Wish

by S.M.R. Cooper

Vaaslo’s old friend in New Orleans has called him with a strange case – a vicious crime scene that vanished, replaced inexplicably with a pristine and peaceful room. The only witness has also disappeared, popping out of existence before a startled detective’s eyes.
When Vaaslo and the others arrive in New Orleans, they learn that similar events have been occurring all over the city, and that some of the people involved are remembering two different realities at the same time. Adding to the confusion is a sudden outbreak of seismic activity, intermittent tremors that rock the city more forcefully each time they happen.
Stephanie feels the events are connected to her recurring dream: dozens of disheveled, injured people, pressing in on her from all sides and staring at her as though she should understand their unspoken purpose. The landscape where they stand is a smoking expanse of dead earth, and the only sound is the lone voice of a teenage boy – “Make a wish!”
Her dream is particularly intense, but its imagery provides few clues. What is she meant to wish for? What’s causing the double realities that plague the New Orleans police department? And will the ground shudder apart beneath the city before Stephanie deciphers the boy’s cryptic demand?

Unknown Binding

Published March 1, 2018

About the author

My name is S.M.R. Cooper; I'm the author of the seven-installment Doorway series, a modern dark fantasy geared toward an adult audience, but generally appropriate for older kids - I guess I would rate it PG-13.

My other fiction projects include the children's book "Beneficent Boy", the web-comic "Piper", and the omnibus of my serial novel "The Jennings", which follows the paranormal adventures of a 19th-century psychic and his wife.

My non-fiction projects include a series of videos and blogs that showcase the "campfire stories" couched in films and television programs, and that offer ways to use those campfire stories to help us build a better world.
I also have a video series designed to help viewers find a simpler and more rewarding path through our often-stressful modern life.

My philosophy - in writing and in life - is that the vast majority of problems can be solved with love and bravery, and I try to create characters who act according to that belief despite their very human feelings of fear, hopelessness, or doubt. My stories tend to be action-based, and the relationships in them - rather than taking center stage - form the stable hub around which the characters are able to be their best selves.

Feel free to visit me at smrcooper.com or on my YouTube channel S.M.R. Cooper; I hope to see you there!