Travis Heermann

After saving the life of a Japanese lord's daughter in thirteenth-century Japan, Ken'ishi, a masterless samarai, finds himself pursued by assassins and mythical monsters as he searches for answers about his past.

Volume One)

Heart of the Ronin (the Ronin Trilogy

In 13th-Century Japan, a land of ancient spirits, shapeshifting animals, and demons, Ken'ishi is a warrior without a master. Orphaned in infancy, he has only one link to his past - Silver Crane, his father's sword. When Silver Crane is stolen, Ken'ishi must go on a quest to recover his very identity. The crime lord known as Green Tiger holds the key to Ken'ishi's past. With intrigues stretching to China, where the Mongol emperor Khubiliai Khan builds an invasion fleet, Green Tiger knows of Silver Crane and dreams of the day when he can destroy the shogunate and restore his shattered clan. With a wooden sword as his only weapon, Ken'ishi descends into the shadowy world of flesh houses, Chinese smugglers, and Mongol spies. To succeed and unleash Silver Crane's power, he must face the darkness in his own soul. "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

Young Adult title. One sixteen-year-old girl versus a plague of beasts. Can a sixteen-year-old girl stem the tide of a lycanthropocalypse? When three younger boys show up on Mia's doorstep, naked and on the run, she is drawn into a shadow world where a series of strange disappearances heralds a slowly spreading plague of lycanthropy. Mia must save the three orphaned boys from their brutal Alpha, a man-beast who believes humans are food. A war is brewing for the top of the food chain. Mia doesn't know it yet, but she holds the key to the future of the human race.

The Wild Boys

A CLASH OF HONOR, LOVE, AND AMBITION In thirteenth-century Japan, the ronin Ken'ishi's fondest wish has been granted-he has found service with a powerful samurai lord. But the underworld crime boss known as Green Tiger lurks in the shadows of Lord Tsunetomo's retinue, and Ken'ishi's honor is tested when learns his new master is married to Kazuko, the only woman he has ever loved. His unknown lineage holds dangerous secrets that could destroy him, and his sword, the magical relic called Silver Crane, holds the key to his past...and his future. With enemies, temptation, and strife assailing him on all sides, Ken'ishi's very soul falls into jeopardy-even as Khubilai Khan's Mongol hordes plot their next attack. Can Ken'ishi defeat Green Tiger, defend his homeland from the barbarian invaders, and remain true to his heart, his lord, and his honor? If you love romance, intrigue and action on an epic scale, don't miss this stunning climax to the Ronin Trilogy. "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

Spirit of the Ronin

A dirty mission needs the dirtiest bunch... The Black Furies are the most infamous mercenary company in the world. And the most reviled. Until they're needed, that is. Javin is the scion of House Wollstone, the most powerful of the noble houses. When his little sister is abducted by shadowy assassins, the political fallout threatens to re-ignite a war between two powerful empires. The Black Furies are the only hope of bringing Bella Wollstone back alive, but Commander Rusk has many more enemies than friends among the noble houses, where there are those willing to sacrifice a teenage girl if it means they can re-ignite a profitable war with their ancestral enemy. And Rusk doesn't want to be saddled with some noble nancy like Javin on a pointless quest. Can Javin muster enough grit to follow the Black Furies into the heart of darkness, a land of prophets and priest-kings, to save his sister before there's nothing left to save-and prevent a catastrophic war in the process? Perfect for fans of Glen Cook, Jeff Salyards, and David Gemmell, Rogues of the Black Fury is a gritty action yarn sharp as a mercenary's sword.

Rogues of the Black Fury

He's never failed a witch hunt before. Until he must hunt the only woman he's ever loved... When Django Wong, a modern-day ninja turned sorcerer, takes a job to track down a newly Awakened witch, he discovers that his target is not only his lost love, but now she's an enforcer for the Black Lotus Clan, a ruthless yakuza syndicate. But time can change a person. Is she the girl who used to love him, a yakuza slave, or a deadly black witch? With a smart-mouthed magical house cat as his ally, Django must protect her from other Hunter-Seekers sent to kill her until he can learn the truth of her allegiance. And not only that, if he can't stop her from stealing a powerful magical relic, the Black Lotus Clan will launch a bloodbath in Shinjuku's streets. Perfect for fans of Bleach or Fullmetal Alchemist, Tokyo Blood Magic brings you ninja sorcerers, femme fatales, savage monsters, martial arts action, and powerful cultivation. Pick it up now and start the adventure!

