The Russellville businessman who published his first novel in January now has a second novel in the series hitting shelves soon.

“Dark Forces,” the second book in “The Witch5s of Dillard Hollow” series by Phil Hardin, is now available for purchase through the company Publish America, LLP.

“Dark Forces,” is a continuation of the adventures of five sisters who are descendants of a Native American woman named Karunda who had supernatural powers.

The first book took place in the 1930s and early 1940s – right up until the time of World War II – and the second book primarily takes place during the war.

All the books in “The Witch5s of Dillard Hollow” series are loosely based on local people and places, which Hardin said makes them especially interesting to read for people here in the community.

Hardin said the book is a sci-fi mystery but has a little bit of humor and romance mixed in so it’s something for everyone to enjoy.

“When I first decided to write this series, I knew I wanted to make a conscious effort to keep it family-friendly,” Hardin said. “There are so many immoral things on TV these days that I just wanted my books to be good, clean entertainment for all ages.”

Hardin said he was pleased his publishing company was interested in his second book after the first one hit the shelves in January.

“‘Karunda’s Children’ sold well enough that when I pitched them the idea for ‘Dark Forces,’ they said yes right away,” Hardin said. “I enjoyed continuing the story and I hope the readers enjoy it as well.”

Hardin said when he first started writing the story of Karunda’s five great-granddaughters, he never intended for it to be published. It was actually just a project he started working on at the prompting of his wife, Donna.

After the encouragement from his wife, Hardin said that he was able to complete “Karunda’s Children” over a six-month time period and got the idea to publish it after several people suggested it.

Once the publishing process was completed for the first book, he immediately began work on the second book and is currently working on the third.

Even though the books have been well received, Hardin still maintains that he doesn’t write for fame and fortune. He does it out of a love for writing.

“Writing is just something I enjoy doing because it de-stresses me,” Hardin said. “The fiction books I write are often a welcome escape from the day-to-day mundane you can get caught up in.

“Writing is something I hope to continue doing for a long time.”

People interested in purchasing Hardin’s book will need to search for a book written by p.Gale, the pen name Hardin has chosen to use for his written works.

“Most people decide to use a pen name because it gives the anonymity that most authors want to hold onto,” he said, “and I thought it was a good idea.”

The Witch5s of Dillard Hollow: Dark Forces” is currently available through www.publishamerica.com or copies can be purchased at the downtown Chevron in Russellville, where Hardin is the owner.

In the next several weeks, the book will also be available in both regular and eBook forms at amazon.com, booksamillion.com and barnesandnoble.com.