Masks. Everybody wears them. Perhaps they are tangible, worn for a job or as part of a costume. More likely, they are metaphorical, shaped by the stories we tell each other and the lies we tell ourselves. This collection of twenty tales by members of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers explores what happens when we conceal ourselves behind carefully constructed identities. Why do we hide? What are we afraid to confront? And what happens when at last the masks come off?

False Faces: Twenty Stories About the Masks We Wear

Literature & Fiction

Viola, Joshua

STEVENS, Mark

Heermann, Travis

LaFata, Chris

Kroenung, Terry

Duff, Sue

Eads, Sean

Nelson, Steven LeRoy

Wood, MacKay

Literary

RMFW Press

Fantasy writer Travis Heermann (THE IVORY STAR) brings thirteenth-century Japan alive in HEART OF THE RONIN, the first installment of a trilogy. Ken'ishi is just 17 years old and an orphan after the mysterious death of his parents. He dreams of training with a master who will some day help him become a samurai. Traveling with Silver Crane, a sword that belonged to his father, and a dog, Akao, for a sidekick, Ken'ishi's adventures begin after he murders a policeman and must flee. Just when he thinks he has escaped trouble, he saves Kazuko, the daughter of an influential lord, from a group of bandits. In return, he is asked to live in the lord's house, where he falls in love with Kazuko. Forced to flee once again, Ken'ishi goes on a hunt to discover his past while fighting off warriors and demons, not to mention worrying about the bounty that's on his head. Will he find out if his father really was a samurai or why the sword he wields seems to be infused with magic? Written while the author lived in Japan, HEART OF THE RONIN combines historical fiction with fantasy to keep readers guessing what Ken'ishi will encounter next in Heerman's mystical universe. Publishers Weekly says it best: "Numerous tantalizingly unresolved plot threads will have readers anxiously awaiting the second installment in this gripping tale of ill-fated love, betrayal and destiny"

Heart of the Ronin (The Ronin Trilogy)

United States

Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy

When a band of shadowy fanatics abducts Javin Wollstone’s sister, Bella, from his care, his family’s only hope to bring her home is turning to a hard-bitten band of mercenaries, the Black Furies, led by Commander Rusk. Javin follows Rusk and his men through a maze of political intrigues, religious fanaticism, and centuries of distrust. Little do they know that Bella Wollstone could be the spark that sets off a war of Armageddon. Across trackless, pirate-infested seas and into ancient lands of prophets and priest-kings, Javin and the Black Furies pursue Bella’s captors into the teeth of the serpent, trying to snatch her back before the beast swallows her forever. Javin finds himself torn between his genteel, noble upbringing, the scars of war, and the raw, brutal necessity of what he must do to save her life.

Rogues of the Black Fury

Struggling to fulfill his destiny as the savior of a strange  world from the clutches of a thousand-year-old sorcerer named Uhr,  Hamilton Corbin confronts the mysterious Red Priests, the enigmatic  Eagle Knights, and the rebellious Lord Valerion. Original."

The Ivory Star

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Fantasy

Commonwealth Pubns Inc

Fantasy writer Travis Heermann (THE IVORY STAR) brings thirteenth-century Japan alive in HEART OF THE RONIN, the first installment of a trilogy. Ken'ishi is just 17 years old and an orphan after the mysterious death of his parents. He dreams of training with a master who will some day help him become a samurai. Traveling with Silver Crane, a sword that belonged to his father, and a dog, Akao, for a sidekick, Ken'ishi's adventures begin after he murders a policeman and must flee. Just when he thinks he has escaped trouble, he saves Kazuko, the daughter of an influential lord, from a group of bandits. In return, he is asked to live in the lord's house, where he falls in love with Kazuko. Forced to flee once again, Ken'ishi goes on a hunt to discover his past while fighting off warriors and demons, not to mention worrying about the bounty that's on his head. Will he find out if his father really was a samurai or why the sword he wields seems to be infused with magic? Written while the author lived in Japan, HEART OF THE RONIN combines historical fiction with fantasy to keep readers guessing what Ken'ishi will encounter next in Heerman's mystical universe. "A fusion of historical fiction and adventure fantasy, the first volume of Heermann's Ronin Trilogy is a page-turning folkloric narrative of epic proportions." -- Publishers Weekly "Full of sword battles, intrigue, romance and fantastic elements blending well with historical ones, Heart of the Ronin is a very impressive opening in the Ronin Trilogy. It's also a page turner that you can't put down and will leave readers begging for more."-- Fantasy Book Critic "Heart of a Ronin is a solid, likeable adventure story, sure to please fans of Japanese culture and fantasy readers alike." -- Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing

