David Lee Summers

Publisher info

David Lee Summers is an author, editor and astronomer living somewhere between the western and final frontiers. He is the author of twelve novels including The Solar Sea, Vampires of the Scarlet Order, and Owl Dance. He edited Tales of the Talisman Magazine and the anthologies Space Pirates, Space Horrors and A Kepler's Dozen. His short fiction has appeared in such magazines and anthologies as Cemetery Dance, Realms of Fantasy, and Straight Outta Tombstone. In addition to his work in the written word, David works at Kitt Peak National Observatory. You can find David's books published by WordFire Press at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/DavidLeeSummers2

Smashwords Interview

When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
My "day" job is operating the 4-meter and 3.5-meter telescopes at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Southern Arizona. Basically, I work from sunset to sunrise every other week helping astronomers get the best data they can when they're awarded research time at our facilities. When I'm not doing that, I like traveling around the Southwest. I'm just back from a trip to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Last summer, I visited Tombstone, Arizona. My other hobby is cooking. I'm especially fond of Mexican and Cajun/Creole dishes.
When did you first start writing?
I've been writing as long as I can remember. I was probably about eight years old when I announced to my parents that I wanted to be a writer. They rolled their eyes and suggested that I should think about other career options. The next time I approached them, I told them I wanted to be an astronomer. That resulted in another eye-roll. I first attempted to become disciplined about writing in high school and college friends remember me writing in breaks between classes or whenever I had a little free time. I got serious about publishing my writing in 1993 when I wrote my first novel, "The Pirates of Sufiro." Along the way, I also pursued my dream of becoming an astronomer, and I have worked at a number of observatories around the southwestern United States.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find David Lee Summers online

Lost Sons: The Battle of Manhattan
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 118,820. Language: English. Published: August 27, 2022 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Contemporary, Fiction » Fantasy » Urban
Duncan Kord is a thousand-year-old Viking warrior infused with a dragon's powerful essence centuries ago on the battlefield. His nemesis, oil magnate William Jefferson Sagahr, lives in New York and is a thousand-year-old mercenary also given special powers. Kord travels to New York to confront Sagahr and avenge both his people and his dragon brethren. Will they level the Big Apple in the process?
Hybrid: Forced Vengeance
Series: Hybrid. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 124,910. Language: English. Published: February 20, 2022 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Urban, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
Superhuman detective Erik Knight works for the US government as an undercover operative. Although his wife dies in a car accident, he still feels her presence. Assigned to protect the French president's daughter, he joins forces with accused terrorists and discovers that the plot originated from inside his own government — and there's a connection between the plot in France and his wife's death.
The Way-Out Wild West
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 76,620. Language: English. Published: January 5, 2022 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Historical » Western & American frontier, Fiction » Fantasy » Short stories
Bodie, Arizona can be a difficult place to locate on a map. In this collection of twenty-two stories, Lyn McConchie chronicles the adventures of Bodie's denizens and those of nearby towns, counties and states from the nineteenth century to the present and beyond. Saddle up for this collection of twenty-two tales where you will glimpse the way-out, wild west.
Hybrid
Series: Hybrid. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 128,900. Language: English. Published: June 25, 2021 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure, Fiction » Adventure » Action
Private investigator Erik Knight is called in to search for a missing girl. When another person disappears and the investigation escalates, Erik becomes embroiled in a battle against dark forces from another world. Even Erik's keen senses, heightened awareness, and enhanced physical strength may not suffice to save humanity.
Upstart Mystique
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 131,660. Language: English. Published: April 7, 2020 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Cyberpunk
On its way to a distant colony world, the space vessel Marco P loses all power and an unknown force convinces the navigator that a distant, dead world is the vessel's true destination. To free his crew and his navigator from the unknown force's grip, Commander Carpenter must face a moral dilemma. Can he save his crew without condemning a planet's inhabitants to death?
Exchange Students
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 80,710. Language: English. Published: February 25, 2020 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories, Fiction » Fantasy » Short stories
(5.00 from 1 review)
Study abroad! See new places! Meet new people! In our exchange student program, you can literally study anywhere or anywhen you can imagine. We'll send you to new planets. We'll send you to new dimensions and realms of existence. We'll send you through time itself! Read this exciting anthology packed with twenty-two tales of science fictional and fantastic exchange students.
Battle Lines
Series: Hybrid. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 98,970. Language: English. Published: October 1, 2019 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Action, Fiction » Fantasy » Urban
The hidden battle between good and evil approaches a boiling point. CIA Agent Erik Knight and his trusted ally, Martin Denton, must confront demons, angels, aliens, corrupt politicians and evasive clergymen as they hunt down the demon Molec in a desperate, final attempt to avoid a catastrophic, world-ending battle which would have repercussions across the galaxy and the multiverse.
Armageddon's Son
Series: Hybrid. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 83,070. Language: American English. Published: March 25, 2019 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Action, Fiction » Fantasy » Urban
Ex-CIA Agent Erik Knight is recruited to assist his mentor, Martin Denton, in discovering the identity of the mysterious thief who stole the Ruby Crucifix of Christ from the very heart of Vatican City. In order to solve the mystery, the agents must accept that the world as they know it is mere illusion, hiding a brutal physical and spiritual war of ‘Good' versus 'Evil'.
Fallen Angel
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 38,250. Language: American English. Published: February 25, 2019 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Historical, Fiction » Science fiction » Steampunk & retropunk
(3.00 from 1 review)
Fallen Angel is the story of Mabel, an angel from Hell, who accompanies General Grant’s army during the last days of the Civil War only to discover that Martians are watching the Earth with envious eyes and slowly drawing their plans against us. Not only that, but Mabel has to contend with her evil sister, who wants to have humans for dinner.
Legends of the Dragon Cowboys
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 61,340. Language: English. Published: October 4, 2017 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Alternative history, Fiction » Fantasy » Historical
Legends of the Dragon Cowboys brings you two weird western adventures by authors David B. Riley and Laura Givens. Their heroes ride boldly out of the Far East to find their way in a mythic land of danger, romance, and adventure. Their heroes encounter Mayan gods, Native American spirits, Yeti, Voodoo despots and more! The Wild West just got a lot wilder!
Kepler's Cowboys
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 91,740. Language: English. Published: March 1, 2017 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope has discovered thousands of new planets. Visiting, much less settling, those worlds will provide innumerable challenges. The men and women who make the journey will be those who don't fear the odds. They'll be Kepler's Cowboys. Saddle up and take an unforgettable journey in this anthology of science fiction stories about planets discovered by NASA's Kepler mission.
Sugar Time
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 16,120. Language: American English. Published: August 14, 2015 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
When Sugar Sweet's Uncle Max falls ill and his collaborators disappear, she investigates the old Victorian mansion where he conducted his research. She soon finds the collaborators -- or what's left of them -- along with an angry Neanderthal. She also finds her uncle's research project, a working time machine.

