Beware! A new book of unbelievable horror is on the horizon! A book about the most terrifying of creatures: CATS! J.W. Donley unleashes Cats of the Pacific Northwest on the world Tuesday, July 20th, 2021.
“Thanks to Donley, I’ll have to look at my cats with a raised eyebrow from now on. Cats of the Pacific Northwest is unnerving and has visuals that will creep up your brain stem in the dead of night.”
~Shane Hawk, author of Anoka
To further entice all of you adventurous readers, here is a sneak peek at the start of the story:
“Well. What happened?” Emma asked when Daniel entered the bar. She’d tried to drag some details about Daniel’s adventure in the alley, but Daniel brushed it off.
“It was nothing. He ran off once he realized I was sticking around.”
Emma’s smile flattened a bit as she processed his lie.
“So, how’d you do on the psych final?” Daniel redirected their conversation amongst the raucous crowd surrounding them inside the bar.
“D for degree, am I right?” Emma said and took a long draw from a fresh bottle of domestic. Her cheeks were extra rosy already.
“Damn right,” said Daniel, clanking his bottle against hers with a goofy grin spreading across his face. Crisis averted.
Emma sat her beer on the bar and placed her hands on Daniel’s thigh. “I have an idea. How about tomorrow, you and me, we go backpacking!”
Daniel’s goofy grin faded. “In winter? Where you thinking?”
“I’ve always wanted to overnight out on the peninsula. You in? Come on. Let’s do it. You know you want some of this out in the woods.” She used her hands to outline her torso while giving him a wink.
He couldn’t disagree with a suggestion like that.
He chuckled. “I’ve never camped in winter. There could be wombats or weasels or wildcats out there.”
“Sure, or fanged rabbits ravaging wayward wanderers. Either way, I know you’ll save me from the wildebeests.” She punched his shoulder.
He could build a campfire and set up camp for them. It sounded like a romantic romp. Plus they could zip their sleeping bags together.
Daniel took a long swig and wiped his beer moistened lips with the back of his sleeve. “You know what? Let’s do it. I’ll rent the gear first thing the morning.”
“Okay, Mr. Woodsman. Do you know what gear to rent?” She clasped her hands behind Daniel’s neck and pulled him close for a kiss.
“Mostly, I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” He leaned in to close the final gap and press his lips to hers, breathing in the evening’s beer fumes of her breath.
She broke away and slapped a twenty on the counter.
“Keep the change!” she yelled over the music to the bartender filling pints at the other end of the bar. She then grabbed Daniel’s hand and pulled him up from the stool.
“You’re staying at my place tonight. Yours is too far,” she whispered in his ear.
Just outside the brewery’s entrance, Daniel halted against Emma’s pulling arm. A woman stood in the window of the 50s-themed diner across the street, staring, unmoving. The yellow light of the sodium streetlamps gave her an ominous look, illumining her perfectly curled hair, the tip of a nose, and the front of a red-checkered dress.
“Is that woman staring at us?” Daniel asked with a nudge of his head.
“That? Nah. Just some mannequin they use to put pies on display in the window. You should take me there sometime. My ex brought me there for cherry pie last year. The inside gave me the creeps, though. They have a porcelain doll collection in a glass case by the register. So creepy. But really good pie.”
“That mannequin is creepy enough for me. That pie better be worth it. Now, didn’t we have other plans?” said Daniel, remembering Emma’s promise of a night at her place.
Five stray cats sat at the base of a dumpster next to the diner, watching Daniel and Emma skip over the puddled sidewalk toward Emma’s apartment. Once the couple was out of their sight, the coal-black cat in the center with only one eye returned to cleaning its shattered paw.
Without further delay, here is the fantabulous cover for Cats of the Pacific Northwest…
The illustration work was done by the amazing Leo Corbett. You will see more of his work between the covers.
And, as a special bonus, here is the illustration used for the cover, which will also be printed somewhere within.
You can pre-order the e-book on Amazon now. The print version will be available for order on the day of release.
One last thing before you go. Would you like a chance at a free copy of this amazing new book? If so, be sure to sign up for J.W.’s newsletter. He will be giving away two free e-copies and one paperback to those chosen randomly from his newsletter subscribers. Sign up here!
J.W. Donley lives with his wife and son in the Pacific Northwest where the Cascade Mountains meet the Salish Sea. He enjoys writing in the weird, horror, and fantasy genres.
Growing up he enjoyed R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps books as well as classics like Dune, and Lord of the Rings. Later he discovered Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves and authors like Clive Barker and Laird Barron.
J.W.’s short stories have appeared in anthologies from both Dim Shores and HOWL Society Press.
Find J.W. at his website or on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook
Leo Thomas Corbett is an illustrator based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He attended the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma, where he earned his BFA with a focus on Illustration.
He is currently working a full time job in addition to pursuing his artistic ambitions. His influences are numerous, ranging from Dore to Francis Bacon. His work is mainly creature and character design.
Find Leo at his website