A press release from April Flores of Random House:

Hydra, the first digital-first science fiction and fantasy imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, announced today the acquisition of three exciting new launch titles for its digital publishing program. All works were acquired by Hydra Associate Editor Sarah Peed.

The imprint’s first novel, Blackwater Lights, is a dark fantasy horror novel by debut author Michael M. Hughes. After receiving a frantic call from an old friend, Ray returns to the sleepy town of Blackwater, West Virginia. There he uncovers the dark secret behind his missing memories of childhood summer camp. Ray’s demons aren’t confined to the past, and now he must fight unimaginable horrors to survive. Matt Bialer of Sandford J. Greenberger Associates sold world rights.

In The Faceless One by debut novelist Mark Onspaugh, an ancient Tlinglit god is unearthed and begins its bloody quest to find the one strong enough to truly unleash it on the world. The only man able to stand in its way is Jimmy Kalmaku—an 82-year old retiree and the last of the Tlingit shamans. World rights were sold by the author.

Previously self-published by William Todd Rose, the novella Apocalyptic Organ Grinder takes place in a world plagued by Spewers — those infected by the Gabriel Virus. Tanner Kline protects his small community by mercilessly killing the infected, but when he’s captured by the contaminated and sentenced to death for murder, the line between monster and man blurs. World rights were sold by the author.

About Hydra: On the forefront of sci-fi and fantasy publishing, Hydra is dedicated to transporting readers to new worlds with accessible and thought-provoking stories from rising star authors. Hydra encompasses all facets of the genre — from dark fantasy, to horror, hard sci-fi and all in between—and delivers these stories to digitally-savvy readers. Hydra is the first digital-only imprint of the Random House Publishing Group.