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Stories

Here you will find fictional writings of various lengths. Stories in Biblical fiction are imaginative renderings of Bible characters or events. The Heiligenthal Chronicles follow the life of Sam Heiligenthal. The stories in The Seven Nations take place in an eponymous fantastic world. Southall Stories revolve around the fictional town of Shouthall, Maine, found in the book Witches Wager. Tales from Carrock tell stories about the magical land of Carrock and its inhabitants. Finally, Miscellaneous Stories contains tales of various lengths that don’t fit in the other categories. Some of these were written to practice writing from a certain perspective or using a certain form, so they may be a bit odd.

Some stories are for sale, others are free. Those which have attached PDF files are designed to be comfortably read on a screen but should be printed from the PDF files rather than from the web page.

Biblical Fiction

An imaginative retelling of the incident of Jesus and Peter walking on the water from the perspective of Judas Thaddeus.

A portrait of Joseph, the human step-father of Jesus. This retelling tries to capture the story from a middle-eastern perspective, taking into account the current conservative scholarship regarding the time of Christ.

What did the father of the prodigal son feel? A monologue by the old man concerning his son. This can be read or performed as a one-man play.

As the angels prepare for the birth of the savior, Gabriel faces an unexpected twist in the plan.

shadow.pdf (213.59 KB)

Nicodemus is one of the most shadowy figures in the New Testament. He appears only three times, all of them in the Gospel of John (3:1-21; 7:45-52; 19:38-42) and there are no reliable extra-biblical sources about him. Even so, what we do know is remarkable: he is a Pharisee, a rabbi, truly seeking the Messiah and the Kingdom of Heaven. He stands up for Jesus before the Sanhedrin and finally helps bury the true King of the Jews. But amidst this flow of information the man Nicodemus is just a shimmering shade. Who was he? What were his relations, job, tribe? And most important, did he believe? This portrait has tried to capture a picture of this man. Because of the lack of information most of what is written here is fictitious, but the real goal is to draw a picture of Jesus, called the Christ, using the medium of Nicodemus.

The Heiligenthal Chronicles

as-they-are.pdf (293.89 KB)

Sam Heiligenthal is born with the ability to see people not as they seem but as they are. Is this a gift or is it a curse? Follow Sam as he discovers what his special sight means.

above-reproach.pdf (206.47 KB)

or “Myopia” Sherriff’s deputy Toni Radcliffe is prosecuting a case against a serial child molester. In her research she finds a perfect suspect in the person of Sam Heiligenthal. As Toni builds her case, her prejudices and her commitment to truth clash over the question of Heiligenthal’s guilt or innocence. For, according to Toni, no man can be above reproach… or can they?

The Seven Nations

The Warrior King holds sway over the Seven Nations and all is firmly within his grasp. Relishing his reign of terror, chaos, and war, Elam fears nothing. To him the gods are petty annoyances that merely help solidify his reign and he regards himself as all-powerful. There is no threat to him, save one. An ancient prophecy tells of one who will rise to defeat the Warrior King and reinstate a government of peace and justice. He will dispense Truth to the Nations and teach about the One God, the Creator. He is called the Seer.

Miscellaneous Stories

1989.pdf (246.67 KB)

What might happen if the Gospel penetrates George Orwell's world as described in 1984 ...?

It has been a year since King Rashiv has overthrown the democratic government of his south-pacific island home, Lorishan. Now he is to be challenged by an American reporter who seeks to show him to the world for what he really is.

A personification of death and life written for a creative writing class. One of J.M. Diener’s earliest writings.

divine-verdict.pdf (307.18 KB)

A tale from the Middle Ages based on motifs introduced by Sir Walter Scott: Knight Templar Tristan of Magdala must fight for the life of the Jewess Rachel, who is accused of being a witch.

or “Healing Laughter” Mother takes on a malevolent spiritual force and thereby teaches her son, Gordon, a thing or two about courage and the power of laughter in the face of fear.

Southall Stories

The Mitchells move up to Southall to get away from it all. But little do they know that the house they have just bought harbors an ancient, deadly secret. The prequel to Witches’ Wager.

The town of Southall is under attack by sinister forces as three modern-day witches battle to see who is the greatest. A woman vanishes and returns as a mermaid. A vampire attacks young women, sowing fear and mistrust. And a girl child is taken to awaken an evil force long-forgotten. As the police and private citizens look for answers, the invisible world intersects with the visible and those who stand on the side of the One God must arise for battle.

reunion.pdf (402.44 KB)

Two years have passed since Michelle broke up with Ken. Now she has returned to Southall and Ken must deal with his feelings and their friendship. Read the full story of the epilogue found in Witches’ Wager here.

Tales from Carrock

The young lord, Dylan, has vanished and Alick the Wizard has seized the throne. His mercenaries terrorize the people. Peasants are enslaved and sold for Alick's enrichment. The Gentry who stand against Alick are mercilessly persecuted. Transformed into a wolf by his nemesis, Dylan á Carrock watches from the shadows, unable to rescue his lands until he finds the key to his disenchantment, which is held by a mysterious Scholar. Dylan seeks help from his beloved Tabea and her cousin Stev, a traveling merchant, but time is running out as Dylan's human mind battles against his animal instincts. If he does not hurry, the Wolf will overwhelm him and all hope for Carrock will be lost.

Ten years have passed since Dylan and Tabea defeated Alick in the Battle of the Wolf and Roanna escaped from Castle Carrock. Now she has returned, plotting her revenge. While Tabea fights an insidious illness, Roanna abducts Dylan and Tabea’s two children, taking them to the dark castle of Damrok. Even with the aid of Savoy the Scholar, Dylan is forced to seek out the aid of an old enemy to breach the gates, navigate the Labyrinth of Death, and resurrect an ancient power to save his family from the schemes of the sorceress. In Dylan’s absence the Council of Carrock struggles to respond to a threat brewing on their border as some of their members use the power vacuum to plot treachery against their lord.

The barbarous Han-Halk are massing on the borders of Carrock, ready to invade the lush valleys and majestic hills and make them their own through murder and pillage. Only just returned from saving their children from the clutches of the sorceress Roanna, Lord Dylan and Lady Tabea must make difficult choices as to how to best proceed. While Tabea and Alick the Scholar hurry to Castle Carrock to confer with the Council, Dylan heads to the border only to vanish again. Savoy the Scholar and Lora the Watchcarer are also drawn towards the frontier only to find a new Han has recently taken power. Hampered by the absence of the Lord of Carrock, Savoy and the high marshal of Carrock try to come to an understanding of their enemies' culture, which decrees that the salvation of the Land of Carrock lies in the person of Tabea á Carrock and the presence of the white wolf.