And the NEW series is…

Rachel Beck wakes on damp, soft dirt. Sitting up, she sees a foot sticking up from the ground in front of her. She is sitting on somebody. She is sitting on a shallow grave. Rolling onto her knees she claws the dirt away. It is the body of a woman much like her. The clothes are like hers. The face… it's her. Dead.

This is the beginning of my new series, RACHEL RISING.

I've been a life long fan of horror stories. Not the slasher type, but the scary kind. The kind that gives you a chill on a hot night. I wrote my first short story at age 11, and it was a horror story. With two series in different genres behind me, I think I'm finally ready to go back to my first love and have fun with it.

RACHEL RISING will be an ongoing series. I have a strong cast of new characters that live in Rachel's town and I think you're going to get a kick out of meeting them. My stories come from scenes in my head, like a movie. When I can picture scenes I've never seen before in any medium, I get very excited. That's how STRANGERS IN PARADISE and ECHO began, and that's what happened with this new story. When I thought about ideas for the next series, this is the story that kept me up at night. The scenes in my head are incredible, and I can't wait to get started!

Of course, there is the not too small matter of one last issue to go in ECHO—issue #30. That final issue will ship in April.

RACHEL RISING #1 will be in stores this July. You heard it here first. Please spread the word for me. I think this is going to be a blast!