Inside The Given: My Deeply Personal Horror Novel About Cults, Dreams, and Redemption

What if your worst nightmares weren’t just dreams—but calls for help from someone you’ve never met… but somehow know?

That’s the dark, emotional core of my new horror novel, The Given, arriving May 30 from Baynam Publishing. This story isn't just another creepy tale about cults and the supernatural. It’s a deeply personal journey into fear, family, and the power of unresolved guilt. At its heart, The Given is about a father’s desperate fight to save the daughter he never got to raise—from a group that calls themselves The Given… and from the maniac who leads them.

A Horror Thriller With Emotional Depth

I’ve written a lot of horror over the years. I’ve explored serial killers, haunted towns, unspeakable creatures. But The Given hits different—for me, and I believe, for readers.

Meet Cliffton Haynes. A war veteran. A man struggling with PTSD, loneliness, and the emotional fallout of a shattered marriage. After returning from overseas, Cliff tries to find some form of healing by opening a bar—the Thrown Room. It’s a unique place. Not just drinks and small talk, but also knife and axe throwing. He forges the weapons himself. It’s how he copes with the rage, the trauma… and maybe the ghosts.

But peace is a fragile illusion.

Out of nowhere, Cliff starts having vivid, terrifying dreams. In them, he sees a young girl trapped inside a cult. The group is called The Given. The cult is led by a charismatic and psychotic figure named Enoch. And the dreams don’t fade—they grow more intense. More real.

Then comes the gut punch.

His ex-wife believes the girl in the dreams is the daughter they gave up for adoption years ago.

Cliff isn’t sure what to believe. But one thing becomes clear: if these dreams are real, this girl is in real danger. And he might be the only one who can save her.

Where Horror Meets Reality

There’s a reason this story feels so real. Because in many ways—it is.

There are too many people involved for me to get into details, sorry to say. The privacy of those involved are paramount for me. However, it involved something that happened during my first marriage (actually right before it) and it was a huge life decision that left a lot of questions, and those questions circled around and around in my head for years.

Those questions haunted me. And eventually, they gave birth to this novel.

The Given is fiction. The cult, the madman Enoch, the dark supernatural forces at play—they’re all creations of my imagination. But the emotional spine of this story? That’s something I’ve lived with. It’s a horror story, yes—but one rooted in deep universal fears I experienced myself.

Cults, Dreams, and the Horror of Control

Cult horror fiction is experiencing a serious surge in popularity. Readers are fascinated by the psychology of cults, the terrifying allure of blind belief, and the leaders who twist faith into fanaticism. The Given taps into that cultural fascination—while adding a supernatural twist that sets it apart.

Enoch, the leader of The Given, isn’t just a manipulator. He’s a believer in something darker. Something that whispers promises no human should hear. And his followers? They’ll do anything he asks. Even bleed for it. Maybe kill or die for it.

That mix of supernatural horror and psychological dread is what I wanted to bring to life. And as Cliff and his unlikely team—a trio of podcast hosts obsessed with cults, his current girlfriend, and even his ex-wife—begin the hunt for the truth, the tension only ramps up. Will they find the girl in time? Can she be saved? And if she can… will she even want to leave?

Writing The Given: Catharsis Through Horror

People often ask why horror writers write the things we do. For me, horror has always been a way to process fear and pain in a safe space. When you can put your monsters on paper, they stop living in your head.

Writing The Given was cathartic. It allowed me to channel all those “what ifs” I had lived with for so long into something tangible. Something terrifying. But also, I hope, something hopeful.

Because yes, this is a horror story. Yes, it’s got cults, creepy visions, bloody action, and a madman at the center. But it’s also a story about redemption. And about hope clawing its way through the darkness.

Why Horror Fans Will Love The Given

If you’re a fan of cult horror books like Red Clocks, The Girls, or The Cabin at the End of the World, you’ll find something to love (and fear) in The Given. It’s a gripping thriller with emotional stakes and a slow-burning intensity that explodes in the final act.

This novel is for readers who:

• Love psychological horror with a personal twist

• Are fascinated by cults and mind control

• Enjoy supernatural stories grounded in real-world emotion

• Want a thriller with fast pacing and character-driven suspense

• Crave stories that make you feel something long after the final page

The Given is Coming Soon!

The Given releases May 30 through Baynam Publishing, and I couldn’t be more proud—or more terrified—to share it with the world. This book is my heart on the page, wrapped in barbed wire and shadows.

If you love horror, cults, action, and raw human emotion—this is the book for you.

You can pre-order your copy now at your favorite online retailer. And if you’ve ever wondered what you would do if your past came knocking, asking for help…

The Given might just answer that question.

Be sure to check out my sci-fi horror novella Obsidian which is out now!

Or visit my online bookstore and see all of my books, stories and other things.