SparkaTale

Sparkatale

Talented, Dedicated, but Undiscovered

Even on such a relatively small site as SparkATale, there are countless undiscovered writers. This is for them, and the people who would help them. We are a community that encourages and aids other writers, whether it be through simple chats, reviews, or recommendations. We help in any way we can, and are a kind and welcoming group. Read, write, discover!

Cover Art By: Nicole Raine
Pandora's Lock by Ryan Funk Completed
Conrad Justice has a fantastic job, lovely home and beautiful wife, but he also happens to reside in a neighborhood with an unusual urban legend. Throwing caution to the wind, Justice tampers with the forbiden property and must contend with a curse that consumes his life.

Updated: May 10, 2015 | Published: March 11, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Keeper of the Gold by Ryan Funk In Progress
An authentic look at Irish folklore to help you get into the spirit this St. Patrick's Day. Sightings of the mythical phantom island of Hy-Brasil off of the coast of Ireland have been reported for centuries. When a dozen ancient gold coins are stolen from an Irish museum, sightings of the island resume, and a mischievous leprechaun appears granting wishes in exchange for his stolen gold for the two thieves and a lad who stumbles across the bullion. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Updated: May 10, 2015 | Published: March 13, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Cafe Cauldron by Ryan Funk Completed
Meet Ruth, a young woman with a golden spirit and soft heart shackled by her controlling boyfriend. She soon begins a new job waitressing at a coffeeshop that is very chic yet mysterious, taking comfort and bonding with the eccentric owners, two ladies that may be able to brew up more than just coffee...

Updated: May 10, 2015 | Published: March 20, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Le Nain Rouge by Ryan Funk Completed
A story of historical fiction based upon the underrated and underreported legend: Assigned a class project on local folklore, a film student eagerly shares the story of the Nain Rouge, the terrifying mythical red dwarf that has haunted the city of Detroit since it's inception, serving as a harbinger of doom in bringing about historical misfortune with each sighting.

Updated: April 20, 2015 | Published: March 27, 2015 | Reviews: 0


WITCH HUNT by Ryan Funk Completed
Welcome to 1692 Salem Village, in the heart of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It is the annual Celebration of the Harvest, a subdued affair on the hells of a summer caked in drought. What begins with a story soon becomes a game of pointing fingers and scapegoating, as wrath and envy take the village by storm. The ensuing result finds several women and men alike standing trial for witchcraft. As if it didn't take much to convince the judge, jury and crowds of people, supernatural activity in the courthouse makes a believer out of everyone, in this supernatural themed historical fiction chapter from the Alieus series, set during a shameful time in the early history of the American colonies.

Updated: May 10, 2015 | Published: April 1, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Half Past Never by Ryan Funk Completed
Approximately one hundred years in the future, three scientists are about to step into history-quite literally, as they are set to become the first to travel through time. Their mission is to journey into the future in order to evaluate social progress, however they are going to bend the rules a bit, agreeing that they shall visit a location in the past where each shall retrieve an object of personal historical significance, but not so significant as to alter the course of history. Despite their best efforts, they tamper with the space time continuum, altering the future in ways they never could have imagined. Their travels take them from the Prehistoric Era to the Library of Alexandria in Ancient Egypt, the signing of Magna Carta in Medieval England, and the Battle of Yorktown at the climax of the American Revolution, a 1908 Chicago Cubs World Series game, and a frightening future in this adventure from the Alieus Anthology Series.

Updated: May 10, 2015 | Published: April 1, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Midnight Bite by Ryan Funk In Progress
A loner and devout believer in the supernatural works up quite a fright when he convinces himself that a new family in the neighborhood may be Vampires. What began as a curiosity develops into a physical manifestation following an attack one night, as our recluse must become a reluctant hero or completely transform into a vampire.

Updated: May 10, 2015 | Published: April 1, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Through the Haze of the Night by Ryan Funk In Progress
We've all heard the legend of the vanishing hitchhiker, a ghostly apparition at the side of the road in the dead of night thumbing for a ride to nowhere. Brandon Purkiss, a successful architect reluctantly finds himself in the midst of this legend one night as he comes across a lovely young lady at the side of the road. It is after he drops her off that he learns the truth of her ghostly configuration. The only problem is, this ghost does not intend to leave him alone....

