Dark Straits by Joshua Veith

Sudden Quiet: Book II

The Thrilling Second Book of the Post-Apocalyptic Sudden Quiet Series Answers Readers’ Demand for More

Traverse City, Michigan—Treks to more than thirty countries. A nineteen-day Pacific Ocean crossing on a freighter from Seattle to Hong Kong. Three years of grueling work on commercial fishing trawlers. With a lifetime of adventure to draw from, Joshua Veith channeled his experiences to engage readers with his Sudden Quiet series, a dark exploration of humanity and its connection to nature, community, and the power of both to heal. Sudden Quiet II: Dark Straits, Mission Point Press, (June 12, 2025), chronicles the terrifying reality of post-apocalyptic Michigan as foster siblings Miin and Mukwa—introduced in Veith’s debut work, Sudden Quiet I: Island and Main, (June 12, 2024)—attempt to save their community from total destruction. The three-book dystopian series speculates on the aftermath of societal collapse in Northern Michigan, the US, and the world at large.

Readers of Island and Main, captivated by Veith’s haunting, raw, and spellbinding storytelling, have been anxiously awaiting Dark Straits, where Miin and Mukwa, now thrust into the role of leaders, warn the Eco-Elves and Beaver Islanders that a new threat—gangs of super spreaders—is pushing north to capture the Mackinac Bridge. Commanded by “Sharkey,” CEO of Panzer Pharmaceuticals, the ghoulish Virals raid Washington, DC, torture ELF extremists, and sabotage the Line 5 oil pipeline beneath the Straits. The Eco-Elves, led by the mystic Samantha and commercial fisherman Captain Doyle, unite against this menace while Miin and Mukwa flex their burgeoning druidic powers.

The Birth of a Trilogy

Enthusiastic about the overwhelmingly positive reviews his first novel generated, (4.8-4.9 ratings on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookshop), Veith said, “Originally, I intended to write just one book, but as I was wrapping up Island and Main, my characters refused to go quietly, insisting that the story—their story—continue. So immediately upon typing ‘The End’ after the epilogue, I began typing the prologue to Dark Straits,” Veith stated.

Reflecting on his travels, teaching a literature class on JRR Tolkien, and being an Indigenous ally, Veith shares, “Any creative project—art, music, literature, film—seems to be a combination of who the artist/author/composer actually is, and what they’ve experienced, plus a quasi-mystical inclusion of something larger, something older, something more universal, call it the zeitgeist, or human experience or spirit of the times. Who I am and what I’ve done informs my books, but I think there is something more magical at work as well, especially when everything comes together.”

More than just a backdrop, Veith shares the importance of environment to his dystopian tale. “The land, the water, the weather are everything in my books. I like to think that my characters are only miniscule ‘players on the stage’ of Northern Michigan. The sections that I most enjoy writing are ones where I can express just how tiny, how recent, and how insignificant humans are compared to the vast forces of geology, biology, and astronomy.”

Upcoming Events

Saturday, May 10: Boozy Books Fair-Chapter 2, Castle Farms, 5052 M66, Charlevoix, MI
Saturday, May 17: Appearance at VFW Post 2051, 599 W. Conway Rd., Harbor Springs, MI
May 23-25: Cherry Capital Comic Con, Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, 100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd., Acme, MI
June 14-15: Father’s Day Arts & Crafts event, Grand Traverse County Civic Center, 1213 N. Civic Center Dr., Traverse City, MI
Saturday, June 21: Frankfort Craft Fair, 402 Main St., Frankfort, MI
Thursday, August 7: Elk Rapids District Library “Books on Tap” event at Short’s Brewing Pull Barn, 211 Industrial Park Dr., Elk Rapids, MI

The Author

Joshua Veith is an educator, adventurer, and outdoor enthusiast. He has traveled to more than thirty countries—including China, Nepal, Syria, and Turkey—and once made a nineteen-day Pacific Ocean crossing on a freighter from Seattle to Hong Kong. For three years Josh worked as a deckhand on commercial fishing trawlers on the Atlantic. He graduated from the University of Michigan, later earning an MA in Literature from Eastern Michigan University. Today, Joshua lives with his wife and two sons in Michigan, fishes and hikes in the same spots that Hemingway enjoyed as a young man, and teaches a literature class on JRR Tolkien. As a public school teacher and writer, Josh strives to be an Indigenous ally, recognizing that traditional relationships with the environment offer the most sustainable pathways for humankind’s interaction with the planet.

The Book

Sudden Quiet II: Dark Straits

Joshua Veith

474 pages, 6 x 9 inches, B/W

Science Fiction, Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Nature & the Environment

ISBN: 978-1-965278-20-8, $29.95 (Hardcover)

ISBN: 978-1-965278-21-5, $18.95 (Softcover)

Mission Point Press, June 12, 2025

Copies are available for preorder at Bookshop.org, Amazon, and other online retailers. On its June 12 publication date, it will be available for purchase wherever books are sold. For information or to arrange for signings and events, contact joshuapaulveith@gmail.com or visit www.joshuaveith.com.