SNAKE MOON is my next journey into novel writing. It is a Civil War ghost story. A tale of the supernatural, forbidden love, and man's greed and folly set in the South of 1863. The idea came from my interest in things Americana, the world of phantoms, and the possibility of transubstantiation. Could the world of solidity somehow be joined by the world of the shades? And what is it that drives men to risk everything for the feeding of their egos? Rick Valentine is the co-writer.

Rick Valentine and I have worked together on other projects: The screenplay for LOVE HER MADLY, my feature film directorial debut, - and I optioned his screen adaptation of the classic Russian novel THE MASTER AND MARGARITA by M. Bulgakov. We also pumped iron and shot baskets at the Sports Club LA on Olympic Blvd in West LA. He is a good friend and a great talent.

We wrote SNAKE MOON as a film script and then, after I couldn't sell it as a Hollywood or indy flick (Cold Mountain had just come out and put a halt to all other Civil War projects - big bucks to make and no return), I decided to turn it into a novel using both my new words and Valentine's original script. Our friend Rick Schmidlin was to have been the producer of the film, as he was the producer and story creator of LOVE HER MADLY.

The novel is slated for release in April as a $23.95 hardcover. There will be a $49 signed/limited edition as well. The Limited edition will feature an extra sketch by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola (who did the cool cover art), and an extra short story by Ray. It will be signed by both Ray and Mike and limited to 250 copies. The regular hardcover edition will be available most anywhere, but the limited will only be available directly from Night Shade Books, or from a handful of specialty dealers.

The year is 1863. Deep in the backwoods of Coker County, Tennessee, farmer Boone Dillard and his family live in ritualistic harmony with the earth and its seasons, content to eke out a living from the land, unaware even of the Civil War that engulfs the nation around them... that is, until Boone is seduced by a mysterious traveling peddler's dulcet promises of fame, fortune, and glory. As Boone and his hulking yet childlike brother-in-law Jebber set forth in search of their destiny, they set into motion a haunting and disturbing chain of events that threatens to tear the family apart, awaken restless ghosts, and alter the course of their lives forever. From rock and roll legend Ray Manzarek comes Snake Moon, a bewitching and ghostly Civil War-era parable of Eden. Snake Moon stunningly blends ancient myth and fable with

the charm and voice of rustic Americana and exposes themes of violence, heroism, and the loss of innocence amid the horrors of war with captivating intensity that builds to a stunning and unforgettable climax.