Investigating what happens when magic collides with the real world
Theological College of
St Van Helsing
My first ever sale of a short story was Granny's Secret for Perfect Vegetables, where a competitor cheats in the annual village vegetable competition by summoning a demon.
The story has pride of place in the collection, Witch-Finder.
Still to come in the College of St Van Helsing series
Nocturns Seminary
Another collection of short stories from the Theological College of St Van Helsing.
A sample story:
Prayer for a Fallen Angel
The final novel from the Theological College of St Van Helsing.
A changing of the guard from the old to the new.
Read Chapter One:
The Luck demon has grown impatient. People of Helmsley have forgotten it, forgotten the ceremonies that gave it strength, forgotten that this is the thirteenth generation, the time when the demon itself can materialize on Earth. Now, the demon stirs, brings disasters: drought, disease, fire, even a plague of rats. At the same time, it leads the local residents to rediscover old archives that describe the ancient festival that will bring luck to the village.
Teen James Collier doesn’t want to believe in magic, but there’s something off about the whole Luck festival his village seems intent on holding, with his sister as a star attraction. When he spots the man identified as a witch-hunting hero in an occult website, James sets off to get help. He wants to hear that he’s imagining things. If not that, he wants to hand off the responsibility of battling a demon to someone who has trained for the job.
Monsters Everywhere! The Staff and Students of the Theological College of St. Van Helsing are run ragged keeping ordinary humans ignorant of the creatures that want to destroy civilization. And the creatures seduce black witches and sorcerers to join their side in the never-ending war.
Tough luck if you want to help the College and you're not male or the right social background: too many who would be allies are driven to seeking magic from the enemies of the College.
It seemed like a brilliant plan. To entertain her young son on his spring break week, and to get back into the dating world, youthful widow Sally Cartwright advertises on a dating site, requesting that the dates put together an outing entertaining both to her and to Timmy. She never dreams that her ad will look like an invitation to every werewolf, vampire, ancient god or demonic force in England. Unfortunately, because Timmy was saved by his father's sacrifice, the dark forces see in him the potential for incredible power.
Because she advertised herself, the Church of England's militant wing, the Theological College of St. Van Helsing, can do nothing—there are rules that govern the behavior of both dark and light. Mike Rider, though, is prepared to break the rules. Sally was his first love and he still cares for her. Unfortunately for him, Sally still hurts from their breakup and wants nothing to do with him.
As the dark forces close in, though, Sally and Mike are forced to work together to save their own lives and those of Timmy, Sally's son.
The old gods may have been pushed into the darkness, but they still survive and still hunger. To battle them, the Church of England established the 'Theological College of St. Van Helsing.' Students and faculty face animated scarecrows, a river nymph now haunting a washing machine, a ghost in a fountain, and the haunting fog on a mountainside. While St. Van Helsing takes center stage, there's a definite flaw in the makeup. Women are excluded from the St. Van Helsing program. So, what is a young woman with talent to do?
Exciting fantasy, with just a touch of tongue-in-cheek humor.
Demonic elementals, vampires, krakens, werewolves, and other monsters aren't as mythical as many of us believe. They roam the English countryside, playing their games, fighting their wars, and claiming the souls of many humans. Although many deny their existance, the Church of England is not among the doubters. A special branch of the Church, headquartered at the College of St. Van Helsing, battles demons and attempts to save fallen humans before their souls are devoured.
Stories of the faculty and students of St. Van Helsing—of their successes and failures in this eternal battle.