The first story, LEVELS, is about a young man named Clifford who was abandoned by his family and adopted by a man who abuses him physically and mentally. Clifford soon meets his only friend in Cornelius Calhoun III who teaches our Clifford laughter for the first time. Clifford's new friend takes him on a ride of vengeance and pleasure that changes everything, as he learns that maybe his friend isn't everything he appears to be.(Christian Fiction Mystery) THE NATIVITY follows Jennifer McCabe who's faith is tested by having to endure in a few years what most people face in a lifetime. Every Christmas holds a new tragedy for the young girl. Will she be able to keep her word to her Father and finish building the life size Nativity scene in her back yard before the next Christmas?Christian Fiction LABELS is a very short story that lets us see through the eyes of a serial killer justifying the need to eradicate all that is beautiful. That which has been labeled "beauty" by the killer, must be destroyed. The killer describes beauty as "labels" produced by the media and peer pressure. The insane plan of carnage must be carried out to satiate the hatred of all that is beautiful.(violence) THE WAR is another very short story where it appears an age old one-sided war could be taking a turn as one brave soul has a plan to find a way to strike back once and for all. MYTH CATCHERS is the longest of the stories at around 42 pages. This is the precursor to the series I am planning. Ten year old Curtis Armstrong can't understand where his Father went to so many years ago. The only thing that his Mother still has is an old pair of pants of his Dad's. Curtis' sister is infatuated with Unicorns and has her entire room decorated with the little creatures, which irritates him to no end. Strange things start happening around the Armstrong household after Curtis finds the pants. Unicorns of his sister's that he sells at a garage sale return with no explanation and destroyed figurines are found undamaged. Curtis starts school and even meets his nemesis, Darla, when things really start going crazy. Is it his new found imagination or is there really a Unicorn now standing in his closet wearing his Dad's pants and speaking perfect English?(Fantasy/Children's)

It is a Children's Fiction Novel about a troubled young boy named Curtis Armstrong who misses his father so much that he hangs on to the only thing left to remind him of his dad; a pair of jeans. His adventures are just beginning as he and his mother and sister travel to Myth, NM where he begins a new semester of school. It is also the place where he meets his arch enemy and develops a hatred for anything with one single horn. Is it the maiden voyage of his imagination that sets things in motion, or is there really something going on that he can't explain. What is the secret of the pants? What part will his arch enemy play in his quest for reality? Will he ever see his father again? How much of a part will Curtis' imagination play in all of this? What other creatures can the pants "catch"? This is the first book in a series that will delve into Curtis' experiences with the wonderful and sometimes scary things that he catches with his father's pants. Watch as the story slowly unravels with surprises at every turn.

Love, Hate, and the battle between good and evil. Heartache from long ago and the loss of our will. Fighting to win and the ultimate fail. Choices we make and choices taken from us. Torn from dispair. Fighting the ultimate fight in life. Poetry and song displayed in Comedy and Tragedy. We still survive. Finding out not only who we are, but how strong we must be to simply go day to day. Find your strength or find your peace. We are the masters of our own destiny. Be not what is expected. Alan Riehl

Love, Hate, and the battle between good and evil. Heartache from long ago and the loss of our will. Fighting to win and the ultimate fail. Choices we make and choices taken from us. Torn from dispair. Fighting the ultimate fight in life. Poetry and song displayed in Comedy and Tragedy. We still survive. Finding out not only who we are, but how strong we must be to simply go day to day. Find your strength or find your peace. We are the masters of our own destiny. Be not what is expected. Alan Riehl

Jenny and her Father were very close. They made a pact to build a life size Nativity Scene in their backyard when she was young. Jennifer never saw that promise fulfilled because of the horrible accident that claimed her parents' lives on Christmas Eve. Now each Christmas holds a terrible tragedy in store for young Jennifer and her husband. Will she have enough faith to overcome the continuous heartbreak in her life or will she succumb to the tragedies. With a supporting cast of her husband, her in-laws, the local Minister, and a promise that still calls to her; this is the story of a young woman's belief in God and the testing of that belief. This story is timeless and will cause you to shed a tear. It takes place in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It will be an instant classic It is available as part of Alan Riehl's short story compilation: LEVELS, also available on Amazon.