{"id":887,"date":"2015-03-20T14:48:43","date_gmt":"2015-03-20T20:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/drewkarpyshyn.com\/c\/?page_id=887"},"modified":"2022-10-12T19:04:00","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T01:04:00","slug":"a-minor-malevolent-spirit-and-other-tales","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/drewkarpyshyn.com\/c\/?page_id=887","title":{"rendered":"A Minor Malevolent Spirit and Other Tales"},"content":{"rendered":"

Available in paperback and<\/a> ebook<\/a> formats now!<\/h3>\n

Here are some excerpts from my newest short story anthology – one teaser, one complete story, and an example of the author notes I’ll be including with each piece.<\/p>\n

WARNING: These stories contain strong language and scenes that may be disturbing for some readers.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A Minor Malevolent Spirit<\/h1>\n

He was a tiny, wrinkled old man. Barely three feet tall – a midget. Thin and withered. He was bald. He was naked. And he was in my basement.
\nWell, it was my basement now that Uncle Charlie was dead. Like everything about Charlie, his death was unexpected and inconvenient. The doctors had given him six months to live, but Charlie never did anything the easy way. For four years he battled the cancer – in his throat, his lungs, his bones, his liver, eventually even in his brain. A medical miracle he lasted that first year, they said. Then two more miraculous years of chemo, radiation and radical surgery. Another miracle while he lingered that last year in the hospital, doped up and bedridden. And then, just when it started to seem like Charlie was too tough to kill, he up and fucking died.
\nIt couldn\u2019t have happened at a worse time.
\nYear end was coming and I hadn\u2019t met my quota. I had been busting my ass the last couple weeks lining up prospects. I had scheduled thirty client appointments this week. And then Charlie had to die and fuck everything up.
\nThe others were already in the conference room for the weekly staff meeting. I didn\u2019t see any point in pulling the boss aside.
\n\u201cI need to take the day off,\u201d I announced to the room. \u201cMy uncle just died.\u201d To fill the silence I added, \u201cCancer. He\u2019s been in the hospital for a long time.\u201d I waited a second for the news to sink in before telling the boss, \u201cI\u2019ll reschedule my clients for next week.\u201d
\nHe nodded. \u201cOf course. I understand. Take all the time you need.\u201d
\nBefore I could slip out the door, Tom stood up and placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.
\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said simply.
\nThe perfect smile usually stamped onto his face was replaced with a somber compassion and sympathy. Sincere<\/em> compassion and sympathy. Jesus he was good.
\n\u201cIf you need to take a few days, I can cover your appointments. Just leave the list on my desk.\u201d
\nTypical Tom. Everyone\u2019s friend, always ready to help out. Always sticking his nose where it didn\u2019t belong.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s a good idea,\u201d the boss agreed. \u201cTake the rest of the week off. Come back on Monday, if you\u2019re up to it. And don\u2019t worry about work – Tom can close those deals for you.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah<\/em>, I thought, I bet he can<\/em>. It was easy for him. People wanted to give him their money. He\u2019s got looks, personality and confidence. Add in a gorgeous wife who says all the right things at every party, a daughter who\u2019s class president and a son who\u2019s the star pitcher of the local little-league team and he\u2019s almost too fucking perfect to take.
\nMe; I\u2019ve got nothing. But the rich just get richer. Tom was scooping my prospect list right out from under my nose. He even looked good doing it. I could see the admiration in the faces of everyone around the table. That Tom<\/em>, they said, what a great guy. Taking on extra work, helping out a fellow employee. Tom, what a prince.
\n<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThanks,\u201d I mumbled on my way out the door. What else was I going to say? Fucking prick.
\nCharlie\u2019s death wasn\u2019t all bad, mind you. As his last living relative, I inherited his entire estate. Legally everything probably should have gone to Isabella – as far as I knew they were still married. But she was off in Spain, or Italy, or Romania, or wherever the hell Gypsies come from, and I wasn\u2019t about to tell the executor about her. And I sure as shit wasn\u2019t going to track her down and tell her that Charlie had left everything to me.
