The Unearthed, by Brian O'Rourke

Dear Listener,

We're pretty good about not doing this usually, but it's time for us to give in and perform some shameless self-promotion. Alright, it's just me (Brian O'Rourke) doing this; Nick is not responsible in any way.

I've written a story. Well, three of them actually. The first one is terrible. The second has its moments. The third story, The Unearthed, is a paranormal thriller, with elements of mystery and horror. I've inundated agents and publishers with queries over the last five months, trying to get it picked up.

The story is starting to generate some interest: several agents are looking at "partials" and one e-publisher has offered me a contract for it. So needless to say, I'm very excited.

Of course, I'm here to plug my story, but I'm also telling you this for another very important reason. Nick and I (I can speak for Nick here) never wanted to be seen as just "two guys talking about other artists' works. " We're also both creators; in fact, we think of ourselves as creators first.

Here's a teaser for The Unearthed:

The Rosselli family has fallen victim to some bizarre, unsettling occurrences in their home. A stain that looks like blood continues to reappear on the carpet in the dining room. Talia Rosselli, wife and mother, has seen what she thinks is a ghost and has grown too scared to be in the house alone. Her husband, Jackie, has heard strange noises. And their son, Billy, is talking to an "someone," who has urged Billy to do violent things.

Tim and Eddie McCloskey are paranormal investigators. When Jackie Rosselli calls Tim for help, Tim jumps at the offer to ghost hunt. Because Tim knows about the history of the Rosselli house, and this could be his biggest case to date. For, three years ago, three members of the Moriarty family murdered each other in that house.

Eamon Moriarty is the boy that survived the “Moriarty Massacre.” He now lives with his aunt and uncle a town away. He is trying to get on with his life, but strange dreams keep waking him. He is unable to recall most of what happened on the night of the massacre. And for some reason, he feels compelled to draw pictures of his old house continuously. He fears there is something terribly wrong with him, but he does not know what it is.

This will prove to be no ordinary investigation for Tim and Eddie, as they soon discover they face the most terrifying foe of all: the unknown. They must figure out what type of haunting they are dealing with—residual, intelligent, poltergeist, or something else entirely—before it is too late. Because as the investigation moves forward, Tim and Eddie discover some shocking similarities between the Moriarties and the Rossellis. And Tim begins to wonder if the Moriarty Massacre is destined to repeat itself, and if he has the power to keep that from happening.


If you are interested in reading the first few chapters of The Unearthed, send me an email at montecristo42@hotmail.com. I would offer to post the story electronically or put up excerpts, but in light of potential contractual obligations, I don't want to set myself up for any future legal entanglements.

Thanks for all your continued support of Four Stories!

Brian, The Guy With the Jersey Accent on Four Stories