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.

Contact Us

Contact us to discuss your goals and how we can help you get there.

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. 

Brandon Hughes

About the Author

Brandon Hughes brings two decades of experience in the criminal justice system to craft authentic crime stories. He utilizes his real-world knowledge to expertly weave gripping crime narratives and skillfully invites readers into the intricate realm of criminal investigations with captivating authenticity. Criminal cases he has handled have been featured on numerous television programs. He was awarded Best Sports News In-Depth Coverage by the Alabama Press Association.

Brandon has stories to tell and a passion to tell them.

When he isn’t writing, Brandon enjoys cooking and reading. He and his wife Karen live in Auburn, Alabama.

He just wanted to know what it felt like to commit a murder…but now, will one kill be enough?

The Wolf He Feeds plunges readers into the twisted mind of a different kind of killer. He could be your neighbor, a co-worker, someone standing next to you in line at the grocery store. He’s not a monster. He’s just a man driven by a dark curiosity…or so he tells himself.

The plan was simple—get in, kill, and get out—and it all went smoothly…until it didn’t.

When a night meant for one calculated murder spirals into something darker, he awakens a hunger he never expected. Fueled by a thrill he can’t resist, he sets out to kill again. Only this time, he adopts the methods of a long-forgotten serial killer, sending the police on a maddening chase for a ghost.

Detective Beck Lawson is locked in a race against time as she hunts a shadowy predator, leaving the police tangled in clues that blur the line between the old killer and the new. As the body count rises, the true puppet master lurks behind the scenes, feeding off the chaos he’s unleashed.

Twisted, gripping, and relentless, The Wolf He Feeds is a psychological thriller where every clue leads deeper into a web of deception and manipulation. Readers are led through a labyrinth of intrigue and suspense, where each revelation exposes the darkest depths of human nature.

A cryptic text message, a gruesome image—the descent into terror has begun.

In the heart-pounding thriller “The Red Room,” Marvin Swiderski’s reality shatters with a single mysterious text message from his wife—a chilling photograph that is about to unleash chaos.

The image leads him to a neglected cabin that exposes a sinister plot orchestrated by a sadistic killer, an unfolding horror set to live-stream on the notorious Dark Web, captivating viewers hungry for terror…and willing to pay for it.

In a small college town, Kayla Sinclair stumbles upon a virtual murder site known only as The Red Room. Her accidental discovery triggers a lethal chain reaction as she seeks to identify the anonymous women who are victims of a twisted serial killer and works to uncover the sinister truth behind the Red Room.

The truth she seeks, however, is a double-edged sword—one that could not only expose a heinous underworld but also make her the site’s next victim.

Facing imminent danger and supported by a friend and a grief-stricken mother hell-bent on vengeance, Kayla embarks on a relentless pursuit among the treacherous waters of the Dark Web, vowing to find the killer and put an end to this horrifying pay-per-view murder chamber before it claims more innocent lives.

“The Red Room” is an unfiltered exploration into the darkness lurking in the corners of the internet. As the monsters behind the Red Room are pursued, this spine-chilling thriller will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final, shocking conclusion. Brace yourself for a riveting tale of the harrowing consequences of a secret world where darkness thrives in the shadows.

“The Red Room” is a relentless story of suspense that explores the darkest depths of human nature. This captivating tale will leave you questioning the boundaries of morality and the depravity of man.

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!

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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!

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