-AUTHOR-
DAVID SHOCKLEY
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
Stephen King
Dave's work universally reflect such themes as the strength of family - regardless of its makeup - personal conviction, and the courage to find good in the world, wherever and in whomever it resides.
LINEAGE
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Vampires exist.
Michael knows this because one attacked him when he was twenty-one years old. Who she was, why she did what she did, or even how, has mystified Michael for a very, very long time. In fact, what little he knows about being a vampire, was learned the hard way, the self-taught way.
He was told very little when it happened, and those rules were simple. He was to avoid sunlight unless he was keen to die a horrible and painful death. He required human blood to survive, again, unless he was keen to die. And most importantly, to hide what he’d become less a mysterious ‘someone’ should hunt him down and murder him. So he was to keep his new identity a secret, again, unless he wished to die. There were a handful of other pieces of advice, and that had been it.
He’d managed to learn a lot in the next two decades. The most difficult of those lessons was learning to be utterly alone. But even more than that, he learned that he was likely to spend most of his time alone. He’d never met, nor even sensed another vampire, another being like himself, not once.
Until now…
What Michael doesn’t know is that a chance encounter will take him on an adventure unlike anything he could ever imagine. And he could imagine a lot these days! He was a living breathing impossible thing after all. But what comes next, not even an immortal creature of the night could predict. Not even close.
And we haven’t even mentioned the dragon yet!
HERITAGE
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*****SPOILER WARNING FOR BOOK 1*****
After decades of living in resigned isolation, with only his dogs for companionship, Michael found himself surrounded by new and exciting friends. More than that, he found a family—but his new companions came with new complications.


Michael was kidnapped by pixies, thrown into a world outside of his reality, and watched his only home burn to the ground. He fought elves, dragons, and even a race of beings sworn to hunt and destroy vampires. Vampires like Michael. But every bizarre and wonderful twist confirmed that he was part of something he never thought he’d have again, and Michael swore nothing would come between him and his new family.


Now, to protect the very people he holds so dear, he embarks on a new quest. Michael must fight a new enemy…but he’s never faced his own kind before. He’ll be forced to confront the one who created him—the very vampire who abandoned Michael just hours after changing his life forever, who left him alone in a new and dangerous world so many years ago.


Michael must now face Elizabeth.


…and that’s the least of his concerns.
THE ELVES
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Jimmy Peterson is sick. Very sick. Living within the children’s ward at St. Joseph’s Hospital at the height of World War II, Jimmy suspects that his illness is far worse than anyone will admit, especially to him. But Jimmy knows better: endless medications, constant pains and wracking coughs are the unfortunate realities of his days. One wakeful night in the ward, he receives an unexpected visit from none other than Santa Claus. Saint Nick invites Jimmy on an adventure, one which will grant him a brief respite from the illness that plagues him. Of course Jimmy accepts and within moments finds himself sitting wide-eyed in Santa’s sleigh, soaring through snowy skies behind eight flying reindeer.
When they arrive at the North Pole, Jimmy meets an assortment of extraordinary characters, all of whom are eager to introduce him to the many marvels of their home. Each encounter is more astonishing than the last, from cooking classes with elves to mice that talk to the endless wonders of Santa’s workshops. He enjoys every magical moment, relishing the contrast to life in a children’s ward, with its frightened patients, unsavory medicines and desperate parents. Despite his delight, Jimmy constantly struggles to conquer the fear that wells up inside him when he faces the reality of returning to the ward. More than his own pain, Jimmy dreads the impact his illness will have on his family if his health continues to decline.
THIS DOG'S AFTERLIFE
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Do you ever wonder what your dogs are thinking? How they feel? What they’re dreaming about as they run, whimper, bark, and growl in their sleep? Who or what they’re playing with when they romp around all by themselves? What they’re looking at when all you see is a blank wall or an empty doorway? Will we see them again after they’ve gone? Are they still here watching over us – helping, perhaps even snuggling with us like they used to? What if they wrote and sent you a story from the great beyond?
This Dog’s Afterlife answers those questions. Tucker, the canine narrator, takes the reader on an adventure starting from the most unlikely of places: the last day of his life. At that moment, he realizes that the end is really just a new beginning. Tucker encounters many new wonders and finds he has much to learn. Fortunately, he has help in the form of his father, Rocket, and a cast of canine characters who show him the ropes. Along the way, he learns that some souls don’t immediately move on to the afterlife, but instead, find themselves adrift. Those souls can be found and helped, but it’s a delicate and dangerous task. When he tries to rescue the lost soul of a young boy, Tucker realizes that even after death, sorrow is a very real, very tangible thing, and that there are still fears to overcome and hard choices to be made.
PUSH
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Jeff just discovered something. Something impossible. Something crazy. Something really, really weird. Jeff just discovered that he’s magical. Magical, mystical, and downright miraculous! But weird…really, really weird. And gross. Yeah, it’s a little gross.
SHELL
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Richard was going to kill himself tonight. There were just a few things that needed to happen first.
Today was the twenty-second day since his wife Rebekah, daughter Penny, and unborn child Emma were murdered...so today was not only the day that Richard was going to kill himself. Today was also the day Richard would kill the thing that had murdered his family.
He only had to wait a few more hours.
WARNING: 18+
BACK (Rough Cut)
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What if you were given the chance to relive your life?
With all of the memories you have now
Able to change anything you wanted
What if once you got that chance, all you wanted was to come back?
What if you couldn’t?
BACK opens with everyman Mike Johnson waking up the morning after Easter to discover that he has returned from his comfortable married existence to his life as a twelve-year-old boy. No warning, no wishes, no angel needing his wings – just instant Star Wars pajamas and elementary school. The story centers on Mike’s struggle to accept his new situation and understand why he’s there, all while trying to cope with being an adult in a child’s body and without continuous access to coffee.
(A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR)
BACK is a first draft copy of a book that needed to be moved from my head and onto the page. I wrote this as an effort to take a step towards shaping and developing the story at a later date. When a friend suggested that I place it on Amazon for friends to read and provide feedback, I protested, and explained there were heavy edits and major rewrites that needed to happen first. I was convinced to put the "Kitchen Sink" edition online, raw and uncut, and make it available. So that's what BACK is as it currently stands.
This is an experiment, and one day I hope to go back and actually give this monster a polish. Until then, it exists as a kind of - uber rough draft. For those who have slogged through it, or might attempt it, I thank you! I hope you enjoy the story, and I welcome your feedback! When the novel is actually put through the editorial ringer, I will certainly look back on all of my reviews, suggestions, and comments. Thank you again!