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Reader’s Favorite 5-Star Book!
The Beached Ones
Coming from CamCat Books on June 14, 2022!
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(Available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audio.)
HE CAME BACK, DETERMINED TO KEEP HIS PROMISE.
Daniel and his younger brother grew up in an abusive home. Daniel escaped. Now an established stunt rider, he intends to go back to rescue his younger brother. But then one jump goes
horribly wrong . . .
He recovers to find himself in Iowa, unscathed, yet his life has
drastically changed. His best friend won’t answer his calls. Even his girlfriend is hiding something. Increasingly terrified, he clings to the one thing he knows: He must pick up his brother in San Francisco. In five days.
From the isolating fields of Iowa to the crowded streets of San Francisco, Daniel must fight his way through a fog of disjointed memories and supernatural encounters to face the truth and pay a debt he didn’t know he owed.
“The night answered only in waves, the sand whispering hush.”
Pre-Publication Awards
- 3rd place unpublished novel, the Arizona Authors Literary Contest (read about it here)
- Finalist novel-in-progress, PNWA International Literary Contest (read about it here)
- Finalist, Top-of-the-Mountain Book Award, Northern Colorado Writers
What People Are Saying
“A fascinating journey that blurs the boundaries between fantasy and reality. Story deftly treads the razor’s edge between life and death and the in-between with sharply drawn characters and an ending that will touch your heart.”
~ Doug Copsey, Writer/Producer/Director; Founder, Idaho Writers Guild
“A suspenseful ghost story that takes the reader on an existential tightrope walk to an emotionally charged ending.”
~Lance Thompson, Ghostwriter and Script Doctor
“Promises, grief, letting go, and the power of aiding others are all prominent themes here. Those who wish for closure or to know what happens when a loved one dies will empathize strongly with Daniel and Jolene as they struggle to face their truths and pay their debts.”
~Booklist
Audio Review
“This was both gripping and mystifying….I found the book hard to put down. It provokes many emotions; sorrow, amusement, bemusement…. But the one thing that glows true throughout is Daniel’s love for Tony…. Be warned that this is a story that will hold you and wrench your heartstrings.”
~Frances, BookSirens reviewer
“The Beached Ones by Colleen M. Story is a major achievement in fantasy and paranormal novel-writing, which verges on magic realism with its narrative techniques. The author’s world-building and characterization are two absorbing and intriguing features. Story has penned a work that is at once spellbinding, enigmatic, yet literary. It’s a book that mesmerizes—you won’t be able to cease following the emotional saga until the very end, despite feelings of anguish and enormous heartache.”
~~Nina Romano, Pushcart Prize nominee and author of The Secret Language of Women and The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley
“This profound and heart-rending novel satisfies on multiple levels. It’s an inspiring story of a brotherly bond that only strengthens when tested, a chilling glimpse into the heart of evil, and a riveting exploration of the mysteries and possibilities of the afterlife. Through the moving personal journeys of the central characters, it shows how the power of love may transcend even death, and how even when we are immersed in darkness, there is reason to hold onto hope and look for the light. This book continues to haunt me, in the best of ways.”
–Beth Castrodale, award-winning author of Marion Hatley, In This Ground, and I Mean You No Harm
“In my opinion, The Beached Ones is author Colleen M. Story’s strongest work of fiction to date.”
~Marilyn R. Wilson, Book Reviewer, Published Author and Speaker
“I know Colleen Story primarily for her prize-winning nonfiction, but she is equally talented when writing fiction as she proves here when examining the powerful bond between two brothers and the ramifications of childhood neglect and abuse. Her captivating prose successfully mixes an emotionally rich tale of love and forgiveness with supernatural twists that will keep you guessing to the very end. Part ghost story and part literary drama, the final chapters will leave you breathless.”
~PJ Dempsey, Freelance Editor and former Senior Editor, Random House and John Wiley & Sons
“The Beached Ones is a journey through self-discovery and allows you to discover the things that matter without imposing the weight of oversentimentality. Its fantastic element is grounded enough for you to embrace it, and make you believe that strange things are part of what constitutes our corporeal experience. While films and novels have used the premise about ghosts with unfinished business, the plot that Colleen M. Story presents is a new angle. The characterization is excellent which is further deepened by Story’s good structure. Daniel as a protagonist comes alive in the most interesting way. His will to retrieve his brother due to a strong sense of fraternal bond generates the kind of motivation that stirs a good conflict. This book crosses fantasy with drama in a story that you will not put down until you finish the last page.”