Series

Scarlet Order Vampires
Founded in 1067, the Scarlet Order is a band of vampire mercenaries led by Desmond, Lord Draco. Before he became a vampire, Draco was in the line of succession for the British throne. After becoming a vampire, he sought redemption and ultimately found the best way he could survive was to help those kings and princes whose causes he believed in. Dragon's Fall: Rise of the Scarlet Order Vampires chronicles the formation of the Scarlet Order. In Vampires of the Scarlet Order, the United States government has started a program to create super soldiers, so they don't have to rely on vampires any more. Unfortunately, this means they are tampering with powers far beyond their understanding.
The Clockwork Legion
The story of how a well meaning alien came to Earth in 1876 and unwittingly unleashed the Russian invasion of the United States. In the aftermath came a world of wonders where airships and ornithopters rule the skies, lightning guns pose a serious threat, and Native Americans control powerful battle wagons that challenge the United States Army. In the heart of it all is a small town sheriff who wants to be a diplomat and the woman he loves who wants to heal the world.
Owl Dance
Price: $3.99 USD.
Lightning Wolves
Price: $3.99 USD.
The Brazen Shark
Price: $3.99 USD.
Owl Riders
Price: $3.99 USD.
Hybrid
Erik Knight is a small time private detective who discovers he possesses alien DNA, which gives him incredible powers. He battles corrupt businessmen, aliens, and he even journeys into the realm of angels and demons in his quest to protect the Earth and his family from a war that goes back to the beginning of time.
Hybrid
Price: $3.99 USD.
Hybrid: Forced Vengeance
Price: $3.99 USD.
Armageddon's Son
Price: $3.99 USD.
Battle Lines
Price: $3.99 USD.
The Space Pirates' Legacy
The Space Pirates' Legacy series tells the story of how Captain Ellison Firebrandt and his descendants shape the future of the Earth and the galaxy by creating a colony on a new world and their struggle with one of the universe's most ancient life forms.
Firebrandt's Legacy
Price: $3.99 USD.
The Pirates of Sufiro
Price: $3.99 USD.
Children of the Old Stars
Price: $3.99 USD.
Heirs of the New Earth
Price: $3.99 USD.
Tales of the Talisman
Tales of the Talisman presents the finest science fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories and poetry curated by David Lee Summers of Hadrosaur Productions.

