Epic Fantasy, 253 pages, 2011. 

A young woman, Elise, who is able to cross between two worlds, returns to this one to discover that a butterfly has come back with her. But this is no ordinary butterfly. Crafted of silver wire and sapphires by one of the pocket wizards it should not have been able to cross the barrier, and it should not have been able to fly without magic, yet it has done both of these things. 
      
This event, and others which follow, convince Elise that the barrier between the worlds is weakening. If it falls it means the end of both worlds. To keep that from happening she needs the help of her twin, Elena. But will Elena help save a world in which she no longer believes?  
      
REVIEWS: "It's kind of like Wizard of Oz meets Cinderella. I loved reading this. The world the author creates is amazing. I would not be ashamed to admit that I may have laid down and tried to find the door. The world completely grabs the imagination and draws you in." ~Sue Owen, Paper Mustang

 "Cowan has created a wonderful world that is so vivid you will want to go there too. Her characters are real, with real problems, hopes and fears. A modern day "Wizard of Oz" that will touch even the coldest heart. It is a definite must read!" ~James McCracken, author Charlie McCready series, Secrets and Lies & The Millionth Year.

Mystery/Thriller, 243 pages, 2010

Based in fictional Ilaloona County, Oregon, "Something in the Dark" tells the story of Austin Ward, a woman dealing with achluophobia, a paralyzing fear of darkness. Austin believes she's coping well with her phobia, the result of a traumatic childhood incident, until she finds herself locked in a windowless room, and someone turns out the lights. 
      
Austin finds a therapist to help her overcome her fears and the debilitating anxiety attacks they produce. But her search for healing is sidetracked when those around her begin to die in shockingly brutal ways. With her once safe world crumbling around her, Austin is driven to discover the killer. But who is it? Is someone seeking revenge? Has a serial killer come to her small Pacific Northwest town? Or, has something sinister followed her from childhood, something she met once before...in the dark? 

REVIEWS: "This is a "who's doing it" type murder mystery thriller that keeps the reader guessing who the killer is all the way through. There are plenty of red herrings to throw you off and at one point I had 4 suspects in mind. ...The story starts off quite slow as the author sets the scene and introduces us to the characters but the pace picks up once the killings begin. A great story with good, indepth characters. I look forward to reading more books by PJ Cowan." ~Mr. Magic, Amazon Reviewer 

"P.J. Cowan is master of the red herring. Several times while reading this thriller, I felt I solved the whodunit, because I followed the false trails laid down by the writer. I should have known better - clever Cowan distracted me so much that only when the author revealed the murderer did I know the truth. Cowan's descriptions are evocative - each word is a gem - her sense of place, perfect. I could not put it down - I stayed up all night reading it, because Cowan made me care deeply for the characters and I just had to know what happened to them. This is a great read for all who love great characters and adore suspense." ~Lisa Cromwell, College Professor and long-time Journalist.

Author's photo by: Tim Rautio, Striketime Photography