I’m just back from StokerCon in Providence, RI, and I’ll be putting up a big post about that soon. What a mad time I had, it was fantastic. But in the meantime, I need to quickly blog about this, as it’s huge news and was officially announced while I was away. I’ve been sitting on this for a while, so it’s exciting to finally be public about it: I’ve just signed a two book deal with US-based powerhouse Grey Matter Press. GMP are one of the finest independent publishers working today, consistently putting out quality work from great authors, so it’s an absolute honour to join their roster. The two books are a novella (though at almost 40,000 words it’s really a short novel) and a full length novel that’s basically a sequel to my Australian Shadows Award-winning story, “Shadows of the Lonely Dead”. Here’s the official announcement, which includes a description of each book:
Two New Supernatural Thrillers Coming in 2018 from Urban Horror Master Alan Baxter and Grey Matter Press
CHICAGO, March 1, 2018 —Two new supernatural thrillers from multi-award-winning author Alan Baxter arrive this year for fans of his dark-themed, high-octane style of urban horror and crime noir fiction. In a two-book deal announced today, Baxter’s Manifest Recall and Devouring Dark are scheduled for release in 2018 from Chicago-based independent publisher Grey Matter Press (GMP).
“I’m so excited to be working with Tony and GMP on these two books. Grey Matter has been developing into one of the premier independent presses working today and I couldn’t be happier to be part of their future,” said Baxter, the critically acclaimed author of several novels, including the popular Alex Caine dark fantasy series, and over seventy short stories and novellas.
First out of the block and arriving this spring is Manifest Recall, a contemporary southern gothic novella with alarming supernatural undercurrents that explores the tragic life of a hitman who finds himself on the wrong side of his criminal syndicate. Baxter’s adrenaline-fueled approach to storytelling is in full force in Manifest Recall as it draws readers into Eli Carver’s downward spiral of psychosis and through the darker aspects of lost memories, human guilt and the insurmountable quest for personal redemption.
Following a psychotic break, Carver finds himself on the run, behind the wheel of a car that’s not his own, and in the company of a terrified woman he doesn’t know. As layers of ugly truth are peeled back and dark secrets are revealed, the duo find themselves in a struggle for survival when they unravel a mystery that pits them against the most dangerous forces in their lives.
Devouring Dark is Baxter’s full-length urban horror novel about a man plagued since childhood by a malevolent darkness that threatens to consume him. After a lifetime spent wrestling for control over this onslaught, Matt McLeod has learned to wield his mysterious paranormal skill to achieve an odious goal: retribution as a supernatural vigilante.
When one such hit goes bad, McLeod finds himself ensnared in a multi-tentacled criminal enterprise caught between a corrupt cop and a brutal mobster. His only promise of salvation may be a bewitching woman who shares his dark talent but has murderous designs of her own. The gritty thriller Devouring Dark is based on Baxter’s award-winning short story “Shadows of the Lonely Dead” and is scheduled for release this fall.
“These new thrillers from Alan Baxter exemplify his pure storytelling genius,” said Anthony Rivera, publisher at Grey Matter Press. “There’s plenty to love in these truly spectacular tales, and Baxter is going to once again electrify fans of horror, crime noir and supernatural fiction with these two releases.”
When Manifest Recall and Devouring Dark are published the titles will be available from Grey Matter Press at booksellers worldwide in both trade paperback and common ebook formats.