Tokyo Blood Magic

Horace "The Hammer" Harkness is a pit fighter twenty years past his prime, striving for a comeback. When the mob threatens his girlfriend, he takes the offensive against the gangsters, only to land himself in even deeper trouble. Horace must find a way to save himself and Lilly before his heart gives out for good.

The Hammer Falls

Jim Pinto

In this nineteenth-century horror thriller, a man investigating mysterious deaths near a Native American reservation confronts a malevolent spirit. In 1891, in the aftermath of the Wounded Knee massacre, awful nightmares and bizarre killing sprees shake the uneasy peace between a frontier town of White Pine and the Lakota on the nearby reservation. Pioneer doctor Charles Zimmerman finds himself at the forefront of the investigation and uncovers a crawling horror the likes of which he could not imagine. With the help of an orphaned farm girl, a smart-mouth stage robber, a beaten-down Lakota warrior, a beautiful medicine woman, and Charles’s estranged father—the aging town marshal—Charles must save not only the town of White Pine but also the starving Lakota from an ancient, hungry evil.

Death Wind

Michael A. Stackpole

Jason Schmetzer

Michael J. Ciaravella

THE WAR RAGES ON! Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine returns with more explosive BattleMech action from the 31st century! Experience tales of hard-won survival from the gaming world of Solaris VII, the wilds of the Deep Periphery, and the annals of Clan history. Dive deep into in-depth technology articles, technical readouts, conspiracy theories, war-game and role-playing adventures, and more—all from veteran BattleTech authors, fan favorites, and our latest enlistees: Michael A. Stackpole • Jason Schmetzer Michael J. Ciaravella • Travis Heermann Alan Brundage • James Simakas John-David Karnitz • Aaron Cahall Matthew Cross • Daniel Isberner Alex Kaempen • Tom Stanley • Chris Wheeler

The Official BattleTech Magazine

BattleTech: Shrapnel, Issue #2

Fantasy writer Travis Heermann (The Ivory Star) brings thirteenth-century Japan to life in Heart of the Ronin, the first installment of a trilogy. Ken'ishi is just seventeen years old at the time of his parents' mysterious death. He dreams of someday training with a master who will help him become a samurai. Traveling with Silver Crane, a sword that belonged to his father, and a dog named Akao, Ken'ishi begins his adventure after he defeats a policeman in a duel 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. On their journey home, they fall in love, only to discover upon their return that she has been promised to a powerful samurai lord. Forced to flee once again, he goes on a hunt to discover his past while fighting off warriors and demons, never forgetting that there is a bounty on his head. Will he find out if his father really was a samurai-and 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." Travis Heermann grew up in the countryside of Nebraska and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln with a BS in electrical engineering. In 2003, he shifted careers and moved to Fukuoka, Japan, to teach English to young students in public schools. Amazon.com called his first novel, The Ivory Star, "a must have for every sci-fi reader." Soon afterward, Heermann immersed himself in Japanese culture and history and combined his passion for folklore and fantasy literature. The result is Heart of the Ronin, a tale of a teenage warrior in thirteenth-century Japan, and the first volume in the Ronin Trilogy. On Ronin Writer (travisheermann.com/blog), Heermann's blog about the writing life, he posts an ongoing series of in-depth interviews with authors in a variety of genres.

Heart of the Ronin

A. J. Hartley

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Gary Lee

Cecilia Dominic

Melba Moon

Mary Marvella

Nan Monroe

Yasmin Bakhtiari

Trina Krieger

James Hugh Reeves

J. D. C. Burnhil

Isabelle Hardesty

Joe Shearer

J. M. Kendall

Wayland Smith

Nancy Knight

What happens at the Con stays at the Con? Collection of stories set at Dragon Con in Atlanta featuring Dragons, fairies, vampires, elves and shape-Shifters. Come read about the world beyond.

Legends of the Dragon

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."

Travis Heermann

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