\nI\u2019d only met her once, nearly twenty years ago. Exotic, mysterious, foreign. Hot blooded in every sense of the word, Charlie used to say. A Gypsy princess, Charlie said. Maybe true, maybe bullshit. With Charlie you never knew.
\nShe was rich, though, and rumor was she was a mighty fine piece of ass. Even still, Charlie caught us all by surprise when they eloped. He left everything behind – his only brother, his friends, his job – to run away with her.
\n\u201cThey won\u2019t last five years,\u201d my mother had predicted.
\nAs usual, Charlie defied all expectations. His marriage outlasted Mom\u2019s prediction. Hell, it outlasted Mom. Dad, too. Charlie never showed for their funerals.\u00a0 But about two years after Dad died Charlie came back. Just called me out of the blue, saying he was back in the country, did I want to go for a beer? Just like the last twenty years had never happened.
\nThe story I got was that Isabella caught him with the maid, and Charlie left so fast he had to buy pants at the airport. There must have been more to it, though. Charlie had managed to stash away too much money from Isabella\u2019s family fortune in Swiss bank accounts for me to believe everything was spur of the moment. Several hundred thousand dollars I guessed, though Charlie never offered a final total.
\n\u201cA drop in the bucket for her family,\u201d is all he would say.
\nBut with his ill-gotten nest egg to support him, and the fear of Isabella\u2019s unholy wrath, Charlie had no intention of ever going back.
\n\u201cShe\u2019s too proud to come after me,\u201d Charlie confided in me once. \u201cIt\u2019d look like she still cared, and she\u2019d never admit that. But I know Isabella. There\u2019s nothing she\u2019d rather see than me as a destitute, broken shell of a man.\u201d
\nTurns out she got her wish. In no time Charlie turned his small fortune into big debts. Bad business deals, bad investments. Everything he touched turned to shit. And then came the cancer. After the hospital bills and taxes the only thing left of his estate was the house. My house. And now there was a naked midget in the fucking basement.
\nHe was curled up in a little ball on a throw rug in the corner, sleeping. The basement lighting made his wrinkled, age-spotted skin look a sickly green. His arms and legs were long and spindly, his hands and feet flat, splayed and too large for his limbs. His ears were small; his nose long, thin and pointing noticeably down towards his sharp chin.
\n\u201cHey – wake up!\u201d
\nAt the sound of my voice he jumped to his feet. For an old guy he moved pretty quick. For a second he looked scared, but then seeing only me he seemed to relax. Even had a bit of a smirk on his lips.
\n“What the fuck are you doing in my basement?” I snarled, pissed off by how calm he seemed to be.
\n\u201cYour basement?\u201d he said, \u201cI thought Charlie lived here.\u201d
\n\u201cCharlie was my uncle,\u201d I explained. \u201cNow he\u2019s dead. He left me his house.\u201d
\n\u201cCharlie\u2019s dead?\u201d Suddenly he sounded anxious. \u201cWhen?\u201d
\n\u201cWednesday.\u201d
\nI wasn\u2019t scared of him. He wasn\u2019t very big, and he obviously didn\u2019t have a weapon on him. But that didn\u2019t mean I wanted this shriveled dwarf hanging around.
\n\u201cListen, pal, you better tell me what the hell you\u2019re doing here or I\u2019m going to call the cops.\u201d
\nHe smiled, revealing a set of yellow teeth, all of them sharpened to a point.
\n\u201cWednesday. And today\u2019s Friday,\u201d he muttered to himself. \u201cThere\u2019s still time.\u201d
\nHe seemed to be ignoring me, and it was pissing me off even more. A small part of me wanted to just pick him up and toss him out the front door, but the rest of me really didn\u2019t want to get into a physical confrontation – those pointy teeth were a little unnerving. Plus, I didn’t really want his withered junk slapping against me if he put up a struggle.
\n\u201cAre you going to leave quietly or not?\u201d
\nHe didn\u2019t answer, not right away. He just stared at me, studying me carefully while picking his nose. His fingernails were stained and dirty – and about an inch long. He withdrew his finger from his nostril and inspected the result before flicking it in my direction.
