So I’d meant to release THE FALLEN on December 31st, but Amazon was kind enough to set it free today. If you loved Crow City, then I hope you’ll enjoy coming back to it for a little while – and getting to meet Gabriel in his own voice, in this prequel story that takes place before he meets Leigh and gives us a window into the depth of his relationships with Gary and Maxi. We’ll learn just what broke him…and how he saved himself.

And we’ll get our first glimpse of the enigmatic man who calls himself Priest.

Vin Manion. A character I’ve been holding on to for years, a darkly irredeemable monster who was once Gabriel’s best friend – and whom I can’t wait to sink my teeth into in THE FOUND.

Read an Excerpt

Amazon UK and other international Amazon sites might be a little slow in updating the price for free, but if it’s not marked down for your location then you can get it free on Smashwords for any device. I’ll update this post and the book page as the links for B&N and Kobo go live.

I loved writing this book. It’s short, but I could feel every moment weaving together, building up to that moment when Leigh comes slipping quietly into Gabriel’s life, little ghost that she was. The near-misses. The intersections of their storylines.  The deeper explorations of Gary and Maxi’s pasts and personalities. Those moments that made it more and more clear that it was coming. I’ve never done that before – writing a prequel tie-in. It was immensely, oddly satisfying, this breathless anticipation that built toward the end…and I can’t wait to do it again with Priest’s story after finishing THE FOUND.

Just like with any Crow City story, THE FALLEN is triggery as hell – this time dealing heavily with issues of suicide, PTSD in military veterans, and substance abuse. The blurb below covers it a bit more, but as always, take the trigger warning in the front of the novel to heart and remember that it’s okay to put yourself first.

Reconnect with Gabriel, Gary, Maxi, and Crow City in this free companion novella telling the story of THE LOST‘s Gabriel Hart before Leigh entered his life – and get a sneak preview of the sinister Priest, hero of THE FOUND (coming 2016).

Gabriel Hart is a broken man.

And everyone close to him dies.

His military unit. His sister. His parents. Everyone he’s come to care for has been taken from him, leaving him with nothing but a crippling war injury, a Vicodin addiction, and a scraggly, chewed-up rag of a cat. It’s enough to make anyone want to check out. And when he holds his service pistol in his hand and presses it against his temple, for the first time in a long time the world feels right.

But he’s not as alone as he thinks. And when grizzled bar owner Gary challenges him to honor his sister’s memory by repairing her houseboat before he gives up on life, he discovers she left more for him than her belongings. And her letters lead him on a trail through discovering himself, discovering what he truly wants…and discovering that he has the strength to choose his own path.

Praise for THE LOST from Publishers Weekly: “If the romantic character study is a genre, this fascinating contemporary novel is its exemplar. McCade digs deep into the difficult topics of rape, incest, and sexual abuse via the remarkable voice of Clarissa Leigh VanZandt.”

NOTE & TRIGGER WARNING: This novella does not have a romantic or erotic storyline, but is the companion novella to a romantic erotica as a prequel tale told from the hero’s POV. While it is a standalone book, it’s a character story designed to segue into the beginning of THE LOST and should not be considered a separate romance. This story also contains content discussing suicide and self-harm at length. If you are triggered by such things, please don’t hesitate to put the book down and focus on self-care.

I think that just about covers everything. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Now…off I go to get started on THE FOUND.