I'm pleased to announce that the next novel in the Nightscape mythos, Early Darkness, will be published on or around August 15th. I sent the final manuscript to my layout artist yesterday. Here's the premise:
A convivial vacation among friends in the Solomon Islands turns into a shocking test of survival… A group of Americans shipwrecked on an isolated atoll are taken prisoner by a cruel adventurer heading up an illegal gold mining operation. Enslaved by this philosopher-mercenary, they face an impossible choice: living on their knees or dying on their feet. And even if by some miracle they were to escape the camp, how far could they get? They don’t know where they are, have no boat, and worse, suspect the mining operation is a cover for something far more sinister than simple greed run amuck—something that may well presage the end of civilization.
The book ties into the progressive rock concept album I released last December under the Project Nightscape moniker, To Sin Against Our Mercies. The supernatural mystery at the heart of that record is revealed here and in the process, a new antagonist in the Nightscape universe is born... In her first critical notes, my editor, Sarah Kishpaugh, called this book "really exciting" and declared it the best Nightscape story so far. The last two Nightscape novels earned featured reviews by Kirkus (an honor bestowed on fewer than 10% of submissions) so I'm hopeful this one will be greeted with similarly positive notices.
The book will be available in paperback and Kindle formats. Pre-orders will be available through this site by the end of the month. During the two weeks leading up to the book's release, I'll throw in a CD copy of the concept album with each purchase.
I'll provide some behind-the-scenes tidbits as well as a first chapter preview in the coming weeks. Cheers!