The Dead Among Us, a paranormal series by J. L. Doty

The Dead Among Us

The Dead Among Us is a contemporary urban fantasy series about Paul Conklin and Katherine McGowan.

Paul is a rather ordinary thirtyish fellow for whom wizards and demons and elves might be great fun in a good book, but they don't really exist, of course.  However, he quickly learns that among us, hidden in plain sight, is a complete world of fantastic paranormal beings: demons from the Nether Realm, the Sidhe from Faerie, and wizards and witches from just down the street.  And apparently they're all bent on killing him, or tormenting his soul for eternity.

Katherine is the beautiful daughter of Walter McGowan, a very powerful wizard.  She's a witch, and like her father very much part of the secret paranormal community living among us.  But when everyone else is trying to kill Paul, she takes his side and helps him survive, though it's a chancy, day-by-day thing.

When Dead Ain't Dead Enough (book 1)

The dead should ever rest in peace, but when dead ain't dead enough, the living should fear for their mortal souls.

Paul Conklin is sharing his rather ordinary, present-day San Francisco apartment with the ghosts of his dead wife and daughter. He went through a period of excessive grief after their deaths, but now that they're back, he's much better. Suzanna's cooking for him again, and Cloe's bouncing around the apartment in her school uniform. A piece of Paul realizes he's really bug-fuck nuts, or at least that's what he thinks. He has no idea that a Primus caste demon from the Netherworld covets his soul, and that he's going to have to take a crash course in killing big, bad hoodoo demons, or lose his soul for all eternity.

Read the Trailer.  Read Sample Chapters.

Still Not Dead Enough (book 2)

When the dead refuse to rest in peace, perhaps they just need a helping hand.

Destroying the Secundus Caste demon proved to everyone that Paul is not himself a demon, or demon possessed, so he's breathing a little easier.  They shouldn't be trying to kill him anymore, right?  No such luck!  He's on parole, and everyone is waiting for one little misplaced step.  At least old man McGowan has apprenticed him, and that provides some protection from all the rest of them.  But there's a serial killer in the Dallas area, a killer that uses paranormal powers to take the lives of his victims.  And Salisteen, a powerful sorceress in the Dallas area, asks Walter McGowan to bring Paul to Dallas, to see if his unique talents might help them stop the monster.

Read Sample Chapters.