The Demon of Histlewick Downs (Paperback or Softback)

A terrible mistake!

When his parents are unjustly seized for heresy, a sheltered young man is thrust into the volatile world of the Inquisition, but when the Inquisitor General enlists his unique talents to oppose a deadly magic-wielding heretic, he quickly discovers that naivete is a luxury he can no longer afford.

Armed with only his wits and a snarky talking pocket watch, Flinch will need to navigate Histlewick Manor's constantly shifting network of dangers and allegiances, as friend and foe alike jockey to use his rare talents to their best advantage. But the Manor harbors an ancient secret that threatens to upend everyone's best-laid plans, and Flinch lands smack-dab in the middle of it.

Flinch vows to risk everything for a slim chance to rescue his parents - but will Histlewick Manor's escalating dangers make him regret that choice?

Since the Heiromancer trilogy within the Dreamweaver Chronicles (which includes Practical Phrendonics, A House of Cards, and Hanged Man's Gambit) makes up a single story, those books should be experienced in that order. The Demon of Histlewick Downs and Shady Fortunes are both complementary standalone novels designed to further immerse readers in the action-packed world.

Doug Bornemann works, plays, and sometimes even writes, in sunny Southern California. By day, he's a mild-mannered geneticist, stoically altering the genomes of unsuspecting fruit flies to create and analyze models of Huntington's disease. By night, he engages in subtly directing the lives of myriad unsuspecting characters, all of whom are fiercely convinced of their own free will (except, of course, for quirky Uncle Rayen). His law degree comes in handy mostly for defending those characters against the pointed and persuasive arguments of the other characters. It has absolutely no value whatsoever in winning arguments with either his lovely and talented wife, or their neurotic cat, Nero.