Books

Ordeal of the Scarlet Order
Series: Scarlet Order Vampires, Book 3. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 104,790. Language: English. Published: February 13, 2024 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Paranormal, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Supernatural
Rudolfo de Cordoba has led most of the Scarlet Order vampires to a new home in Colorado to regroup and unlock new powers while Alexandra and Drake have gone to New Orleans to continue their quest for lost Biblical writings. Meanwhile Special Agent John Lassiter is on their trail. Will the vampires unlock their new gifts and save humanity before Agent Lassiter ends their immortal existence?
Owl Riders
Series: The Clockwork Legion, Book 4. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 82,360. Language: English. Published: May 22, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Historical, Fiction » Science fiction » Steampunk & retropunk
The year is 1885. Airships rule the sky, automata harvest crops, and settlers are attempting to tame the Wild West. Meanwhile, using large battle wagons, Apaches have captured a large swath of Southern Arizona. Newly minted attorney and would-be diplomat Ramon Morales must negotiate peace. Meanwhile, Fatemeh Karimi's one-time fiancée kidnaps her to face punishment in Persia.
The Brazen Shark
Series: The Clockwork Legion, Book 3. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 84,920. Language: English. Published: March 25, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Alternative history, Fiction » Science fiction » Steampunk & retropunk
A ship captain takes two dear friends on a special honeymoon getaway, only to have it interrupted by samurai air pirates attempting to overthrow the Japanese emperor.
Heirs of the New Earth
Series: The Space Pirates' Legacy. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 82,120. Language: English. Published: February 10, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure, Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera
Captain John Mark Ellis must race against time to free the Earth from invasion and stop aliens from altering the structure of the galaxy itself.
Lightning Wolves
Series: The Clockwork Legion, Book 2. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 86,150. Language: English. Published: December 7, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Alternative history, Fiction » Science fiction » Steampunk & retropunk
An inventor exiled from Mexico hunts ghosts while the U.S. Army seeks any means necessary to break the Russians' hold on America's west coast.
Owl Dance
Series: The Clockwork Legion, Book 1. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 92,620. Language: English. Published: November 23, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Steampunk & retropunk, Fiction » Alternative history
A healer from Persia and a former sheriff are on the run from bounty hunters when a creature from the stars encourages the Russian Empire to invade the United States in 1876.
Children of the Old Stars
Series: The Space Pirates' Legacy. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 81,300. Language: English. Published: June 11, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » General
A disgraced starship captain, an alien warrior, and a cult leader go on a quest to learn about a mysterious space vessel that destroys everything in its path.
Vampires of the Scarlet Order
Series: Scarlet Order Vampires, Book 2. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 90,860. Language: English. Published: August 16, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Horror » Undead, Fiction » Fantasy » Paranormal
Governments tamper with powers they don't understand to create a new breed of super soldiers. Only the Scarlet Order vampire mercenaries stand in their way.
The Pirates of Sufiro
Series: The Space Pirates' Legacy. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 103,970. Language: English. Published: July 3, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
Space pirate Ellison Firebrandt is exiled to a distant world. Soon other settlers arrive and the planet becomes the focal point of a galactic conflict.
The Astronomer's Crypt
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 79,190. Language: English. Published: June 1, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Horror » Ghost, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Supernatural
Astronomers, ghosts, drug dealers, and a monster from the beginning of time collide at a remote observatory during a violent thunderstorm.
Dragon's Fall: Rise of the Scarlet Order Vampires
Series: Scarlet Order Vampires, Book 1. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 94,180. Language: English. Published: June 1, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Paranormal, Fiction » Fantasy » Historical
(5.00 from 1 review)
Three vampires—a warrior, a thief, and an assassin—adapt to their life of darkness by forming a team of mercenaries who fight for the crowned heads of Europe.
Firebrandt's Legacy
Series: The Space Pirates' Legacy. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 72,960. Language: American English. Published: January 28, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
Space pirate Ellison Firebrandt is already a force to be reckoned with when he discovers a remarkable new drive system and meets a woman who can help it reach its full potential.
The Solar Sea
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 63,870. Language: English. Published: March 21, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » General, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Science Fiction
Whales around the world changed their songs the day scientists announced the discovery of new particles around Saturn's largest moon which could solve Earth's energy needs. The Quinn Corporation rushes to build a solar sail space craft to unlock the secrets of these strange new particles. The crew makes a grand tour of the solar system and discovers wonders and dangers beyond their imagination.
Kepler's Cowboys
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 91,740. Language: English. Published: March 1, 2017 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope has discovered thousands of new planets. Visiting, much less settling, those worlds will provide innumerable challenges. The men and women who make the journey will be those who don't fear the odds. They'll be Kepler's Cowboys. Saddle up and take an unforgettable journey in this anthology of science fiction stories about planets discovered by NASA's Kepler mission.
Tales of the Talisman, Volume 8, Issue 3
Series: Tales of the Talisman. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 58,370. Language: English. Published: November 12, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Short stories, Fiction » Fantasy » General
Explore P'Eng-Lai, the legendary home of the immortals. Travel to an exotic future inhabited by the bee and wolf tribes. Join a quest for a druid's master -- just be careful, the master has been dabbling in forbidden magic! Climb rugged mountains in search of dragon eggs and power. These and other tales of the imagination await in this issue of Tales of the Talisman.
A Kepler's Dozen: Thirteen Stories About Distant Worlds That Really Exist
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 60,530. Language: English. Published: June 12, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories
A Kepler's Dozen presents thirteen action-packed, mysterious, and humorous stories all based on real planets discovered by the NASA Kepler mission. Edited by and contributing stories are David Lee Summers, editor of Tales of the Talisman Magazine, and Steve B. Howell, project scientist for the Kepler mission.
Revolution of Air and Rust
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 24,160. Language: English. Published: November 13, 2012 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Steampunk & retropunk, Fiction » Fantasy » Historical
(4.00 from 1 review)
It's 1915 and the American Expeditionary Force has invaded Northern Mexico. Pancho Villa leads his revolutionary army in a desperate raid against the American force only to be outflanked. Just as American airships prepare to deliver the death blow, Pancho Villa is transported to a parallel Earth where he finds an unexpected ally and the technology that might turn defeat into victory.
The Slayers
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 3,800. Language: English. Published: May 7, 2011 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Epic
(5.00 from 1 review)
A young man named Rado signs aboard a mighty dirigible called the Slayer to hunt dragons, but soon learns that the captain will not rest until he kills the mighty gold dragon. First published in 2001, "The Slayers" is a fun, clever retelling of Moby Dick in a fantasy world with dragons.

