When the dead return to abduct the living, the living turn into monsters…
Jarod Huntingdon wants more than anything to start a family, yet he’s unable to commit to his girlfriend and isn’t sure why. When the father of his childhood best friend, Scotty, passes away, Jarod takes the opportunity to return home to the remote rural community of Annastasis Creek for a season of soul-searching.
But overnight, a violent rainstorm traps everyone in the valley, blocking roads and severing communication with the outside world. And one by one, the residents of Annastasis Creek go missing.
While helping with the search efforts, Jarod learns of a curse as old as he is, one tied to the reappearance of the cicadas, first placed on the community after five young people perished in a house fire decades before. To appease the curse, defrocked Pentecostal pastor Uriah Zalmon must find a sinner to sacrifice.
The dead are returning to Annastasis Creek…
Can Jarod break the curse, save Scotty from the homophobic Covenant Trustees, and vanquish what the screaming cicadas have awoken?
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Howard gifts readers a clever and twisty plot that will keep them on their toes. The action remains steady throughout as the tension continues to build. The opening scene, set earlier than the bulk of the work, is particularly riveting.
Prose: Howard is a talented and skilled writer, able to deftly create action, description, and dialogue. The crux of the work centers on the supernatural, and Howard's prose will enthrall readers.
Originality: The Covenant Sacrifice is creative and distinctive, with an unusual premise that will help it stand out among others in the genre.
Character/Execution: Howard has a gift for characterization, particularly for Jarod and Pastor Zalmon, the central figures in the work. Secondary characters are painted realistically and bolster the plot.
Date Submitted: May 20, 2023
At last! The cover art for my forthcoming horror/gay romance, The Covenant Sacrifice, is complete. Here’s the cover reveal.
Designed by artist Francois Vaillancourt, the cover uncannily reflects the dark atmosphere and mood of my novel, due out in ebook and trade paperback Jul;y 2023.
The Covenant Sacrifice, horror/gay romance by Lee Allen Howard, will be published summer 2023. Read a short excerpt here.
The Covenant Sacrifice is available for Kindle pre-order from Amazon.
The Covenant Sacrifice is available for Nook pre-order on Barnes & Noble.
