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New York Times bestselling author
Michael Prescott
 Michael Prescott |
Around this time of year, people who like my books start wondering when my latest title will be coming out. This year, I'm afraid there won't be one.
The publishing business has been in turmoil recently, especially in the area of mass-market paperbacks - the pocket-size softcover books traditionally sold in supermarkets and drugstores. Because of changes in book distribution patterns, mass-market paperback sales have fallen off dramatically. Publishers have cut way back on the number of titles they issue in paperback, and are largely restricting their paperback output to narrowly targeted genre books (vampires are big at the moment) and reprints of hardcover bestsellers.
Those of us who've specialized in writing original paperbacks and who don't fall into one of the few approved genres have found ourselves unceremoniously shown the door.
But fear not - I'm in the process of retooling my career, and expect to make a comeback before long, hopefully in hardcover. When that happens, I'll announce it here and to people on my mailing list.
In the meantime, you might want to look for some of the old, out-of-print books I wrote under the pen name Brian Harper. They can usually be found at used book stores or online at retailers like Amazon and ABEbooks.
Although the situation may sound dire, it's really no more than a hiccup - a minor detour on a long trip. In fact, I believe my writing will benefit considerably from the new skills I'm acquiring as I transform myself into a "hardcover guy."
Just wait and see.
Best,
Michael Prescott
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A decade
ago, artist Peter Faust murdered a woman and was found
not guilty by reason of insanity. Today, unrepentant and
living in Los Angeles, he's become a celebrity among the
radical fringe. When one of his fans turns to stalking
him, he hires rogue security consultant Abby Sinclair for
protection. Unfortunately for Abby, her longtime
adversary, FBI agent Tess McCallum, also gets drawn into
the case. Tess came face-to-face with Faust once before - and discovered the true meaning of evil. But both she and Abby have even more to learn. Because another series of murders has been uncovered ... because the stalker is no ordinary vigilante ... and because Faust has one more sin in which he has yet to indulge. And one final victim on his mind. "Michael Prescott is a master of suspense." - The Daily Oklahoman |
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Mortal
Faults, a sequel to Dangerous Games, brings
back Abby Sinclair and Tess McCallum, who are reunited
for another adventure. They don't get along any better
this time than they did before! Here's the advertising copy from the back cover: BAD BLOOD ... A private operative, Abby Sinclair stalks the stalkers and takes them down. Her new client is a U.S. congressman shadowed by a mystery woman believed to be a disgruntled ex-employee. He wants her stopped. What Abby doesn't know is that FBI special agent Tess McCallum is already on the case - and back in her life - partnered with her in a deadly new game after the two vowed never to work again. ... RUNS DEEP But the case takes one surprising turn after another, because there's more to the story than anyone knows, including a notorious double murder that reaches twenty years into the past, shaded in long-held lies, guilt, and betrayal. Now its secrets have triggered a new crime - one that will pit Tess and Abby against each other and could cost Abby her freedom ... or her life. "Prescott is a master at the thriller genre." - The Romance Readers Connection "Stunning ... Prescott has created two of the fiercest and most commanding heroines to come along in a while... Simply fascinating ... Highly recommended." - New Mystery Reader Magazine |
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Dangerous Games brings back two of my
characters from previous thrillers - freelance security
consultant Abby Sinclair from The Shadow Hunter, and FBI special agent Tess
McCallum from Next Victim. The two must (reluctantly) team
up to track down the Rain Man, a vicious kidnapper who
hides his victims in the labyrinthine storm drains of Los
Angeles, leaving them to drown in the rain-flooded
tunnels unless their ransom is paid in time. For Abby and Tess, working together isn't easy. Trusting each other is even harder. But they must brave the darkness of the Rain Man's underworld if his next victim is to see daylight again.... Publishers Weekly writes: "As in many of Prescott's previous books, this psychologically complex thriller features a serial killer who's all the more terrifying because of his basic ordinariness; he's Everyman, twisted. The two protagonists are familiar, too: maverick FBI special agent Tess McCallum (nicknamed "Super Fed" by an adoring media) from Next Victim, and even more freewheeling freelance security agent Abby Sinclair from The Shadow Hunter. The two stubbornly independent women make a compelling, if unlikely, team. While the killer's identity is no secret—he's a vicious kidnapper known as the 'Rain Man' who leaves his victims in storm drains to drown unless their ransom is paid on time—Prescott's flair for unexpected plot twists keeps the suspense breathtakingly high to the last chapter. Why does the Rain Man insist on payment from the city of Los Angeles, instead of victims' families? How can he have access to so much insider info without inside help? Will the two loner agents stop the killer before offing each other? The likable protagonists and Prescott's tightly wound plot keep the reader hooked and guessing—and hoping for another matchup of these two heroines, should they survive." "Seamless prose, gripping drama, and a blockbuster conclusion." - The Daily Oklahoman "Fans of psychological thrillers can never go wrong with Prescott ... Thoroughly absorbing." - Roundtable Reviews |
You can access my blog at www.michaelprescott.typepad.com .
