtue of their appearance weave through the narrative.  There are many contrasts between characters, some of which are deliberately ironic.  For example, the traditional heroine of Western literature is a virtuous blonde woman, while her nemesis is a wicked brunette.  I have flipped this over, making dark haired Brenna the chaste example of virtue, while the blonde haired Gudrun functions as an example of licentious hedonism.

This novel began its life as a disconnected series of short stories.  I originally intended to have these published in fiction magazines as I wrote them, but discovered that the length of my stories very quickly precluded that possibility.  Though I've wanted to earn my living as an author for most of my life, I've found that only a small group of people support me as a writer.  This story, this web page, and all the information therein, is dedicated to those people.

Chapter Samples Index