Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss

Five Reasons to Avoid Everton, PA

March 12, 2018

Everton, PA is the fictional setting for my latest release, NIGHT OF THE FLOOD – a collaborative “novel in stories” featuring contributions from Rob Brunet, Gwen Florio, J.J. Hensley, Jennifer Hillier, Shannon Kirk, Sarah M. Chen, Wendy Tyson, E.A. Aymar, Jenny Milchman, Angel Colon, Mark Edwards, Alan Orloff, Hilary Davidson, and an introduction from Hank Phillippi Ryan. Here are a few reasons you might want to steer clear of Everton:

  1. The dam broke – and it wasn’t an accident: After Maggie Wilbourne became the first woman in modern times to be executed in Pennsylvania (for killing her rapists), a group of activists protested her execution by blowing up the dam. “The Daughters,” as they’re known, wanted to send a message – and they did, because now the whole town is going underwater.
  2. Things are scarier in the dark: As the water slowly submerges the town over a period of twenty-four hours (during which all the stories are set), the electricity is going out, too. The residents of the town have two choices: hunker down and try to wait it out, or make a break for it, in canoes or kayaks or even a big-rig truck. But without electricity, it’s harder to tell that in some places, the water has crept up to the tops of street signs. And it’s harder to see who else might be out there.
  3. It’s a catastrophe for most – but an opportunity for some: The Night of the Flood will introduce you to some characters just trying to live through the flood – a mother desperate to protect her children, a servant who saves a life. There are also characters who discover that the flood is a threat for more reasons than the rising water – a store owner caught in a standoff, a woman in town for a funeral who learns her relative wasn’t quite who she thought (and has dangerous enemies). And finally, there are those who see the flood as cover for their own dark purposes – a thriller writer who kills to get psychological insight into his villains, a son who plans to murder his abusive, serial killer father (even knowing it will set loose the same impulses in him).
  4. There’s no way out: Over the course of twenty-four hours, the flood will continue to rise. Some will try to escape the town, but the rapidly rising water makes that a desperate proposition. And many will discover that the flood isn’t the only thing they’re running from – and some things in life are harder to escape.
  5. When the sun comes up, everything has changed: For one reporter, the flood is the story of a lifetime. But as the sun rises over Everton and the extent of the destruction and chaos becomes clear, she learns that the flood was just the beginning…

You might want to steer clear of Everton, but I hope you’ll visit vicariously through the stories in NIGHT OF THE FLOOD. Leave a comment telling me what most intrigues you about the book for a chance to win a copy of NIGHT OF THE FLOOD!

NIGHT OF THE FLOOD by Hank Phillippi Ryan, Elizabeth Heiter, E.A. Aymar, Sarah M. Chen

Night Of The Flood

A Novel in Stories

It happened the night Maggie Wilbourne was to be put to death, the first woman executed by the state of Pennsylvania in modern times. That was when a group of women, known as the Daughters, who were passionately protesting Maggie’s imprisonment struck. They blew up a local dam, flooding the town of Everton and indirectly inspiring a hellish night of crime and chaos.

Fourteen of today’s most exciting crime fiction writers will take you to the fictional town of Everton, with stories from criminals, cops, and civilians that explore the thin line between the innocent and the guilty, the rich and the poor, the insider and the outsider. Whether it’s a store owner grimly protecting his property from looters, an opportunistic servant who sees her time to strike, or two misguided youths taking their anger out against any available victim, THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD is an intricate and intimate examination of the moment when chaos is released–in both society and the human spirit.

Mystery [Down & Out Books, On Sale: March 5, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781946502513]

About Elizabeth Heiter

Elizabeth Heiter

Critically acclaimed and award-winning author ELIZABETH HEITER likes her suspense to feature strong heroines, chilling villains, psychological twists, and a little bit (or a lot!) of romance. Her research has taken her into the minds of serial killers, through murder investigations, and onto the FBI Academy’s shooting range. Her novels have been published in more than a dozen countries and translated into eight languages; they’ve also been shortlisted for the HOLT Medallion, the Daphne Du Maurier award, the National Readers’ Choice award and the Booksellers’ Best award and won the RT Reviewers’ Choice award. Learn more:

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