J.D. Barker's Forsaken is a remarkable debut, a gripping tale of suspense in the tradition of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and John Saul. Truly the birth of a new master in the genre.


"Barker's ambitious debut is aimed squarely at fans of classic horror. Witches, spells, miniature demons, and personal doubt give plenty to latch on to… the plot moves at a brisk pace… a promising start to a planned series."
**- Editorial Review, Publisher's Weekly


Bram Stoker Award Nominee - Superior Achievement in a First Novel **


''A talented writer with a delightfully devious mind!''
Jeffery Deaver
#1 International Bestselling Author


''Incredibly written, supremely creepy. I don't say this lightly: J.D. Barker is a force to be reckoned with.''
Tosca Lee
NY Times Bestselling Author


Book One of the Shadow Cove Saga


From the Witch Trials of Centuries Past, an Evil Awakens.
Inspired by Actual Events


Excerpt from the Journal of Clayton Stone – 1692
She was examined today without torture at Shadow Cove township on the charge of witchcraft. She said she was wholly innocent of the crime and has never in life renounced God. I watched as they brought her out. A poor, sickly thing, worn by her time behind the walls of her prison. Her bared feet and hands bound in leather, her clothing tattered to that of ruin. Despite such condition, her head was held high, her eyes meeting those of her accusers. She still refuses to provide her name so we remain unable to search baptismal records, nor has her family stepped forward to claim her as their own. We have no reason to believe she is anything but an orphaned child. I find myself unable to look at her directly in the moments preceding her trial. She is watching me though; with eyes of the deepest blue, she is watching me.
Thad McAlister, Rise of the Witch


When horror author Thad McAlister began his latest novel, a tale rooted in the witch trials of centuries past, the words flowed effortlessly. The story poured forth, filling page after page with the most frightening character ever to crawl from his imagination. It was his greatest work, one that would guarantee him a position among the legends of the craft.


But was it really fiction?


He inadvertently opened a door, one that would soon jeopardize the lives of his family.


She wants to come back.


At home, his wife struggles to keep their family alive. Secretly wondering if she caused it all…a deal she made long ago. A deal with the Forsaken.