Cara’s mother has disappeared. Her father isn’t talking about it. Her big brother Max is hiding behind his iPod, and her genius little brother Jackson is busy studying the creatures he collects from the beach. But when a watery specter begins to haunt the family’s Cape Cod home, Cara and her brothers realize that their scientist mother may not be who they thought she was—and that the world has much stranger, much older inhabitants than they had imagined. With help from Cara’s best friend Hayley, the three embark on a quest that will lead them from the Cape’s hidden, ancient places to a shipwreck at the bottom of the sea. They’re soon on the front lines of an ancient battle between good and evil, with the terrifying “pouring man” close on their heels. One chapter will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until all 10 chapters are up. These will be followed by the second book in the series, The Shimmers in the Night. A Junior Library Guild Pick; Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011; Selected for the ABC Best Books for Children Catalog; Locus Notable Books.

A collection of paranormal, horror and fantasy short stories woven around old legends, odd characters, the occasional werewolf and the darkness within, some of which have been published or picked up the odd award. There are things you cannot see unless they want to be seen, and some legends linger on despite the modern world. A Gift in the Dark is a compilation of short works, many based around old myths and legends, and starts with a tale of a miner's descent into madness, history and legend, drifts through darkness, past a retelling of Red Riding Hood, up a crane, and along to the end of the world.

Harry Mel is a recently divorced psychiatrist, who has been working for twelve years at Scranton Mental Asylum. In his years, he'd never before had a patient who had intense homicidal tendencies, nor had he treated a patient who had intense an impulsion to commit violence against other; but even if he had it would've never prepared him for his new patient. A patient who was transferred from Palmerton Mental Hospital, who has the body reminisce of someone who survived a Nazi concentration camp. A patient with no past, and no identity; a patient that is only identified by four numbers: 1543. A patient with unnatural icy blue eyes, and supernatural powers; a patient who is more than he seems. * * * In Patient 1543, Michael Hall sets the profile for his writing and his stylistic tendencies. Using potent horror and incredibly detailed descriptions, Michael paints his picture of terror and horror. In Michael's opinion this is one of the best stories he's written to date.