Indiana

From Bright to Bestseller Dreams: Local Author Writes Thriller Series Around Moores Hill

Published

3 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

From Bright to Bestseller Dreams: Local Author Writes Thriller Series Around Moores Hill

A Southeastern Indiana author from Bright is turning Moores Hill into the backdrop of a thriller series

(Moores Hill, Ind.) – In a region where family roots run deep and small towns often hold big stories, Southeastern Indiana author Ray Brown is proving that inspiration can be found close to home.

Brown, who was born and raised in Bright, Indiana, and is an alumnus of East Central High School, has turned his longtime connection to Moores Hill into the foundation of an ambitious nine-book suspense series that blends hometown history, modern intrigue, and just enough mystery to make readers wonder what might really be hidden beneath the surface.

The Moores Hill Thriller Series centers on a young data security analyst who grew up in Moores Hill. Brown describes his lead character as someone readers can relate to: She’s not a superhero. She finds herself at the center of something much bigger than she ever expected.

That grounded approach may be part of what makes the series stand out. While the books include global connections and high stakes, the story always circles back to one small Indiana town and the people who call it home.

Brown says Moores Hill was the obvious choice because it has always meant something personal to him. His mother’s family came from Moores Hill, and he spent time there often while growing up. Those visits left an impression that never faded. “Almost every relative I know on that side of the family is from there,” Brown said. “It was personal before it was anything else.”

But it was not only family ties that captured his imagination. Like many locals, Brown long wondered why a town of roughly 700 people had such a remarkable building as Carnegie Hall School. Why would the Carnegie name, associated with wealth, influence, and philanthropy, make such an investment in a small southeastern Indiana community?

That question stayed with him for years. Eventually, Brown decided to create his own fictional answer. “What if there was more to the story?” he said. “What if a place like Moores Hill mattered in ways no one realized?”

That spark became the series. The books invite readers to think ‘what if’ to mysteries that, maybe, happened in the small town of Moores Hill.

What began as a local thriller has continued to grow into something much larger. “I’m nine books into a series set in a town of 700 people,” Brown said with a laugh. “I’m as surprised as anyone.”

Brown brings a unique background to fiction writing.

Before retirement, he spent decades in the corporate world of Information Security, helping protect Fortune 500 companies from threats that often hid in plain sight.

Today, he uses that same mindset in storytelling.

His experience in cybersecurity gives authenticity to the technical side of the books. It also shaped the way he approaches suspense. He researches details carefully, aiming to make readers feel as if they are walking the streets of Moores Hill themselves.

That realism extends beyond maps and buildings. Brown intentionally includes real Southeastern Indiana touches throughout the series.

Readers may recognize familiar last names, roads, and businesses. In scenes set in bars or gathering places, Brown has even included local musicians and bands, with permission. “If a scene needs a band playing, why not make it a real local band?” Brown said. “Why not make people feel like they’re part of the story?”

That connection to community matters to him.

Rather than simply borrowing the name Moores Hill, Brown says he wants to bring local people along for the ride. He hopes readers from across Southeastern Indiana will see something recognizable in the books and feel pride in seeing their corner of the world featured in an exciting new way. Even St Leon is woven into the tale as the series continues. For a region sometimes overlooked in popular fiction, that idea resonates.

The series may deal with ancient sites, hidden lineages, and dangerous secrets, but at its heart it remains a story about home – how the places we come from continue to shape us, and how even the quietest towns can hold extraordinary stories.

As Brown continues work on the next chapter, one thing is clear: Moores Hill may be small on the map, but in his imagination, it sits at the center of a much bigger world.

Books in the Moores Hill Thriller Series are available locally and online.

Source link

Click to comment

Indiana

LIVE: Severe storms sweep through central Indiana

Published

26 minutes ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

LIVE: Severe storms sweep through central Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — A line of severe storms swept through central Indiana Tuesday night.

Ahead of the system’s entry into The Hoosier State, the National Weather Service issued a severe weather outlook. That outlook indicated that central Indiana was at a marginal, one out of five risk for severe weather.

The NWS outlook also suggested damaging winds exceeding 65 mph and heavy rain were the primary threats the systems posed. The timeframe the NWS outlined for the storms to move through the area was 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.

FOX59/CBS4 tracked the storms and the damage they caused. Find the latest updates on Tuesday’s storms below:

Source link

Indiana

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. confident Chicago Bears will move to Indiana

Published

11 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Press Room

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. confident Chicago Bears will move to Indiana

The Chicago Bears announced last week they are making Hammond, Indiana, their priority for a new stadium, and while it’s not a done deal yet, Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said he’s confident the Bears will soon be moving there.

“It’s vague for a lot of complex reasons, but the Bears are working on Hammond right now. I’m happy to see what the Bears are putting into our city right now. We’re going to be the home stadium,” McDermott said at Monday night’s city council meeting.

The Bears are still playing in Soldier Field for now. Last week, their board of directors voted to move forward with plans to build a new stadium in Hammond, but acknowledged they have yet to pick a specific site.

The decision came just days after Illinois state lawmakers wrapped up their spring session without approving legislation aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois.

In April, the Illinois House voted to pass a so-called “megaprojects bill” that would have allowed the Bears or other developers investing at least $100 million in a project to negotiate property tax breaks with local governments. The Illinois Senate never voted on that legislation, instead passing a bill on Monday that would have allowed local municipalities in Cook County with a population of more than 70,000 to set up their own stadium authorities. Arlington Heights and Chicago both meet that threshold.

Under that plan, the Bears would have put up the cash to build the stadium but the local government would officially own it and the Bears would lease it from them — thus avoiding property taxes altogether. However, the Illinois House adjourned for the summer without taking up that proposal.

Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), who has led negotiations on legislation aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois, said the Bears have left the door open to staying in Illinois. He said team president Kevin Warren called him on the day the Bears announced they were focusing on Hammond to say the Bears are still open to discussions on a new stadium in Illinois.

Buckner also noted that the Bears have yet to pick a specific site in Hammond for a new stadium.

“That’s not a criticism. It’s simply an acknowledgment that the Bears’ own language leaves additional flexibility and does not represent a final decision. The carefully crafted statement also uses words that describe a process that is continuing, rather than reaching a conclusion,” Buckner said last week.

On Tuesday, Illinois state Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) announced he was crafting a new version of the megaprojects bill to keep the Bears in Illinois.

His proposal would raise the threshold for a so-called “megaproject” from $100 million to $500 million. Like the original megaprojects bill, developers could negotiate with local governments for “payments in lieu of taxes” that would lower their property tax bills but still provide revenue to local governments.

Ugaste’s plan would also provide statewide property tax relief for homeowners by requiring any tax referendum questions up for a vote to appear on general election ballots. Currently, tax referendum questions are allowed to appear on primary election ballots, when fewer voters typically cast ballots.

“We need to get this done,” Ugaste said. “Illinois can keep a historic sports franchise that means so much to the people of the state, remain competitive for major economic development projects, and also provide relief for homeowners and businesses who are carrying one of the highest property tax burdens in the nation. We do not have to choose between economic growth and taxpayer relief. We can, and should, have both.”

Ugaste said he plans to introduce his proposal in the Illinois General Assembly later this week.

Indiana lawmakers have approved legislation to pave the way for a Bears move to Hammond. The proposal would commit up to $1 billion in public funding towards a stadium, and create a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority with the power to issue bonds, acquire land, and finance construction.

While Indiana has agreed to help finance a Bears stadium, the team plans to commit $2 billion towards the construction of the facility. Indiana officials have yet to lay out how they plan to help fund the project, or what taxes would be needed to pay for it.

In:

Source link