It contains six tales, written during his first five years as a published author, ranging from psychological horror to bleak crime noir. It was released March 30.

Across these pages, haunted men and mysterious women journey through fog-choked woods, neon cities, desert highways and crumbling memories. Some are running from their past. Others are chasing redemption. None escape unscathed. Whether confronting inner demons or supernatural entities, each story explores the same lingering question: What do broken people become when the world finally notices their cracks?

“This is the culmination of years of hard work,” Pickens said. “I’m glad that readers will finally have one book that contains all of my stories.”

Pickens began his writing career in 2018. He self-published his first novella, “April Awakening,” in 2020. All of his books have been available digitally, but this is his first release that will also be available in physical format.

“It’s been a fight to get to this point. I faced a lot of rejection early on,” he said. “Sometimes, if a door doesn’t open for you, you just have to kick one down.”

“Books for the Broken” has already received several positive reviews on Goodreads from advanced copy readers.

Pickens has had a prolific career thus far. Alongside his fiction work, he co-hosts the award-winning “Midnight Terrors Podcast” with Kevin Roche, where they discuss horror films, host special guests and interview authors, directors and actors. He also pens the weekly “Honeycut” column for TBM Horror, where he explores the craft and culture of modern horror media.

“Books for the Broken” is available in eBook format, and paperback is available on Amazon.

Pickens is a 2007 graduate of Altoona Area High School and attended Shippensburg University. He now resides in Columbus, Ohio.

R. Jacob Honeybrook is an independent fiction author. A former journalist, he brings a sharp realism to his horror, delving deep into the human psyche while confronting true-life fears.