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I’m very excited to announce that The Origin released today.

It’s the sequel to last year’s The Sighting, and, as the title suggests, it tells the origin of the mysterious creature that appeared one morning on a beach on the east coast of America.

The novel follows two narratives–one following the main character from the first novel, and one that takes place over 400 years earlier during the time of the Lost Colony of Roanoke.

I’ve always loved the idea of historical mysteries, especially ones that, even with all of today’s information sharing and technology, still can’t quite be solved, and the Lost Colony is a perfect example of that.

The Origin was a lot of fun to write for that reason, since it allowed me to posit my own ‘theories’ about what may have happened to those early American settlers.

I hope you enjoy it!

for the ebook ➜ click here
for the paperback ➜ click here

I’ll be running contests on my Facebook page all day today and well into the evening. Make sure you like my Facebook page so you don’t miss out. The first contest will be announced at 2 pm EST today.

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If you are enrolled in Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited Reading Program, you can borrow and read all of my books for free. Simply click on “read for free” on one of my book’s Amazon page and start reading today.

Click HERE to get started.

The snow is melting, and the crabs are growing more violent. 

At the base of a blocked-off bridge spanning the South River, Dominic and his friends plan a daunting journey to flee Warren County and the monsters that came when the snow fell.

But the crabs aren’t the only danger they face.

There are other forces at work, forces with a secret as inhuman and terrifying as the crabs themselves.

And these forces are determined to never let the group leave.

The quest is no longer just to survive, it’s to escape.

Free with Kindle Unlimited  Amazon US / Amazon UK

What inspired me to write The Sighting?

Like a lot of people, I’ve always been kind of captivated by things like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster and other cryptozoological creatures.

But what was always more interesting to me were the people who claimed to have had close encounters with these creatures.

Of course, I’ve no doubt many of those people were just making up the stories–probably the vast majority of them–but certainly not all, right?

What makes a good horror story? What scares you?

For me, the basic characteristics of a good horror story don’t differ much from any other kind of story: I want to be able to visualize the setting and feel the tension. If I can ‘see’ the scene, I feel immediately connected to the story, and if the angst of the characters resonates, I feel invested.

Horror, of course, has to include the threat of death to the main character as a result of someone or something malevolent. So, in addition to setting and tension, any good horror story has to include a terrific monster.

Why does the horror genre lend itself really well to short stories and novellas?

I think one reason horror stories work so well in short form is that the main goal of horror is to scare, and back story and character build-up aren’t as critical to achieve that end. We might start reading a story about a girl lost in the middle of the woods at night, who suddenly hears the sound of footsteps following her and the raspy wheeze of heavy breathing.

Those details could all be established in the first couple of sentences, and from there to scare can be a pretty short trip; the reader simply inserts him or herself in the position of the girl and then internalizes that fear.

A great short horror story, though, will elicit more in readers than just fear. It will take us beyond just identifying with a scary situation and will create sympathy for the characters within. In that case, the great short story, may be just as difficult to write as any other.

The evil witch’s plague on the Back Country is over, but a new terror now lurks in a distant land.

Years have passed since Marlene’s death, and Gretel, unable to cope with her mother’s descent into madness, has fled the Back Country for the solitude and anonymity of the Old World. But one quiet day in the remote village of Stedwick, Gretel is taken by Gromus, an ageless mythical figure known only by locals, but whose reputation and power is steadily growing.

It is now up to Hansel to save his sister and the ancient land of their ancestors from a horror as old as the book that unleashed it to the world.

Free with Kindle Unlimited  Amazon  / Amazon UK

Alone. Frightened. Captive. If you hear someone approaching, RUN. She is not there to help you.

There is an ancient evil in the Back Country, dormant for centuries but now hungry and lurking. When it sets its sights on an unsuspecting mother one routine morning along an isolated stretch of highway, a quiet farming family is suddenly thrust into a world of unspeakable terror, and a young girl must learn to be a hero.

“A terrific read and a much scarier take on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel.”–Amie’s Book Reviews

“Witches, terrible deeds, horrific battles with the good guys. A LOT of surprises.”–Amazon Customer

“One of the best collections of strong female characters that I’ve seen in a long time.”–Errant Dreams

230+ Rave Reviews, 4.3 star rating

Read an Excerpt from GRETEL:

Free with Kindle Unlimited Amazon US  / Amazon UK   

This giveaway is closed. The winner is Shannon Smith. Congrats, Shannon! For your chance to win any eBook of your choosing, answer this question: What is your favorite line from a book? Comment with your answer in the comments section below and follow me on Twitter (if you’re on Twitter), like my Facebook page (if you’re on Facebook) or Amazon.

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Giveaway closes on 11/25/16!  Good luck!