From Central California’s rugged and beautiful ‘Cougar Creek Coast Ranch National Monument‘ — one of the most sensitive biodiversity hotspots in North America — comes a sizzling new romantic thriller. Incident at Cougar Creek posits the fantastical question: Can mutations in epigenetic DNA activated by the recent wave of climate havoc-induced pandemics turn humans into shape shifters?
In a land where nature is unraveling, a brutal murder and a supernatural secret bring together Fish and Wildlife Officer Colin Dawson — an Army Ranger veteran struggling with PTSD — and Kumeyaay Native Delfina Cuero, a beautiful and intelligent young woman with a secret trauma of her own. Will Colin and Delfina be able to rise above their personal wounds and trust one another in time to stop the monster who killed Delfina’s mother?
Along with Delfina’s two-spirit cousin, the county’s first African American forensic pathologist, a divergent teen from the nearby organic farm, FBI agent George Chen, a California cowboy, a questionable ICE agent, and a US Marshal — Colin and Delfina embark on a quest to catch her mother’s murderer and protect the new Cougar Creek Coast Ranch National Monument from environmental ruin.
As their relationship evolves, Colin and Delfina confront their past traumas while navigating the complexities of the post-pandemic world, the rapid intensification of climate chaos, a community recovering from a recent devastating wildfire, fentanyl trafficking, and the horror of missing and murdered indigenous people.
Colin’s Inner Warrior — that part of himself he has tried to put to rest since his Army Ranger days — is called back into action when he realizes that Delfina is in grave danger — she is being hunted by the same predator who killed her mother.
Ultimately, Colin and Delfina must come to terms with a shocking truth: Have mutations in epigenetic DNA activated by the recent pandemic really turned them into shape shifters?
In the face of such existential challenges, will Colin and Delfina retreat into the vanishing wilderness to live out their lives as mountain lions, or will they find the courage to choose hope and remain human in order to defend the world they love? The answer can be found in this magical tale at the fiery intersection of Ecological Thriller and Romantasy: Incident at Cougar Creek.
Mary’s newest romantic thriller, Incident at Cougar Creek, will be launched sometime in 2025 by Paper Angel Press. Don’t miss the launch! Watch our Facebook, Instagram, and blog posts, for updates!
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