Dark Creatures

A Simple Game

the book

The gods chose two unsuspecting players as their pawns in what was supposed to be a simple game of Dark Creatures, a game replete with dark things from a world gone mad and forgotten gods that play with life and death for their own amusement. When the rules for winning are ambiguous, the human beings are suddenly caught up in a contest of good versus evil and their game begins to spiral out of control.

Now the cost of losing could mean the end of humanity and the very world itself.

Dark Creatures: A Simple Game is available in softcover or ebook:

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THE SALVATION OF TANLEGALLE

by Tim Ahrens

the book

In Tanlegalle, society has lost its memories, and with them, its true purpose. Histories have vanished, forgotten through apathy or expunged by greed and corruption, leaving a city of soulless inhabitants. Yet there is one whose attention is focused on renewing the vitality of the past. He is seeking the one who will redeem Tanlegalle's history.

The Salvation of Tanlegalle represents a significant portion of Tim Ahrens’s short story works throughout the years. These multiple stories, which Tim has masterfully woven together under an overarching story line, provide an abundance of atmosphere and environments in which his characters interplay. This presentation is an opportunity for fantasy and literary readers to delve into the varied and impassioned minds of Tim’s intricately designed characters.

Tim’s debut publication, The Salvation of Tanlegalle with foreword by Piers Anthony, is also available in a beautiful, cloth hardcover collector’s edition, softcover, or NEW! ebook:

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newest in the series:

DARK CREATURES

The Grand Game

the book

A Grand Game of Dark Creatures has begun!

Three new gods join the Januses in the madness that has become a Grand Game of Dark Creatures. Circe, goddess of magic; Apophis, god of chaos; and I Am, Elder God of nightmares add their human pawns to the game table that has become Millten, Wisconsin.

In turn, more souls join William J. Donovan and Doug Pimpkin, the Gods' human pawns, as all are forced to craft slaves of their own within the very fabric of yet another world: a world of real fantasy and nightmares, the true world of Dark Creatures.

What role will Augury Pars and Llica Travilan play? What other horrors might they encounter as they strive to survive doing the bidding of their human masters? Does the town of Millten, its people, as well as the whole of creation, still rest in their hands? Or is there another force at work that may tip the balance of power and doom all the worlds to darkness?

Come read, enjoy, and participate in the greatest of all role-playing games! Welcome to Dark Creatures: The Grand Game !

Tim’s latest publication is available via Atmosphere Press:

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DARK CREATURES

A Simple Game

the contributors

TIM AHRENS

the author

Tim Ahrens has been writing for more than forty years, and he is especially passionate about character creation. He has worked on a number of short stories and novels, and has also spent some time working on developing comic book characters; he has frequently collaborated with other writers. Dark Creatures is his second book; his first, The Salvation of Tanlegalle with foreword by Piers Anthony, was also published by Lucid Style. To see more of Tim's craft, please visit the stories section of this site!

ERIC J. TURMAN

cover illustrator

Eric J. Turman is a director in film and commercials and in the creation of video games. He is an innovator within the computer graphics world. Eric drew upon his experience as a character animator to impart life to Tim's various and enchanting characters in the worlds of Dark Creatures.

JAMES REICH

interior illustrator

Born and raised in the state of Wisconsin, James Reich is a freelance drawer, painter, and illustrator with a bachelors degree in fine art from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. While fully able to create work of varying subject matters, styles, and emotional tones, his specialty lies in the humorous and the macabre. He currently lives and works in Grant County, Wisconsin.

LUCID STYLE

publisher, editor, web designer

Jean A. Turman has been a professional editor for over nearly two decades. She has edited numerous books for various publishers and self-publishing authors, and has also assisted a considerable clientele of students in finalizing their masters and Ph.D. dissertations. Through Lucid Style, Jean has been able to collaborate with a number of independent authors as they achieve their dream of publishing.

the worlds of TIM AHRENS

the stories

FOREWORD

by Piers Anthony

This foreword was written for and published in The Salvation of Tanlegalle, by Tim Ahrens

THAT'S JUST WHAT SISTERS DO

by Tim Ahrens

This short story appears in Tim's first book; originally published in Golden Visions Magazine, Oct-Nov-Dec 2008.

To quote Billy Joel, “Hold on 'til that old second wind comes along.” Even in your darkest moments, you're never truly alone.

XIA MIN

by Tim Ahrens

Tim has always been fascinated with Chinese history and culture. He also loves fantasy. So he decided to combine these two loves into this story.

HENRY PIM

by Tim Ahrens

Tim had just finished watching Wuthering Heights and the song by Queen that is quoted in the story came to mind. With those words ringing in his head and while feeling a bit melancholy, he sat down to start this story.

THE KEEP OF CHEVALIER

by Tim Ahrens

He had been trying to work out a new and innovative way to present several different fantasy characters of varying background. As an experiment in how this might be achieved, Tim began writing "The Keep of Chevalier."

THE LOST LITTLE GIRL OF AMIGO

by Tim Ahrens

Tim had just finished watching Once Upon a Time in the West, directed by Sergio Leone. The first scene of that movie always hypnotizes him. Being in an extremely gothic mood at that moment, he set out to capture that same feel in this story while still writing a horror element.

BELADOR

by Tim Ahrens

Tim also loves anime. Especially the Record of Lodoss War series. That put him in the mood to write "Belador." The trick here was to try and write the story after watching Record of Lodoss War, without copying it. He thinks he did a pretty good job.

the worlds of TIM AHRENS

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