Setting for The Beast Within

     I wanted to give you all a little bit more information on the setting where The Beast Within opens. I think it's often overlooked how much history and fantasy has taken place in and around the area.The Catskill Forest Preserve is the state land within the Catskill Park. It was created in 1885, and has grown from 34,000 to nearly 300,000 acres.



              

     It's also the place that Washington Irving uses for his famous short story Rip Van Winkle.

                                                                                              

     Another famous story Washington Irving is known for is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow that takes place just a few short hours from the Catskill Forest. It was made into a movie starring Johnny Depp in 1999.


 










      A setting with a history so rich in fantasy seemed like a great way to start off a new journey into the unknown and imaginative. I'll be posting the next installment of The Beast Within soon so check back and feel free to drop a comment or email, I'd love to hear from you.

The Beast Within

     The Beast Within is a Young Adult Urban Fantasy novel. It is a completed work and I am currently in the stages of agent/publishing shopping. I'm hoping to release the book mid 2013. In the meantime I have started this blog so I can give you some background on the book and characters since it covers so much information. I also want you to know what my book is about pre-release so you can have an idea what your getting yourself into before you open the cover. I'll be updating this blog every week with information about the publishing process, background information about the plot and characters and even excerpts from the book itself. What follows is a hint of what is to come:

When eighteen-year-old Connor Moore stumbles across an almost human species, he is faced with history’s darkest secret, a daunting future, and a love life he can’t even begin to explain.

Concealed throughout the pages of time, there has been a powerful race of human-like creatures manipulating mankind. This Elite race is made up of five ruling families, who have obeyed The Law and remained content to keep their identities a mystery. Now after centuries of secrecy, an ancient foe is forcing them out of hiding.

When a dark-haired mystery woman named Laren crosses Connor’s path his life is turned upside down. Soon Connor is taken on a heart-pounding journey that leads to a startling discovery of who he really is and a prophecy of what he is to become.