Dead of Night, the second book in the Caretaker Trilogy, debuts on July 1. In the first book, Rune, a defector from Faeryland trying to make a new life on Main Street USA, finds himself in a mess when his old life comes back to bite him. In book two, the threats originate in the supernatural underbelly of what, for lack of a better term, we’ll call the “Real World.” That is to say, he doesn’t have to battle elves, trolls, or other faery creatures. Rather, he has to battle monsters that he grew up believing were only myths, monsters that can only exist among humans, whose overly-complicated souls sometimes splinter and create unspeakable horrors.

But the real threat is more internal and affects nearly every important character in the novel. It is the threat of failing to forgive.

Some of the monsters in Dead of Night are literal vengeance demons. Their anger and thirst for revenge fuel an unnatural life (or unlife) constantly lashing out at those who have offended them. Some characters have been wronged and have to decide whether—and how—to forgive someone who has hurt them.

What about Rune? Well, if you know how he feels about his past, maybe you can figure whom he needs to find a way to forgive.

Some of these characters rise to the challenge. Others are doomed to pursue vengeance until it destroys them.

I hope you enjoy their stories.

The night gets darker on July 1.