Bruton is a community struggling to survive - and to retain some of the values of the old world. Led by tough former lawyer Helen Locke, it's a small town where people struggle to remain civilized, to keep their technology and to survive. Until Tom Milkins shows up - and Locke knows he's trouble right away. When a young scout is brutally murdered, it's clear that Bruton - and Locke - might have more than they bargained for. Can they keep the light of civilization in a world full of wild children and dangerous, patriarchal men?

Jennifer R. Povey is in her early forties, and lives in Northern Virginia with her husband. She writes a variety of speculative fiction, whilst following current affairs and occasionally indulging in horse riding and role playing games. Her short fiction sales include Analog, Cosmos, and Digital Science Fiction, and her first novel was published by Musa Publishing in April of 2013.