Evil Valley

Daniel Mathews was strong, industrious and honest. He was a nice guy. He was also a drug dealer. He cultivated marijuana for a living. During the course of one fateful year in the mid 1980s, Daniel would have the metal of his character tested to its limits. His illegal lifestyle was rife with treacherous pitfalls. Was it possible for him to retain his integrity and continue his dangerous business?

The tranquil and beautiful valleys of British Columbia are the setting for this story of intrigue and betrayal where Daniel Matthews resides. He farms and ranches there, his main crop consisting of the illegal plant marijuana. He has several partners, other local residents. This novel takes place over the course of one year in four parts, from summer to spring wherein Daniel questions his dangerous lifestyle - the growing and selling of marijuana. His son is sixteen, and at the age when he is exposed to marijuana and other drugs- a fact which greatly concerns Daniel. Daniel and his friends Tommy and Brian cultivate large plots of the crop and spend most of their time tending to them, and worrying about them. Numerous other neighbours in the rural area also grow the illegal herb.

An unexpected visitor, Cheyenne, arrives at Daniel's farm. He is an old friend whom they suspect has become a narcotics agent. This complicates an already dangerous situation.

Through the harrowing and dangerous summer and autumn months of growing and harvesting Daniel grows increasingly unhappy with his lifestyle. He begins to question what he does, who his friends are, and what he really wants in his life.

The climax sees Daniel discovering evidence of betrayal and perhaps even murder. His life-altering decision can no longer be postponed.

Annika from the age of 17 over a 2 year life span experiences suffocation and depression in her traditional and disciplined family. It is her father Tony whom is very controlling and lives back in time therefore, he applies his old fashion customs upon his children in which Annika being the youngest has to experience at the worst level. Annika commences her life involving the disclosure of her sister?s deepest darkest secret knowing it would be against Tony?s belief.

Like any other teenager Annika wants to gain her independency however she fails to ascertain this, since she is surrounded by her dominating father. Throughout the novel the central character is reduced to obey and if she goes against her father?s decisions Tony perceives her behaviour to be corrupted. On many occasions Annika experiences the utmost stressful events along with mesmerising moments in which she never dares to cross.

Will Tony ever change or will he remain as an authoritarian father?

Or will Annika gain her autonomy?

When Prince escapes from the house during a 4th of July party, Wade and Maggie Mitchell figure the beloved family dog will be back after he has his fun romping about the woods. And after the party breaks up, Prince does return. Wheezing, whimpering. Twitching, convulsing. Foaming greenish goop from pulsating jowls. And there are...things...moving underneath the dog's skin.

Maggie hustles the kids upstairs while Wade frantically searches the Internet for clues as to what illness the dog has contracted. And then hell straight out of a creature-feature erupts in the Mitchell family's once-idyllic household. Will Wade and Maggie be able to get the children out of the house safely...or will the worms devour them all?