Maryland's United States Senate race explodes when a left-populist phenom, Kiernan Shore, surges without ever appearing in public. He claims a fragile immune disorder and a widower's grief; supporters swear they saw him save a teen from a flood, fish the Gunpowder, and cheer the Orioles-videos that feel truer than memory. FEC investigator Maren Holt knows better. Donor swarms of identical $199 gifts, flawless voter data, and a vendor called SignalShore Labs point to an engineered persona. When a county canvass dashboard briefly flashes ACTOR MODE and a high-dollar livestream desynchronizes, Maren and whistleblower Mina Park piece together the lattice: a synthetic candidate built to sell a "green resilience" bill that quietly steers billions to Maryland defense contractors. Exposed, the myth fights back-smears, legal threats, and a party terrified of losing a sure seat. To save an election already half won by a ghost, Maren must risk her career, her family's union loyalties, and her safety to unmask Kiernan on the convention floor-and prove that in a post-truth age, reality still has standing. Until the paper tears.

Scott Hamele is a Kansas-born author whose work spans historical fiction, modern thrillers, techno-near-future suspense, and sci-fi comedy with adult humor. A Salina native living in the Kansas City area since 1991, he writes stories rooted in family history and place. His books include Dust and Honor; The Petticoat Butcher; Capone's North Road; Dustwings-Black Ops; Area 51-1/2: Cosmic Misfits; Hanna's Room-Secrets Sealed Since 1942; Vision Protocol; The Clearborn Society; The Paper Candidate; and Rafters of the Plains. With Rafters released, he is currently writing The Promise of the Sky, a World War II narrative showcasing his range.