Something evil stalks the citizens of Rose Valley—not for the first time, but hopefully for the last.

WINNER: Pinnacle Book Achievement Award - Best Horror Fiction
FINALIST: Readers' Favorite Book Award - Finalist: Fiction - Paranormal

"I loved the rural setting with the town's football games and the solidity of a place where everyone knows just about everyone else, and that bucolic ordinariness makes the bizarre aspects of the story work so very well. Barnett's plot is clever and irresistible, and his book is a sheer pleasure to read. Horror, thriller and mystery fans alike will find much to their liking in this intriguing story about the unknown. The Beast of Rose Valley: Lorestalker #1 is most highly recommended." ~ Jack Magnus, Readers' Favorite Book Reviews

After suffering through a horrific car accident, Jake Rollins struggles to survive in his tiny hometown of Rose Valley—a place to which he hoped never to return.

When a sheep is viciously mutilated on the ranch where Jake is recovering, he's dragged back into the cloying politics of small town life. While the Sheriff tries to pass off the incident as the work of coyotes, Jake turns to a local reporter and old high school flame, Shandi Mason, to search for the truth.

They discover that this creature has stalked Rose Valley before, claiming nearly a century of carnage and intrigue, all starting with a shameful secret guarded over by one of the town's most respected citizens.

As livestock mutilations escalate into deadly attacks on humans, and the Sheriff organizes a foolhardy manhunt, Jake and Shandi must race to save the town from a seemingly unstoppable evil.

"The well fleshed out characters are one of the strengths of the story. The relationships between the protagonists are deftly developed without overwhelming the intriguing pursuit of the elusive beast. The narrative is simple yet engaging and the gory scenes are not too extreme or disturbing. The pacing is good and, as the plot gradually unfolds, readers will find themselves eager to connect all the dots and make early assumptions as clues appear one after the other." ~ Lit Amri, Readers' Favorite Book Reviews

EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS the first book in the critically acclaimed "Lorestalker" series of horror stories featuring creatures of lore and dark imagination. [DRM-Free]

"It was fun watching the characters dig through old articles and histories to connect past events to the current situation and try to understand its escalation. Intrigue, curiosity, surprises, and the depth of the plot will keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering if they will understand all they need to, and be able to use it in order to save those they care for." ~ K.J. Simmill, Readers' Favorite Book Reviews

Books by J.P. Barnett:

• The Beast of Rose Valley (Lorestalker - Book 1)
• The Kraken of Cape Madre (Lorestalker - Book 2)
• The Witch of Gray's Point (Lorestalker - Book 3) [Coming December 2019]

More Great Horror Fiction from Evolved Publishing:

• The Possession by A.K. Kuykendall
• The Sundered Oath Series by Ciara Ballintyne
• Godsknife: Revolt by Timothy C. Ward
• The Zombie West Trilogy by Angela Scott

AUTHOR: J.P. Barnett grew up in a tiny Texas town where the list of possible vocations failed to include published author. In second grade, he worked harder than any other student to deliver a story about a tiger cub who singlehandedly saved the U.S. Military, earning him a shiny gold star and a lifelong appreciation of telling a good story. Fast forwarding through decades of schooling and a career as a software engineer, J.P. Barnett stepped away from it all to get back to his first real passion. Years of sitting at a keyboard gifted him with some benefit, though, including blazing fast typing hands and a full tank of creativity. As a child, J.P. consumed any book he could get his hands on. The likes of Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and Dean Koontz paved the bookshelves of his childhood, providing a plethora of fantastical and terrifying tales that he read way too early in life. Though the effect these books had on his psyche could be called into question, these masters of storytelling managed to warp his mind in just the perfect way to spin a fun yarn or two. J.P. currently resides in San Antonio with his wife and hellion of a cat, both of whom look at him dubiously with some frequency.

EDITOR: A writer since age six and a professional one since nineteen, my initial editing experience came in the swarms of prose I pumped out into the world, only occasionally into the world of actual magazines, anthologies or e-zines. Soon, as I began selling more regularly, and as publishers took note of my longer works, I began freelance editing. I've edited screenplays, memoirs, novels, children's books and, would you believe it, epic narrative poetry. One of the novels I edited, "Under the Tamarind Tree," was shortlisted among nine others for the 2014 Dundee International Book Prize. A charter member of The Greater Los Angeles Writers Society (GLAWS), I am also the managing editor of the organization's official publication, Literary Landscapes, which features stories, excerpts, articles and poetry (see issues here). In addition, I belong to the editing collective Write For Success, for which I perform manuscript critiques and consultation. As an author, I have published nine novels and almost fifteen short stories.