Five Star

Fantasy writer Travis Heermann (THE IVORY STAR) brings thirteenth-century Japan alive in HEART OF THE RONIN, the first installment of a trilogy. Ken'ishi is just 17 years old and an orphan after the mysterious death of his parents. He dreams of training with a master who will some day help him become a samurai. Traveling with Silver Crane, a sword that belonged to his father, and a dog, Akao, for a sidekick, Ken'ishi's adventures begin after he murders a policeman and must flee. Just when he thinks he has escaped trouble, he saves Kazuko, the daughter of an influential lord, from a group of bandits. In return, he is asked to live in the lord's house, where he falls in love with Kazuko. Forced to flee once again, Ken'ishi goes on a hunt to discover his past while fighting off warriors and demons, not to mention worrying about the bounty that's on his head. Will he find out if his father really was a samurai or why the sword he wields seems to be infused with magic?Written while the author lived in Japan, HEART OF THE RONIN combines historical fiction with fantasy to keep readers guessing what Ken'ishi will encounter next in Heermann's mystical universe. Publishers Weekly says it best: "Numerous tantalizingly unresolved plot threads will have readers anxiously awaiting the second installment in this gripping tale of ill-fated love, betrayal and destiny."

Heart of the Ronin (the Ronin Trilogy: Volume One)

e-reads.com

When a band of shadowy fanatics abducts Javin Wollstone's little sister, Bella, from his care, his only hope to bring her home is turning to a hard-bitten band of special warriors, the Black Furies, led by Commander Rusk. Javin follows Rusk and his men through a maze of political intrigues, religious fanaticism, and centuries of distrust. Little do they know that little Bella Wollstone could be the spark that sets off a war of Armageddon.  The investigation unfolds into a frantic chase that leads Javin, Rusk, and the Black Furies across trackless, pirate-infested seas into the ancient heart of Fartha, the religion-steeped land of prophets and priest-kings. Using stealth, guile, and sheer audacity, the Furies fling themselves into the teeth of the serpent, trying to snatch Bella back before she is swallowed forever. Javin finds himself torn between his genteel, noble upbringing and the raw, brutal necessity of what he must do to save her life.  "Bold, colorful characters pull the reader into an unforgettable adventure with the perfect mix of suspense, intrigue, and action." -- Jeanne Cavelos, author of The Passing of the Techno-Mages"Rogues of the Black Fury mixes a berserk action thriller sharp as a mercenary's sword with hard-bitten fantasy so gritty it might scour your bones clean by the time you're done." -- Matt Forbeck, author of The Amortals and Carpathia "Heermann's Rogues is epic, exciting, and a hell of a lot of fun! From the very beginning, the world he crafts feels alive and real. By the last page, I didn't want to leave. Adventure at its finest, honed to a gleaming bloody edge". -- Marcus Pelegrimas, author of the Skinners series