David Lee Summers' tag cloud

action hero    action thiller    adventure    ainu    airship    airship battle    airship pirate    airships    alien beings    alien invasion    alien planet    alien visitor    alien warrior    alien worlds    aliens    alternate history    anceint greece    ancient aliens    angel    angel battle    anthology    apache legends    apaches    arizona    armageddon    astronomers    astronomy    atlantis    automata    black hole    brain upload    california    catholc church    catholic church    catholic scifi    cats    cluster    colony world    colorado    conquistador    conspiracies    crime coverup    demon    detective    dirigible    divorced dad    doc holliday    dragon    dragon hunt    dragon slayers    dragons    drug cartel    dystopia    ellison firebrandt    exchange students    exoplanets    fairy fantasy    fantasy    fiction sci fi    fiction scifi    firebrandt    france    galactic mapping    genetic tampering    ghost    ghosts    globular clusters    good vampires    historical    holy grail    horror    horses    humor    humor action    hybrid    immortals    john mark ellis    jupiter    kachina    kepler mission    kepler space telescope    king arthur    lucid dreaming    mad science    mad scientist    magic    mars    martial arts    meiji era    mercenaries    mercenary    mexican revolution    military    moby dick    monster    multicultural    mystery crime    nanotechnology    nantucket    nasa    neanderthal    new mexico    new orleans    new york city    nordic warrior    ornithopter    ornithopters    ottoman empire    pancho villa    paranormal    pirates    poetry    police    romance    romance scifi    samurai    saturn    scarlet order    science fiction    science fiction romance    scifi alien    settlers    sf adventure    shape shifters    shapeshifter    short fiction    short stories    slayers    solar sail    southwest united states    space adventure    space aliens    space battles    space cowboys    space exploration    space fiction    space opera    space pirates    space western    spies    steampunk    strong women    submarine    super hero    super powers    super soldier    super soldiers    suspense    teleportation    terrorists    texas    time travel    titan    urban fantasy    vampire    vampire romance    vengeance    virtual reality    voodoo    weird west    weird western    western 1870s    whales    wyatt earp