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E.C. Saulness was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest where he earned degrees in Human Services and English. He served in the US Navy and as an investigator for Child Protective Services, experiences which primarily taught him that a twisted sense of humor and appreciation for the absurd is necessary for processing dark stories, fictional or otherwise. When not writing he spends his time reading, daydreaming about running a D&D campaign that lasts more than three sessions, and finding new and questionable methods to embarrass his children.
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THE PACK - COMING SOON
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Burned-out private detective, Frank Shepard, has a dangerous secret that has followed him for nearly a century. He’s a werewolf. A curse that has cost him everyone he loves. In another life he was a soldier, a brother, and a husband. Now he lives in a run-down trailer on the edge of town and drowns decades of traumatic memories in alcohol and opiates.
That is, until his old partner—the only one who knows about Frank’s werewolf nature—calls in old debts for help on a missing person’s case. Unable to refuse, Frank is forced to leave his self-imposed isolation to join the hunt. A job that quickly entangles him in a web of revenge, murder, ghosts, and fey creatures in a dark supernatural underworld. In which Frank increasingly feels that he may be the worst monster of them all... |
This title was previously published by the author and is now contracted with 5 Prince Publishing. Please sign up for our newsletter so that you can receive updates on when this title will be re-released.
KIRKUS REVIEW:
In Saulness’ urban fantasy, a jaded werewolf helps a girl in trouble while going up against a killer who may be a “turnskin” like himself.
Frank Shepard, in 1995 Bellingham, Washington, looks like an ordinary man in his 30s. However, his age is just shy of 100; decades ago, he was turned into a werewolf, though he prefers the French term “Garou,” as it doesn’t call to mind “tacky and inaccurate Lon Chaney bullshit.” He’s long suppressed his inner beast by taking drugs and by chaining himself down whenever a full moon is near. One day, the usually solitary Frank does a favor for an old private investigator friend and rescues teenage Cassandra “Andy” Morgan from a nefarious biker gang. Later, however, someone connected to those bikers ends up dead—mauled in a way that only a beast could have done. Frank isn’t sure of his innocence, as his recurrent, lucid “wolf-dreams” could be memories of his Garou seizing control. However, it’s soon apparent that someone—possibly another lycanthrope—is threatening Frank and the few people who are close to him, including Andy. Saulness’ debut takes a deep dive into Frank’s prolonged history; extended flashbacks provide riveting subplots about Frank and his little sister’s experience with an abusive father or Frank’s romance with his late wife; of course, the book also covers his Garou origin. These moments showcase a tortured soul, which makes it easier to sympathize with the troubled Frank of 1995. As the narrative progresses, readers will catch signs of Frank’s heightened senses and get insight into his vivid dreams as well as the ghosts that he often sees—including that of his wife. It’s more contemplative than action-oriented, as it’s primarily a tale of the hero learning about himself and his beast within. Still, the tension effectively rises as the villain inches closer to the spotlight. This full-bodied character study wraps up much of its narrative to great effect; some questions linger, however, that could be addressed in a potential sequel.
A thoroughly engrossing and reflective lycanthropic tale.
Frank Shepard, in 1995 Bellingham, Washington, looks like an ordinary man in his 30s. However, his age is just shy of 100; decades ago, he was turned into a werewolf, though he prefers the French term “Garou,” as it doesn’t call to mind “tacky and inaccurate Lon Chaney bullshit.” He’s long suppressed his inner beast by taking drugs and by chaining himself down whenever a full moon is near. One day, the usually solitary Frank does a favor for an old private investigator friend and rescues teenage Cassandra “Andy” Morgan from a nefarious biker gang. Later, however, someone connected to those bikers ends up dead—mauled in a way that only a beast could have done. Frank isn’t sure of his innocence, as his recurrent, lucid “wolf-dreams” could be memories of his Garou seizing control. However, it’s soon apparent that someone—possibly another lycanthrope—is threatening Frank and the few people who are close to him, including Andy. Saulness’ debut takes a deep dive into Frank’s prolonged history; extended flashbacks provide riveting subplots about Frank and his little sister’s experience with an abusive father or Frank’s romance with his late wife; of course, the book also covers his Garou origin. These moments showcase a tortured soul, which makes it easier to sympathize with the troubled Frank of 1995. As the narrative progresses, readers will catch signs of Frank’s heightened senses and get insight into his vivid dreams as well as the ghosts that he often sees—including that of his wife. It’s more contemplative than action-oriented, as it’s primarily a tale of the hero learning about himself and his beast within. Still, the tension effectively rises as the villain inches closer to the spotlight. This full-bodied character study wraps up much of its narrative to great effect; some questions linger, however, that could be addressed in a potential sequel.
A thoroughly engrossing and reflective lycanthropic tale.