\n\u201cListen, I could be very useful to you. And now that Charlie\u2019s dead I\u2019m in need of a job. I\u2019m a bit out of practice, what with him being in the hospital for so long, but give me a week and I\u2019ll be back in top form.\u201d
\nHe wasn\u2019t taking me seriously; so I decided to get tough.
\n\u201cListen, you little prick! I want some answers from you or I\u2019m going to get Charlie\u2019s baseball bat from the garage and bounce your wrinkled old ass off every wall in this place!\u201d
\nMy bluff never even fazed him. He snorted in contempt, flashed those fangs and grinned. \u201cYou don\u2019t have it in you, bub. Now how \u2018bout that job?\u201d
\nThe small part of me that wanted to toss him out the front door withered under his gaze. The guy was small, but something told me he was trouble. Maybe crazy. I decided to humor him, try and talk him into leaving.
\n\u201cLook, I\u2019m not really looking to hire anyone ri\u2014 \u201d
\n\u201cYou ever worked with a gremlin before?\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nHe shook his head in exasperation. \u201cYou have no idea what\u2019s going on, do you?\u201d
\n\u201cWell,\u201d I admitted, \u201cit is kind of hard to figure out exactly wha\u2014\u201d
\nHe held up a hand to cut me off. The skin on his palm was a chalky white, contrasting with the green tinge over the rest of his body. Maybe it wasn\u2019t the lighting.
\n\u201cOkay, listen close cuz I don\u2019t want to go over this twice. You know what a gremlin is, bub?\u201d
\n\u201cUh\u2026like a leprechaun?\u201d
\n\u201cA leprechaun<\/em>?!\u201d
\nDamn, he had a loud voice for such a little guy. Loud and shrill.
\n\u201cDo I look like a god-damned leprechaun to you? Do you see any pot of gold lying nearby? I\u2019m a gremlin, you idiot! A minor malevolent spirit! You even know what malevolent means?\u201d
\nNow I was actually getting scared. He was obviously crazy and possibly more than a little dangerous. And I\u2019d just made him mad. For a second I thought about turning and running up the stairs, but I remembered how quick he\u2019d been when he first jumped to his feet.
\n\u201cHey, bub! I asked you a question: do you know what malevolent means?\u201d
\nI didn\u2019t want him to get even more worked up, so I answered in what I hoped was a calm, soothing voice. \u201cIt means bad, doesn\u2019t it? Evil.\u201d
\n\u201cClose enough. Anyway, that\u2019s what I am. A gremlin. A minor malevolent spirit.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You look like a crazy midget with bad teeth, a skin condition and no clothes<\/em>, I thought. But I wasn\u2019t stupid enough to open my mouth.
\n\u201cAnd, as a supernatural denizen of the underworld,\u201d he continued, \u201cI bring certain\u2026 advantages to any business relationship.\u201d
\nI decided that playing along was probably the safest thing to do. \u201cYou mean you have powers? Like you can grant me a wish or something?\u201d
\nHe spat on the floor in disgust. \u201cA wish? Do I look like a fuckin\u2019 genie to you? I\u2019m not asking you to rub my lamp, bub!\u201d
\nJesus he was pissed! I thought he was going to take a run at me and sink those pointy little teeth into my leg just below the kneecap.
\n\u201cSorry,\u201d I said, holding up my hands in front of me. \u201cSorry, just calm down. I\u2019ve never dealt with a\u2026a gremlin before. Why don\u2019t you just tell me what you can do?\u201d
\nHe rolled his eyes and broke wind before answering. \u201cOne day left to get me another job, and I\u2019m stuck with a fuckin\u2019 retard! Okay, bub \u2013 I ain\u2019t got time to trade up so I\u2019ll give you the scoop. You ever hear of Murphy\u2019s Law?\u201d
\nHeard of it? I was living it. \u201cIf anything can go wrong, it will.\u201d
\n\u201cRight. So let\u2019s just say Murphy had a lot of experience with gremlins. We specialize in making life miserable for people.\u201d
\n\u201cI still don\u2019t see what you\u2019re doing in my uncle\u2019s basement.\u201d
\nHe thought about his answer for a long time, scratching himself in the place all naked guys scratch themselves.