Updated: May 10, 2015 | Published: April 1, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Egyptian Mummy by Ryan Funk In Progress
In this slice of supernatural historical fiction set in 1985, archaeologist Dr. Arthur Wilford and his team have just unearthed the lost tomb of Pharaoh Rakhenemetkhan in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings. Untouched by grave robbers, this excavation yields a grandiose collection of treasure. The story drifts back to the time of this supreme king, a powerful and merciless ruler during the ancient Egyptian age of the New Kingdom, chronicling the accomplishments of his rule, his connection with the Great Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza, shedding light on their construction and secrets, his murder, and the elaborate mummification process and subsequent funeral procession. The spirit of such a vengeful ruler hardly rests easy, and as the seal to his tomb is broken a horrible curse is unleashed back in 1985...

Updated: June 29, 2017 | Published: April 1, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Champagne Under The Sun by Ryan Funk Completed
In this paranormal noir set in 1948 Detroit, a disillusioned detective and his partner, a cynical former World War II spy find that their fortunes may change as they are visited by a most unusual prospective client--the ghost of a man offering a substantial reward, eager for help in proving his unsolved murder, a crime committed by a notorious underworld assassin. They set off to investigate the assassin, along with his sassy rogue of a wife, seeking one last shot at redemption as the parties cross paths along the road of destiny.

Updated: May 4, 2015 | Published: April 1, 2015 | Reviews: 0


1993 by Ryan Funk Completed
Blowing out the birthday candles on his 27th birthday, Neil Smart's wish for nostalgia is about to come true, as he wakes up the following morning in his seven year old body twenty years in the past. Of course, things are not always as we remember them, and Neil is about to re-learn that there are perks and responsibilities associated with being a child, just as there are for being an adult, and that some things are best left in the past.

Updated: February 22, 2016 | Published: April 1, 2015 | Reviews: 0


A 195os Nightmare by Ryan Funk In Progress
Paying slight homage to the Twilight Zone as far as the time period, a couple from 1953 somehow ends up in 2003 in this "reverse" time travel story, where they are both mesmerized and shocked at the startling change in technology, fashion, cultural norms, and pace of life. Most shocking of all is the realization that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Updated: May 10, 2015 | Published: April 9, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Shadow Painting by Ryan Funk In Progress
Martha Cullen is a woman that has developed quite a passion for horror films and stories, and she has even begun assembling a collection of macabre objects as a hobby. David Cullen is hardly a connoisseur when it comes to art, but when he comes across an eerie, century old painting at an art fair featuring two sinister looking children dressed in Victorian era clothing, he believes he has found the centerpiece for his wife's growing collection. As he is soon about to learn, the power of this piece of art is hardly worth its peril. It may be the painting of Martha's dreams, but the real nightmare is just beginning...

Updated: May 10, 2015 | Published: April 21, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Out in the Clouds by Ryan Funk Completed
A passenger aboard an airplane experiences a vivid nightmare where he is the only one aboard a plane that is doomed to crash. Upon waking up he is relieved to learn that the plane has landed safely, although his short-term memory has been lost, rendering him a victim of flight amnesia with no recollection of where he is to go or what he is to do. His memory eventually does return, triggering a chain reaction of horrific events as he journeys in a race against time to meet his destiny, a destiny quite literally including the fate of the world.

Updated: May 10, 2015 | Published: April 23, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Woolpit Redux by Ryan Funk In Progress
*Hot off the press, so there may be a few errors According to legend, sometime in the 12th century, two mysterious children appeared in the English village of Woolpit. They wore unfamiliar clothes, spoke an unknown language--and had green skin. Most people believe this account likely to be nothing more than a fabricated fairy tale, or merely an incident involving famished Flemish immigrant children. Child Psychologist Christine Willows is about to learn firsthand that this legend may be based on something a little more substantial, when two mysterious green children cloaked in strange attire spewing an unknown dialect from the tongue inexplicable appear in modern day England. This is no fairy tale, and the children claiming to have arrived from a "land of perpetual twilight" have not arrived by mistake...

