Writing historical fiction presents both challenges and opportunities. The challenges lie in choosing the degree of historical accuracy to include. The opportunities lie in the ability to present events and characters in a more idealistic manner, that is, what could have been and should have been. As an example, the Shattering Paradigms series takes place…
I have been asked how I come up with ideas for my novels. Sometimes I can point to something specific, such as an event or story in the news. However, at other times the idea develops slowly and evolves from several sources. The Shattering Paradigms series is an example of the latter. In early 2024,…
Who owns the elements of a culture? When Justice Inc is accused of cultural appropriation, the intellectual bodyguards find themselves drawn into a raging controversy. They respond by doing what they do best—they challenge the premises of their accusers. Led by a charismatic minister, the accusers claim that Justice Inc and other Houston businesses are…
Justice Inc: The Intellectual Bodyguards, Book 1 The government imposed lockdown during the COVID pandemic creates economic turmoil in Houston. Intellectual bodyguards Justin Walker and Pratik Shah come to the defense of landlords and small business owners and challenge the morality of the lockdown. A Moral Sanction: The Intellectual Bodyguards, Book 2 Jack Charlton’s dream…
In antebellum Texas, Samuel Dawson does the unthinkable. He rejects the idea that Black people are subhuman and do not possess the same rights as whites. His defiance is met with hostility from his father and neighboring plantation owners. But Samuel does not succumb to the pressures exerted by others. He remains true to what…
What would you do to defend your freedom? Following the emancipation of slaves in Texas, twenty-year-old plantation owner Samuel Dawson faces new challenges. The state government is reticent to recognize social and political equality between Blacks and whites. Many Texans are determined to return the state to white dominance, threatening the thriving community that Samuel…
Can one person change the course of history? Challenging cultural paradigms is seldom a simple task, and it is particularly difficult for a twelve-year-old. Yet, in 1857, Samuel Dawson, the son of a slaveholder in Texas, does just that. He begins by befriending Will, an enslaved boy his father had recently purchased. Samuel’s father objects…
Who should be in control of a child’s education? The parents or the government? Dissatisfied with government schools, parents across Texas demand more education options for their children. Spurred on by the governor, Republican state legislators introduce bills to establish education savings accounts for each student in the state. However, Democrats, Republicans representing rural districts,…
When the local zoning commission rezones Jack Charlton’s land, making it impossible for him to open the battery factory that he has long dreamed of. Justin and Pratik come to his rescue. As they battle local zoning bureaucrats, they are soon confronted with another nemesis. A state legislator has introduced a bill that would make…
On their first day of college, aspiring intellectuals Justin Walker and Pratik Shah meet in their philosophy class. The class is soon disrupted as Antifa invades the room, shouts insults, and threatens the professor. Justin and Pratik remove Antifa from the lecture hall and find themselves labeled Nazi sympathizers. Antifa continues disrupting classes each day,…
Shortly after graduating college with degrees in philosophy, Justin Walker and Pratik Shah open Justice Inc, a business that provides intellectual bodyguard services. Rather than protect their clients from physical threats, Justin and Pratik protect their clients from intellectual threats. Justin and Pratik are soon joined by the Three Amigas: Justin’s sister, Jenna, his cousin…
How should the government respond to a deadly pandemic? The lockdowns and prohibitions imposed during the COVID pandemic created economic turmoil across the nation. When the local government in Houston responds to the problems its lockdown created with more controls and prohibitions, philosophers Justin Walker and Pratik Shah come to the rescue of small businesses…