The Rifters by M. Pax and my vacation in Settler, OR!

I recently visited Settler, Oregon and I gotta say, I loved the friendly, small-town atmosphere. Nestled between extinct volcanoes, Settler is an outdoor paradise with unspoiled views, plenty of recreational activities, and wonderful people.

Now, I must admit the odd lights pulsating in the night sky were weird, but I could get used to them. Some of the people are a bit off-kilter too, but that’s not unusual if you live in the wilderness. It would be a great place to escape to. Free to start over fresh in a new town.

There’s really only one thing preventing me from packing up and moving there permanently.

It’s the rumors; whispers that shiver their way up and down your spine in the dead of night as you sleep. Rumors of a phantom, bent on murder and leaving headless corpses in its wake. Rumors of a rift in the area that shatters time itself.

Now that I’m back, it’s hard to believe in the vibes I felt while there. I look at my vacation photos and a sense of peace steals over me. Maybe I only imagined the impending doom about to befall me if I didn’t escape. I can laugh at the strangeness of it all as the sun bathes me in light.

Nighttime is different, though. My dreams tell me the truth about Settler. I wake up trembling and can’t quite remember why.

All photos posted by permission of M. Pax from her Settler, Oregon page

About The Rifters:

The Gold Rush trickles to a fool’s quest and a string of stagecoach heists. In 1888, Earl Blacke decides to make a new start and become a better man. He escapes into the mountains, heading north. In the wilds of Oregon, a rift inside an ancient volcano opens and sends him into the future, into the present day. It also shaves forty years off his age, forty years to live over again and atone for what he’s done.

Starting over is hard to do. In current day New York, Daelin Long’s dream job at a publishing house goes the way of the dinosaurs her sister chases. With no money and nowhere else to go, Daelin accepts the librarian position in her sister’s dinky town in the middle of Oregon. Nestled inside ancient volcanic peaks, the town of Settler holds onto many secrets. Residents roam the streets with weirdly fashioned devices, and odd lights pulse in the night skies. People whisper of a phantom outlaw and start dying, murdered and missing their heads. On top of it all, Daelin’s sister is missing, and Daelin doesn’t know who to trust.

Earl knows more than he’s saying. He shares a notorious history with the phantom, one he’ll see remains buried. Keeping Daelin’s sister’s secrets is his only chance at redemption, and the only way to keep this world safe.

The Rifters is available for FREE! It doesn't get better than that so make sure you grab it. The second book in the series, The Initiate, will be available October 20, 2014. It’s up for preorder for a special price at iTunes, Amazon, and B&N. Check HERE for links. Giveaways and events are ongoing through October 31, 2014. Check HERE for details.

Links: Amazon / AmazonUK / B&N / Smashwords /Googleplay / iTunes / Other Outlets

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About M. Pax

M. Pax is author of the space adventure series The Backworlds, plus other novels and short stories. Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons  to her, and she blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers as a star guide, has a cat with a crush on Mr. Spock, and is slightly obsessed with Jane Austen. Learn more at mpaxauthor.com.