2018 SOUTHERN FRIED KARMA NOVEL CONTEST WINNER“Bea Crenshaw is one of the most unique characters in modern literature—a kick-ass Grandma." Laura Creedle, winner of the 2017 Writers League of Texas YA Best Novel A Free-Spirted Hero Fights for SurvivalAn aging hippie must protect her grandkids in a post-apocalyptic life fraught with danger. In suburban Austin, Bea Crenshaw, a bohemian grandmother, secretly preps for the end times, stockpiling food, seed, and supplies. After a solar pulse destroys modern life, she’s left alone with her four grandkids whose parents never return. Forced to survive off-the-grid without power or running water, Bea and her imperiled clan must confront traumatized teens, starving neighbors, and plundering marauders. If Darkness Takes Us fuses dystopian adventures with the heart of literary fiction to provide a riveting tale charged with thrills and the resilience of family. “Bea Crenshaw leaves other post-apocalyptic heroes in the dust”.Cate Hogan, Author, Editor of Boss with Benefits and How to Capture a Duke“Smith gives an unflinching look at survival in a post-apocalyptic world, a fascinating tale focuses on a family's struggle to survive.” Peggy Rothschild, Author of Punishment Summer “I fell in love with Bea’s wit and courage from the first page.”Aden Polydoros, Author of The Assassin Fall series
