Empowering Writers to Become Authors
Who We Are
Tension Books assists writers with realizing their dream of seeing their book in print and in the marketplace. We work with independent authors looking for assistance in the self publishing arena. We specialize in Crime, Mystery, and Thriller novels as well as True Crime stories. Book publishing can be a sluggish process. If you’re tired of waiting on others, and if you have a manuscript and you’re ready to accomplish your goal of becoming a published author, we can get you there. Take control of your work with Tension Books.
Why Tension?
Tension’s goal is author empowerment. Seeing dreams realized and goals achieved. We guide you through the publishing process using proven talent in their field, and take the stress and worry away from the complicated and often intimidating independent or self-publishing process.
Many bookstores will not stock self-published books. Tension not only gives you and your book credibility and marketability, but we see to it that your book is in the distribution network and made available online and avialable to bookstores everywhere.
A partnership with Tension is not a passive one. We will take the journey from manuscript to published author and beyond together helping you navigate the complex path.
Stop waiting. Make the decision to pursue your dream. Take that leap with us.
Manuscript Submission
For manuscript submissions, please include a synopsis and the first 50 pages in PDF form as an attachment to the email. You may send more than 50 pages if needed to get to a natural break point.
In the depths of a fateful June night in 1962, the notorious Alcatraz prison became the stage for the most daring escape attempt in American history. Frank Lee Morris, along with brothers John and Clarence Anglin, defied every odd, breaking free from the clutches of the infamous island prison and vanishing into the treacherous currents of San Francisco Bay, almost certainly succumbing to the savagery of the open water.
Yet, beneath the surface of their infamous escape lies a buried truth waiting to be unearthed. Beyond the limelight of the infamous trio, there was another—a fourth prisoner—who somehow slipped through the cracks of history and eluded the gaze of time itself. Like the others, his fate, too, remains unknown. Or does it?
November 23, 1963, ushered in a shroud of darkness over Towne, Alabama, as an eruption of rage and brutality forever altered its destiny. Armed with determination, evil swept through the Chatham household, leaving but one survivor to bear witness to the unfathomable slaughter. The gruesome massacre scarred the town’s soul—the case a mystery left to gather dust, unsolved and haunting.
Fast forward to the present, where the torch of justice is passed from District Attorney Maggie Gamble’s capable hands. As her retirement looms, she entrusts her protégé, Barclay Griffith, with the weight of an unfulfilled promise—the Chatham case.
Barclay, aided by sharp-witted investigators and a seasoned cold-case specialist, embarks on a relentless pursuit. They weave through the labyrinth of secrets, unearthing threads that have slumbered far too long, demanding to be unraveled.
Can the puzzle pieces of two seemingly disconnected events finally expose the full picture? Or will the shadows of the past forever hide the elusive truth? In this riveting tale of determination, justice, and the unyielding quest for answers, brace yourself for a narrative that will keep you fervently turning the pages until the final, shocking revelation.
If you’re looking for a cold case thriller that brings you inside the inner workings of a criminal justice expert’s mind, then get ready to meet your next favorite book!
About the Author
Brandon Hughes brings two decades of experience in the criminal justice system to craft an authentic mystery novel and utilizes his real-world knowledge to take the reader inside the inner workings of a criminal investigation. Criminal cases he has handled have been featured on 48 Hours, Generation Hustle, and The Dr. Phil Show.
Brandon has stories to tell and a passion tot ell them.
When he isn’t writing, Brandon enjoys cooking, reading, and cheering on his Auburn Tigers. He and his wife Karen are empty nesters save for their chocolate lab Murphy. They live in Auburn, Alabama.
What if doing the right thing meant doing a very bad thing? Prepare to Enter a World Where Morality Dances on a Razor’s Edge.
It’s after midnight, and Duncan Pheiffer sits alone in a darkened courtroom in Towne, Alabama. The weight of a verdict—a potential death sentence—hangs heavy, casting a long shadow over his solitary vigil. Amidst a sea of clients both guilty and damned, one figure stands apart: Charlie Calvin Clements. Duncan’s conviction in Clements’ innocence ignites a relentless battle against the odds, an unwavering resolve to untangle truth from deceit.
As the aftermath of the jury’s pronouncement lingers, the possibility of redemption shatters, leaving unanswered questions: was it a chance act of brutality or a sinister design veiled in obscurity?
When prosecutor Barclay Griffith inserts himself into the case, he soon raises questions that defy the accepted narrative about Clements’ conviction—a conviction that investigators prefer to remain undisturbed.
Guided by the Hero Rule, where right prevails over self, Barclay enters a labyrinth of lies and deception. He soon finds that following his own moral code is about to become more difficult than he ever imagined as the boundary between innocence and guilt blurs, weaving a complex narrative that challenges his very beliefs. As layers of secrets unravel, a metamorphosis unfolds—a noble prosecutor, driven to unveil the truth, evolves into a relentless pursuer of justice.
But this time, justice takes on a whole new dimension.
What makes a hero? Is it doing the right thing…at any cost? Barclay Griffith is about to find out the hard way.
As the curtain rises on “The Hero Rule,” Brandon Hughes, a true maestro of real-world criminal justice, paints a canvas of true crime investigations punctuated with a drizzle of compelling twists and turns. Each page carries the author’s two decades of experience, offering readers a tantalizing peek into the world behind the courtroom doors.
For those craving a riveting crime mystery thriller that plunges you into the mind of a criminal justice expert, your next literary companion awaits. The Hero Rule is an enthralling journey that deciphers the inner workings of justice, morality, and the human soul. Get ready to be captivated, enthralled, and utterly consumed. Your new favorite book beckons!