My Books 1
I’ve loved to read ever since I learned. I’ve loved to write for almost as long. During most of my time as an English teacher, I was too busy to do much creative writing. But I could feel stories scratching at the doors of my mind, eager to get out into the world. They scratch much more loudly now that I am retired—and they will not be denied.
You may already have seen some of my short fiction here on Substack, but I also have a number of longer works available for sale. Feel free to browse below.
Want a closer look at a particular title? Clicking on the preview button will allow you to read the first part of the book.
Aside from an unpublished novel I wrote back in 1981, the Spell Weaver series, which began to come out in 2012, is my first long-form work. As such, it holds a special place in my heart. It started out as young adult urban fantasy, though by the last three books, it had morphed into new adult urban fantasy. Reader reactions suggest it has been enjoyed by a much wider age range than its genre labels would suggest.
Numbered novels are the major titles in the series. I’ve inserted a few short works where they fit chronologically. That said, it’s actually better to read the prequel (“Echoes”) after the first novel, Living, to avoid ruining some of the suspense.
Spell Reader Prequel
Tal Weaver thinks he may be going crazy. So do his parents. After all, he keeps having vivid hallucinations of violent death—in which he is the victim. He’s institutionalized in hopes that doctors can find a cure, but so far, they’re stumped. Isolated from his girlfriend and abandoned by most of his friends, Tal is ready to give up hope.
However, his situation is far more complicated than mental illness. But to cure himself, Tal will have to face supernatural forces ready to possess him completely.
Spell Weaver 1
"Debut author Hiatt offers an engrossing coming-of-age story richly infused with ancient mythology and Arthurian tales...A fast paced, emotionally nuanced page-turner." Kirkus Reviews
Taliesin Weaver has a secret past—long past. To be specific, he remembers a previous life from over fifteen hundred years ago. But he has more than just memories from that life. He also has some special skills, including the ability to work magic.
Unfortunately, some of his past life enemies have figured out his secret, and they want to use Tal for their own sinister purposes. But he can’t be sure who they are. In a world in which a shapeshifter can masquerade as his best friend, the school nurse claims to be a Lady of the Lake, and the most prominent citizen in town may be an ancient witch, it’s hard to tell friend from foe.
Tal has to figure out what’s happening if he wants to save his friends and family. But to do that, he may have to risk his life—and even his soul.
Spell Weaver 2
“A top-notch mix of action, adventure and romance with a generous helping of literary allusion.” Kirkus Reviews
Tal expected that defeating the witch Ceridwen would solve all his problems. He was wrong.
His girlfriend is in a coma for which he holds himself responsible. His best friend, wh is suffering a past-life crisis, is getting worse rather than better. Supernatural menaces are becoming more frequent, not less so. Morgan Le Fay roams openly through his home town. A mysterious child could be an innocent needing protect or a devious foe.
The faerie realm Annwn may hold some answers—but it also holds even greater dangers. “Here be dragons,” as old maps used to say about unexplored regions of the world.
But the worse thing is the growing darkness within Tal himself. He begins to question the path he’s followed. Perhaps there really is something to be said for vengeance. After all, he has the power.
Spell Weaver 3
“Hiatt's formula for success holds true in this latest fantasy installment, which features rich literary allusion, swift pacing, crisp dialogue and inventive plotting.” Kirkus Reviews
Tal is no stranger to death threats, but even he is shocked to discover that the spirit of murder is pursuing him because a war god wants him dead.
Of course, Tal never has only one problem at a time. His hope that Morgan Le Fay will be convicted by faerie authorities becomes entangled with a quest to find a relic lost for three thousand years on a plane of existence no mortal can reach.
While on his quest, Tal keeps encountering seemingly unsolvable mysteries. Is one of his friends really Alexander the Great reincarnated? Is a mad faerie not really as mad as he pretends? Is the resurrection of a dear friend a miracle or a diabolical trap?
Unraveling the truth is nearly impossible—but it will mean the difference between life and death.
Spell Weaver 3 Paraquels (stories that take place during the plotline of Hidden Among Yourselves)
Hal is a loner whose life seems to be going nowhere—until he finds a note in his backpack. Enclosed is a mysterious feather the note describes as an angel feather, capable of working one miracle.
Is this someone’s idea of a practical joke? And if it isn’t, can it change Hal’s life for the better—or will it just bear out the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for”?
This short work is one of the ghosts of an anthology project that never happened. It was intended as a teaser for the not-yet-released Hidden Among Yourselves. It’s basically chapter 2, but written from the point of view of a different character. Super fans may find it interesting, as it does contain background and details that aren’t in Hidden.
