Lots going on as I prep for the June 9th release of the first book in my new sci-fi urban fantasy series. In case you hadn’t heard, the kindle version of The Shadow Of All Things is currently available for pre-order from Amazon for $3.99. That’s less than the price of a morning Frappuccino from your favorite java joint.

The print edition which will come out the same day includes illustrations from Tulsa-based artist Colleen Beauchamp Stiles. I’ve known Colleen for 20 years and she’s done a great job capturing the spirit of the book. I encourage you to check out her site and to take a first look at three drawings that will be included in the print edition.

I’m excited to share these with you and hope that you will pre-order a copy or buy the print edition when it becomes available in two weeks.

Thanks for coming along for the ride!

​I’m excited to announce that the first book in my new urban fantasy series The Shadow Of All Things is available for pre-order on Amazon now.
Pre-sale for the print edition with illustrations by Colleen Beauchamp Stiles will follow shortly and I’ll add the link for that as soon as possible.
The novel will be released on Thursday, June 9th.
Be sure and sign up for my monthly email blast today for a sneak peek at Colleen’s amazing illustrations for the book. I’ll be sharing those over the upcoming weekend.
Have a fantastic Friday!

digital copy of the novel. Okay, that sounds like a better deal, you say, so how do I vote for your book?

Easy. Click on the link here and you’ll go straight to the page where you can vote on my book.

So what is this The Shadow Of All Things book that you keep talking about?
It’s the first in a new science-fiction/urban fantasy series about the Elyuum, otherworldly, spectral creatures. If you like alternate universes, conspiracies, monsters, horror, action, adventure, mystery, and a sprawling cast of richly-developed characters fighting against ultimate evil, you’ll enjoy this book.
​
Here’s more from the back jacket:

When a man in a torn trench coat warns college-student Evelyn Cheng that something evil is coming down the subway tunnel where their train has stalled, she is ready to write him off as crazy until the lights flicker and the terrifying creatures appear.
 
Through him, Evelyn discovers she is a seer and that a battle between good and evil is raging in New York City among her kind and the mysterious, otherworldly Elyuum, who seek to tighten their grip on the city.
 
Spanning multiple universes with a sprawling cast of characters, Evelyn and others must stop the Elyuum before they conquer all existence.
 
If you liked my Nightfall Gardens series, I’m sure that you’ll be intrigued by my latest project.

So click over to The Shadow Of All Things page on Kindle Scout and give it your thumbs up.

​The competition runs through May 6, please share with friends and family as well as come back here for updates.

Thanks so much, dear readers.​

​-Allen Houston

the scenario imagining a young Asian punk rock girl standing against one of the doors, head phones on, tapping to her own rhythm as something appeared out of the dark in the glass behind her. That image lingered after the subway started back up. Who was that girl? What were those creatures? The first chapter took shape in my mind.

Almost two years have passed since that happened: two years of tumultuous upheavals, big and small, in our little corners of the globe and around the world. There’s never been a period in my life that so much change seems to be happening to so many in such a short period. The Shadow Of All Things was written in that whirlwind and I’ve tried to do my best to write an entertaining story that also touches on the fear permeating our times.

I’d like to thank the artist Colleen Stiles for her patience as we navigated this long strange trip. I missed several deadlines and we went back to the drawing board on the cover and illustrations (that I’ll reveal in the not far future) several times before we settled on the one you are looking at now. I couldn’t be happier with the finished product. The cover pays respect to NYC and also captures a foreboding, anxious quality in the text.

Thanks so much to my family, friends and of course, the readers of my books for bearing with me. The Shadow Of All Things will be coming out in late May. Stay tuned for more details including an autographed copy of the book, illustration reveal and more.

It’s been months since I’ve posted regularly to this page.

What’s happened in that time? The usual stuff: a new job, spending additional time
with family, reading more, and attempting to recharge my batteries.

Sometimes it’s necessary to unplug from the Internet and reconnect with living in
the moment.

After that much needed decompression time I’m happy to say that I’m hard at work
on my new series.

Book 1 of the Elyuum series just went through a final round of edits and is close to
being completed. The only question is whether I release it in December or wait until
I have more of the series completed so I can shotgun them back to back.

As readers would you rather an author release a string of books in a series within a
short time frame (so you don’t have to wait) or as each one is completed?

The illustrator Colleen Beauchamp-Stiles has outdone herself on “The Shadow of All
Things” and the print copies will contain her beautiful drawings. I’ll be posting some
of these as we inch closer to the publication date. It’s really stellar stuff.

“Nightfall Gardens” continues to gather reviews and build momentum. I
have a soon-to-be released novella (excerpted in “The Labyrinth”) that contains the
full story of Villon and how he came to be trapped in the White Garden. The tragic
love story/monster epic had to be severely edited for “The Labyrinth” and I plan on
giving it to people who sign up or are signed up for my email list.

I’m going to make every effort to post to my blog and social media more regularly.

Until next week, thanks for your patience and I hope you have a great start of fall.

It’s that time of year in New York City when black ice (and other substances) freeze to the sidewalks and the wind cuts down your back no matter which direction you go.

As we look forward to the spring (lingering way off over the dark horizon … but I can dream) I thought I’d take a second to thank the readers of “Nightfall Gardens” and talk a little about some upcoming projects.