Part of Series
Forest. Fungi. Family secrets. Reporter Maria Hart ventures into the depths of Nils Forest chasing a news story about a violent storm, but she never returns. Within months, four other people will also disappear in the woods. Tech mogul David Eager lives at the forest’s edge. He is haunted by Maria’s disappearance, and something more. Fungus is common in the foggy woodland, but now it’s behaving in unnatural ways, creeping onto his property and into his dreams. Maria’s friend, Amy Matthews, hears strange rumors about Nils Forest and, motivated by a dark secret, decides to investigate for herself. It’s no easy task. The terrain is notoriously rugged. But Amy is cunning and determined to find her former roommate, dead or alive. Amy’s not alone. Maria’s mother, desperate for answers about her daughter, joins the search. Together, they journey into the heart of Nils Forest where they make a chilling discovery—there’s a new fungus in these woods, and it has transformative powers. As they push deeper into the trees, they uncover a terrifying, mind-bending force. Her name is The Spore Queen.
Author
Debra Castaneda is an award-winning horror and dark fiction author based on the central coast of California. Her works include "The Devil’s Shallows," "The Root Witch", and "The Copper Man," which comprise the Dark Earth Rising series of standalone novels, and "The Monsters of Chavez Ravine," an International Latino Book Awards gold medal winner. Debra loves writing character-driven stories about people who experience scary things, and how they react when confronted with the unexpected. She’s committed to representing Latinas and Latinos in her books. For inspiration, she draws from her experience as a TV and radio journalist, and as a third-generation Mexican American. Over the years, she’s lived in Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Portland, and the San Francisco Bay area. Debra now lives in Capitola, California with her husband. She enjoys rediscovering the Mexican dishes of her childhood and texting her two daughters about her latest binge-watch. ~Subscribe to her newsletter for the occasional giveaway and the latest news at www.debracastaneda.com; ~Stay in touch with her at: @castanedawrites on Facebook & @castanedawrites on Instagram .
