Category: Short Stories

Roma Aeronautica Out Today!

My new Novella, Roma Aeronautica, is out today! Click to get a quick synopsis and learn where to purchase this fast paced coming-of-age story.


Roma-Aeronautica-2500x1563Hi everyone! I hope your summer is going well, mine is so far, when it isn’t full of work! I am excited to announce that my new novella, Roma Aeronautica, is available for purchase on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble (and will be up on Smashwords for iPad owners/etc., as soon as possible!). Roma Aeronautica takes place in the same world as the Steam Empire Chronicles, and would be described as a character prequel.

Continue reading “Roma Aeronautica Out Today!”

Exciting moments and an announcement!

Copper Centurion reaches high up on the Kindle Steampunk Charts, plus an announcement about a new novella!


Carpe Diem to new and old readers alike! Thanks so much for your continued support! Today’s post will be brief, I just wanted to let people know that Copper Centurion already has two five-star rankings! Woot woot! Both of my novels reached up into the low 40s on the Amazon steampunk rankings chart the other day, but I want them up into the first tier!

In announcements, I will reveal that I am going to be working with a small publisher to publish Antioch Burns, the next novella in the Steam Empire Chronicles. Working with a small publisher will help me defray editing and formatting costs, which are becoming a bigger expense now that I’ve bought a house. This is was originally a bonus reward for kickstarter backers, who will get it a week to two weeks ahead of time, but it is also going to be available for sale, hopefully by November or December – long term planning and all, but I still have Roma Aeronautica to publish, which will be coming sometime in July or August, methinks.

So lots to do! But Centurion Julius Caesar has a message for you.

Go forth, Roman Citizen, and claim your book. Read it, love it, and leave a review so we may share our ideas with others. For the Empire!

Copper Centurion is available for download on Kindle, Barnes & Noble, as well as Smashwords.

Boo-yah 🙂 Ciao!

New Steampunk story is almost halfway done.


Hey all, so my story is roughly halfway done, got over 33 thousand words. I’m anticipating completion by the end of September, with a few months then for editing, revising, and cover art. Just for a few sneak peeks at the ideas inside the story.

 

Julius is just looking for adventure and a paycheck.

Constantine is looking to move out from under the thumb of his controlling father.

Corbus is one of the most dangerous assassins, and he happens to work for the wrong side.

When a series of unconnected events brings one of Imperial Rome’s grandest industrial cities to its knees, there is only one unit close enough to respond. Join the 13th of the XIII legion as they become the first aerial assault legion in Roman (and steampunk) history. Check out the first chapter in Daniel Ottalini’s new novel Brass Legionnaire today!

Sneak Peak at Chapter 1 – Brass Legionnaire

Here is a sneak peak at chapter 1 of Brass Legionnaire, my new novel!


 

 

 

Daniel Ottalini’s new novel – Brass Legionnaire

 

Chapter 1

Julius Brutus Caesar used his wrench to tighten the bolt on the sprocket. When connected to the rest of the engine, the engineers could begin the final assembly of yet another mechaniphant. Not for the first time in his life did Julius wonder why on earth someone had the desire to invent such a mechanical monstrosity in the first place. Although, he did have to admit, it was impressive, standing over fifteen imperial feet tall, with a protected driver’s seat and razor sharp chain tusks. Perfect for crashing through the center of an enemy’s battle line, especially when combined with other mechaniphants. Julius shook his head to clear his wandering mind and returned to the situation at hand. Gas lanterns burned all around the factory. Steam pipes crossed haphazardly near the ceiling, matched by spindly gantry ways and support struts. The whole factory would have been a safety inspector’s nightmare. Of course, the inspector was bribed, so the whole situation was swept under the rug, so to speak. Far above Julius’ head, large windows were open to let in the sounds and smells of Brittenburg, otherwise known as Majoris Brittenburgia, factory city and capital of the Imperial Roman Province of Germania Inferior. Julius picked up his wrench, carefully cleaning it with a dirty rag pulled from his utility belt. Continue reading “Sneak Peak at Chapter 1 – Brass Legionnaire”

New Story Idea


Hey all, so I’ve been considering a new story based on several of my favorite genres. Alternative History + Steampunk + Historical Fiction. Read the prologue to my story idea below. I won’t give away the actual story, but maybe the prologue will tweak your interest. PLEASE offer feedback. Let me know what you think! But keep it constructive peoples 🙂

In the year 1856 A.D., the most powerful and glorious empire ever to grace the world of Earth sat like a giant amoeba over the mountains, rivers, and plains of Europe. The Imperial Roman Empire had continued it’s slow spread over the various barbarian tribes of Europe for more than the past two millennia, from the founding of the Republic to it’s transformation into the Imperial Roman Empire with the crowning of Julius Caesar as Emperor. Despite initial attempts to prevent the transformation into an empire, solid Roman citizens with their eye on the future ensured the success of the first Emperor. The most important, Marcus Brutus, close friend and savoir of the Emperor during an assassination attempt in 44 B.C. is now venerated as a deified member of the Roman Pantheon.

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The Basement Purge – Short Story

The Basement Purge is a screenplay/short story about toys in a basement trying to avoid ending up on the selling block at a yard sale… Read on to learn more!


We’re starting to add a new function to Modern Papyrus that embraces the other side of literature – writing. Modern Papyrus authors will be adding their short stories to the website in the following days and weeks. Take a look and check it out! 🙂 Please remember, all content created here is original and should not be used without the express permission and agreement of the authors.

The Basement Purge

Characters: Clay person, lion king animal, micro machine, legos, large army man, children, adult as hands/moving boxes

Scene 1:

Scene opens on a cluttered basement: A pair of hands moves boxes around, a slow pan centers on a pile labeled “for yard sale” the pan continues, passing a box of army men, animals, scattered legos, other debris…

Narrator/Clay Person: Every spring, in households near and far, comes a tradition that causes grief in many a toy’s heart. The Spring Yard sale.

Camera focuses in on one particular box….tilts down to focus inside box.

Lego man walks over to large army man.

Lego: Did you hear the news? The Petersons are at it again. This is the third yard sale in three years! They’re trying to get rid of all of us!

Army Man: Ever since Bradley left for college, they’ve been down here, purging us, sending us away, donating us! It’s horrible! I heard that Game Boy got sold to that kid down the street, you know the one who can’t keep anything in one piece? And Sue, the stuffed bear, got donated to charity. The Big truck took her!

Lego man: We gotta warn the others. Lets get outta here. (Builds stairs with legos)

Continue reading “The Basement Purge – Short Story”

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