Samuel Brandt woke up with his thoughts written all over his body. His brother woke up with his head missing. His sister woke up to find that her skin would crack open unless she stayed in water. All of the other children in the secluded Iowa town of Oak Knoll woke up having undergone strange transformations. Now, they are all forced to live at 407 West Marshall Street, the mysterious house outside of town. With the new name of The Boy with Words for Skin, Samuel wants nothing more than to hide from his new life. He painfully and unpredictably sheds his skin, there is a Voice in the entryway closet that is often cruel, and-perhaps worst of all for a naturally shy boy-the other children look to him as a leader. As his seven-year-old brother struggles with their new life, as terrifying growls start to come from the pitch black basement, and as his feelings for a girl begin to grow, The Boy with Words for Skin realizes that he wants to change. He wants to put others first, learn from his peers, and let himself hope that things will get better. The Boy with Words for Skin is the first book in the 407 West Marshall Street series. Each book will advance the story but be told from a different character. Book 2 will be The Girl without Eyes.

The Earth is nothing but a poisonous shadow of its former self. From its war-beaten ashes, new societies and empires are reborn. Far removed from the gleaming skylines of Levem Teraam, the wanderers and religious tribes of Malkuth occupy the harsh deserts, foraging for whatever scraps of technology they can find to survive. Death comes to them from all sides-yet something darker and much more sinister seems to be lurking beneath the sands, shrouded behind centuries of mystery: the being they call the Shadow Man. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hope you enjoy! This story, in one form or another, has been bouncing around in my brain for well over a decade. I've only just now begun to put it into words. I've fallen in love with these characters over the years, and I hope that everyone can enjoy this world as much as I have.