A list of all my blog entries (current as of May 16) is found here.
You can reach me at michaelprescott2005@yahoo.com .
Please type a subject heading such as "Your Books" or "Mortal Faults" to distinguish your message from spam.
Three scenes edited out of Stealing Faces and The Shadow Hunter. Each scene is preceded by a brief explanation.
Stealing Faces : Kaylie's Shock Treatment
The Shadow Hunter : Abby’s Night Out
The Shadow Hunter : Abby and the Tough Guys
Stealing Faces has been optioned by Nostromo Films as a possible feature film.
Shiver, a thriller I wrote under the pen name Brian Harper, has been optioned by Cyclone Productions.
Mortal Pursuit, another thriller from my Brian Harper days, has been optioned by Cherry Road Films.
Shannon Riggs' interview with me in FictionFix
Nickie Fleming's ten-question interview with me
the transcript of my online chat, hosted by BarnesandNoble.com, focusing on the eBook version of Stealing Faces
my essay on why people write (and read) about serial killers, written for TomFolio
A list of all my online essays on a variety of subjects, including paranormal phenomena, Shakespeare, Ayn Rand, and God, can be found here.
| I was born in
1960 and grew up in New Jersey. My childhood hero was
stop-motion animation master Ray Harryhausen, and my
early ambition was to create special-effects monsters
like the ones in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Jason
and the Argonauts. I attended Wesleyan University, majoring in Film Studies, then moved to Los Angeles, where I wrote scripts for several independent producers. Only one of these films was produced. I also worked as a magazine freelancer, archival researcher, and editor, and eventually started writing books. I wrote a few horror novels (best forgotten) under a long-defunct name, then authored six titles under the pseudonym Brian Harper before switching to my new identity as Michael Prescott. |
 Posed shot of the Cyclops from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad |
My first Michael Prescott novel, Comes the Dark, grew out of my interest in ancient religion and mythology. I followed up with Stealing Faces, which made its debut as an electronic book and became the bestselling e-book in the U.S., and The Shadow Hunter, which was praised by Publishers Weekly for its "brilliant elements of psychological horror." Publishers Weekly also had kind words for Last Breath ("a chilling, character-driven tale") and Next Victim ("unrelentingly suspenseful"). In Dark Places was called a "dark, compulsive read" (Publishers Weekly), a "gripping new drama" (Cemetary Dance), and "hard to predict and thoroughly absorbing ... Michael Prescott at his best" (Round Table Reviews). With Dangerous Games, I began a trilogy about two female characters who had appeared separately in two of my earlier books. The second entry in the series, Mortal Faults, is now in stores, with the third, Final Sins, slated for release in April 2007.
I have approximately three million books in print worldwide under my various pen names. Currently I'm working on my next novel while dividing my time between the Arizona desert and the Jersey shore.
Michael Prescott bibliography:
Comes the Dark (1999)
Stealing Faces (1999)
The Shadow Hunter (2000)
Last Breath (2002)
Next Victim (2002)
In Dark Places (2004)
Dangerous Games (2005)
Mortal Faults (2006)
Final Sins (2007)
For more information, please click the book covers on the heading of each page or the links below:
| Comes the Dark | Stealing Faces | The Shadow Hunter | Last Breath | Next Victim | In Dark Places |
Last Revised: 04/24/08
