Clayton Rand is the most talented computer forensic designer on the planet.  He thinks.  The Fortune 500 and the government line up for his protective firewalls.  He’s on top of the world and untouchable until a local scandal ignites a passion for justice in him that has the potential to rage out of control.

He’ll use his considerable technical skills to punish corrupt politicos and business leaders who weather their screaming headlines and come out unscathed.  No longer.  But soon computer manipulation isn’t enough.

Someone is going to get hurt…  Bad.

Ripped from current headlines, The New Illuminati chronicles a unique group of friends who pool their varied talents to right the injustices parlayed by the powerful.  Digital attacks mushroom into physical assaults as a reluctant District Attorney, unsure whether to arrest the group or join them, teams with the FBI and the chase is on!  Copy cats spring up as the nation’s weariness of unchecked and unpunished corruption surfaces and spills blood on the corridors of power.

While the guilty scramble from the line of fire, The New Illuminati wrestle with their new-found power.  How far?  How many?  How much?  How high up the political food chain?  And when will enough be enough?

When an old love exposes the vulnerabilities of both the pursued and pursuer, decisions will be made that will break hearts and maybe bodies.

The pursuit of The New Illuminati is feverish, but Clayton Rand’s creation is outpacing the FBI and the local District Attorney.  When the CIA start playing puppet master under the guise of the military, it could mean the jig is up.  But Clayton has an ace up his sleeve he’s yet to play.

Confidence runs high on each side of the chase as the stakes get ratcheted up and corrupt newsmakers get taken down.  A mistake rattles everyone and the wheels start to come off the both the investigation and the Illuminati.

 Return to Power, Part 2 of The New Illuminati, chronicles the climax of a group of friends who pool their varied talents to right the injustices parlayed by the powerful.  A reluctant District Attorney, unsure whether to arrest the group or join them, teams with the FBI and the chase is on!  Copy cats spring up as the nation’s weariness of unpunished corruption surfaces and spills blood in the corridors of power.

While the guilty scramble from the line of fire, The New Illuminati wrestle with their new-found power.  How far?  How many?  How much?  How high up the political food chain?  And when will enough be enough?

Lovers balance a run, both for cover and for each other, as the Illuminati monster assumes a life of its own and begins to turn on Clayton’s Dr. Frankenstein, leaving no one safe and no place to hide.

Losing St. Christopher,  Book 2 in the Cherokee Series Released!

Historical fiction unveils the cruel past of the founding of America – Losing St. Christopher chronicles Book 2 in the Cherokee Series and follows a family split by vision for the future, but held together by love, as they assimilate into European culture, their betrayal, and escape from the Trail of Tears.

David-Michael Harding weaves his admiration of Native American culture and history in his newest release, Losing St. Christopher. While technically a work of fiction, Harding’s novel builds on a factual base in order to educate readers about a unique period in history when one nation was born and another nearly died. In 1953 Albert Speer, Germany’s Minister of Armaments & War Production during World War II, wrote from his prison cell in Berlin regarding the genocide of the American Indian.  The Nazis’ study of the treatment and eradication of American Indians was an element in the plan for the “Final Solution.”  Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Eichmann, and others who administered the Nazi Holocaust had looked to the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the subsequent actions of the United States Government as the blueprint for annihilation of a people, a culture, and a way of life.

In Losing St. Christopher, Totsuhwa, the revered shaman of the Cherokee Nation, struggles against the assimilation of his people into the white world of men he sees as invaders.  The colonists, along with Cherokee who are trying to bridge both worlds, see him as a barbarous threat.  When Totsuhwa’s visions show him the outcome, it is as black as his deep set haunting eyes.  Chancellor, his son, takes a white wife following study at a missionary school and the shaman’s fears seem realized.  Conflicts between cultures and within the family erupt when Totsuhwa’s only grandchild is forced onto the Trail of Tears.  In the chase that follows, an estranged love fights to stem the ugly flow of racism that is moving in two directions. With its historical basis and fictional storyline, Losing St. Christopher will educate readers while entertaining them with a story of culture, inner conflict and the evolution of a nation. Harding hopes his novel will create an impact on readers and shed light on a lost, forgotten, and dark page of our history.

“Cherokee Talisman brings to life characters from our history and through a flare for fiction and historical research, Harding tells their story. Cherokees that might be painted by racist misconceptions as blood thirsty savages are humanized by Harding, making them heroes of a very real time. History is written by the victorious, but when almost forgotten historical characters are brought to life they are preserved for the ages, and in this preservation David-Michael Harding has succeeded.” – Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker

The Cats of Savone Available Now!

