They have watched from the shadows since the dawn of time' Jealous gods who once ruled a young planet. Seeking a return to their former glory Only one man stands in their way. What began as a routine murder investigation snowballs into a fight to the death when homicide detective Sam Hardin is drawn into a battle between good and evil. He must come to terms with his own guilt if he hopes to save his son from an otherworldly being bent on the annihilation of mankind. But first he must learn to love his son, and quit blaming him for the death of his wife. Four years earlier Sam and his pregnant wife walked into the middle of an armed robbery. When the smoke cleared she lay dying on the cold tile floor. At the hospital the doctors were presented with one only option, save the child. Partially disabled Vietnam vet Jack Griffith has been counting down his final days as the cancer, compliments of his service in South East Asia, slowly consumes his body. Called upon to clear a clogged storm drain, he is accidentally stabbed by a dagger that had been stolen to repay a gambling debt. With his lifeblood flowing into the waters of the storm drain, surrounded by rats, he is given another chance at life when an alien presence invades his body. But at what cost? Jack surrenders everything that once made him human as he becomes a host to this alien life form. He is driven to search out the only one who can stand in the way of their return. An ancient god who appears in the guise of Sam's brain damaged four-year-old son, whose disturbing gaze holds the secrets of life and death, a child capable of closing the conduit to the past forever. In the final battle, among the snow-covered peaks on the outskirts of a small mountain town, the fate of mankind hangs in the balance as Sam and Jack go head to head in a fight to the death. Only one will emerge victorious. Will mankind awaken to new masters? Or will good prevail?
About the Author: Unlike other writers who knew they wanted to write the moment they became self aware, Richard's path to taking up the pen followed a more leisurely route. As a child he wanted to be a fighter pilot, later he thought it would be neat to be a rock star. Unfortunately, as an introvert, he was not suited for the stage. Once he gave up the guitar, much to the relief of his parents, he turned his attention to making movies. Armed with an 8mm movie camera, several rolls of aluminum foil liberated from the kitchen, and the spare bed sheets, he filmed his first masterpiece. The story was about a space ship crash landing in the woods behind his house. His sister starred as the damsel in distress while his little brother, wrapped like a mummy in the spare bed sheets, chased her through the woods. His career as a famous director ended before it even got off the ground when on opening night his mother recognized the missing bed sheets and aluminum foil resulting in his grounding for the remainder of that summer. A voracious reader, he believes writing is the most intimate form of communication possible. The reader permits the writer access to their mind, and the readers reality dissolves as they focus on the narrative of the tale being spun. His love of the macabre was sparked at an early age when he would sit on his grandmother's porch listening to her tell ghost stories. During the summer he and his cousins would sleep in his grandmother's back yard, within sight of the abandoned haunted house next door, and spend the night scaring one another with gruesome tales of shadowy creatures that went bump in the night. During his life he has played a series of roles, husband, father, son, and lover, but his favorite by far is grandfather. He and his wife of twenty plus years have raised four children, and helped raise eight grandchildren. They provide a secure home to a yellow lab named Max and a cat who will answer to either Flame or Furball. His loving wife, Dena has experienced first hand the exasperation of living with a writer whose mind has a tendency to wander at the most inappropriate times. Yet she manages to keep his feet firmly planted on terra firma. Richard can be found online at: Facebook: http: //www.facebook/RichardSchiver Follow Richard on Twitter: @RichardSchiver Bookbub: https: //www.bookbub.com/authors/richard-schiver Written in Blood is Richard's personal blog http: //www.richardschiver.com