\n\u201cLook, I was here to make Charlie\u2019s life hell. That was my job. But once he went into the hospital, I didn\u2019t have much to do. I mean, how much worse could things get? So I just sat around doing nothing. I got careless. I got lazy. That\u2019s why you caught me napping down here.
\n\u201cNormally, the person I\u2019m working on never even knows I\u2019m around. But now Charlie\u2019s dead cuz of cancer and I never got to finish the job. That\u2019s bad. If a person dies and I haven\u2019t finished the job, then I only have three days to find a new \u2026well, let\u2019s just say ‘victim’\u2026 before I get banished back to the Underworld.\u201d
\nI didn\u2019t like where this conversation was heading. \u201cSo now I\u2019m going to be your new victim? Is that it? You\u2019re going to make my life miserable?\u201d
\nHe threw up his hands in frustration. \u201cNot the sharpest bulb in the barrel, are you bub?\u201d
\n\u201cHuh?\u201d
\n\u201cLook, I can\u2019t just pick someone at random. No freelancing allowed. I have to be working for someone. That\u2019s the rules. I was sent here for Charlie, and now that he\u2019s dead I\u2019m out of a job. Unless I start working for you.\u201d
\nThe last thing I needed was this green-skinned little freak hanging around here all the time. \u201cI can\u2019t really afford to hire anyone,\u201d I said.
\n\u201cYou still don\u2019t get it, do you? Listen, I’ll spell it out like you’re six.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t work for money. What good would money do me? I don\u2019t eat, I don\u2019t wear clothes. For me it\u2019s simply a matter of survival. I was summoned to do a job on Charlie. I failed. He died before I could finish. As punishment, I\u2019ll have to wander the ninth layer of the Abyss until someone summons me again. That could be centuries!
\n“So where do you think I\u2019d rather be, bub? Down in Tartarus, or up here with you mortals?\u201d
\n\u201cUh\u2026look. I\u2019m sorry about Tartarus and all. But I don\u2019t want you living in my basement.\u201d
\n\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be living in your basement, moron! I\u2019d be living with whoever you want me to go after – hiding out in their<\/em> basement, making their<\/em> lives miserable, just like I did to Charlie. You have any enemies? Any rivals? An ex-lover, maybe? Anyone in your life you\u2019d like me to bring a little misfortune to?\u201d
\nI still didn\u2019t believe him, of course. But suddenly I saw a way to turn my problem into someone else\u2019s.\u00a0 An idea began to form in my head. Not a very nice idea.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s this guy at work,” I admitted. “Tom Simmons. He definitely needs a little bad luck in his life.\u201d
\n“Good,” he said, his eyes gleaming. \u201cGo on – tell me about Tom Simmons.\u201d
\nI could see he was getting excited. A little too excited. Jesus, even his ears were twitching.
\n\u201cMaybe this is a bad idea,\u201d I said, suddenly realizing how crazy this all was. \u201cI don\u2019t want you to go and shoot him or something.\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s not how it works,\u201d he said, his voice slick and cunning. The same voice I use when I\u2019m trying to close a deal. \u201cI can\u2019t kill them; it\u2019s not allowed.\u201d
\n\u201cSo what will you do to him?\u201d
\nHe flashed another pointy toothed grin. \u201cAll I\u2019ll do is pester him. A few little annoyances and inconveniences. A string of bad luck. That\u2019s all. I\u2019m not a demon – just a malevolent spirit. And a minor one at that.\u201d
\nIt was hardly the sporting thing to do; sick this demented little psycho on unsuspecting Tom. But damn it was tempting. Hell, even if Tom caught the guy trying to sneak into his basement and called the cops before anything happened it was worth it just to get rid of the little troll.
