Embers Comix

STEVE!!

Another Friday ...

Free

We've all been there, haven't we?

STEVE!!

Hanging By a Thread

Free

10 ... 9 ... 8 ... 7 ... 6 ... 5 ... 4 ...

STEVE!!

Julia Drusilla

Free

Check out the story 'Should I Stay or Should I Go?' under my name on Wattpad. If you still don't get it, ask me a question.

STEVE!!

Exercise

Free

I don't exercise. Better put, I can't. It bores me. My mind wanders ... What was I talking about? I love playing team sports - basketball, baseball, volleyball. When I was a teenager, I played basketball all day long with my friends. Even now, when I've got free time, I'll ride my bike for miles. Exercise sounds like work. Taking a ride to enjoy the day, that sounds like fun.

STEVE!!

Like

Free

Anyone out there? Anyone? ???

Embers: A New Beginning

Reboot Artwork

Free

The Teutonic Knights were sworn to protect pilgrims on their journey to Jerusalem. IronFurie took the mission farther, guarding six 'houses' across the world who brought Christian care to those around them. Then the fortress near Jerusalem was taken, and the Golden Lady with it. IronFurie lost his way.

Embers

Issue #3

Free

IronFurie's assistant, The Acolyte, reveals some history to Trinity. She then resists the Djinn to protect Polly and her father.

STEVE!!

Violets

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 18Jul26 I think I previously mentioned how I was the field slave for my family when I was young. In addition to maintaining the family garden, I worked on my grandfather's farm ... though I have to admit he paid _really_ well - much better than what my peers got serving up fries. It left me with this attitude that gardening is not a hobby. It's work. So, I don't garden. I mow the lawn ... when I have to. My wife gardens. She applies a terrifying tenacity to it. The flowers are gonna live ... or else. Our yard has the most flowers, the most colorful. The most trees, the tallest and fullest. Our pets live to record ages. I wouldn't have it any other way ... ... but I do feel guilty that I don't help her much. That doesn't stop me from spending a whole day in the basement writing. But I feel guilty about it. So, to make up for it, we have a fine Italian meal. And, due to that tenacity I mentioned (I call her my Pitbull - also my Princess. You have to pick your moments.), I don't think I'm unreasonable in saying that if I made more of an effort to help her, we would spend more time angry at each other and less time enjoying Torta Caprese (or, in her case, Tres Leches).

Embers

Orli Shoshan

Free

I am deeply grateful that Ms. Shoshan agreed to help promote Embers.

STEVE!!

Groceries

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 17Jul26 I go back and forth between foodie and junkie. In college the dorms didn't serve meals on Sunday nights. I had this ritual where I would buy Coca-Cola, corn chips, and a sleeve of Fig Newtons. Then I'd spend the night in the TV room at the student union. But then on a different day I'd be looking down on people who have cold pizza for supper as I selected an appetizer of escargot followed by manicotti with spinach salad and Torta Caprese for dessert. I think girls are what made the difference. That's not meant to sound malevolent. It's meant to indicate that my wife makes me a better man. The world is a better place when she's around. I just wish that in addition to a fine Italian meal, she also liked Coca-Cola and corn chips.

STEVE!!

Shopping

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 16Jul26 Every morning when I get dressed, my wife looks at me, her shoulders sag, and she sighs. I'm not the one to ask for fashion advice. Nuf said. I have benefited from it, though. As I mentioned in the last release, I’m a huge KC fan. While there for a Royals game with my son, he asked to go shopping at Country Club Plaza. Two things of note happened. First, my son asked my opinion on two shirts. He had asked things like that before, and I had simply tried to guess which one he wanted. This time I was too tired for games, so I told him to put them on one at a time. I think it was the first time I actually saw a difference. It was odd how I saw that there was definitely a shirt that was him, and definitely a shirt that wasn’t him. It was my Devil Wears Prada moment. Second, Alcides Escobar (the KC shortstop) was also shopping, so I got to meet him. Super nice guy.

Embers #2

Free

In Issue #1, Trinity found a mysterious coin left behind by German settlers in Texas. Even though she had no idea what it was, other people know about it ... and they want it.

STEVE!!

Nebraska

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 15Jul26 I don’t have a lot to say about Nebraska. If you do, please chime in. Even though it’s Iowa’s neighbor to the west, and even though I’ve been to Kansas City many times (I’ve been a Royals and Chiefs fan since I was a kid) and know KC gets a lot of love from Nebraska, I don’t know much about it. Since Steve has visited, I suppose I should as well … maybe on my way to Colorado or something 😉 (I’ve been wanting to see a Rockies game for a long time).

STEVE!!

Illinois

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 14Jul26 I lived and worked in Illinois for almost 36 years. Personally, I can't tell the difference between Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. Back when Congress was mapping out the states, they must have been baffled by the Midwest - no good place to draw lines. But, they had all those idle politicians, so ... Aside from that, for the most part I enjoyed my time there. I love Chicago. My favorite big city. Love the food, the music. Shedd, Wrigley, Navy Pier, Millennium Park. The only thing I didn't like was the politicians.

STEVE!!

