Welcome to My Imagination!!
I'm an author of epic and heroic fantasy, paranormal adventures, historical fiction, and mysteries. I'm best known for my Legionnaire series (military heroic fantasy published online, in audio, and in print) and my Miss Pandora Parson mysteries originally published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. Take a look around and feel free to visit again. If you have any questions you can contact me through the Guestbook or at gilbertmstack@gmail.com. You can also find me at Goodreads.
Coming Soon
Crimson Steel Blades
Young Willem has survived battles and assassinations, but his claim to his father’s lordship will not be secure until his formal Oathtaking at a ceremony attended by the Great Lords of the duchy. For those who still hope to push him aside, time is getting perilously short. Yet those who have already acted against him are not as dangerous as the great men who are coming; and those who wish him ill have so many ways to dispose of one irritating young man. Be it through the joust, the duel, or even open rebellion, Willem’s Oathtaking is going to be marred by Crimson Steel Blades.
Recent Releases
Dark Treacherous Hearts Is Now Available
Dark Treacherous Hearts
When Willem returned to Tavistock to claim his
inheritance, he thought he only needed to convince his uncle to stand down and
then prove his own value to his vassals on the field of battle. Unfortunately
for Willem, his unexpected return interfered with too many other peoples’
plans. He belatedly realizes that if they can’t remove him face to face, they
will find a less honorable way. As the young swordsman struggles to take a firm
grip on the reins of power, he must discern who is truly loyal to him and which
smiles conceal Dark Treacherous Hearts.
You can find Dark Treacherous Hearts on Amazon or free on Kindle Unlimited.
Crimson Steel Blades Coming February 13, 2023
Steel Gray Eyes is Now Available
Steel Gray Eyes
The first book in my Winterhaven prequel series is available on Amazon .
Before he became the greatest knight in
Winterhaven, Willem, the future Lord Tavistock was a seventeen-year-old orphan
determined to claim his father's patrimony. The only thing standing in his way was
every greedy and faithless man in the honor. The only support he could find was
his two teachers, his naked sword, and a pair of Steel Gray Eyes. This is the
story of how Willem set out on the road to become the most respected man in the
Duchy of Winterhaven.
The remainder of the Young Tavistock trilogy is also written and ready to be released. Dark Treacherous Hearts will come out in January 2023 and Crimson Steel Blades will be published in February 2023.
Masks Is Here!
Preternatural 4 Masks is finally here.
Hadrian’s Well has survived the zombie apocalypse but that doesn’t mean life is getting easier there. Record rainfalls have resulted in widespread flooding and something in the water is killing people. Or is it in the water? Part of the problem in Hadrian’s Well is that the preternatural isn’t always what it seems. Many wear masks that let them move about in human society like they’re normal people. Human threats also abound as politics within and without the town handicap Undersheriff Donovan as she struggles to track the monsters down. As the body count rises, will Donovan and her understrength department be able to look beyond the masks and stem another tide of terror?
You can find Masks at Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
Masks, the fourth book in the Preternatural Series, is finally here:
Hadrian’s Well has survived the zombie apocalypse but that doesn’t mean life is getting easier there. Record rainfalls have resulted in widespread flooding and something in the water is killing people. Or is it in the water? Part of the problem in Hadrian’s Well is that the preternatural isn’t always what it seems. Many wear masks that let them move about in human society like they’re normal people. Human threats also abound as politics within and without the town handicap Undersheriff Donovan as she struggles to track the monsters down. As the body count rises, will Donovan and her understrength department be able to look beyond the masks and stem another tide of terror?
You can find it on Amazon and free on Kindle Unlimited.
Legionnaire 13
The Seduction of Malaquita
The Seduction of Malaquita
The Seduction of Malaquita
After a long and grueling fight in Angosto Pass, Marcus and his legionnaires finally catch a break. The Diamonte city of Malaquita is not only badly under garrisoned, it has no idea that the legion is on its doorstep. Yet driving out the Gota and capturing the city only creates more problems for the legion. The city is barren of supplies and could easily turn into a deathtrap if Marcus and his men remain to defend it, but if they can hold it through the coming harvests its strategic location will greatly bolster Amatista’s chances in the war. His only hope is to build an alliance with the most influential Gente in the city as he tried and failed to do in Morganita. His one tenuous asset to make this alliance happen is the cousin of the wife of his trusted friend, Senior Mago Efraín Estudioso, who married into the powerful Astrónomo family—but the Astrónomos have a terrible secret of their own that could transform them into Marcus’ vehement enemies. And now Marcus has accidentally spurned the high priest of Madre Tierra, making this one political seduction that seems destined to go very wrong!
You can find this book on Amazon and free on Kindle Unlimited.
