New in town and navigating the complexities of Alder High (go 'Varks), Geoff Smith might be a little more comfortable with a guitar in his hands than with a conversation. His father, a professor, and collector of magical oddities, is a local goth hero, but that doesn’t exactly boost Geoff's popularity. However, his Dad’s latest find, a mysterious book of spells, might be the key to winning a seemingly impossible bet with his crush, Corinne.

In a whirl of notes and lyrics, Geoff unknowingly strums a cursed tune. Suddenly, his low-key life hits a high note as the melody weaves its magical chaos throughout the school. The world becomes a stage, and the students its unknowing actors.

Caught in the spell's limelight, Geoff must face the music. With the stakes escalating, he has to navigate his feelings for Corinne, dodge the ominous shadow of a bike-rack bully, and find a way to break the spell before his final curtain call. Can Geoff turn the tables, win the girl, and restore harmony? Or will he learn the hard way that in magic, as in music, everything has its price?

Not all authors can say that their novel started out as a song lyric, but for Brian, that’s exactly what happened. GILM!, his contemporary YA magical realism novel, is currently being released in conjunction with a new song of the same name, a collaboration with his band. What began as a writing exercise trying to find a word that rhymes with film, ended as a circuitous creative journey that spawned an energetic rock song and the kernel of an idea to write a thrilling fantasy story about a new kid trying to impress a girl.

Brian believes a great story is a good mixture of emotion and craft, something you can tell someone poured their heart into. For him, there’s nothing like someone telling you what a passage or a lyric means to them. He hopes his stories evoke an emotion in his YA readers that stays with them long after the book is closed.

A member of the SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association), Brian has received high praise from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and BookLife, among others, for his novels. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his amazing dog, Brisket.