Michele Friedman

A prescient post-apocalyptic novel, Gadarene features searing social commentary and unrequited love against the backdrop of societal upheaval.

In a summer of volatile protests and suffocating heat, Atticus meets Amelia amongst the shifting, dancing bodies at a bar on Manhattan's Lower East Side. When rumor of a hemorrhagic fever roils into reality, they flee the city for safe haven in the mountains of Upstate New York.

Accosted by the elements and monsters, real or imagined, they find reprieve with a group of survivors. However, the first winter decimates their numbers to merely a handful. They abandon their pitiful refugee camp to build a tree house deep within the forest that they hope will be a sanctuary of survival.

On a supply run, Atticus and Amelia meet a stranger named Roman with a truly prized possession - a goat. He returns home with them and Atticus, sensing a growing attraction between Amelia and Roman, turns to an imaginary woman who has taken up residency in his own mind.

When a secret is exposed and a choice is made, a chain of events is set in motion that leads to near catastrophe for the ragged group. When it soon becomes clear that his inner confidant may not be as harmless as he had once imagined, Atticus comes to the sinister realization that those whom he once thought were dead, may be brought forth into the world once again.

Michele Friedman is a writer based in Virginia. Born in the Catskill Mountains, she moved to New York City to earn her bachelor's degree in advertising from the City College of New York. After a successful career in advertising, Michele shifted her focus to writing, blending her love for storytelling with a passion for dystopian fiction.

Michele is the author of Gadarene, a post-apocalyptic horror novel that has captivated readers with themes of survival, isolation, and the haunting effects of a broken world. She is currently working on her latest project, The Salt Prayer, a gripping mystery set in the Appalachian Mountains.

In addition to her writing, Michele is the founder and owner of Hyssop Press, an independent publishing house committed to nurturing and supporting talented authors. Through Hyssop Press, she continues to cultivate exceptional, diverse voices, fostering a creative space where unique and compelling stories thrive.