Synopsis

Abyssal Tides is a supernatural mystery that takes place in modern day Massachusetts. It follows a group of strangers thrust into the jaws of the unknown.

Walter Steincraft, last king of the Arcons, has been hunting a creature so foul it's name has been stripped away in disgrace. They call it simply "The Fallen One". This monster has destroyed his entire way of life leaving the once proud Arcons, ascended humans with the capabilities of gods, nothing more than a dim memory. At first he wanted justice, now he thirsts for revenge.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, something is wrong on Steincraft Island.

The Rangers of the North Atlantic assemble for their annual camping trip, but as soon as the kids set foot on the island terrible magics begin to spin into motion. As darkness falls the only life line to civilization explodes stranding all in the middle of nowhere. With no power and no phones, the only hope of escape lies in the ancient mansion on the hill, Walter's ancestral home, but inside the residents are close to a secret that hasn't seen the light of day in thousands of years. A secret "The Fallen One" has spent decades preparing for.

Since history began there has been a plan for it's end.

Humanity's first enemies have returned.

Now the only line of defense is a stoic psychiatrist, an eccentric painter, a cook who hears voices, a camp counselor with a dark past, a sailor suffering from terrifying dreams, and a lost kid. All will be tested. All will find their destiny.

A mystery from the depths of the abyss.

This novel has been a work of love. I've always loved fantasy and mystery and this is my opportunity to share that love with the world.

Ever since I read
At the Mountains of Madness as a kid I have had an intense love for the work of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. His ability to lead the reader on a journey to the brink of sanity has always stuck with me, but he is by no means my only influence. In my youth I also greatly enjoyed the work of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. His ability to weave a story based largely on folklore, but unique in it's scope and form shaped me as a young writer and drew me ever towards the realm of fantasy. I would spend hours imagining I was a young wizard alone in the world with only my wits and magic to keep me both safe and sane.
So without giving too much away allow me to leave you with this. In the fight against the all consuming dark that awaits us all and the Human world it cares nothing for we won't just have guns and armies to protect us. We'll have magic. But beware, because like the sailors of the ancient world were so fond of putting on their maps, Here be Dragons.

Outline

Check out msbutler.org for a first look at the third chapter!

Since Abyssal Tides is a mystery novel I won't include a complete list of chapters, but I will layout how the book will be structured. The chapters jump from main character to main character even going inside the villain's head at times. 

The first chapter follows Walter Steincraft in his search for "The Fallen One". After ten years he's finally closing in and is fully prepared to bring it the justice it deserves when it slips through his fingers at the last moment.

The next ten chapters mostly follow Jay Davies, an eccentric sailor whose horrific dreams haunt him nightly, as he tries to sort out what they could mean. He seeks the help of Dr. Belle Matigan, a psychiatrist who specializes in dream imagery, and agrees to meet her for a session at her remote mansion office, Steincraft Estate, off the coast of Massachusetts. During his session the other residents of the house, including the owner Cassandra Amethyst "Raven" Wellington, a wealthy socialite with a penchant for the arts, and Eric Andrews, a cook who hears a snarky voice in his head, are introduced. 

At the same time Dan Chambers, a counselor with a mysterious past, sits in the back of a Rangers of the North Atlantic bus headed for the island. Before they even make it over the bridge a bully, Frank Scarbardos, picks a fight with the weird kid, Felix Folderson. After Dan breaks up the fight and they're feet touch soil one thing becomes abundantly clear to Felix. 

Something is wrong on this island.

Felix wants nothing more than to leave this terrible place, but his escape is cut short when the bridge explodes and collapses into the sea stranding him and everyone else on the island with no phones and no power. 

The rest is a mad dash to find out the secrets of the island and escape back to civilization. Heroes will rise and heroes will fall over the course of a single night on Steincraft Island. 