Among Us 3 Hunting Among Us
War is coming to Philadelphia as the unaging converge upon the city, threatening to take their battles out of the shadows and into the glaring light of the modern day. These horrors out of legend represent different houses and hold different agenda, but all agree that it is time for the rogue dynum, Trevalian de Treville and Mutswana the Hunter, to pay for the crime of refusing to bow to the great powers that rule this shadow society. And the blood brothers have never been more vulnerable. Trev has given his heart and his protection to a young mortal woman who refuses to understand the very real danger confronting them. Her insistence on publicly staying in Philadelphia has told the unaging world where they can find the hated duo. Can even the Iron Count and the Hunter survive when their enemies are Hunting Among Us?
The Unity 4 Empyreal
Jewel’s new husband wants her to be a properly low-key and obedient
Armenite wife. Her brother-in-law wants to humiliate her and steal her fortune
to further his own ambitions. Her old crewmates want her to rescue them from
their sentence of servitude. And worst of all, the microscopic menites swarming
inside of Jewel want to transform her into something her husband’s enemies
believe is an abomination against The Unity while his allies hope they are
fashioning her into its salvation. With no one to truly depend upon but
herself, the Cartelite princess must withstand these competing demands, and—In
order to avoid galactic war—learn what it truly means to be an Armenite
empyreal.
You can find this book on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
The Miss Pandora Parson Series
I'm happy to announce that I have been able to make three more stories in my Miss Pandora Series available for my fans. This series of crime stories set in the Old West was originally published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. They focus on a lady gambler named Pandora Parson, a bare knuckle boxer, Corey "Rock Quarry" Callaghan, and his trainer, Patrick Sullivan. As you might imagine, they get into a lot of trouble while basically trying to mind their own business and make a living in a rough and tumble world.
The series is available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. Links are below:
Written Gems
I’m
excited to announce the creation of a new discussion group on Goodreads
dedicated to the wonderful but
often underappreciated works that form the roots of Fantasy and Science Fiction
today. This will include such greats as: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Lord Dunsany,
Robert E. Howard, H.G. Wells, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.P. Lovecraft, and
more—plus the occasional author you may have never read (but will be very glad
you did).
These authors not only influenced the development of their genres but are still frankly fun to read today. We want to explore these works together and seek out more—and we’re inviting you to join us in our endeavor.
Joining me in this noble cause are authors William L. Hahn and Chris L. Adams. Will is an expert in epic fantasy and Chris is an authority on the pulp classics of the first half of the twentieth century. Together we’ll explore a new work each month, seeking to understand not only what made the novel fun in the past, but why it has endured, and what it has to offer for audiences today.
If you’re interested, why don’t you take a look at Written Gems on Goodreads where you’ll find more information about our group?
We have the following discussion threads:
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Khaled: A Tale of Arabia by Francis Marion Crawford
Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein
The Stars, My Brothers by Edmond Hamilton
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells
We also keep a thread running on Great First Lines
Some Noteworthy Reviews
Legionnaire 1 The Fire Islands
My only complaint is that the novel is too short!
The historical detail is incredibly well-done. The details of Roman combat techniques, weaponry, and social organisation all match what I have internalised over the years. (I am not a historian, so it's possible that I've missed some things, but it all rang true to my ears).
I also really like the vaguely Polynesian language. Another of my obsessions is, particularly, Maori culture. The language the indigenous Fire Islanders used is clearly from the same branch as Hawaiian, Te Reo Maori, etc. This level of detail was something I really appreciated and gravitated towards.
The writing is excellent. It's clean and descriptive. The plot moves along quickly, and enough background details are filled in that I had a clear sense of the political situation in Aquila as it applies to those stationed on the Fire Islands. The main character is human - his flaws are pointed out with a bit of a sledgehammer, but it was only one hit!
I would have liked to have more details about the history of the Fire Islands and their peoples. I would also have liked to learn more about how our hero established himself - why his choices were so drastically different than those of the other Tribunes. I am wildly curious about how his relationship with Nani came to be, and my sense is that his relationship with the cook is far more complex and interesting than this book revealed.
I will definitely continue to follow this series - it's a wonderful balance of historical fiction, fantasy, with dual cultures that are equally complex, and I loved that supernatural elements were present, but not overly dominant in the story. I have no idea what to call this genre, but I love it and I want to read more of it!
Reviewed by Buttercup77, Amazon
Two More Reviews
My story, Hearts of Ice, and my Pandora Series, each picked up favorable mentions recently.
Aside from wishing that the novella was longer, Barb at Night Owl Reviews said: "... the ending was a surprise and I was not expecting that... All in all, the story was good."
My Pandora Series at Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine was mentioned in the comments to a Bill Crider blog on western crime fiction at Criminal Element. Richard Prosch said: "Another terrific bunch of Old West mystery stories is Gilbert M. Stack's Pandora series. The new one (Number 10, I think) is in the latest Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine this month."