The Empty Lot Next Door: Is Now Available as an Audiobook
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Time to read 5 min
This entry announces the release of The Empty Lot Next Door: Second Edition as an audiobook, narrated by Adharsh McCabe. His performance captures the fear and emotion of the original story, making it a different experience even for those who have already read the book.
Subjects of Interest:
The Empty Lot Next Door
January 28, 2025
The Empty Lot Next Door: Second Edition is now available as an audiobook. This is where the Candle Face Chronicles begin. Before the investigations, before the lost souls, and before the search for answers, there was this story, the one that stayed with me long after childhood. Now it can reach people in another format. If you want to experience The Empty Lot Next Door without reading the book, you can now listen to it on Audible.
Bringing the audiobook to life wasn’t only about making the story available to more people. It was also about preserving the tension, fear, and emotion that shaped those years. That's why I was glad to have Adharsh McCabe as the narrator. From the moment I heard his audition, I knew he was the right voice for the book. He knows how to build suspense without losing the personal side of the story, and that gives the audiobook a different feel even for readers who already know the book.
Adharsh is an experienced narrator who has worked on thousands of projects. He brings a wide range of skills to his work. He doesn’t simply read the book aloud. He gives the story a voice that sounds and feels natural.
Thank you, Adharsh, for bringing my story to life.
Arthur Mills
For over two decades, Arthur served as an Army Intelligence Warrant Officer, specializing in piecing together what others missed: patterns, threats, enemy intent, and clandestine activity. He also trained intelligence professionals, built threat models, and briefed commanders and world leaders on global threats and battlefield strategy. After retiring from the military, he transitioned into private investigation, focusing on missing persons, human trafficking, opposition research, and fraud cases. He also holds a degree in Counterterrorism, adding academic grounding to the skills he developed in the field. Today, he continues his work as an Intelligence Analyst for a leading global agency, following domestic and international threats.
He is an award-winning author who has been writing books since 2006. While he publishes under his own name, much of his best and most widely read work has appeared under pseudonyms. Readers may already know those titles, although they would not know they are his. That separation is intentional because just as his books invite readers to participate and interpret what is hidden between the lines, his career as a writer reflects the same principle.
What is Branching Plot Books?
Branching Plot Books is my independent, author-run imprint. It publishes my books and projects, all built around participation, structure, and reader interpretation. Each title is designed to stand on its own while contributing to a larger system of ideas.
Is Branching Plot Books a traditional publishing house?
No. I don't publish other authors. Branching Plot Books exists to publish my work under one cohesive imprint.
How are the books connected?
Some books share characters, themes, or investigative threads. Others connect through structure and philosophy rather than plot. The common thread is how meaning shifts depending on the reader’s interpretation.
Do I need to read the books in order?
Not always. Some books are independent, and some should be read in sequence. For example, Candle Face Chronicles: The Lost Souls [Book One] should be read before Book Two. Isabel: The Forgotten Daughter of La Llorona can be read on its own. The Empty Lot Next Door isn't part of Candle Face Chronicles, but reading it first will help you understand the origins of Candle Face and the context behind the later books.
Do you use AI to create your content?
No. The books, projects, investigations, blogs posts, webpages, and core writing published under Branching Plot Books are written by me. I do use AI tools for limited technical tasks such as SEO summaries, backend descriptions, and occasional image generation when stock photography isn't suitable. These tools help with efficiency, not authorship. The ideas, structure, and writing you read are mine.
Are the investigations real?
The investigative methods and documentation practices I use are real, and they come from my professional background in intelligence analysis and investigative work. In some books and projects, I apply those methods to organize details, track patterns, and present information in a way that can be examined, questioned, and compared.
Branching Plot Books doesn't ask you to accept a conclusion at face value. It asks you to read actively, weigh what's presented, and decide what you think it means. Some readers treat the material as literal. Others treat it as interpretive. The point is that the work supports both approaches without forcing you into one view.
Do you accept submissions?
No. Branching Plot Books publishes my own books and projects only.
Sometimes you write “book,” while other times you write “project.” What’s the difference?
A book is a published work in traditional format, whether print or digital. A project is broader. It may include ongoing investigations, interactive elements, reader roles, or evolving components that extend beyond a single volume. All books and projects are part of the Branching Plot Books system. Not all projects are limited to the format of a book.
Are your books and projects fiction or nonfiction?
Some titles are fiction. Others draw from real investigative methods and documented experiences. Rather than forcing a label, I focus on structure, interpretation, and how readers engage with the material. The distinction matters less than how carefully you read.
Why have some of your books been published under pseudonyms?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember, and I have been publishing since 2006. While I have published under my own name through Branching Plot Books since 2012, much of my work has appeared under pseudonyms outside of Branching Plot Books. That separation is intentional.
Pseudonyms give me greater creative freedom. They let me write in different styles and take risks without carrying expectations from previous titles or from my work under my name. They also allow each book to stand on its own, without being filtered through assumptions about the author behind it.
That choice reflects a core idea behind Branching Plot Books. Names, labels, and surface details can shape perception. The writing asks readers to look closer and decide what matters.
Why do some books include interactive elements?
Participation is central to Branching Plot Books. In certain titles, readers make choices that alter outcomes. In others, the interaction happens through interpretation rather than branching paths. The level of participation varies, but engagement remains consistent.
Do you collaborate with other authors?
Branching Plot Books is an author-run imprint, and I publish my own work. Some books and projects may involve input or consultation from professionals in relevant fields, but the writing and final direction remain mine.