Scorched Earth (The Halo Trilogy Book 2)
by Kathleen McFall, Clark Hays
Rights Sold
Description
Awards & Endorsements
Author(s)
Kathleen McFall
Related Titles
| Publisher | Pumpjack Press |
| Publication | Feb 14, 2021 |
| Format | Paperback/Softback |
| ISBN | 978-1734519730 |
| Pages | 320 |
| Dimensions | 5.25 x 8 in |
| Age | Adult 18+ |
| Price | $15.95 |
Scorched Earth (The Halo Trilogy Book 2)
A MURDER ON MARS LEADS TO HELL ON EARTH
The year is 2188 and the Earth—long-ago abandoned for Mars by the plutocrats—is scorched by poverty, disease and environmental collapse. Meanwhile, the red planet is a flourishing playground for the Five Families who, thanks to Halo—an advanced AI—control everything and everyone on Earth, including Crucial Larsen, a disillusioned labor cop.
The wealthy elite of Mars don't know that on his last trip up-universe, Crucial stumbled onto a secret that could destroy them. Yet, despite fervent pleas from his sister (a leader in the resistance), Crucial believes fighting back against the Five Families is a fool's game destined for failure—or worse. Plus, he never wants to set foot on that damn planet again.
Then Melinda, his long-lost love and a staff scientist on Mars, begs for his help clearing her fiancée of a murder charge. Crucial jumps on the next quantum rocket, hoping maybe this time he can patch things up with Mel. His investigation ultimately leads back to Earth's radiation-blasted sunbelt, where cannibal lizard-people—a genetic experiment gone terribly wrong—hold the key to a different future, if only Crucial can stay alive long enough to unlock it.
This is the second book in a three-part series. The first book (Gates of Mars) and the third book (Mars Adrift) have been published and are also available for licensing.
Reviews, Awards & Endorsements
Media coverage
"Scorched Earth sets fire to the Halo Trilogy. Crucial's personal brand of humanity is the driving force behind the success of the Halo Trilogy. In a bleak future dominated by everything that is bad about our society, Crucial Larsen clings to decency and loyalty in a world that could care less with a stubbornness that is as irritating as it is endearing. And as he blunders through life armed only with his wits and a love/hate relationship with everything he holds dear, the future of Earth's existence hangs in the balance. " East Oregonian
Please refer to the first book in this series, Gates of Mars, for a complete listing of awards and media coverage: https://dropcap.com/book/edit/38265
Author
Kathleen McFall
Kathleen McFall is an American author and artist. She was born, raised, and educated in Washington, D.C., and later moved to Portland, Oregon, where she lives with her writing and life partner, Clark Hays, an author and poet. Their thirteen co-authored genre fiction novels (horror, alt-history, science fiction and romance) have received several distinguished awards, including from Kirkus Reviews, and Kathleen is the recipient of a fiction fellowship from Oregon Literary Arts.
Gates of Mars (the first book in the Halo Trilogy) has sold thousands of copies and is now experiencing a surge. Lifetime sales of the Cowboy and Vampire Collection have surpassed 30,000 units, and the first book in the Bonnie and Clyde Trilogy (Resurrection Road) is now under a shopping/development contract for potential film production.
Kathleen and Clark are the founders of Pumpjack Press, a small indie press in Portland, through which they mentor emerging authors.
They are active on Facebook, Instagram and Threads with nearly 12,000 followers combined.
Kathleen is a full voting member of the Authors Guild, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association and the Horror Writers Association.