~Vincent Dublado for Reader’s Favorite Book Awards
The Beached Ones, a novel by Colleen Story (CamCat Books), has at its heart a deeply moving love story. Daniel is on a quest to rescue his ten-year-old brother, Tony, from a life of poverty and abuse. That story line is compelling enough to keep readers riveted, but Story’s novel is also a tour de force of world-building prowess. When Daniel first awakens in Iowa, “Magpies croaked their disapproval from a clump of cottonwood trees …” Later, confused about why he’s sitting in front of a particular hotel, “the Ford 150 pulled into the parking lot. It looked intimidating, the shiny grill an open mouth baring its fangs.” In the back a Suzuki is “strapped down so it couldn’t escape.” When he returns to his home in Montana in hopes of helping his brother, Daniel instead finds, “Winter hadn’t completely loosened its grip… The Season held on in the gray clouds and the sharp air, and the white mantles on the mountains, the trailer homes still shrouded in hibernating silence, the sounds of living muted, as if the place had been evacuated and he was looking at the remains of a community long gone.” From mermaid fountains in Sin City to fog shrouding the Golden Gate bridge, the world building alone compels you to stay on this journey. And you won’t be disappointed.
~Scott Driscoll, writer and creative writing instructor (University of Washington), winner of nine Society of Professional Journalists awards
“The Beached Ones is a ghost story that breaks a lot of rules, plays with your expectations and keeps surprising you…It’s also a book that made me ask existential questions – about what it is to be alive or dead, to have agency, to be visible, to be known….
The book is exquisitely plotted. There are twists throughout, and I didn’t see them coming. Events and relationships cross in unexpected ways that always make absolute sense as one reaches their conjunction. Nothing feels forced in this story, despite the labyrinthine contortions that it actually accomplishes.
This is a truly beautiful book.”
~Carly Rheilan, Goodreads Review
“This one grabbed my attention right away and held it right through to the satisfying conclusion. Daniel’s love for his brother, and his need to rescue him from an unhealthy home life is a central thread that drives the story forward. Told through flashbacks of then interspersed with what is happening now the story unfolds in a most surprising way and although the story deals with suicide it leaves you with a powerful sense of hope, love and understanding. I really enjoyed this one and have a feeling it’s going to stay with me for quite a while. And while it deals with sensitive themes it handles them in a real and respectful way.”
~David Morgan, Goodreads Review
“Lots of complicated characters, combined with a serious subject matter, and the paranormal make this a fantastic read.”
~Debbie Rozier, Goodreads Review
“Told between flashbacks and current events, don’t plan on putting this one down. The emotional roller coaster of emotions is fueled by twists and turns. The only thing that doesn’t waver is the character’s undying love for his brother. A great read that won’t be soon forgotten.”
~Kim Wilch, Goodreads Review
“I’ll start with a four word description: THOUGHT PROVOKING PAGE TURNER!
I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and I’m still thinking about it regularly. This book is dark and heavy but beautiful. It stirred up so many emotions for me and even more questions. I don’t read many books with paranormal activity but I am so glad that I read this one. The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat throughout and I found the ending very satisfying. This would be a great choice for book clubs because readers will want to talk about it after finishing.”
~Christy Taylor, Goodreads Review
“What a great book! I am in awe of Colleen Story.
Daniel wakes up on a beach in LA, totally disoriented and having no idea how he got there, only remembering that something happened at his motorcycle stunt show. He also feels compelled to get to San Francisco to get his younger brother from summer camp…How the story develops from here is a wonder to behold. A mix of ghost story and the supernatural, it is also above all the story of Daniel’s fierce love for his younger brother, and his attempts to rescue him from the hellhole of a home they grew up in. Heartbreaking and unputdownable, The Beached Ones careens from surprise to surprise, with an ending that came out of nowhere and nearly reduced me to tears.
My thanks to CamCat Books, and to Netgalley, for providing an ARC of this truly wonderful novel.”
~Ira Smith, Goodreads Review
“…I rarely read the synopsis before diving into a book… I had no idea what I was walking into and I was blown away by this story! … The story is not at all what I expected and yet I couldn’t put it down! I had to know what was coming next. Such a unique read!”
~Bookish Heidi, Goodreads Review
“The Beached Ones is masterfully crafted and plotted to explore sibling bonds, grief, love, and redemption before harrowing revelations lead to an explosive ending. A thoroughly absorbing and thought-provoking read. A definite 5-stars.”
~Joanna Elm, Goodreads Review
“This story was powerful – it moved me to tears many times and it also forces you to stop and reflect (I love novels like this!)… It is a definite must read novel!”