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got yourself a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the rest in A Minor Malevolent Spirit and Other Tales! Coming April 2015!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Paradise Lost<\/h1>\n

Eve held the Fruit of Knowledge out to Adam. She understood now, it was all clear to her. \u201cIt will elevate you,\u201d she said, \u201clift you up to His level.\u201d
\nAdam took it in his hand, hefted it, feeling the weight. The soft rind of the forbidden fruit matched the deep red of Eve\u2019s lips. He answered her with the words of his master, \u201cTo eat this is to know Evil and Death.\u201d
\nEve clasped her husband\u2019s wrist, repeating the words of the serpent, the words that had finally made her understand. \u201cHow can we know Good if we do not know Evil? How can we know Life if we do not know Death? Should we not seek such knowledge? Knowledge will elevate us. Should we not seek to raise ourselves from our position as God\u2019s ignorant servants?\u201d
\nAdam could smell the sweet scent of the fruit, both rising up from his hand and on his wife\u2019s breath. He squeezed his fist and sticky juice ran from between his fingers, glistening as it dripped from his fist onto the ground. Again he recounted the words of his creator. \u201cWe are not His ignorant servants. He is the father, and we are His children.\u201d
\nEve seized on his argument, just as the serpent had seized on her own words.
\n\u201cThen are we not meant to grow? Are we not meant to become like our parent, become like Him? Should we not seek to emulate Him? By eating this fruit we ourselves will become as our Father. Isn\u2019t that what children should do?\u201d
\nStill, he hesitated. \u201cAdam, do not be afraid.\u00a0 Eat the fruit. It will change everything.\u201d
\nAdam stared into the eyes of Eve, saw something there he hadn\u2019t ever seen before\u2014a depth that seemed to stretch into infinity, a well into which he could imagine himself falling forever. She had tasted knowledge. He recoiled in terror from her gaze, and threw the fruit to the ground.
\n***
\nThe messenger brought the news to the Lord God. \u201cEve has tasted the fruit from The Tree of Knowledge, Lord. Surely Adam will now eat of it as well.\u201d
\nThe Lord God spoke, and Heaven trembled in the glory of his voice. \u201cIt has begun. They have tasted Knowledge. Now my children are ready to be my equals, fit to stand by my side.
\n\u201cSend an escort to guide them from Eden, lead them to My Kingdom. Have Angels precede them, flaming swords ablaze and held aloft, that all the hosts of Heaven may see and celebrate the triumph of Adam and Eve, rising above their fear and ignorance to seek Knowledge.\u201d
\nThe Lord turned his radiant visage to the messenger. \u201cIt was your words that made them understand, my faithful servant. It was you who helped them conquer their fear. You have done well.\u00a0 The children of man shall forever revere you and your kind.\u201d
\n\u201cThank you, my Lord,\u201d the serpent hissed.
\n***
\nThat night, as Eve slept, Adam tossed and turned. Her words rang through his thoughts. \u201cIt will change everything.\u201d He knew she spoke the truth, that was why he was afraid. He had everything he needed. The Lord provided for them, and in return asked only that they serve him. What more could there be to life than to serve?\u00a0 He did not know, could not even imagine a different life. But part of him wanted to know. Part of him desired to taste the luscious fruit.
\nSleep would not come this night.\u00a0 Adam made his way through the Garden, guided by the light of\u00a0 moon and stars.\u00a0 As he neared the Tree his eye was drawn by a brilliance in the distant sky.
\nHe saw the Hosts descending, blazing swords held aloft. Adam ran back to the secluded grove where Eve slept, cursing the beguiling serpent and his gullible wife.
\n\u201cSee what wrath you have brought down on us!\u201d he cried to the sky. \u201cThe vengeance of the Lord is come!\u201d
\nThe Hosts advanced in stately fashion, their glory out shining the stars in the Heavens.
\n\u201cWake up, woman!\u201d Adam ordered, shaking Eve from her dreams. \u201cAnd be quick. We still have a chance. Beyond the gates of Paradise is a bleak world, a world ignored and abandoned by God. The Fallen World.\u00a0 If we enter that world, He will not follow.\u201d
\nEve hesitated, not understanding. \u201cWoman, why are you still lying there?\u201d
\n\u201cWhat kind of life awaits us beyond the gates, Adam?\u201d she asked him. \u201cWhat kind of life can we have in the Fallen World?\u201d
\nAdam answered her with a hard slap across her face.
