What would you give to cure mankind's suffering? Dr. Spencer Williams, a brilliant young researcher, is on the verge of that discovery. Haunted by the freakish suicide of his famous mother, he is driven to find a cure for the illness that ended her life. Blessed--or cursed--from birth with second sight, Spencer's personal grail is within his grasp. Through a secret mix of blood magic and genetic engineering, he has synthesized Marvan, a miraculous medicine that could leapfrog mankind to the next evolutionary phase.
But Spencer has huge hurdles to clear. Getting a new drug to market takes big bucks. And how exactly is he supposed to keep Marvan's unique formula a secret? As word of his discovery leaks out, powerful players want a piece of the action. Hell, they want it all. Spencer must make the choice, does he go with the devil he knows or the devil himself?
Charles Atkins Welcome to my author page. I'm a board-certified psychiatrist, author, and professional speaker.
I write both fiction and nonfiction, including the Barrett Conyors forensic thriller series, the Lil and Ada cozies and urban fantasy with LGBTQ+ protagonists under the pen name, Caleb James. I've written plain-speak books on Alzheimer's and Bipolar Disorder, and textbooks on co-occurring mental health and substance use problems, and opioid use disorders.
In addition to books I've written hundreds of articles, columns, and shorts stories for professional and popular magazines, newspapers, and journals. I've been a regular contributor to the American Medical Association's American Medical News, a consultant to the Reader's Digest Medical Breakthrough series, and my work has appeared in publications ranging from The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) to Writer's Digest Magazine. I've been twice featured in the New York Times, as well as many other publications. In 2019 I wrote a special edition for PARADE on the science of sleep.
I live in Connecticut where I split my time between clinical work, writing and family.