Second Death In Purgatory

About the Book

Second Death in Purgatory A novel

After crashing his car,  Tom Logan wakes in a strange world, ethereal in nature;  a depiction of Dantes Purgatorrio.  His abductors inform Logan that he is dead and has committed suicide.  At first skeptical, Logan becomes a true believer after witnessing and participating in torture and murder of the evil ones.  Once elevated to the higher ranks of warriors Logan begins to go on missions to the earthly world to kill and destroy the evil ones.  His fate, as they explain to him, is to earn his way back to Grace by being a spiritual warrior in Gods fight against evil.  To be a good soldier and die a second time in this Holy war will elevate him to the highest order.

Assumption A short story

A woman goes to a deserted laundromat and returns with a child she has never seen but everyone else recognizes as her daughter.

Blast Day A short story

A day each year when anyone can legally shoot anybody that has irritated them during the past year.

Collage Man A short story

Two yuppie doctors frantically try to learn the identity of a comatose patient to collect their bill from his insurance company.

Grave Robber A short story

Two divers seeking treasure discover skeleton collecting as a more lucrative profession.

Split Decision A short story

A shipwrecked crew vie for the attention of the beautiful sole resident of an island until the last survivor learns her true nature.

Modern Vampire A short story

An average nerd is seduced by an exceptionally beautiful woman claiming to be a vampire.

Passage A short story

A teenage boy learns of  his gift to transport his soul into anything or anyone and how his gift is exploited by his older brother.

Spider in the Well A short story

A teenage boy discovers a new species of spider.  After he decides to capture it to show the world he loses everything he dreamed of.

Sublime Thoughts A short story

A father struggles to save his son from a fever that kills the tribes young each year, before he is killed by the tribe elders; a tribal custom to lead his son into the afterlife.

About the Author

Richard Franzen has published one novel, ten short stories, several non fiction articles with photographs and has written a weekly newspaper column. He have served as editor for a literary magazine, written numerous technical manuals and sales brochures and has won two local literary contests, received an honorable mention in the Gassner Memorial Playwriting contest and has had two plays produced locally. He is currently writing screenplays based on four of his novels and three of his plays.