It’s been a long time coming (as mentors and fellow students of the Stonecoast MFA program can attest, among others), but my novella A Scout is Brave is finally emerging from the twisted gray woods of the Massachusetts coast in July of 2024!
That gorgeous cover is the work of Jeremy Parker who went to extraordinary lengths to encapsulate the 1960s Scouting milieu in the design. My publisher Lethe Press pulled out all the stops.
What’s it about? Boy Scouts in 1963 Innsmouth, the dreaded town of fallen cultists invented (or is it discovered?) by H.P. Lovecraft.
I’m guessing you have questions.
A Lovecraft pastiche? Do we need that?
Maybe not, but some readers COULD need a coming-of-age story that explores some of the social consequences of Lovecraft’s original story.
If you’re a fan of Stephen King’s “The Body” or Robert McCammon’s Boy’s Life, I think you’ll like this story, too.
Is it scary?
It’s as scary as the rest of my work, meaning that it’s a tip-of-the-iceberg kind of thing: not overtly terrifying but with implications that sneak up on you.
It may not keep you up at night, but it’ll pop into your head in the middle of the day and make you mutter, “Wait. What the hell?”
Is that you on the cover?
No, that’s a representation of the book’s protagonist, Bud Castillo. Most pictures of me in the Scouts include me squinting at the sun or lugging a backpack larger than I am.
Are you aware that the Boy Scouts [insert wince-worthy practice here]?
Yeah. I read the 1963 Boy Scout Handbook as a kid and had very strange expectations when I joined my local troop in 1984. There was a lot more burning random shit in the woods and a lot less enjoying the sublime mysteries of nature than I expected.
I achieved the rank of Life Scout (just below Eagle), and this story comments on why that was enough for me.
What little I’ve followed of their political direction since then doesn’t inspire me much. Can we just get back to helping old ladies across the street?
Are you going on some sort of tour to promote the book?
I am indeed, so subscribe to the newsletter or visit here frequently for announced dates and locations!
Where can I get a copy?
I’m glad you asked! The book is available for pre-order through Lethe Press, and pre-orders are very important to the success of books. Please support me, this book, and Lethe Press by joining our Scout troop today!
