“It all started with a nightmare.” That’s how P.G. Smith describes the beginning of the journey that resulted in his new book, “Prayers for Evil: A Novel.”

“The image of the book’s villain was so vivid in my dream that I had to write down the character’s description when I woke up,” he continues. “Over the years, in between work and serious writing projects, I added characters, settings, and plot twists until the horror story became a novel.”

Smith is a former U.S. Army Brigadier General and public school educator whose writing has appeared in many publications, including Country Living, Military History, Career World, Canada’s History, and the Boston Globe. Now semi-retired, he spends much of his time in Boothbay Harbor.

“Writing this book has been a lot of fun as well as a bit of therapy for me,” Smith says. “It’s just the kind of story I love to read around Halloween – creepy happenings, unexpected plot twists, unlikely heroes, some spicy romance, with some history tossed in. I love horror stories, but I’m not a fan of blood and gore, so squeamish readers don’t need to be afraid. And of course, the Maine coast is the perfect setting for something mysterious.”

Although Smith maintains that he wrote the novel just for some spooky fun, when pressed, he admits there are some serious underlying themes. “I guess I’ve always believed that sometimes the deepest form of evil lies within those who zealously believe that they are serving the greater good.” Smith explains, “We need only to look at the atrocities that result from the fanatic religious fervor of ISIS to see the danger of self-righteousness.” Another theme relates to Smith’s background as an educator. “Without giving too much of the plot away, I also wanted to create an unexpected courageous character who wouldn’t meet the conventional image of a hero. In my experience, true valor often comes from unlikely sources.”

Smith will read from “Prayers for Evil: A Novel” at the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 4:30 p.m. He will be pleased to sign copies of the book, which will be available for sale at the event.

The novel is available on Amazon in both e-book and paperback formats. He can be contacted at pgsmith@net1plus.com or visit his website at www.paulgregorysmith.com for updates.