~Carla, Goodreads Review
“OK where are my blanket and tissues. Oh my heart….
Colleen Story brings us on a supernatural journey. One of mystery, pain, revelation and ultimately…hope. I wholeheartedly loved the writing and the story. Not even going to lie, by the very last paragraph I was bawling.
This just happened to be a story that found it’s way to me at the right time. It’s not an easy story in some parts but it’s definitely one I’ll recommend.”
~Angel White, Amazon Review
“Normally, I’m not that much into supernatural stories, but this one got me right from page one. Do you know the feeling when you enter a hall of mirrors? You somehow sense the way, but run into every mirror and feel something between frustration and ambition to find the way out. It’s the same with this story. You have an idea in which direction the story could go, but everytime you think ‘I got it’, the story makes another turn and confronts you with a complex structure of different – and partly – contradictory emotions of the protagonists.
The emotions are the main characteristic of ‘The beached ones’. It’s rare that even the minor characters stand out with such a specific outline. That brings the story to another level because you know that every page and every action of the characters will push you through the story with a never ending energy.
The underlying idea of the story is not anything new, but I really enjoyed how it was wrapped into these several layers of flashbacks, suspicion, anger and also hope and this mixture is also the reason why ‘The beached ones’ must be on your reading-list.”
~Anni, Goodreads review
“The Beached Ones is a remarkable and beautifully written exploration of love and loss, friendship, family, damnation, redemption…Much of the book is a dreamlike journey towards that end, full of disconnected incident, obstacles, frustrations and yearning. Interspersed are flashbacks of memory, through which the terrible truth of Daniel’s story is not only revealed to the reader but confronted by Daniel himself. In counterpoint to this, there is deepening but troubled relationship with an ex-girlfriend…. Supernatural components are important but not overdone. There are themes of suicide and the book may be an unwise choice for vulnerable readers, but it is ultimately a brave, redemptive and life-affirming story, both haunting and memorable.”
~Isobel Blackthorn
“I pride myself on being quite a hard nut. I find cynicism much more comfortable than sentiment. I’m not given to being overwhelmed. But this is a quite remarkable book. The writing is exceptional. The premise – which seems so simple at the start – is complex and intricate…It’s a book about the love of an older brother for a younger one, a love that cannot be crushed by anyone’s death. It’s a book about what it means to make terrible choices, terrible mistakes, and to live on after them, or not. There are moments in this book that made me shudder, moments that made me clench my heart because they were almost unbearable. Other moments that were lyrical and made me smile.
Seriously, this is a beautiful book.”
~De Gevallene, Goodreads Review
“The Beached Ones by Colleen M. Story is an exciting adventure, following Daniel as he tries to cope with what seems to be the end of his life…With well-rounded and realistic characters dealing with real, though supernaturally charged, issues the author has made it easy to relate to the characters. The story itself floats along at a comfortable pace, giving you just enough action throughout the book to keep you turning the pages. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to touch the other side for a little bit. Pick up this novel and you will enjoy it.”
~Tawny Molina, Amazon review
“If I listened to trigger warnings I wouldn’t have read this book. Oh no, oh no, anyone who has ever considered suicide should never read this book. Well, I have, but I did. It didn’t trigger me, it gave me a sense of understanding, perspective, forgiveness. It’s a difficult story, but life is difficult and that’s OK. It’s a book about someone who’s had a difficult life – not unfamiliar, just difficult – and has made bad decisions. As the many plot twists unfold (it’s a very twisty story) more and more bad decisions are revealed, by different people, different times. The way they come together is unexpected, could never have been predicted. But its very real. We all live with our bad decisions. Some of us die with them, but on the whole it’s better to live.”
~LS, Goodreads Review
“Wow. This book will haunt me for quite a while. A very somber read. One thing that impresses me the most is the absolute control the author has over the plot. So many tendrils, many unclear and out of focus but by the end, and what a magnificent end, they all combine together into a gorgeous literary tapestry of love, loss and redemption. Highly recommended.”
~Kyle, Goodreads Review
“…While I love books with the paranormal and mysteries, it is the phenomenal characterization which made this book an incredible read. Every emotion was evoked and whirled around and had me so wrapped up in the story.”
~Christine, Goodreads Review
“The Beached Ones is a ghost story at heart, a touching tale of lives caught between living and dead…I was caught up in the story from the beginning and was swept along by each new reveal…. I admit to shedding some tears at the end, but they were good tears. The Beached Ones is well written and nicely paced. I look forward to reading more of Story’s fiction.”
~Pat, Amazon Review