Tom Deady: Haven

As solitary as writing a book can be, it is by no means a one-person accomplishment. Without the help of countless people, Haven might never have seen the light of day.

First and foremost, my heartfelt thanks to Brian Freeman and Richard Chizmar for taking a chance on an unpublished writer. I had long been a fan and customer of Cemetery Dance before submitting a manuscript. It is an icon in the horror genre and I am humbled to be a part of it. It took a lot of hand-holding to get me through the process, for that, Brian and Richard have my undying gratitude.

Without the help of the next person on my list, Haven might never have gotten to the point I was brave enough to send it to Cemetery Dance. Stewart O’Nan. Stewart was kind enough to read my extremely rough draft, and not only did he provide extensive notes, corrections, and the hard-to-hear criticism that I needed to hear, he gave me a blurb that I believe is what caught the eye of the publisher.

Over the years I have come to realize that the horror genre is filled with amazing, generous people like Brian, Richard, and Stewart, who are willing to help out an aspiring writer. Among them are some of today’s biggest names: Christopher Golden, John McIlveen, Rio Youers, Bracken MacLeod, Sloane Kady and Jonathan Maberry—thank you all for your kindness and patience.

Of course, at the heart of it all is family and friends. There are so many friends over the years that played some part in the completion of Haven, too many to name. But you know who you are—thank you all. Family… I would be remiss not to mention my wife, Sheila. She gives me endless support and encouragement, and believes in me even when I don’t believe in myself. My brother, Mike, one of the first victims of the rough draft, provided invaluable notes and critique. And my daughters, Shannon and Alyssa, it always comes back to them, for everything.

“With compelling characters (both good and evil), a shifting narration that keeps the story moving, a building sense of dread, and breathless action sequences, this is a well-crafted example of what is best about horror today. While the novel is obviously for fans of Stranger Things and the classic small-town horror by those like King or Straub, don’t let its setting keep you looking in the past. There is a modern perspective behind this tale, similar to Maberry’s Pine Deep trilogy or Janz’ Children of the Dark (2016). Hand out freely to anyone looking for a solid scare.”

“Debut novelist Deady closely examines his setting, showing how the difficulties of facing down mob hysteria and starting over after a lifetime of failure can be as deadly as an escaped military bioweapon.”

“Haven is a big, generous, Stephen King-like small town boys vs. monster epic.”

“A wonderfully entertaining ride, reminiscent of the Creature Features of yesteryear.”

“Full of well-drawn characters and slow burn suspense, Tom Deady’s Haven is a terrific dose of New England horror that harkens back to some of my favorite classic monster fiction from writers like Rick Hautala and Charles L. Grant. If you’re a fan of this sort of thing, you’ll know that’s damn high praise. Give it a read.”

“Haven is about scars, both literal and figurative; it’s about second chances and broken memories. This is a great small-town horror novel—a bullet-read with deep characters and perfect pacing. Best of all, it’s creepy as hell.”

“If coming-of-age novels with a bad-ass monster sound good to you… if mounting suspense with a true to life cast of characters peaks your interest… then Tom Deady’s HAVEN is right up your alley. Reminiscent of Charles L. Grant, HAVEN is a fun and nostalgic romp that brought me back to my own youth in small-town New England. And who doesn’t love a good monster tale?”

Be sure to visit CemeteryDance.com for more information about all of our great horror and suspense eBooks, along with our collectible signed Limited Edition hardcovers and our award-winning magazine.

Our authors include Stephen King, Bentley Little, Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub, William Peter Blatty, Justin Cronin, Frank Darabont, Mick Garris, Joe R. Lansdale, Norman Partridge, Richard Laymon, Michael Slade, Graham Masterton, Douglas Clegg, Jack Ketchum, William F. Nolan, Nancy A. Collins, Al Sarrantonio, John Skipp, and many others.

Copyright © 2016 by Tom Deady

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Cemetery Dance Publications

132-B Industry Lane, Unit #7

Forest Hill, MD 21050

http://www.cemeterydance.com

The characters and events in this book are fictitious.

Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

ISBN-13: 978-1-58767-597-3

Front Cover Artwork and Design © 2016 by Gail Cross

Digital Design by Dan Hocker