Spell Weaver 4
“His ability to create characters that his readers will be able to connect with and relate to, even in a fantastic setting, is spot on, and his world creation skills are second to none." Terry Slowiak for Readers’ Favorite
Tal has won many victories, but his enemies haven’t given up. This time, they attack the very foundation on which his victories have been built—his friends.
One by one, Tal’s friends are lured away from town, making him—and them—more vulnerable to attack. Even worse, he must fight Dark Me, his evil alter ego, for control of his own body.
When a well-intentioned but inept faerie uses a rare spell to make himself into an exact duplicate of Tal, indistinguishable from the original, he inadvertently gives Dark Me a body. All hell breaks loose—literally!
Spell Weaver 5
"...another satisfying addition to the Spell Weaver tales. A deft mix of history, mythology, and coming-of-age themes." Kirkus featured review
Lucas thought he was a freak. He could move faster than he should be able to, and he sometimes got glimpses of the immediate future. He kept these abilities secret even from his friends.
But secrets have a way of being revealed, and when a shadow comes alive and starts trying to kill him, his grandmother—a woman of many secrets herself—realizes Lucas needs expert help.
Tal and some of his friends are on the way—but will they be in time to prevent tragedy?
Spell Weaver 6
When a trusted ally turns on Tal’s friends for no apparent reason, and he’s not around, their only hope seems to be Tal’s evil alter ego. Is this a case of the devil you know being the devil you don’t—or are they doomed either way?
But that’s not their only dilemma. They find Tal, but he’s been regressed to his twelve-year-old self, with no memory of his past lives, no magic—and no trust for most of them. Their efforts to restore him only make the situation worse.
Tal’s friends might be able to save both Tal and the world—but only if they trust a mysterious stranger with a hidden agenda.
With the fate of Earth, Annwn, Olympus, and others hanging in the balance, will making an alliance with the Shadow Assassins save Tal and his friends—or damn them?
Spell Weaver 7
Several years after the events in Spell Weaver 6, investigative journalist Amy Monroe is determined to find out what’s happening in Santa Brígida (the home of Tal and his friends). There are too many disappearances, too many personality changes, too many reports of people being in two places at once. Something just doesn’t add up.
Amy’s working theory is some kind of clandestine scientific experimentation, but when a key source disappears—along with the motel in which he was staying—she begins to realize that the truth may be far stranger.
Though the idea is repugnant to her core values, she begins to wonder. Should some secrets stay buried?
Spell Weaver Related Story (between the end of 7 and the beginning of 8)
A parallel universe Eva, still mourning the death of her world’s Tal, who died years ago, feels empty. The arrival of a displaced Magnus, trying to satisfy his unrequited love for the Eva of his world, upends parallel Eva’s life.
Can Magnus fill the void left by her Tal? Will he be able to love her for herself?
When the staff of the gods, which Magnus is using to travel from world to world, is stolen, they both have a more pressing problem. Can they retrieve the staff before the thieves learn how to unleash powers with unimaginable destructive potential?
(This story is available in serialized form on Substack. If you want it in ebook format, send me a message.)
Spell Weaver 8
Tal and his friends have fought faerie kings, powerful sorcerers, dragons, even angry gods. None of those experiences have prepared them for a parallel universe in which magic has been artificially amplified to be much more powerful.
In this alternate world, King Arthur never lost the battle of Camlann, and, in a series of impossible strokes of luck, his descendants ended up ruling the dominant world power.
But of course, such a development wasn’t luck at all. The whole progression was engineered by an insidious force with unlimited time and patience.
It already controls one world, but now, its servants have discovered a way to travel from one parallel world to another—and their sights are now set on ours
Outgunned and outspelled, Tal’s team must succeed at an impossible quest to win. But even making the attempt will stretch them to their limits—and beyond.
Spell Weaver 9
When Khalid returns to Santa Brígida, he finds that the whole town has disappeared and been replaced by a fake that is unconvincing up close. But the replacement of the whole town is just the beginning of a sinister plan by an old adversary with vast new powers and a new plan.
What about the town’s population? They’re trapping in the Antarctica of a parallel world in which ancient gods walk the earth and primal evils are working to bring about an apocalypse.
Tal and his friends might be able to win one more time. But in order to do that, one of them must give up what he most desires.
And one of them must die.
Will there be more Spell Weaver books? Not right away. But who knows what the future may bring. Some of the main characters are well on the way to having children. Perhaps the next book will see the passing of the torch.
For now, enjoy this image from the graveyard of covers gone but not forgotten:
However, there are more books already. On the next page, you can see some more series and a standalone or two.