Editorial Content for Call the Dark
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Fifteen-year-old Luna escapes a plane crash in the middle of the mountains in West Virginia, along with another passenger who leaves the scene. Luna is discovered by Maggie Roby, who is on the run from the law. Maggie has plans to start a new life for herself; all she has to do is make it to the other side of the mountain, where she has stashed everything she needs to start over. The last thing she needs is to be burdened by anyone or anything. But something draws her to Luna, who looks so helpless and vulnerable.
"CALL THE DARK will appeal to anyone who is interested in science fiction and psychological thrillers or is just looking for a good story."
Maggie and Luna find their way to Walton Landry’s place. Landry is a former sheriff who built a cabin so deep in the woods that most people can’t find it, and he likes it that way. He just wants to be left in peace, especially now that he is widowed and his son is presumed dead, a victim of the treacherous mountains. When Maggie and Luna show up at his door, it changes everything for all parties involved.
Meanwhile, a dead body is found behind a business in the sleepy mountain town of Pullen, West Virginia, a few short miles from the crash site. A person of interest in the incident, someone who rented a motel room there, has gone missing. The local sheriff gets called out to investigate in the middle of an oncoming snowstorm.
Maggie is being tracked by powerful people who want to recover money that she and her late husband stole. Luna is also being pursued by those who want to use her special powers. Due to years of “therapy,” which was really biological experimentation, Luna has the ability to “call the dark,” an usual way to get inside the minds of others and read and manipulate their thoughts. She can heal people, but she also can kill them with her mind. There are no good guys looking for her --- only bad ones.
J. Todd Scott addresses a number of issues that are relevant to today's world: biological meddling, cryptocurrency, embezzlement, PTSD and mental illness. The book is written from multiple points of view, giving readers insight into the thoughts and actions of the characters, all of whom are varied and well-developed. The pace is brisk with chapters of varying lengths, some only a page or two. CALL THE DARK will appeal to anyone who is interested in science fiction and psychological thrillers or is just looking for a good story.
Teaser
A small white plane hurtles from the sky, vanishing into the wilderness. Hiker Maggie Roby watches its final descent, certain that no one could have survived. But to her shock, a 15-year-old girl emerges from the wreckage, wounded but miraculously, impossibly alive. Maggie approaches with trepidation; she has secrets of her own, a past she can’t escape. Saving the girl means risking her future, but she can’t just abandon her, can she? With the young survivor, Maggie embarks on a dangerous trek through the remote Appalachian backcountry, joining up with two veterans from the local sheriff’s department who know the land better than anyone. But even as Maggie charts their course through the mountains, she can sense someone --- or something --- else watching and waiting.
Promo
A small white plane hurtles from the sky, vanishing into the wilderness. Hiker Maggie Roby watches its final descent, certain that no one could have survived. But to her shock, a 15-year-old girl emerges from the wreckage, wounded but miraculously, impossibly alive. Maggie approaches with trepidation; she has secrets of her own, a past she can’t escape. Saving the girl means risking her future, but she can’t just abandon her, can she? With the young survivor, Maggie embarks on a dangerous trek through the remote Appalachian backcountry, joining up with two veterans from the local sheriff’s department who know the land better than anyone. But even as Maggie charts their course through the mountains, she can sense someone --- or something --- else watching and waiting.
About the Book
From author J. Todd Scott comes a haunting thriller about a young plane crash survivor and a mysterious hiker who venture into the wilderness to escape a dark and vengeful force.
A small white plane hurtles from the sky, vanishing into the wilderness. Hiker Maggie Roby watches its final descent, certain that no one could have survived.
But to her shock, a 15-year-old girl emerges from the wreckage, wounded but miraculously, impossibly alive. Maggie approaches with trepidation; she has secrets of her own, a past she can’t escape. Saving the girl means risking her future, but she can’t just abandon her, can she?
With the young survivor, Maggie embarks on a dangerous trek through the remote Appalachian backcountry, joining up with two veterans from the local sheriff’s department who know the land better than anyone.
But even as Maggie charts their course through the mountains, she can sense someone --- or something --- else watching and waiting.
Their journey is about more than enduring the elements. It’s about escaping a sinister presence that makes a vast wilderness feel like it’s closing in.
Audiobook available, read by Andre Santana