The Cats of Savone is an exemplary collection of stories from the pen of historical fiction author David-Michael Harding. Eight short stories and novellas make up his first installment in The Completely Abridged Series – Short Novels for Busy People. The title story is the PEN International Winner, The Cats of Savone, which follows a pregnant cat beneath a mammoth steel gate into the exercise yard of the Savone Correctional Facility. The hardened convicts in the maximum security prison adopt the cat as much as she adopts them. But an accident in the prison leads to murder and a host of tough choices for tough men – inmates and guards. Black Men in Bright Blue traces the steps of ten-year-old Rachel Justice in 1864 while she explores her father’s plantation in South Carolina. As she learns of slavery beneath the shadow of the Civil War, her secret knowledge of the underground railroad pushes her family and her young mind into decisions none are ready for. Eavesdrop on the captain and crew in Forever Beneath the Celtic Sea as the story follows in the cold wake of the World War I German submarine the U-20, and its deadly encounter with the luxury passenger liner Lusitania in 1917. The History of West Texas According to Henry Brass sits beside the bed of a of a old soldier, trapper, and patriot who is dying from consumption. He hasn’t lost his sense of humor however as he relates story after story to a young man who cares for him in his last days. Henry lived under most of the six different flags that flew over Texas and weaves wonderful tales for his caretaker whose own agenda is taken up by the old man. Then move from West Texas in the 19th Century to another continent and another time in St. Alden’s where a classic fight between good and evil comes to life on a university campus. An aged Guardian of the campus needs to pass down the secrets of a mysterious silver and the power of goodness to his grandson before night demons put an end to a magical spring and its unique life giving water. Additional stories provide glimpses into the life of a man who has gone through a lifetime of labels – retarded in the 50’s, handicapped in the 70’s, and now with special needs – Jonny Archer finds himself on an unlikely trip in The Junket. The Jazz Bridge chronicles the history and anniversary of an ordinary bridge in an ordinary town as something extraordinary happens. The collection is rounded out by My Boo Radley and the high school baseball pitcher who learns lessons from an old fan who the world viewed as a monster. For fans of the author, these shorts and novellas are glimpses into the stories, talents, and passion his characters are layered in. Readers care about the people in a Harding story. You’ll cheer, jeer, laugh, cry, and then VOTE for the one that becomes the next full length NOVEL!

“Most novels begin their lives as short stories.  Writing, much like any gift, skill, habit, or hope, is strengthened through practice, training, and exercise.  The short story is the stretching and dedication to a running regime long before the marathon.  It is the repetition of scales on the piano, years before the recital.”

“I have a favorite sound,” he’d say.  “It’s been with me a good long while.  It fits in my ear so well I can hear it in my sleep.” So begins The History of West Texas According to Henry Brass.  The voice of the story is Dr. Whitten Tines, who, in 1880 at the age of twenty, finds himself working as an orderly in a tent hospital for tuberculosis patients outside of El Paso, Texas.  Whitten finds himself drawn into the tales of Henry Brass, a dying patient, whose flavor, humor, precision, and penchant for the history of West Texas is deep and colorful. Henry lived under most of the six different flags that have flown over Texas and weaves wonderful tales for his young caretaker whose own agenda is taken up by the old man.  As his life rapidly fades, Henry’s stories become part fond remembrance and part confession.  The stories Whitten hears range from the Alamo and repeated wars with Mexico, on to Civil War atrocities and even an expedition on camels through the southwest to Los Angeles.  Each story is firmly rooted in the factual events of the time, yet seasoned with the wit of an old soldier, trapper, and patriot who knows that death from consumption is only days away. When the last day comes, each man reaches for a unique gift to give a special friend as Whitten’s life takes a profound turn. This piece is part of a collection of short stories and novellas that comprise The Cats of Savone, the initial installment in The Completely Abridged Series. In a universal time a classic battle is taking shape between good and evil.  Forces are aligning themselves on a unique battlefield – St. Alden’s University.  There are no regiments of soldiers marching shoulder-to-shoulder however.  There is only one man – the Guardian.  He stands alone against an unending onslaught of fanged wolves who attack at the behest of a maniacal black knight. No one can apply to attend St. Alden’s.  Rather, St. Alden’s chooses its students based on a very exclusive standard and the curriculum is as unique as its students.  The opportunities are endless with graduation, but you have to live to see it.  After sunset, the grounds aren’t just dangerous – they’re deadly. The Guardian is growing old.  He is weakening and his enemies know it.  As the last of the Templar Knights, he must recruit and train a replacement.  The Guardian chooses his grandson, Crealand, who comes as a student, but is thrust into a world of magic he never would have believed as his grandfather passes down the secrets of a mysterious silver and the power of the Good.  A stunning co-ed as unique as the university catches Crealand’s heart and the two young lovers face off against unspeakable odds as night demons try to put an end to a magical spring and its unique life giving water. This piece is part of a collection of short stories and novellas that comprise The Cats of Savone, the initial installment in The Completely Abridged Series. “FIRE ONE!”  “Fire one!”  “Fire one…” “ONE AWAY!”  “One away!”  “One away…” As these words rise, fall, and echo from captain to crew and back again through the damp metal confines of a German submarine patrolling beneath the choppy Celtic Sea, RMS Lusitania was steaming for England above.    The U-20 attack sub had sunk three other ships in as many days prior to having the mammoth luxury passenger liner cross the lens of its periscope, but nothing of its size,with as many people aboard, and with such far ranging consequences. Historians point to the sinking of the RMS Lusitania as the catalyst that propelled the Unites States into the First World War. The American press vilified Germany over the deaths of the Americans lost among the 1,200 killed.  Winston Churchill called the attack murder as he goaded President Woodrow Wilson to join the war effort.  In time, the United States sent its soldiers into harm’s way in Europe.  When it was over, more than 115,000 Americans had been killed. Forever Beneath the Celtic Sea eavesdrops on life in the cold wake of the U-boat as the 1915 attack off the coast of Ireland unfolds.  The focus of the story is U-20’s captain, Walther Schwieger, and the torpedo man, young Guenther Stroehmann.  Schwieger is compelled by his orders and his powerful sense of duty and allegiance to Germany.  Guenther follows orders as well, but it is his hand that launches the deadly torpedo. This piece is part of a collection of short stories and several longer novellas that comprise The Cats of Savone, the initial installment in The Completely Abridged Series. Read for FREE here. It is 1864 and Rachel Justice is ten years old.  Her days are spent exploring Providence, her father’s plantation in South Carolina.  Life in the mansion is a series of playtime adventures as she romps over the grounds on pretended spying missions for her special General, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.  The manicured lawns and fields are tended by black hands she knows little of.  But hard lessons are coming as the Civil War ravages the land only miles away and lives in her own backyard. As Rachel discovers her mother’s role in a clandestine enterprise, conflicts with the often harsh demeanor of the plantation mistress cause a coarse split between mother and young daughter.  Rachel develops a chance encounter with a young slave boy who inadvertently changes her life at the cost of his own and the story explodes.  She learns of slavery in the echoes of a cracking whip as mysterious specters of Black Men in Bright Blue resurface and escort her to a special destiny.  Her secret knowledge of the underground railroad pushes her family and her young mind into life and death decisions none are ready for. This piece is part of a collection of short stories and several novellas that comprise The Cats of Savone, the initial installment in The Completely Abridged Series.  Read for FREE here.

