Author C.M. McCoy
Read EERIE Now
For book news, writing tips, and sometimes giveaways.
C.M. McCoy: Author
aka Colleen Oefelein: Literary Agent
aka Adventure Write Publishing


About C.M. McCoy
C.M. McCoy / Colleen Oefelein is an award-winning author of romantasy and supernatural thrillers inspired by the wild beauty and isolation of Alaska. A retired U.S. Air Force officer, dance instructor, and adventure junkie, she weaves mythology, science, and emotion into genre-bending stories filled with danger, wit, and heart.
Her debut novel, EERIE, introduces readers to ParaScience University—a secret Alaskan campus where mythology meets modern science, and where love can be as deadly as the monsters that haunt the dark.
When she’s not writing, Colleen explores the Alaskan wilderness, mentors emerging authors, and creates immersive book worlds that blur the line between fear and fascination.
Follow me on Instagram for bookish giveaways, fun Alaska photos and videos, and EERIE updates:

"Our Verdict: GET IT!"
- Kirkus Reviews on EERIE
Books by C.M. McCoy
EERIE (2nd Edition - Available now)
This is a 2nd edition release with amazing additions, including important updates, additional content, and gorgeous artwork. (Scroll to bottom for content warnings.)
A missing sister. A deadly scholarship. A monster with a crush.
Welcome to Bear Towne University, Alaska—where ancient magic coils through ivy-covered halls; the forest is alive, and falling in love may be the most dangerous mistake of all.
Hailey Hartley has never had a normal life--her dreams bleed into reality, and the nightmares are getting worse. When her sister vanishes without a trace, Hailey's only clue leads her to a place no one's ever heard of: a secret university for the paranormally curious, hidden deep in the Alaska wilderness.
She didn't think it was real. She definitely didn't say yes. But she got a full ride.
Hailey came to ParaScience University for a fresh start. She didn’t expect restless spirits, carnivorous trees, or a campus built on secrets.
She didn’t expect him.
His eyes burn with knowledge he shouldn't have, and when he touches her, the world trembles. He claims he's the only thing standing between her and a 3,000-year-old monster determined to drag her into the dark. As secrets unravel and attractions ignite, Hailey must decide who to trust--and whether the creature who swears he's protecting her might also be the biggest threat of all.
Inside EERIE, you’ll find:
Forbidden love
Dark academia
Supernatural suspense
Slow-burn romance
Deadly secrets
A morally complex love interest
Perfect for readers who love:
A Discovery of Witches
The Atlas Six
Ninth House
Zodiac Academy
A mostly warm, open-door romantasy where monsters are real, dreams are dangerous, and love is lethal.
Magic, monsters, and mayhem await. Enrollment is mandatory. Survival is extra credit.
For ages 14+ (Publisher's Weekly)
*Content warnings (CONTAINS SPOILERS): This is a romantic tragedy, and it does not have a HEA. It is the first book in a series, which does have a HEA. This book contains gore, profanity (including the f-word), the death of a family member, mentions of suicide, man-eating trees, Christian prayer, abduction, sexual situations, and near sexual assault. If you find any of these themes upsetting, you should not read this book.

Bear Towne University Student Handbook
Coming in Spring 2026...
Congratulations!
You’ve been accepted to Bear Towne University, Alaska’s most academically rigorous and paranormally unpredictable campus.
This official student handbook contains everything you need to survive at BTU, from campus resources and academic expectations to emergency procedures and what to do if the forest attacks.
Whether you're navigating dorm life, the tunnel system, or the occasional tear in space-time, one thing is certain: college was never meant to be this dangerous.
Inside, you’ll discover:
• Rules for entering the White Forest
• Field guide to the region’s lethal creatures
• How to survive dorm life, dimensional anomalies, and hockey season
• Catalog of Indispensable™ student gear
A Companion to EERIE by C. M. McCoy
Set in the world of EERIE, this in-universe handbook reveals the secrets of Bear Towne University through campus lore, safety advisories, historical notes, and the occasionally questionable wisdom of faculty who have seen far too much.
Memorize the rules.
Trust your instincts.
Stay out of the dark tunnels.
Library of Congress description: A fictional student handbook for Bear Towne University, a paranormal research university set in Alaska. Includes campus lore, safety advisories, hazard reports, historical notes, short stories, poems, and supplemental in-world reference materials related to the fictional ParaScience program and the world of the novel EERIE by C.M. McCoy.

EERIE (first edition) 2015
(No longer available for sale online, but I do have several copies in storage. If you really want one, send me a note using the form on this website.)

UNEARTHLY (EERIE #2)
coming 2026
The second book in the EERIE series is coming in Dec 2026.
A broken bond. A dying world. A love that refuses to fade.
The Aether is dying, and it’s taking the Earth with it.
After the catastrophe at Bear Towne University, the Aether is damaged—and so are the souls trapped within it.
Asher’s sacrifice saved Hailey’s life, but it cost him his freedom, and his love for Hailey has created a rift that’s spreading through the emotionless Aether and onto the Earth like rot. Trapped in the realm between life and death, Asher’s slipping away—his power fracturing, his soul fading, and he’s becoming something the Aether itself can’t contain. His presence is a sickness, and if Hailey can’t find a way to bring him back, it will consume both Aether and Earth.
Fin, buried alive, must fight his way out with a device powered by Aetherinum—an unstable element that burns as fiercely as the soul that fuels it. But a power that intense exacts a price, and Fin must decide what he’s willing to surrender in exchange for survival.
Meanwhile, Holly is held captive by an Envoy who mistakes his obsession for love. To survive him, she’ll have to think like a monster… and maybe become one.
As light turns against shadow and loyalty against love, unlikely alliances form in the chaos. Because if Hailey, Fin, Holly—and even Cobon—can’t find a way to bring Asher back, the Aether will consume them all.
Love brought them together.
The Aether might tear them apart.
But some bonds—no matter how forbidden—can’t be broken.
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Don't miss the sequel to EERIE. Coming in Dec 2026.
Reviewers are saying...
Our verdict: GET IT!
The university is populated with weird and wonderful characters... McCoy has been careful to create her own mythology, familiar enough to draw in readers and unique enough to keep their interest. here are a lot of facets to recommend here, chief among them McCoy's worldbuilding ability and characters readers will surely want to see again.
Kirkus Reviews
Promising and fun.
Publishers Weekly
"Well written and completely engrossing, this unique story is shot through with humour and wild notions which had me chuckling at points."
A British Bookworm's Blog
A charming and inventive tale, with a brave heroine confronting romance and dangerous entities.
Kirkus Reviews


