The Chronicles of the Haulm Boys is the prelude to The MPire: In Search of the Lost. Meet the Haulm Boys, brothers who are members of the elite Four Horsemen. They are responsible for keeping the balance of power between Angels and Humans. However, in their daily lives, they must learn to conquer their own demons as they battle one another for dominance.
Eldest brother Marc Haulm (Pestilence) desperately tries to keep the balance between embarking on his new identity as the leader of the next generation and caring for his severely mentally ill father, Malcolm Haulm.
Marek Haulm (War), after separating from the family to pursue his personal dream of joining the Marines, must resolve the familial betrayal consequences of his decisions.
Attempting to stay out of The Family limelight, Marlon Haulm (Famine) lays low and enjoys his life before he is summoned to join his family in Austin, Texas.
Mallory Towneson Haulm (Death) is thought dead by his oldest brothers after he was whisked away by a threatening force 13 years ago. Is he dead or will he return home just in time to save the next generation?

The MPire Trio

Installment One – The MPire: In Search of the Lost

Installment Two – The MPire: Death Cometh

Prequel to In Search of the Lost – The Chronicles of the Haulm Boys

Author: TL James
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Publisher:PHE Ink – Writing Solutions Firm
Trade Paperback: 3 Books
Retail: $37.00
Website Price: $30.00 + priority shipping

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Episode Two – Love in Need

“The guest room is ready and I guess I need to find something for dinner.” Malcolm flopped in the chair.

“How are you doing son?”

As Malcolm sat still in the chair, the pain exuded from his face spoke volumes. He plastered his hand on his head, rubbing his temples harshly. He whispered, “I can never stop the voices.” As one point, a tear fell from his eye, as he whispered, “I just want to die.”

Malcolm’s body quickly jerked as if an evil spirit captured him. “Get over that shit and let’s go!” He shouted to himself in a dark tone.

He jumped up from the chair and said, “I’ll get dinner.” He walked to the front door and grabbed his keys. Mallory looked up at him. He went to grab for his father, but Malcolm shot him a look that pierced fear in his heart.

“Daddy?” Mallory whimpered out. “Daddy please? I’m sorry.”

Malcolm didn’t answer him. He just opened the door and walked out into the hall.

Mallory stood there, waiting for his father to return. Marion sat on the couch and watched, waiting to see how long Mallory was going to stand there.

After an hour, Marion had enough of the torture. He patted cushion next to him. “Come sit with me.”

Mallory finally turned around, facing his grandfather, but he still didn’t move.

“Come on now, sit!”

Mallory shook his head again. “Malcolm says that you are ‘carnated’ Kronos and he said that you swallow your grandchildren whole.”

He still thinks I’m God. Marion let out a hardy laugh. “Come over here son. I eat children not grandchildren.” He laughed again, but Mallory didn’t see the humor. He stayed in his place. “Where is your father library?”

“Upstairs.”

Marion managed to pull himself up from the couch and walk to the stairs. “Show me where the library is?”

Mallory shot off and ran up the stairs, trying to avoid be caught by Marion. They finally reached the library, Marion opened the door and found a replica of the library that he had built back home. He was flattered. He walked over to the Greek Classics and pulled out one of Malcolm’s favorite books.

“Did you know that your father loved Greek mythology?” Marion pulled out a chair and sat down.

“No sir.”

“Do you like Greek mythology?” He opened the old wore book.

“No sir.”

“Come here, I want to show you something. Come on, I won’t bite. I had a big meal.”

Mallory carefully approached Marion and looked over his arm.

“Does your father read this story to you a lot?”

“Only when we go to Texas. He says that I need to know my history and be careful of the family ‘cause they could kill me.”

“That’s not true. Your family loves you.”

“Malcolm says that don’t.”

“I can prove your father is wrong.” He pulled out another dictionary. “Do you know what a myth is?”

Mallory thought hard for a while. Marion asked the question just like Malcolm would have, which meant that Mallory should have immediately known the answer. He bowed his head and started breathing heavy, searching for the answer in his mind.

Marion, feeling Mallory’s frustration, answered the question and let him off the hook. “A myth is a fictional tale, a story for entertainment. It attempted to answer questions that people have about life and creation but it is just a story.” He turned to Mallory. “I bet your father told you that he was God. And that Gods don’t bleed, right?’

“Yes sir?”

“Didn’t you bite him to get away from him? Didn’t he bleed?” He leaned in and gently wrapped his arm around Mallory’s waist, then whispered, “Son, I hate to say this but not everything your father tells you is true… especially about your family not loving you.” He kissed him on the forehead. “We love you… I love you.”
 

 Title: The MPire Chronicles of the Haulm Boys
Author: TL James
Genre: Speculative Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-9824475-1-2
Publisher: PHE Ink – Writing Solutions Firm
Trade Paperback: 108 Pages
Retail: $12.95
PreSale Website Price: $9.00

  Or You can purchase a pre-sale copy at Barnes and Noble online.

Episode Two – Gampaw

Mallory ran through the house screaming trying to escape from his father. Malcolm was still high from his three-day binge and his target for relieving his frustration kept escaping his grasp.

At one point, Malcolm caught him. Mallory screamed and squirmed but he couldn’t get free. Then the fear inside Mallory bellowed into anger. Mallory took a deep breath and sunk his primary teeth into Malcolm’s arm. Malcolm let out a blood-curdling cry and flung Mallory against the wall. Although Mallory was hurt, he wasted no time to dart out of the room to escape.

As Mallory ran through the living room, he felt that his only escape was the front door. His father warned him about monsters living outside the front door, waiting to tear his flesh apart and eat him alive. Mallory was scared of the monsters, but he had to escape from the monster inside the house.

