The account of Ron Collins adventure between 2005 to 2015, werehe was falsely accused and set up by the police.

Alban Arthan. Winterfest. The end of the old year, the birth of the next. Katazarra, once the Lord’s favorite, has been locked in Fae Realm for longer than memory recalls. Then comes James, a human new to the Realm. A prize, not yet bound. A toy given to Katazarra such that she will bind him. If she fails, the Lord’s penalty will be severe. If she succeeds, it could be worse. FIRST RAYS OF NEW SUN is a short story by bestselling Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy author Ron Collins.

Jump in, the water’s fine! Join best-selling author Ron Collins as he explores fresh ideas across the genres of fiction — contemporary, historical, fantasy, crime, and science fiction, with a smattering of steampunk—all with ties to the Fiction River original anthology magazine project. This omnibus edition packs all twenty-eight short stories from the original Collins Creek collections into a single volume. --------------------------------------------------- Ron Collins knows how to write for anthologies. But more important than that, he knows how to write. Full stop. Kristine Kathryn Rusch Ron Collins has a mastery of plot and story that few writers attain. Lisa Silverthorne A great read by a great writer. Dean Wesley Smith

Rock & Roll, Steampunk, and Starflight Jump in, the water’s fine! In Collins Creek, Volume 2, you’ll find another memorable 10-pack of short stories from prolific writer Ron Collins—this time mixing, matching, and bending the constraints of science fiction and fantasy—all of which first appeared in Fiction River original anthology magazines. From the Grand Dangoolie to a prohibition demon to a genetically engineered Special Forces agent, the characters in these pages will take you on a collection of wild and unpredictable rides. What do they all have in common? That little spark of humanity that yearns for more answers than we have questions. Stories Include: The Grand Dangoolie Movie Boy and Music Girl The Robin Club A Steady Diet of Dragon The Legend of Parker Clark and Lois Jane Rock of Ages A Demon from Hell Walks into a Speakeasy Playing God Fraternization Some of This Is True "One of short fiction's masters" Kristine Kathryn Rusch Hugo Award winning Author and Editor

Everyone remembers how the face of baseball changed back in 2006. The doping scandal, the egos, the excessive money. It all just collapsed. But, of course, baseball itself would not die. How could it? And after a season or two of discontent, up sprang the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance, or PEBA for short. Today Casey Neal and his buddy Don-o are fresh-faced college graduates unencumbered by commitments like summer jobs or girl friends. On a lark they tour every big-league park in the PEBA, and find themselves caught up in a web of intrigue and scandal that threatens once again the very heart of professional baseball itself. Against all that Casey, well, he's trying to find out who he's going to be in this world. And Don-o? Well, Don-o is something different all together now, isn't he?

Aliens, Ray Guns, and Distant Planets Jump in, the water’s still more than fine! In Collins Creek, Volume 3, you’ll find an eclectic 8-pack of short stories from prolific writer Ron Collins, all of which sprung from the environment of Fiction River original anthology magazines but subsequently found homes in places like Analog, Galaxy’s Edge, and Pulphouse. From quantum entanglement to cloning and genetic engineering, these stories explore technology, space, and their impact on the people who live with them (hey, aliens are people, too!). As different as they each are, these stories all say something about what the future might hold for us. Stories Include: The Colossal Death Ray The Blue Lady of Entanglement Chamber 1 Bravo and Jazz My Julie January 3rd Often and Silently We Come Tumbling Dice Survivors "One of short fiction's masters" Kristine Kathryn Rusch Hugo Award winning Author and Editor

Two arts, synchronous in waves of speculation. Together as One. ¬­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­¬ When Ron proposed this book of science fictional haiku, I was amused but skeptical. Haiku? Does he know what a haiku is? Can he even write poetry? Turns out he does know what a haiku is and he can write poetry. As I read along I was increasingly fascinated and delighted. The pairing of haiku and AI artwork is ingenious, truly more than the sum of its parts. And that’s before you read Ron’s short comments describing each pairing, adding extra depth, often with poignancy and humor. I found myself studying each piece of art to see if I could guess the subject of the haiku before reading it. And then returning to the artwork with the haiku now in mind before reading Ron’s comments. You will not be surprised to find yourself sometimes disagreeing with Ron’s interpretation or assessment of the resulting artwork. That’s okay. Art, like beauty, is all in the eye of the beholder. I was even inspired to write my own haiku and generate an AI pairing, above. The wild-eyed look of Ron the science fiction author writing haiku is perfect! So, enjoy the book you have in your hands. Savor it. Let the combined beauty of the haiku and AI artwork do its magic. Lisa Collins, editor

Ten Stories: Together for the First Time Jump in, the water’s fine! In Collins Creek, Volume 1, you’ll find a surprising 10-pack of contemporary short stories from prolific writer Ron Collins, all of which first appeared in the Fiction River Anthology project. Bookended by the Derringer award-nominated “The White Game” and the spy-game thriller “The Spy Who Walked into the Cold,” you’ll find the currents of Collins Creek are filled with mystery and crime, romance and danger, and even a little baseball. The common factor connecting them all, though, is the powerful stream of hope you’ll find running through their pages. Stories Include: The White Game Us vs. Them Prospecting Day of the Party The Ten Days of Newtonmas The Year That Went into Extra Innings Bobo Hero #8 Look Safe The Spy Who Walked into the Cold "One of short fiction's masters" Kristine Kathryn Rusch Hugo Award winning Author and Editor

Inspector Yuni Ichihara loves his local baseball team, but when his phone rings one morning it puts him on a case that will send him to the darkest places of that love. Inspector Ichihara has faith in his city, you see? He has hopes for his team. But can he believe in himself?

War across the systems. A lifelong quest to find intelligent life. And—on a harsh, desolate planet—a sentient species, struggling to build a civilization. Stealing the Sun, a space-based Science Fiction series from frequent Analog contributor and bestselling Amazon Science Fiction author Ron Collins --- STARCLASH Two star systems, one galaxy Universe Three has destroyed Everguard. The United Government has to strike back. Humanity sits on the edge of an intergalactic war never before imaginable. Torrance Black: Everguard’s hero signs up to help. Casmir Francis: Universe Three’s director wants a peaceful path to freedom for his people while Deidra—his daughter and heir to his leadership—wants to fight it out now. Is she right? Is she wrong? Can the galaxy survive either answer? --- STARBOUND One war across the stars, two paths to the future Torrance Black never planned to become a war hero, but this latest twist—turning politician—came as the ultimate shock. Universe Three renegades fight for freedom under their new leader. Or is it revenge? United Government leaders want control. But Torrance, science ambassador, joins the most advanced minds in the Solar System to complete one task: set the future course for scientific exploration of the known universe. He believes intelligent life lives in the Alpha Centauri system. He thinks humanity is destroying it. Draining its star. Problem is: No one else agrees. --- STARCRASH First You Have To Survive Torrance Black: wounded, alone, and adrift in deep space. His tiny shuttle holds short rations and scant fuel. Ahead lies his only chance—a planet too desolate to support life. At least that’s what the “experts” told him. But someone must have sent the signals that changed his life back when he was on Everguard. Torrance believes. He’s always believed. If he makes it to the planet he can finally learn if he was right. But first, he has to survive. --- “STARCLASH proves once again that Ron Collins is a master of the science fiction adventure story—not the crazy stuff you remember from the pulps, but the kind of interstellar adventure that has believable characters, plotting that makes sense, and a future that rings true." Mike Resnick, Hugo Award–winning author of Kirinyaga