But because I wasn't in my own head the entire time—instead reacting to dialogue and description Greg wrote—that by its very nature, has a feel different from my own writing, I had to let my music choices sort of wander and run wild. Whatever worked is what was kept on repeat. Some of the songs make sense to a character's personality, or a pivotal moment, and others were just good to zone out to.
A Friend in the Dark releases September 8, 2020 with all online vendors!
A Friend in the Dark can be picked up with all major online vendors (Google Play to come soon) and releases September 8, 2020.
Pre-order links: https://books2read.com/AFriendintheDark1
Blurb: Rufus O’Callaghan has eked out a living on the streets of New York City by helping the police put away criminals as a confidential informant. But when Rufus shows up for an arranged meeting and finds his handler dead, his already-uncertain life is thrown into a tailspin. Now someone is trying to kill Rufus too, and he’s determined to find out why.
After leaving the Army under less than desirable circumstances, Sam Auden has drifted from town to town, hitching rides and catching Greyhounds, until he learns that a former Army buddy, now a police detective in New York City, has died by suicide. Sam knows that’s not right, and he immediately sets out to get answers.
As Rufus and Sam work together to learn the truth of their friend’s death, they find themselves entangled in a web of lies, cover-ups, and accelerating danger. And when they witness a suspect killed in cold blood, they realize they’re running out of time.
Excerpt: Sam brought up the M9. “Get on the ground. Drop the fucking chips and get on the fucking ground.”
The guy shoved a few more chips in his mouth and crunched loudly. “You don’t live here.”
“But I’ve got the gun, fuckwad. Get on the ground. Let me see your hands.”
The skinny kid dropped the bag unceremoniously. Crumbs littered the hardwood at his feet. He licked salt from his fingers and then wiggled them. “Here they are.”
Sam felt a moment of panic; he could feel the shakes getting started, and worse, he’d never faced down with a freckled asshole who wouldn’t just get on the fucking floor when he had a gun pointed at him. In thirty seconds, forty, the tremors would be visible. How fucking scary was a gun when the guy holding it couldn’t keep it steady?
He let the muzzle drop, M9 along his thigh, steadying his hand against his leg. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Rufus.”
Sam came the rest of the way into the apartment, then shutting the door behind him and leaning against it. Anything to stay steady, stable, solid. “Why are you in Jake’s apartment?”
The cocky smile Rufus had been wearing was gone. Suddenly. Without warning. He stood from the chair, chips cracking under the heel of his Chucks. “How do you know Jake?”
Cover art: Reese Dante
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Blurb: 1881 - Special Agent Gillian Hamilton is a magic caster with the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam. He’s sent to Shallow Grave, Arizona, to arrest a madman engineer known as Tinkerer, who’s responsible for blowing up half of Baltimore. Gillian has handled some of the worst criminals in the Bureau’s history, so this assignment shouldn’t be a problem. But even he’s taken aback by a run-in with the country’s most infamous outlaw, Gunner the Deadly.
Gunner is also stalking Shallow Grave in search of Tinkerer, who will stop at nothing to take control of the town’s silver mines. Neither Gillian nor Gunner are willing to let Tinkerer hurt more innocent people, so they agree to a very temporary partnership.
If facing illegal magic, Gatling gun contraptions, and a wild engineer in America’s frontier wasn’t enough trouble for a city boy, Gillian must also come to terms with the reality that he’s rather fond of his partner. But even if they live through this adventure, Gillian fears there’s no chance for love between a special agent and outlaw.
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