This could be a Fantasy novel, which is ironic since Alex Burkhart doesn't believe in fantasies. He doesn't believe in fairy tales. He doesn't believe in magic or hope or wonder. In fact, Alex has endured so much isolation and shame that he doesn't believe in much of anything anymore.
Then again, this could be a Mystery novel. As Alex drives north of I-75, back to the mountains of Jasper Mill, Tennessee, he doesn't realize that he is escaping the sanctimonious shackles of his mother only to hurl himself into a boiling cauldron of murder, conspiracy, and black magic decades in the making. And those involved could be the ones he holds most dear.
This could even be a Horror novel. Because at the center of this intrigue lives a creature, a monster made of teeth and claws. It hunts in the moonlight at the bidding of a mysterious mistress who seeks revenge on those who wronged her so many years ago. And soon, just days from now, it will hunt for Alex.
Or...maybe this is a Love story. Alex has known love; he's almost sure of it. Love of his eccentric grandmother, Belle, and her free-spirited friends, Justine and Gracie, the women who helped raise him. And what about David Stone? Could David still be there in the mountains of Jasper Mill, waiting to love, to rekindle, to forgive? Because David is always there. Like the blue of the sky.
Yes...this is a love story.
Because we deserve it.
About the Author :
A.J. Grea is an author and screenwriter living in East Tennessee with his husband of twenty years, three snarky cats, and a meddlesome squirrel who will not stay away from the windows. A lover of 80s horror, he began writing short stories at the age of nine.One of his first stories, "The Monster Who Ate My Brother," resulted in a parent-teacher conference, during which his mother had to assure the concerned faculty that his siblings were fine.When not spinning hair-raising yarns, A.J. spends time as most middle-aged comic book fans do--playing video games and collecting childhood toys that remind him of when his only responsibility was being home before streetlights began to glow.
Review :
"An effortlessly compelling horror story with a big heart . . . LGBTQ+ horror lovers will tear through these pages."
- Kirkus Reviews
"Of Teeth & Claws is bloody, funny, wounded, and oddly sweet."
- Literary Titan
"Chilling passage into supernatural horror and star-crossed love."
- Booklife Reviews (Editorial Pick)