Audience

The primary market for this novel would be anyone who loves fantasy and mystery. In recent years fantasy has made a real comeback with the popularity of the hard fantasy works of George R. R. Martin and the urban fantasy works of Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, and others. This novel would fit comfortably on the shelf next to these wildly popular novels as it combines elements of both styles. 

The market is ready for new fantasy. Harry Potter has waned and George R. R. Martin is on hiatus leaving room for a new brand to take it's place. While not entirely a swords and horses fantasy novel, 
Abyssal Tides contains several of the things that fans of that genre love. It has terrible magics, monsters with culture, an expansive and slowly revealed backstory just to name a few. Similarly it has many of the favorite elements of urban fantasy such as modern day lingo and references, intelligently wielded magic, and an overall feeling of urgency and dread.
Ultimately anyone who loves a well crafted story will enjoy
Abyssal Tides, but no one more so than fantasy lovers. The rabid fans who made Marvel one of the most successful movie studios in history are the very same fans who would be hooked by this novel. 

Promotion

I plan to use a three tier strategy to promote
Abyssal Tides , covering four of the most popular social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Every day I plan to post exclusive content to each of the platforms following a daily theme. Some of the themes include "Get to know a character" and "Steincraft Island". For the first two weeks I'll post quick, easily digestible pieces of exclusive content such as quick character bios, pictures, short videos, etc., following the same daily theme. 
After the first two weeks I plan to launch a video campaign entitled "Who is The Fallen One?" which chronicles the events leading up to 
Abyssal Tides. In addition I will run a week long contest to meet a preorder goal, rewarding the readers with exclusive content at it's conclusion.
During the fourth week I'll launch my "Countdown to Doom" campaign in which I'll post exclusive video interviews with myself and beta readers who greatly enjoyed what they've read. That coupled with a final contest will be the final push to hit the preorder goal.

Competition

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin is quite similar to Abyssal Tides in a few ways. They both share immersive worlds and intense characters and both build tension by not protecting the main characters, however they differ in several key areas as well. Abyssal Tides takes place in modern day Massachusetts not a fantasy realm distant from Earth and plays off of the modern way of life, it also contains a lot more magic than Game of Thrones  pulling the reader in from chapter one.
Storm Front by Jim Butcher is about a downtrodden detective Wizard named Harry Dresden, he uses his abilities to solve crimes in his home city of Chicago and faces down against all manner of evil monsters. In a way, Abyssal Tides is very similar. They both have strong main characters, take place in a version of the modern day, and they both use magic as a key element. The difference lies in the setting and the tone. Abyssal Tides takes place on an island in the middle of nowhere and feels very apocalyptic. Around every corner there is something new that the characters have to face and overcome leading to a very oppressive and terrifying feel.
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison follows the story of a witch named Rachel. She lives in a world where supernatural creatures are treated as second class citizens and fights to protect them through her detective agency. Very similar to Storm Front it differs in it's approach to the supernatural. Kim Harrison depicts them as offshoots of humanity, genetic missteps or evolutionary triumphs. Abyssal Tides takes a very similar approach. The creatures aren't just mindless demons bent on destruction, they have hopes and dreams and cultures. Abyssal Tides takes it one step further by depicting what a conflict on a global scale would look like between the supernatural and the Human worlds.
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling has very similar elements to Abyssal Tides. They both make heavy use of magic and follow characters who are thrust into the unknown and forced to learn as quickly as they can or be destroyed. Unlike Harry Potter, Abyssal Tides is 100% for adults. It has a much darker tone and takes the reader into the depths of madness and it's effect on the Human psyche.
The Stand by Stephen King depicts the final battle between Good and Evil. It follows a group of survivors looking for salvation after a virus eliminates most of Humanity. Like Abyssal Tides it covers a battle for world dominance pitting a group of strangers against an unstoppable evil. Where they differ is on the make up of the final battle. Rather than a battle between Good and Evil, Abyssal Tides pits the supernatural world against the Human world in spectacular fashion.