An orphan since five-bounced around from home to home and kicked out of more schools than he could keep track of-life is nothing but chaos for fifteen-year-old Zack Treadwell. After getting the boot from yet another school, Zack is on the move again. Cue in a new set of foster parents-the Baniaks, lovable yet eccentric people with no parenting experience-and a move to the mountainous region of Stone Creek, West Virginia. It is a recipe to start anew. Initially, everything is going great. Aside from some run-ins with Ms. Maddows, the school's gym/English teacher who has a propensity for giving slackers a hard time, Zack is staying out of trouble and even making some friends. Then, just as a glimmer of hope settles in and it appears that life is finally going to be a little less complicated, Zack, along with best friend, Nick, stumble across a horrifying secret hidden deep in the woods of Stone Creek National Park. There is a terrifying secret concealed in the woods of Stone Creek, West Virginia, and like most things in life, some stones are better left unturned. Unfortunately, two teenage boys, Zack Treadwell and Nick Tinderson, learn the hard way why Stone Creek's darkest secret was never meant to reach the outside world. Driven by a need to understand the mysterious circumstances surrounding his parents' brutal deaths (they were murdered by a pack of zombie-like savages), Zack and Nick embark on a highly dangerous mission filled with action, adventure and suspense to uncover the horrifying truth. Were the monsters that cannibalized Zack's parents zombies? Did the government do what it does best by covering it all up? And, is it worth risking everything-life and limb-to unlock the secrets? The answers to those questions, and many more, come full-circle when Zack and Nick discover a highly secretive military lab, buried deep within the blood-stained soil of Stone Creek National Park. Filled with excitement and ready for adventure of a lifetime, Zack and Nick set out on their life-threatening quest. Buried in the depths of an old cave converted into a military lab, Zack faces his worst imaginable fear. The lab, run by the sadistic Dr. Vox, is used to perform experiments on people ailing from the same zombie-like condition as the "monsters" who savagely murdered his parents all those years ago. Presented with the opportunity of a lifetime-closure-Zack has to choose just how far and how much he is willing to sacrifice to expose the truth surrounding his parents' gruesome deaths. But does Zack have it in him to confront the evil doctor, save the life of his best friend (who mysteriously goes missing inside the cave), as well as his first romance, his new found sweetheart, and unlock all the secrets in one action filled, highly tumultuous and exhausting night? And is he just beginning to scratch the surface of secrets that are much darker...
T. S. Charles During a short stint as a stay-at-home dad (residing with his in-laws while his wife was away on her doctoral internship), T.S. Charles was desperate for a distraction once his young son and daughter finally collapsed into their respective beds. Without cable television to occupy his time-that is, unless he wanted to bump elbows with the in-laws while watching the QVC network-Charles delved into the imaginative world of creative writing. All it took was polishing off the first few pages of his earliest novel (Consumed) for Charles to get hooked. From that point on, Charles dedicated himself to achieving two primary goals in his life: 1) do everything imaginable to hone his craft, and 2) move as far away as possible from his in-laws. Moving two states over from New York to West Virginia was an excellent start. Today, Charles is far removed from living with the in-laws, is currently employed as a law enforcement officer through the federal government, and is the proud father of two elementary-aged children. He has also been long reunited with his wife, his best friend and biggest supporter, and currently resides in Morgantown, West Virginia (the primary setting for most of his writings).
