Robert J Peterson – författare

"Peterson''s tale strives to enshrine all that was magical about growing up in the ''80s. He laces his narrative with mentions of favorite films, toys, video games, music, and fashion, much like Ernest Cline does in Ready Player One (2011). While primarily being a Stephen King-style panorama of a town gripped by horror, Peterson''s story also feels like a cautionary middle-grade tale ... A magical killer and ''80s pop culture headline this crowded but engaging horror tale.." -Kirkus Reviews

It''s 1989, and evil''s on the loose in the Smoky Mountains.

Now, only a brave group of friends can stop it, using their imaginations and a little bit of magic.

Okay ... a lot of magic.

Hiram and Mac Gresham live with their recently widowed Mom in the foothills of the Smokies. But when she starts dating a new man, he introduces two abrasive step-siblings into their lives, upending everything they knew.

Meanwhile, Hiram is having dreams he can''t ignore-dreams of a man with a Plaid Face. The Plaid Man haunts the woods around their home, sending cryptic messages about East Tennessee''s most notorious serial killer, Lenny Skelton. Skelton just broke out of prison and is on the hunt for his latest prey.

All that stands in his way are Hiram, Mac, and an unlikely group of heroes that includes their best pals, Lee and Dawn, their rowdy new step-sister Kaitlyn, their wise and tough old Aunt Hanna, and Justin, a kind-hearted cop who''s crossed paths with Skelton before. Together they must tap into ancient magicks to battle the forces of evil on an epic quest where they''ll explore enchanted theme parks and extradimensional dungeons, armed with their knowledge of folklore, classic video games and movies, and an array of magical weapons.

In the proud tradition of The Goonies, IT, and Stranger Things comes this high-spirited retrowave adventure from the creator of the Deadblast Chronicles. Influenced by everything from Stand By Me to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Strong Bones explores the challenges and horrors of growing up all while delivering a healthy dose of pop nostalgia for the 80s and 90s.

"The Odds hearkens me back to childhood: under the covers with a flashlight, following characters I loved through worlds I desperately wanted to explore."

-Dalan Musson, screenwriter, Marvel''s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

The apocalypse happened, but no one knows how. What''s left is a barren world ruled by a high-powered caste of bookies, The Odds.

Scurrying around underneath is our hero, Eldridge-a big-hearted, bumbling drifter with an estranged family he loves dearly. He''s deep in debt and deathly sick, so he places a bet predicting the day he''ll die. If he wins, he can go to his grave knowing that his family will be safe, but when he returns to his hometown to collect, he gets some bad news: He''s going to live.

So it''s on to plan B-a high-stakes battle-tournament that pits real-life chess avatars against each other in random-chance brawls-to-the-death. But Eldridge doesn''t know that someone''s gamed the tournament to pit him against an old friend who''s now a bitter enemy. Now he''s got to make all the right moves to save his family-and beat the Odds.

•••

"The Odds hearkens me back to childhood: under the covers with a flashlight, following characters I loved through worlds I desperately wanted to explore. From the opening pages to the ''chess'' thing (a brilliant sequence, worth the price of admission alone), The Odds is engaging, inventive, and fun. Peterson has a clear voice, and layers humor into his prose effortlessly."

-Dalan Musson, screenwriter, Marvel''s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

"It''s full-bore sci-fi/postapocaylptic writing where the writing is actually good, not just functional. The dialogue sizzles. The sentences are packed with radioactive imagery and double-barreled zingers. The paragraphs grab you by your eye sockets and scream in your ears ''til they bleed while repeatedly punching you in the face-and you love every second of it."

-Karl Mueller, writer/director of Rebirth (Netflix Studios) and Mister Jones (Anchor Bay Films)

"I''d describe The Odds as one part western, one part Hunger Games, and one part chess. The hero is incredibly engaging."

-Kristine Chester, Fanbase Press

"The Odds is a deliciously odd book. It''s a post-apocalyptic novel that really defies pigeon-holing. It is sort of sci-fi, sort of fantasy, sort of a farcical comedy, sort of ... I really don''t know what. (...) Peterson makes it work."

-Jonathan K, Science-Fiction-Review.com

"Readers with a taste for grotesque zaniness may enjoy this venture."

-Publishers Weekly