Once he opened the door, Mallory stood paralyzed. A huge monster stood tall and wide blocking the entrance of the door. He had a growling snarl and his eyes were glowing an ominous bloodshot death brown.

Mallory truly was petrified. As he captured his breath, he whispered, “Gampaw!”

Their eyes locked but they never spoke a word.

Malcolm finally stumbled down the stairs and into the living room. He was indeed pissed and Mallory’s fate would have been fatal, except for one thing. “Dad?” He stopped in his track.

“Hello son,” Marion, his father, answered but never took his eyes off Mallory.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to visit you, son.”

“You flew here? To New York City?”

“Of course son. You’re worth it.”

“Well if I knew you were coming, I wouldn’t have mailed your birthday present.” Malcolm said arrogantly.

“It’ll wait until I get home.”

“Where are you staying at?”

“At? Ending a sentence with a preposition?”

“Funny! Where dad?” Malcolm said, waiting for his father to ease his pain but his silence broke his heart. “Fine daddy, come in and I find you a hotel.” He waited his father come in but again, his lack of movement crushed Malcolm.

“Don’t make much sense to get comfortable twice. I’ll stand out here until you make the arrangements.” His eyes were still glued to Mallory who never moved.

Fuck me! Malcolm shouted to himself. “Fine Dad! You can stay here. I’ll get the guest room ready.”

Marion finally made a move. Before grabbing his bags, he winked at Mallory. Mallory quickly stepped aside and closely watched as Marion walked him in the house.

 Title: The MPire Chronicles of the Haulm Boys
Author: TL James
Genre: Speculative Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-9824475-1-2
Publisher: PHE Ink – Writing Solutions Firm
Trade Paperback: 108 Pages
Retail: $12.95
PreSale Website Price: $9.00

Or You can purchase a pre-sale copy at Barnes and Noble online.

Episode One  – Beginning of Trouble

Marion Haulm walked down to the docks anxiously heading for his monthly Spades game with his long-time friend, Berth Salem, or Bernie for short. Bernie was an angel who slipped down from Heaven from time to time to experience human life.  They met when Marion was a little boy. Marion walked in on a craps game; at the time, Bernie was losing his wings. Marion felt the anguish in Bernie’s spirit, so Marion took the milk money that his mother gave him and bet on Bernie’s wings. Luckily, Marion won. After leaving the game, Marion gave Bernie his wings back and Bernie promised Marion to always protect him. Thus, their friendship blossomed.

Tonight, among celebrating their 50-year friendship, they were celebrating Marion’s 61^st birthday. Marion hated celebrating his birthday, but he obliged Bernie because time stood still for him. He was not getting younger or older.

After giving each other a hardy embrace, Marion handed him a package of Oreos. “Where is my gift?”

“You don’t like birthday gift.” Bernie replied, stuffing the cookies in his pouch.

“That never stopped you before.” Marion said with a stern demeanor.

“I know,” Bernie laughed as he patted Marion on the back, as they continued down the dock. “Oh you’ll get your gift soon enough.”

*** 

After a long eventful evening, Marion walked Bernie to the edge of the hill.

“Marion,” Bernie lost of humor from his voice. “Go check on your grandson.”

“You know I have many grand—“Marion replied jokingly.

“You know the one I talking about.” Bernie face turn pale.

“What’s wrong?”

“You know I can’t tell you that. I shouldn’t be telling you that he’s in trouble.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Bernie nodded. “He needs you. Your son is…”

“I don’t want to hear about that man! I don’t know what wrong with him and I can’t fix it.” Marion shouted.

Bernie looked away in guilt, concealing the fact that he knew what the problem was. “Go bring your grandson home.”

“Now how in the Sam Hill am I going to do that? Malcolm won’t get me get close to that boy!”

“Just get there and we’ll figure something out together.”

“Damn it! That’s New York City. You know I hate flying.”

“I’ll make a deal with your guardian angel and I’ll protect you.”Bernie patted him on the back. “Please you need to hurry.”

“Alright! I’ll go… if you’ll be there.”

Title: The MPire Chronicles of the Haulm Boys
Author: TL James
Genre: Speculative Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-9824475-1-2
Publisher: PHE Ink – Writing Solutions Firm
Trade Paperback: 108 Pages
Retail: $12.95
PreSale Website Price: $9.00

  Or You can purchase a pre-sale copy at Barnes and Noble online.

MEET THE HAULM BOYS

Four brothers who are members of the elite Four Horsemen. They are responsible for keeping the balance of power between Angels and Humans. However, in their daily lives, they must learn to conquer their own demons as they battle one another for dominance and respect

Eldest brother Marc Haulm (Pestilence) desperately tries to keep the balance between embarking on his new identity as the leader of the next generation and caring for his severely mentally impaired father, Malcolm Haulm.

Marek Haulm (War), after separating from the family to pursue his personal dream of joining the Marines, must resolve the familial betrayal consequences of his decisions.

Attempting to stay out of The Family’s limelight, Marlon Haulm (Famine) lays low and enjoys his life before he is summoned to join his family in Austin, Texas.

Mallory Towneson Haulm (Death) is thought to be dead by his oldest brothers after he was whisked away by a threatening force 13 years ago. Is he dead or will he return home just in time to save the next generation?

The Chronicles of the Haulm Boys is the prelude to The MPire: In Search of the Lost.

Title: The MPire Chronicles of the Haulm Boys
Author: TL James
Genre: Speculative Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-9824475-1-2
Publisher: PHE Ink – Writing Solutions Firm
Trade Paperback: 108 Pages
Retail: $11.95
PreSale Website Price: $9.00

Or You can purchase a pre-sale copy at  Barnes and Noble online.