Blackwater Lights Series by Michael M. Hughes

Michael M. Hughes’s Blackwater Lights combines the eldritch horror of H. P. Lovecraft with the supernatural thrills of Dean Koontz.   When Ray Simon receives a desperate call from his childhood friend Kevin, begging him to come visit, Ray can’t say no. Kevin promises to clue him in on shocking discoveries he has made about weird, half-forgotten events in their past—events associated with a summer camp near Kevin’s home in the small town of Blackwater, West Virginia... moreMichael M. Hughes’s Blackwater Lights combines the eldritch horror of H. P. Lovecraft with the supernatural thrills of Dean Koontz.   When Ray Simon receives a desperate call from his childhood friend Kevin, begging him to come visit, Ray can’t say no. Kevin promises to clue him in on shocking discoveries he has made about weird, half-forgotten events in their past—events associated with a summer camp near Kevin’s home in the small town of Blackwater, West Virginia.   But when Ray arrives, Kevin is nowhere to be found. So Ray does some investigating of his own, only to find that no records exist of the camp. Yet he is not alone in looking for information. There are Lily, a beautiful redhead with uncanny seductive powers; Crawford, a wealthy collector of art and people; and Micah, the mysterious leader of the Church of the Open Door. All of them are seeking information about the rumored camp. And they are all interested—very interested—in Ray.   Then a midnight encounter with strange floating lights sparks a return of old memories—vivid but fractured images that haunt Ray’s waking hours with intimations of terror and cruelty. Something dreadful happened at that camp long ago. Something was awakened there. Now, with the help of his new friend Ellen, a waitress at the local diner, Ray must navigate a path through madness and murder—a path that leads inexorably to an all-but-forgotten night in his childhood . . . and to a future of unimaginable horror."Disturbing, surreal, and spooky as hell, Blackwater Lights is a brilliantly written debut, marking Michael M. Hughes as a talent to watch."—Tim Lebbon, author of Coldbrook and the Toxic City trilogy"Blackwater Lights is a paranoid thrill-ride that deftly combines mystery, sci-fi, and horror elements into a modern-day conspiracy tale. An impressive debut that builds to a satisfying, action-filled conclusion."—Cemetery Dance magazine"Blackwater Lights has action, adventure, sex, love, designer drugs, and violent death, all woven into a globe-spanning paranormal conspiracy. I mean, really, what's not to like? Consider this my official request for a sequel."—F. Paul Wilson, author of the Repairman Jack novels and The Adversary Cycle"A harrowing and riveting thrill ride. Hughes is a welcome addition to the dark-fiction ranks."—Scott Nicholson, author of The Red Church less

The heir to H. P. Lovecraft by way of Dean Koontz, Michael M. Hughes returns with a new tale of paranormal horror—the hair-raising follow-up to Blackwater Lights.   Thrown together in the fight against a deadly supernatural conspiracy, Ray Simon, Ellen Davis, and Ellen’s young son, William, are hiding out in Guatemala—one step ahead of Lily, a beautiful, wealthy sociopath who has become a conduit for bloodthirsty inhuman entities that seek to infiltrate our world... moreThe heir to H. P. Lovecraft by way of Dean Koontz, Michael M. Hughes returns with a new tale of paranormal horror—the hair-raising follow-up to Blackwater Lights.   Thrown together in the fight against a deadly supernatural conspiracy, Ray Simon, Ellen Davis, and Ellen’s young son, William, are hiding out in Guatemala—one step ahead of Lily, a beautiful, wealthy sociopath who has become a conduit for bloodthirsty inhuman entities that seek to infiltrate our world. Aiding this unholy plot is Ellen’s own husband, an ex–Special Forces operative hell-bent on reclaiming his family and taking his revenge on Ray.   Long months on the run have taken their toll on Ray and Ellen, whose relationship is starting to fray, and William has lost all hope for a normal childhood. But when they let down their guard for an instant, things turn from bad to worse as Ray is separated from the woman and child he’s sworn to protect.   With nowhere else to turn, Ray calls upon the secretive occult Brotherhood, who have been desperate to recruit him. Help arrives in his old friend Mantu, an ex-comedian turned commando who claims to be on the side of the angels. But this situation is no joke. Ellen and William have been captured by a powerful drug lord—a violent sadist who offers to protect them for a price: Ellen’s body . . . and perhaps her very soul. less

From the cult-favorite author of Blackwater Lights comes the finale to a dark paranormal horror trilogy in the cosmic horror vein of H. P. Lovecraft. The world is collapsing. Governments have fallen, and anarchy reigns. Yet a greater danger looms imprisoned in ancient objects from distant space: bodiless aliens with an all-consuming thirst for freedom . . . and human blood. They have a strong ally in Lily, a powerful sorceress and leader of a globe-spanning cult... moreFrom the cult-favorite author of Blackwater Lights comes the finale to a dark paranormal horror trilogy in the cosmic horror vein of H. P. Lovecraft. The world is collapsing. Governments have fallen, and anarchy reigns. Yet a greater danger looms imprisoned in ancient objects from distant space: bodiless aliens with an all-consuming thirst for freedom . . . and human blood. They have a strong ally in Lily, a powerful sorceress and leader of a globe-spanning cult. In an isolated compound deep in the frozen north, Lily cultivates a group of children whose paranormal abilities can be harnessed to unleash the alien apocalypse. Now she has acquired the final pieces to the puzzle: a gifted young boy named William and his mother, Ellen, whose safety is the bargaining chip Lily needs to compel the child’s obedience. Once again, William and Ellen’s last hope is Ray Simon. Every time Ray and Lily have crossed paths, she has come out on top, and even now she is one step ahead. But this time Ray is not alone. Accompanied by Claire and Mantu—devotees of the enigmatic Brotherhood of Eleusis, who possess psychic abilities of their own—Ray sets off on a desperate mission of rescue and revenge. Only the fate of humanity itself hangs in the balance. Look for the complete Blackwater Lights trilogy: BLACKWATER LIGHTS | WITCH LIGHTS | DEMON LIGHTS “A stunning tale of intrigue, ritual, and dark magic . . . It’s brilliantly paced and beautifully written, and once the journey has begun, it’s impossible to put down.”—Bram Stoker Award–winning author Lisa Mannetti, on Blackwater Lights “Disturbing, surreal, and spooky as hell, Blackwater Lights is a brilliantly written debut, marking Michael M. Hughes as a talent to watch.”—Tim Lebbon, author of Coldbrook and the Toxic City trilogy “Blackwater Lights has action, adventure, sex, love, designer drugs, and violent death, all woven into a globe-spanning paranormal conspiracy. I mean, really, what’s not to like? Consider this my official request for a sequel.”—F. Paul Wilson, author of the Repairman Jack novels and The Adversary Cycle “Blackwater Lights is a paranoid thrill-ride that deftly combines mystery, sci-fi, and horror elements into a modern-day conspiracy tale.”—Cemetery Dance less