Writer, Teacher, NEA Fellow, Coffee Junkie

BRAD
BARKLEY

Brad Barkley is the author of the novels Money, Love and Alison's Automotive Repair Manual, two collections of short stories, and three YA novels with Penguin (including Scrambled Eggs at Midnight). His work has been translated into five languages. His short stories have appeared in 40+ magazines, including Fractured Lit, The Southern Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Glimmer Train, and USA Today. He’s won numerous awards, including Four Individual Artist Awards from the State of Maryland, and a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Arriving Summer 2026

Three years after her mother’s death, sixteen-year-old Zara is still settling into life in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, where she knows almost no one. Working as the projectionist at the Palace Theatre—a rundown theater that shows only vintage ’50s sci-fi and horror flicks—she spends her nights in a dusty booth, fueled by coffee, pushups, and the occasional existential crisis (with popcorn).

Then she meets Zachary, whose “Z” name feels like fate. His clothes don’t match, his stories don’t add up, and he might be the most interesting person she’s ever met. As their friendship deepens into something more, Zara begins to see the struggles he hides beneath his charm—and wonders how much she can trust him.

When her boss tasks her with organizing a Valentine’s Day Godzilla marathon—complete with 150 inflatable Godzillas on the roof—Zara must confront the chaos in her own life. Like any Godzilla movie, the question remains: who will survive, and who will be crushed?

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