His sword has a deadly secret. But to tell him, it wants blood in payment. The sword called Silver Crane knows Ken'ishi's hidden past, the heritage he himself does not. When Silver Crane is stolen, he must recover it all cost, or else Kazuko, the woman he loves, will die. Kazuko is in love with this ronin she can never have, trapped in a political marriage with a powerful samurai lord. But her husband's scheming chamberlain knows her secret. And an unstoppable invading horde is on the horizon... If you love action, intrigue, star-crossed romance, and epic battles with the perfect mix of history and fantasy, you'll love Sword of the Ronin. Get yours now. ____________________________________ "From the first sentence, Travis Heermann weaves a tale that sucked this reader into a rich Japanese tapestry full of ronin, samurai, and magic. It was hard to put this book down to sleep." - Patrick Hester, Hugo-Award Winning SFSignal.com and the Functional Nerds Podcast "Travis Heermann takes everything I loved about Heart of the Ronin (adventure, intrigue, sympathetic characters), puts it in a pressure cooker and serves it with a side of Awesome. Sword of the Ronin is his best novel yet and won't disappoint." - Shaun Farrell, Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing "Sword of the Ronin is a raw and energetic adventure that explores deep and eternal themes such as honor, love, and betrayal while maintaining a engaging, humorous, living world. It also has an awesome ronin hero who hacks lots of bad people to bits, if you're into that sort of thing. Which you definitely should be." - Rich Wulf, author of The Heirs of Ash Trilogy "A rich, engaging, morally complex historical fantasy, deeply embedded in Japanese culture." - E.C. Ambrose, author of Elisha Barber, The Dark Apostle series "Those interested in Japan’s culture and history, including ancient mythology will find this book an extraordinary read. It is certainly not a story for the fainthearted, but which touches you with its truth-drawing and starkly poignant meaning. As a work of fantasy I enjoyed it very much, although at times it did cause shivers to run down my spine and turned my blood cold." - Goodreads Reviewer

Sword of the Ronin (The Ronin Trilogy)

Genre Fiction

Publishing Consortium, LLC, The

The intricacies of chess meet the matchless Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. Stories of doors, of passages, of patterns. Squares and threats, moves and counter-moves. Forbidden knowledge and cosmic horrors. ... Two young lovers and the hand that plays them ... A man trapped with an unwholesome companion uncovers the secret of a cosmic struggle ... A professor and his protégé find themselves pawns on an ancient chessboard ... A young Soviet boy’s chess match holds the fate of his nation in the balance ... A battered woman seeks safety in a shelter, only to find there might be no safety anywhere Let these five guides to the grotesque lead you into the dank depths of their imagination ... where the monsters lurk.

Cthulhu Passant

De Marco, Guy Anthony

Knight, Sam

Wacks, Peter J.

Caethe, Vivian

Bear Paw Publishing

Ken'ishi's dream just became a nightmare... He finds service with a powerful samurai lord... ...Only to discover his lord is married to the only woman Ken'ishi has ever loved. And the underworld crime boss known as Green Tiger threatens to expose all their secrets. In a world of ancient gods, shapeshifting animals, and capricious spirits, Ken'ishi must discover the secret of his mysterious past in order to battle the Mongol horde of Khubilai Khan, or else the woman he loves will suffer a fate worse than death. If you love romance, intrigue, and action on an epic scale, don’t miss this stunning climax to the Ronin Trilogy. Get yours now! _______________________________________ “When you actively watch out for new writers with potential, every so often you're pleasantly surprised by one who has simply Got It, whose work is ready to push up to the next level. Travis Heermann has simply Got It.” – James A. Owen, author of Here, There Be Dragons “Lovely details, an honorable character, and great action…a rich and entertaining story.” – Kevin J. Anderson, NYT bestselling author of Blood of the Cosmos “As in the previous two volumes... Heermann mixes [action, romance, and history] with a great deal of skill, giving us tense action scenes, extremely well-drawn characters, and an intelligently-handled touch of sorcery. Fantasy and action fans will be every bit as satisfied as fans of historical fiction.” – Historical Novel Society “If you watch Japanese movies or read Japanese literature, three of the most powerful forces in their culture are loyalty, duty and love. The way Heermann pits these forces against one another in the minds of the protagonists is masterful.... In Heermann's Japan, the spirits and gods interact with the world on a daily basis, making for a 'magic system' rarely seen in literature. If you want to read something with a Japanese flavor both accessible and unique, Spirit of the Ronin is as good as you will find.... My only regret was that the story ended.” - New Myths

Spirit of the Ronin (The Ronin Trilogy)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Heermann, Travis. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Heermann, Travis

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Heermann, Travis. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

False Faces: Twenty Stories About the Masks We Wear

Heart of the Ronin (The Ronin Trilogy)

Rogues of the Black Fury

The Ivory Star

Heart of the Ronin (The Ronin Trilogy)

Heart of the Ronin (the Ronin Trilogy: Volume One)

Rogues of the Black Fury

Sword of the Ronin (The Ronin Trilogy)

Cthulhu Passant

Spirit of the Ronin (The Ronin Trilogy)