The Books

Gabe thought he had covered all the angles, but it’s tough to plan a contingency for accidentally trapping an evil god in your brain.

Gabriel Delling might call himself a professional con artist, but when walking superstitions start trying to bite his face off, his charm is shockingly unhelpful. It turns out living nightmares almost never appreciate a good joke. Together with a succubus who insists on constantly saving his life, he desperately tries to survive a new reality that suddenly features demons, legends, and a giant locust named Dale—all of whom pretty much hate his guts. And when an ancient horror comes hunting for the spirit locked in his head, Gabe finds himself faced with the excruciating choice between death…or becoming some kind of freaking hero.

Hero Forged is the first book in the new series, Ethereal Earth, a modern fantasy adventure that challenges the natures of myth, humanity, and what it means to be the good guy. 

Some heroes are born, some are made, and some are willing to fake it for the right pay.

Gabe abandoned life as a conman after the disasters in Lincoln, and he managed to carve out a bit of peace with the scraps he had left. Unfortunately, bad guys suck at respecting personal boundaries. So together with Heather and a group of weird new companions, he finds himself shackled to a horrifying cosmic game with sky-high stakes, inscrutable goals, and rules that seem to change every five minutes. And when old gods and monsters resurface to make things so much worse, he’s finally forced to admit that he might not be talking his way past any of it. Fate itself rises to force-feed Gabe a cliché quest, leaving him only to find the artifact, get paid the fortune, and try to make it out alive. …And, if there’s enough time, maybe save the whole stupid world.

Fate Lashed is the sequel to Hero Forged and the second book in the Ethereal Earth series—an ongoing tale about the nightmares we create, those they create for us, and a few people who refuse to take any of it too seriously.

Becoming a target is never great, but it’s a little worse when the people trying to kill you are technically the good guys.

Gabe escaped the Ether with the ultimate prize, and he thought that meant he was done with deadly cosmic games. But the nightmares infesting his life have different plans, and they’re not asking nicely before dragging him back in. It turns out holding all the power in the universe doesn’t mean much if you have no idea what to do with it.

So together with Heather, he embarks on a frantic race to collect the remaining six Iglas and stave off the coming darkness. And in the process, they discover just how much deeper their problems go. With new threats lashing at them from every side, and old ones tightening their grip, it becomes a contest against chaos to see who will dictate the future of existence: the assorted protectors of Earth, an all-consuming darkness…or a conman who would really rather not.

Blight Marked is the third book in the Ethereal Earth series, an ongoing story about reality, illusions, and all the ridiculous crap in the gray space between.

How does a con man survive with no one around to fool but himself?

Who does a Knight battle when the demons in the dark begin to pale next to his own?

And what, exactly, does a minotaur do when he finally gets a vacation day?

These are stories from the world of Ethereal Earth, a place where legends and myths hide among us in plain sight, and occasionally just need to get some laundry done. Here you’ll find scenes that didn’t have a place in the main series, with new events that fall between the first three books to expand the lore and give fresh insight into some of your favorite characters—all with the same snarky and sinister mix you know and love. And maybe a few secrets too, if that’s your kind of thing.

Short Changed is the first story collection in the Ethereal Earth series, an ongoing tale of adventure and excitement and intrigue…and a group of people who didn’t ask for any of it.

After barely surviving an onslaught of elves and Templars and assorted monsters—not to mention the devilish machinations of an old god—Gabe and his friends had hoped for some time to recover. But when an overwhelming threat shows up on their doorstep far ahead of schedule, they quickly discover that time is yet one more force stacked against them. Along with practically everything else.

So together with old friends and new, Gabe searches desperately for more allies to form an unprecedented coalition to stand against the coming End—all the while being careful not to mention that it’s at least partially his fault.

But even Gabe’s rock-bottom expectations are thwarted when the shaky path he envisions for their future suddenly crumbles beneath him, and he’s taken on a wild ride far from home…straight into the grasping claws of his own nightmares.

Dawn Razed is the fourth book in the Ethereal Earth series, an ongoing saga about identity and imagination…and how dangerous it is to have one without the other.