No Halo Required

2024 INCIPERE AWARDS presented by Entrada Publishing*NO HALO REQUIRED* ****1st PLACE Winner in Literary Fiction*****This Award-Winning novel delves into the world of an icon of the community who is not who he appears to be. Who will win? The sinner or the saint?

Isaiah Hightower has everything a man could want: a spotless reputation, a devoted wife, and a fast track to an honor that would make history. As a respected high school principal and activist, some may even call him a Saint—at least in public. And no one polishes that halo harder than his wife, Yvette—the woman behind the man.

When a former student is executed in a drive-by on a college campus, Yvette insists Isaiah return to Savannah—because the right appearance, at the right memorial, could secure the Citizen of the South award she’s been chasing for him. But Savannah knows Isaiah’s secrets, forcing him to face a past he thought he had left behind.

A police chief desperate for a win wants Isaiah’s help turning tragedy into a high-profile victory. But as old acquaintances reappear, the lines between charity and cover up blur. Every step Isaiah takes to protect his image gives Yvette one more reason to wonder what he’s hiding. As donations buy silence and lies stack up, Isaiah realizes the most dangerous person in his life isn’t the killer—or the men in Dark Alleys—it’s the woman who knows his tells, shares his bed, and won’t stop asking questions.

Righteousness has a price—and Yvette may be the one who collects.