In the wake of an inexplicable and chilling apocalypse, the story unfolds, introducing Everly, a young college student from the heart of Colorado. Hers is a journey that transcends the ordinary, a saga woven with threads of survival, hope, and the unyielding human spirit.
Amidst the encroaching chaos, Everly emerges as a beacon of unwavering determination. Her quest, fraught with peril and uncertainty, leads her on a harrowing odyssey to reunite with her family in distant New York. Along this treacherous path, she forms profound connections with a diverse group of survivors, each bearing their own secrets and burdens.
Together, they confront not only the relentless undead but also the treacherous living, who seek to exploit the tattered remains of society. Their unity, a fragile lifeline in a world unhinged, is forged in the crucible of adversity, where trust is both currency and vulnerability.
Everly's path is fraught with heartbreak, loss, and the piercing sting of fear. She navigates treacherous terrain, where every step carries the weight of the world's uncertainty. But amidst the shadows, there is also love, enduring friendships, fleeting moments of joy, and newfound wisdom.
As you accompany her on this harrowing journey, you'll watch her mature before your very eyes, growing into the person she was always meant to be in order to endure in a world saturated with death. Choices weigh heavily, and their consequences are felt in the very marrow of existence.
Crimson Colorado is a narrative that plunges you into a world where the line between life and death, hope and despair, blurs into an intricate tapestry. In the darkness that shrouds their journey, Everly and her companions unearth the profound truth that the most chilling horrors are not merely the undead but the profound choices and emotions that define their path.
Antique store owner Liz brings home a Victorian taxidermy hound from auction, unwittingly unleashing dark forces on her wife and son.
*****
Nat Loman has finally married the love of her life, Liz, and is getting used to her role as stepmother to Liz's 5-year-old son, Liam. The Loman family runs a bustling antique business so they attend a sale where a striking, black taxidermied hound is up for auction. Liz picks it up for the business, but it ends up being stored in their home, where Nat notices strange things occurring. She quickly discovers the past residents had died violently. Then she hears from a friend about the myth of "the devil's dog", a hound that perches in the shadows, tearing families apart from the inside. Soon, people around the Lomans are dying, and Liz is changing, darkening. It's up to Nat to save the woman she loves from the darkness closing in, and to save Liam from danger no matter what she has to sacrifice.
[[Winner of the 2018 Wattys "Hidden Gems" category]]
[[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]