\n\u201cDo not speak!\u201d he screamed, fear and rage distorting his face. \u201cYou have done enough already! You had to eat, to taste Knowledge. Now we both will suffer for it! It is because of you that the Angels are coming, their fiery swords drawn. They come for us!\u201d
\nEve stared in horror at her husband, her hand raised to the welt forming on her cheek. Never before had he struck her, never before had he showed such rage and anger. Adam turned his back on her.
\n\u201cI\u2019m leaving now, with or without you.\u201d Eve slowly rose to her feet and followed her husband as he made his way through Eden to the Gates of Paradise.
\nThe gates were closed, secured with an elegant chain of gold. Adam hurled himself at the gates again and again, bellowing like a caged animal. At last the chain broke asunder, and the gates burst open. Adam stepped through the portal into a world of suffering and pain. Eve followed, weeping tears for that which was left behind.
\nThe Heavenly hosts found Eden empty, discovered the Gates of Paradise swinging freely on their hinges. The hosts returned to Heaven to report the news to the Lord God: his children had deserted him. A single Angel stayed behind, his flaming sword raised up as a beacon to light the way should the children of God ever choose to return, to leave behind the Godless Fallen World of ignorance and fear.
\nThe Angel waits there still.<\/p>\n

Author’s Notes for Paradise Lost<\/h2>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This is the shortest story I’ve ever published; it first appeared in the summer 2003 issue of the now defunct Paradox magazine. I’m not a particularly religious person, but I appreciate the cultural power of religious archetypes, and I often draw on them in my stories (along with classical mythology, another form of religion). I often co-opt religious or mythical names because they come pre-loaded with expectations… and then I like to take those expectations and twist them in unexpected ways.
\n<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Even the title of this piece plays into this tendency – it’s obviously an homage to Milton’s famous epic poem. (Which I have read and thoroughly enjoyed.) Using these kinds of archetypes allows an author to do more with less, and this story – at only 1000 words – is a great example.
\nThere are some readers who will probably see this as a feminist reimagining of the original tale: Eve is actually the hero, and Adam is the villain. I’m okay with that – I believe\u00a0very strongly that genre fiction can and should depict\u00a0female and minority characters in positive ways more than it does.
\n<\/em>As a male author\u00a0growing up reading\u00a0genre fiction in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s it’s easy to fall into the trap of making every protagonist white and male.\u00a0An author should be aware of his or her own biases, and make sure they don’t compromise the story. But you also can’t force a character into a story that doesn’t fit. As a male, my first inclination is usually to have a male protagonist; I’m just more comfortable writing from a male viewpoint.\u00a0As an author, however, you can’t simply accept your own limitations – we need to go outside our comfort zone.
\nA good exercise when writing is to\u00a0first determine if a character must be certain things to serve the story: male\/female, old\/young, hero\/villain.\u00a0Sometimes you need a man or woman for a specific reason; or maybe you need a particular ethnic background because it ties in with the story. In this case, Adam and Eve are going to be male and female respectively.\u00a0Other times, however, you realize that a character’s gender or race isn’t actually key to the story you are telling. In those cases, I often try to add some diversity to my writing.
\nThere are other examples\u00a0in this collection that\u00a0focus on\u00a0very strong female characters. That shouldn’t be surprising; with all the amazing things we imagine in the sf\/f\/h genres, why can’t\u00a0we think outside the box when it comes to our\u00a0main characters, too? You can’t sacrifice the quality of the story just to be politically correct, but often a story will actually feel richer and reach out to a wider audience if you take the time to try and be more inclusive in your writing. At least, that’s\u00a0how I see it.\u00a0<\/em>
\n<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Incidentally, this story received a favorable mention in a Tangent Online review of the magazine. Among other things, the reviewer said, “Drew Karpyshyn has taken the traditional story of Adam and Eve… and turned it on its head in… a short story which confounds initial expectations…with a unique interpretation of one of the Bible’s oldest tales”.
\n<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cool. That’s totally what I was going for.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into A Minor Malevolent Spirit and Other Tales. Available now in paperback<\/a> for $9.99<\/strong>, or $3.99<\/strong> for ebook<\/a> formats!<\/p>\n


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