Travis Starnes

In the Shadow of Lions - Chapter 7

Valemonde, Empire of Lynese

Princess Isolde slipped through the oak doors, the hem of her gown whispering across the marble floor as she entered her father’s chambers. It w...

Concept Art - Country Roads Character Portraits

Since people liked this for the other stories, I added some for Country Roads as well.

We have Charlie, Hanna (short wavy hair), Kat (Longer Hair), Lyla and Chef

From the Top - Chapter 37

The hoopla didn’t die down, although I didn’t know if that was because this was more lasting, or that the show aired three nights a week during the first month of its run as it got through the ...

From the Top - Chapter 36

I was sad when Hanna and Kat had to go back to school, especially with Hanna mostly breaking out of her sulk by Saturday, at least enough to come see us play at the Blue Ridge. Mostly, though, I wa...

Triumph of Venus - Chapter 3

Devnum

`It was too cold to be out here,’ Lucilla thought as she strolled up the small, protected garden along the center of the right wing of the palace where she and Ky ha...

From the Top - Chapter 35

It took us just over four hours to get to Chapel Hill. We were quiet most of the way after I filled in Kat about everything that had happened, including revealing some of what she told me about Han...

From the Top - Chapter 34

Tuesday was the airing of the first episode of The Stage. They would have three more episodes that week with auditions from different cities, but Warren had called the producers and found out when ...

In the Shadow of Lions - Chapter 6

William lifted his foot into the stirrup and swung himself up onto the horse’s back. The bay gelding shifted nervously beneath him, picking up on his rider’s unease. There really wasn’t a rea...

From the Top - Chapter 33

While the excitement on my first day back was wild, it didn’t take long for things to return to normal. Part of that is the high school thing of the latest drama always drowning everything else o...

From the Top - Chapter 32

Wednesday, I was back in school … and back in the principal’s office; where, at this point, I might have spent more time than in actual classrooms. At least I didn’t dread coming to the offic...

Triumph of Venus - Chapter 2

Devnum

Lucilla sank back into the cushions of her chair as the last senator filed out of her office, blowing out a long breath in relief. The day’s meetings had tried her p...

From the Top - Chapter 31

I couldn’t help but smile as the sign for the Wellsville exit came into view. I’d only been gone for a week and a half, but it felt like a lifetime. Even not counting the competition and all th...

From the Top - Chapter 30

I was one of the last contestants to make it to the theater, even though I was on the same lot the sound stage it was set up in was on. I’d been up late the night before making final adjustments,...

Shattered Lands Concept Art (Sigil Edition)

Some of the banners that would be seen in the Sidorian Army Camp.  These includes the banner for the Duchy of River Mark (Aldric's Duchy), and the Baronies of Cloud Harbor (in River Mark), &nb...

In the Shadow of Lions - Chapter 5

Sidorian Army Camp, Doree River, Empire of Lynese

The sounds of men and beasts could be heard well before William, his uncle, and the small force that traveled with him crest...

From the Top - Chapter 29

I dragged myself down to breakfast the next morning, my limbs heavy and sluggish. Things might have ended well, but the stress from the previous day, with Amanda going to the hospital and spending ...

From the Top - Chapter 28

Throughout the day, I’d tried to get Amanda to practice, and she always had something better to do. I’d tried to practice on my own, but there was a limit how far I could improve things without...

The Triumph of Venus (Imperium #6) - Chapter 1

Daramouda

Inside their temporary headquarters, in the same building where their adversary had commanded from a few weeks previous, Ky stood with his hands clasped behind his ...

From the Top - Chapter 27

It was late when we got back to the cast house, and I was ready to just go crash, since the whole thing was going to start all over again the next morning with another challenge. However, a produce...

Cover Reveal - From the Top

The Veilguard Saga Concept Art

A picture of the new friend, who maybe we'll learn more about.

The Threads of Destiny - Chapter 3

Osric plunged deeper into the forest, pushing himself as fast as he could without breaking his neck by stumbling over a root or stone. He was still in the section of the forest familiar to him. Heâ...

From the Top - Chapter 26

I sat in the living room of the competition house, plucking away on the banjo that had been loaned to me to practice with. The fast-paced melody of her song flew from my fingertips as I tried despe...

In the Shadow of Lions - Chapter 4

Starhaven, Kingdom of Sidor

Three weeks after the coronation, William found himself walking up the gangplank of a massive ship, hugging himself tight against the chill winter...

Shattered Lands Concept Art

We didn't meet him directly, but since he was mentioned, I included a picture of Baron Garris Sinclare, of the Barony of Stormhaven, in the Duchy of Iron Keep.

Character/Place Lists

Would it be helpful to have a list of all characters/places/whatever else I keep in my story bible for you to access. It would probably be on my website, because it would be easier to keep updated,...

From the Top - Chapter 25

We were just finishing breakfast when one of the producers, a short guy with a Bluetooth headset perpetually attached to his ear, came hustling into the room.

“All right, everyone, let’s ...

From the Top - Chapter 24

The house was … quite the experience. While I was the youngest by a good couple of years, everyone was still fairly young, with the oldest contestant topping out at twenty-nine. It wasn’t hard ...

The Veilguard Saga Concept Art - Character Portrait

For Talia Penrose, The new character added into Chapter 1.

The Threads of Destiny - Chapter 2 (Rewritten 12/30/23)

The general flow of this chapter is the same, and although new elements are written, they are generally not present in this story (although the exact way things worked out in individual instances i...