Minnesota

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 13Jul26 I had a girlfriend from Minnesota. Well. Most of the time we were 'just friends.' Then she would invite me to a hockey game, sit on my lap and wrap her arms around my neck, and later fall asleep lying on me. Still a bit confused about that.

Embers #1

Free

Trinity is relic hunting with a colleague of her father's named Saul. They're searching the site of the Nueces Massacre in Texas when an argument breaks out and Saul abandons Trinity. A night in open Texas country brings some strange things.

STEVE!!

Iowa

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 12Jul26 Iowa. Born here. Schooled here. Married here. Most likely will be buried here. Wouldn't change any of that.

STEVE!!

Cats

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 11Jul26 I'm not a cat person. Most of the girls I dated were cat people. It was my first experience with compromise. You'd think it would have been siblings that taught me compromise, but no. My older sister would manipulate me - get me on her side - and then we'd gaslight my younger sister as a source of entertainment. No, I learned other things from my siblings. Girlfriends were the first time I compromised. I made a dog comic panel, so ... sigh ... I also made a cat one.

STEVE!!

Dogs

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 10Jul26 I've loved dogs all my life. That said, until Pepper came along ... I'll say it this way: I had fun with my grandparent's dogs on the farm each summer. Then I went home. My mother didn't allow pets. Pepper is different. I'd lay down in front of a train for that dog. I think she'd do the same for me.

STEVE!!

Impractical Things About Superheroines

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 09Jul26 In a writer's group years ago a female colleague, after reading one of my stories, said, "You're a very masculine writer." At first, I took that as a compliment. It was kinda like when people would say, "You can handle it," as doom approached. I believe it was 2:17 AM a year and half later when it finally hit me. "Hey! She wasn’t complimenting me." But she was right. Too many damsels in distress in my stories - no female characters with "agency". I hope I've gotten better.

STEVE!!

Spandex

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 08Jul26 My mom did all my laundry when I was a kid. I never touched it until I went to college. I do my own laundry now, but I've never gotten the hang of it. I have this thing about dishes that can't go in the dishwasher (or the microwave) and clothes that can't go in the washing machine (or dryer). In my opinion those aren't dishes or clothes. They're time wasters. I did have chores as a kid. I did all the yard work, garden work, trash collection, dishes, cleaning my room, all that. Just not laundry for some reason. There was this thing about my family and chores. My mom did the most chores. I'd say I did the second most. My dad was a good dad, don't get me wrong, but he was kinda messy and disorganized. My sisters ... well, they get angry when I bring up chores in the old days. But still, there was this thing. In the spring everyone was there to plant seeds in the garden, but as the heat of summer came on they all faded away. Soon I was the only one weeding, pruning, and harvesting. It carried over to other things as well. When my grandmother needed her house painted, everyone was there the first day. I think we painted the front of the house as a family. But by the time we rounded the corner I was on my own. I did the remaining 3 sides and the garage all by myself. I suppose it made me a hardy person. But. It wasn't unusual to hear my parents (or others as life rolled on) say, "Nah. Kevin doesn't need help. He'll be fine." It did make me proud. But still ...

STEVE!!

Girls (or, as they prefer, Women)

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 07Jul26 Girls are confusing. As a writer, I’m also a people watcher, so you’d think I’d be better with girls. Shockingly, that is not so. I need obvious. I like flirting – love it in fact, but for serious relationships I need obvious. Girls are not obvious – well, a few were. But … In college there was an odd thing that happened several times, but I’ll just tell one story. Molly was in my freshman engineering class. She asked to study together, which we did. That summer my sister got married; we had attended two separate colleges. At the wedding one of the ushers came up to me and said, “So, you’re Kevin. My sister told me about you.” Oh. I never had a clue Molly was interested in me. But she made the effort to talk to her brother, who was a friend of my brother-in-law at a different college, and he made the point of bringing it up at my sister’s wedding. That’s the kind of obvious I need.

STEVE!!

Rinse and Repeat

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 06Jul26 If Sunday can't prevent Monday from coming, what's the point? (I hope I don't get struck by lightening for saying that.) ((Meh. Steve can handle it.))

STEVE!!

Sunday

Free

Steve's log: Earth Date - 05Jul26 My mother had a subtle smile – just a twinkle in her eye and a slight hook in the corner of her mouth. It could have been that Alfred Hitchcock thing, where he said that actors don’t actually do anything. It’s all an interpretation in the mind of the audience. But I don’t think so. I only asked her once. I was maybe ten, and I had just put on my new summer clothes – shorts and a t-shirt (yeah, when I was young, my family could only afford one or two sets of new clothes a year). She had that smile. “What?” I asked. “You finally look like a real boy,” she said. When I left for college, she made a point of showing me the college church. In the sermon that Sunday, the Pastor made a joke that the new students needed to get to know him so that when their parents came to visit, he could greet them by name. I looked at my mom. She had that smile. I hadn’t planned to attend church after escaping my parents’ oversight. But I figured the Pastor had a point, so I made sure he knew my name. In the process, I noticed something. There were a lot of girls in church. A lot of very pretty girls. And not many guys. When I went to college, the ratio of girls to guys was not in my favor. But in church … Church is where I met my future wife. Not a good reason, I know. But are you sure God doesn’t know what guys are like? It worked on me. Since then, church has grown to mean a lot to me. A lot.