Updated: May 22, 2015 | Published: May 19, 2015 | Reviews: 0


The Truth About UFOs by Ryan Funk In Progress
When a drunken man claims to have witnessed a UFO flying over his field, two police officers in a small town dismiss the report. However, other incidents soon begin to occur as witnesses of similar temperament come forward, claiming to have witnessed an alien craft that is not only following them, but attacking them. Soon, the two officers reach the conclusion that there may be something in the skies after all....

Updated: June 4, 2015 | Published: June 2, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Lost in the Woods by Ryan Funk Completed
When camping at a campground near an allegedly haunted tract of woods, a fifteen year old recounts how himself and three scouts took a hike off the beaten track and into the shadowy realm of the wilderness. Finding no monsters, maniacs, witches, or aliens, they stumble across something far more frightening-the awesome and wrathful power of nature.

Updated: June 24, 2015 | Published: June 24, 2015 | Reviews: 0


You Only Die Once by Ryan Funk Completed
While returning to Haiti on behalf of his multinational corporation, a former relief worker runs afoul of a sugarcane plantation owner believed to be a powerful Bokor, feared by the locals for his mastery of Voodoo and alleged use of zombies to do his bidding. A heavy skeptic, the new enemy of the Voodoo priest is about to learn firsthand that there may be more to the legend of the roaming undead than previously thought in this refreshing original story celebrating the roots of zombie folklore.

Updated: February 22, 2016 | Published: February 22, 2016 | Reviews: 0


Contentions by Hannah Sullivant In Progress
Princess Alara is forced to leave her home after her brother is assassinated. The newly crowned King Dala'kar is the prime suspect. When her party is caught trespassing through his country attempting to escape, she decides she's going to get to the bottom of why her world is suddenly turned upside down.

Updated: November 27, 2015 | Published: March 23, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Resuscitation by Hannah Sullivant In Progress
After the Great War, the countries of the world came together to create a way to keep the peace. The leaders decided that once a year, all young unmarried persons would meet in hope of marriage in order to mix the cultures. However, not many of the citizens involved like the idea of being forced into marriages with people they've only just met...

Updated: August 9, 2015 | Published: March 23, 2015 | Reviews: 1


Savages by Hannah Sullivant In Progress
Not long after the Great War ended, many of the survivors found themselves corrupted by a curse that gave them inhuman abilities and control over the elements. However, what they lost was control over themselves. The governments have declared all-out war on these "devils", killing them no matter who they are, or were.

Updated: March 23, 2015 | Published: March 23, 2015 | Reviews: 0


The Sun Will Still Rise by Hannah Sullivant In Progress
Laina, a young mage girl, travels through time to save the world from the evil magisters that enslaved it eras before.

Updated: November 27, 2015 | Published: November 16, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Female Crusading Virtue Girls: The First Crusade by Benjamin Dine Completed
This magical girl story follows Maria Ciliega; a normal lot attendant at a supermarket who was a dreamer. One day, while in the store's basement, she encounters a stranger whom tells her of great power she has and that she can become a heroine. But can she be able to handle the pressure of a heroine, especially being a magical girl? This is book 1 of 3. Warning: This story contains coarse language, mild crude humor, suggestive themes, satire, and social commentary. This story is rated "T" for teens.

Updated: June 20, 2015 | Published: April 8, 2015 | Reviews: 1


Female Crusading Virtue Girls: The Second Crusade by Benjamin Dine Completed
With the Virtue Girls now established, they now have a place in this world to call their own. But now, they are being threatened on having it taken away by the Deva Girls. But little do they know that there is a much darker force in the background, one who is messing with the strings of destiny. What terrifying secrets will be brought forward to the light of day? Book 2 of 3. Warning: This story contains coarse language, mild crude humor, suggestive themes, satire, and social commentary. This story is rated "T" for teens.

Updated: April 1, 2016 | Published: May 19, 2015 | Reviews: 0


Female Crusading Virtue Girls: Merry Little Christmas by Benjamin Dine Completed
This is the one-shot Christmas Special for the magical girl series. This can be read with or without reading the main series.

Updated: December 18, 2015 | Published: December 18, 2015 | Reviews: 0