About the Author
I am a writer, historian, and veteran with a lifetime of experiences that fuel my storytelling. I’ve sailed the world’s oceans, earned degrees in History and Anthropology (summa cum laude), run for state office, and even been the subject of a reality TV pitch—though, apparently, I didn’t have enough drama to make the cut. But at my core, I am, and always have been, a writer.
My career has taken me from the military to offshore oil rigs, from classrooms to campaign trails. I’ve written everything from technical manuals to political speeches, op-eds, and research theses. But fiction is where my passion truly lives. I know how to craft compelling narratives, weave history and culture into immersive worlds, and address complex social issues in ways that resonate with readers.
The Adventures of Kyra Skye and Sisters of Sacrafice
Vivian's first complete world starts with the first novel, Prophesy Lost and several short stories.
The Sisters of Sacrifice are more than myth. They are legends—Boudicca, Harriet Tubman, Sayyida al-Hurra, and others who refused to be forgotten. For centuries, they have guarded a prophecy that warns of a coming reckoning, a tear between realms that could unravel reality itself. And for reasons they don’t understand, that prophecy points to Kyra.
Kyra has spent her life running—from expectations, from responsibility, and, most of all, from the power she refuses to claim. But fate doesn’t care if she’s ready.
A split-second decision leads her to a hidden order of warriors and scholars, a world where ancient secrets pulse beneath the surface of modern life—and where her own untapped abilities may be as dangerous as they are extraordinary.
Taken in by an order of history’s most formidable women, Kyra is given a choice. A way to stop running. Within their ranks, she finds echoes of the past—stories of queens and warriors, rebels and revolutionaries, women who reshaped history with the same power now stirring in her veins. They offer her knowledge, strength, and a place among them. If she chooses to stay, she will learn to wield the abilities that have haunted her for so long. For the first time in her life, she sees a path forward—one built on something greater than fear.
Then, she fails.
A single mistake—a moment of panic, a loss of control—shatters everything. A trusted mentor falls, and it’s Kyra’s fault. Worse, her failure casts doubt on the prophecy she was meant to fulfill—one that holds the key to Earth’s very survival.
Wracked with guilt, she’s ready to disappear again. But the old ways—running, hiding, pretending she was never meant for more—won’t work anymore. Whether she likes it or not, whether she’s the chosen one or not, whether she can fulfill the prophecy or not, fate is moving, and she can no longer escape its pull.
With the unbreakable bond of sisterhood behind her and a world on the brink of collapse, Kyra must decide: will she let her past define her, or will she rise, stronger and wiser, to claim the power that is rightfully hers?
Set against a backdrop of ancient legacies, modern intrigue, and pulse-pounding adventure, Kyra’s journey is one of self-discovery, loss, and resilience. True strength isn’t just about power—it’s about having the courage to rise after falling. Guided by the wisdom of heroines who came before her, Kyra will discover the path forward has already been forged—if she is bold enough to walk it.
The Sisters of Sacrifice
Tiguex
A stand-alone novel written when Vivian first fell in love with Anthropology.
Tiguex is a fish out of water historical fiction novel that highlights the unworkable nature of the white savior motif with respect to the indigenous tribes of the Americas while still providing for adventure, romance, drama, politics, myth, and even a touch of evil, complete with devious torture and manipulation scenes.
Eve is a regular guy, divorced, feeling lonely, and overcompensating by burying himself in his career. Eve’s work sees him traveling the back roads of New Mexico repairing the steel megaliths that keep us all connected wirelessly. His day is interrupted when a freak storm reacts to his rushed welding efforts and transports him and his truck nearly 500 years back in time, leaving him stranded.
As the story progresses, Eve works his way back towards what will one day be Albuquerque, a familiar place that will eventually be his home. There he comes into contact with the Pueblo people that are settled and working the land. Both sides must overcome distrust and work together at a time when the valley is in chaos battling a tribe of outcasts led by a psychopathic genius bent on revenge.
Along the way, Eve befriends a living god and falls in love with a woman more than his equal. He builds a home and a new life for himself, before facing the ultimate choice as the rumblings of invaders from the south begin to spread. Eve, suspecting the truth behind the rumors, must decide if he is going to try to intervene with his precious knowledge of the future, or keep his distance and let things play out. Realizing the choice is not his alone to make, Eve seeks the advice of his lover and his closest friend before stepping back, ultimately keeping his secrets to himself.
Tiguex is a fast-paced adventure that tackles the difficulties involved when making mistakes mixing cultures. Eve needs the pueblos a lot more than they need him, and his humility and respect for his new neighbors are what allow him to settle in and survive. The story posits a more realistic perspective on the notion of the white savior and presents an alternative that reflects the authors respect for indigenous culture and sovereignty.
Thank you
Thank you for joining me and my wife, JoAnn Smotherman, on this amazing journey. Over the coming weeks we will be adding excerpts from my stories and as soon as we can afford to, we'll hire artists to replace the stock art. If you'd like to follow our adventure then please subscribe to the mailing list below and find us on Patreon. I promise, the mailing list will be for sharing the journey and not sales pitches.
I also write non-fiction. I'm currently working on two things:
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A memoir of transitioning from male to female while living in the conservative county of Bastrop Texas and working in the testosterone driven offshore oil and gas industry.
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A first hand view of the running for state legislative office in rural Colorado with a fresh perspective on some of the reasons our system has failed us so miserably.