Black Tide

Wow. This read felt like being in a movie theater — all of the horrors larger than life, swallowing me whole. Me — wide-eyed and on the edge of my seat, muttering 'oh no' beneath my breath. This is a monster movie of a book. But in the deft hands of K. C. Jones, it's also a character study of two flawed people who find their reason to live at the end of the world. Cancel your plans and get comfy, you're in for a wild ride. Recommended By Heather A., Powells.com

A character-driven science fiction/horror blend, KC Jones' Black Tide is Stephen King's The Mist meets A Quiet Place.

It was just another day at the beach. Then the world ended.

Mike and Beth were strangers before the night of the meteor shower. Chance made them neighbors, a bottle of champagne brought them together, and a shared need for human connection sparked something more.

Following their drunken and desperate one-night stand, the two discover the astronomical event has left widespread destruction in its wake. But the cosmic lightshow was only part of something much bigger, and far more terrifying.

When a lost car key leaves them stranded on an empty stretch of Oregon coast and inhuman screams echo from the dunes, when the rising tide reaches for their car and unspeakable horrors close in around them, these two self-destructive souls must fight to survive a nightmare of apocalyptic scale.

This is gasp-for-your-breath, peek-through-your-fingers horror, and I loved every page of it. —Jonathan Janz, author of The Siren and the Specter

"[A] snark-filled romp through a postapocalyptic world. The sarcastic, self-deprecating characters and quirky setup set this first contact tale apart." Publishers Weekly

"The characters are so perfectly crafted, which makes their nightmare scenario even more frightening and seemingly possible. I held my breath for them every time I turned the page." S.A. Barnes, author of Dead Silence

"Jones' debut novel reads like a summer blockbuster stuffed with adrenaline-pumping action scenes and moments of heart-stopping suspense." BookPage

"Black Tide is cinematic, fast-paced, pedal-to-the-metal storytelling: I found myself gasping!" Ally Wilkes, author of All the White Spaces

"Black Tide is a droptop-down, pedal-to-the-floor joyride through hell. It'll blast your hair back....A horror beach read like no other." Nat Cassidy, author of Mary

"Jones' debut novel unfolds like a movie, a terrifying nightmare come to life, an intense, realistic portrayal of an alien invasion. The action-oriented, blisteringly fast-paced plot is authentically rendered." Booklist

"Black Tide is the ultimate walk-of-shame straight to the end of the world, equal parts cataclysmic thrill ride and acerbic character study." Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Whisper Down the Lane

"A wickedly fun, gut-shot punch of a story with whip-smart dialogue and breathtakingly tense action sequences. Don't miss it." Philip Fracassi, author of Boys in the Valley

"A superb, fast-paced read that will compel readers to quickly devour the book.... Excellent writing, a consuming plot, and relatable characters make this an easy recommendation for library collections where sf/horror circulates well." Library Journal

"Grab your popcorn for this one....Mayhem, masses of menacing monsters, pulsing parasitic vines...this is one gnarly day at the beach." Jeremy Robert Johnson, author of The Loop

After graduating from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas with a degree in film production, KC Jones returned to the Pacific Northwest to focus on a career in screenwriting, before making the leap to novels. When not writing, he likes to cook, explore the local wilderness, and play video and board games. Black Tide is his debut novel.