AVAILABLE NOW in both hardcopy and ebook download is The Crows’ Omen, a debut novel by Jerry Potocnik.  It is a work of historical fiction set in the late 1800s in the far corner of southeastern Kansas in the bustling town of Weir City.  

For years after their father’s death, brothers Ian and Sawyer Pendleton have been separated by many miles and, at least seemingly, an even greater emotional divide, but now find themselves living in their hometown once more just as a contentious coal workers’ strike is about to get underway. Ian, a fearless man of heroic action who toils in a dangerous world underground, is besieged by a difficult secret he can no longer keep to himself. If he does not reconcile the scars of his past, not only will he lose any chance to reconcile with Sawyer, but he will lose the chance at true love as well.  

Sawyer is a bright young lawyer with extraordinary talent.  He represents the families of miners killed in a terrible explosion, but the case, and indeed his very life, are soon threatened by a sinister and callous force that will stop at nothing to prevent the case from moving forward.

Lucius Schofield is an old ruffian who runs the Crystal Ball Saloon in Weir City, and he is the godfather of Ian and Sawyer.  He watches over the boys in his own special way, fulfilling a promise he made long ago to their father. When a dark and ominous threat arrives in town with murderous intent, he must summon a dangerous beast from his sordid past to save his godson’s life. 

The Crows’ Omen explores the rich local history of the area’s coal mining heyday, and it pays homage to the miners and their families who sacrificed so much to make better lives for themselves.  It is a story firmly rooted in timeless concepts of love and loss, deception and betrayal, and suspense and intrigue.  It is anchored by a cast of truly unforgettable characters, some that you come to love, and some that you will love to hate.

Click on “Chapter One” above to read or listen to the first chapter!