Cherokee Talisman is Out!

In 1775 perspective came with the color of your skin.

They were blood-thirsty savages – superstitious, dirty animals.  They were thieves and killers who burned houses to the ground and kidnapped women and children.

They were protectors of a Nation – guerrilla fighters serving their country.  They were husbands and fathers who built homes in lush valleys for their families.

They were – the same men.

An orphan boy, Totsuhwa, is taken under the wing of legendary Cherokee war chief Tsi’yugunsini, the Dragon. But even under a dragon’s wing isn’t safe when a covetous nation forms around them.

Amid the battles, Totsuhwa fights the reoccurring pain of loss until he meets Galegi, who becomes his wife. Trying to raise their son in a peace the new world won’t allow, they teach him the strictest Cherokee traditions while white assimilation, encroachment, and treachery grows. General Andrew Jackson wages war against tribes across the southeast and the toll is high. With his people gradually losing everything, Totsuhwa must find a way to save his family — and the Cherokee Nation — before all is lost. Cherokee Talisman recreates the neglected history that existed when one nation was born and another almost died.

“Cherokee Talismanbrings to life characters from our history and through a flare for fiction and historical research, Harding tells their story. Cherokees that might be painted by racist misconceptions as blood thirsty savages are humanized by Harding, making them heroes of a very real time. History is written by the victorious, but when almost forgotten historical characters are brought to life they are preserved for the ages, and in this preservation David-Michael Harding has succeeded.” –  Cherokee  Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker      

How Angels Die Available Now!

In the darkest days of World War II, when France found itself at the mercy of a brutal dictator, the frontlines of resistance may just have been in the grasp of a few good women. How Angels Die, the epic work of historical fiction by author David Harding, delivers a highly inventive and uncommon take on the French Resistance that is certain to appeal to anyone who relishes a blood-pumping drama, which also sheds searing new light on the astounding bravery, profound passion, and razor-sharp cunning of the fairer sex during the most trying times.

In four fateful days, two remarkable sisters, Monique and Claire McCleash, battle the German occupation of their coastal French town in the early days of June 1944. While their mission is the same, their methods of upending the occupation are irreconcilably at odds. The strikingly beautiful Monique puts her body and wit to work for the Resistance by dating and sleeping with German officers; her younger sister Claire elects instead to serve as an active combat guerilla fighter for the cause.

Brimming with high drama that is punctuated by family humor, How Angels Die lifts the veil on a lesser-known side of the French Resistance. Through the prism of two intrepid women, the novel illuminates how these women employ their formidable assets and fierce love of country to face down a vicious enemy. With page-turning action, unstoppable passion, and historical accuracy, this heart-racing novel is a must-read for sisters, history buffs, and action enthusiasts alike.