FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
October 10, 2024  

**Elena Vasquez Releases Debut Thriller 'Echoes of the Forgotten'**  

*Former journalist's novel draws from 2023 wildfires to depict urban survival.*  

LOS ANGELES -- Elena Vasquez released her debut novel "Echoes of the Forgotten" on Thursday through Horizon Books. The 320-page thriller follows a group of strangers navigating a fire-ravaged city. Vasquez, 42, spent two years researching the story based on California wildfires.  

The book highlights themes of resilience amid environmental catastrophe, incorporating interviews with first responders. It marks Vasquez's transition from investigative reporting at the Los Angeles Times to fiction writing after a decade in newsrooms.  

"I saw how fires don't just destroy homes—they shatter communities and force people to confront their limits," Vasquez said. "This story is about what happens when everyday choices become life-or-death."  

"Echoes of the Forgotten" is available in hardcover, ebook and audiobook formats from retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and independent bookstores nationwide. Preorder sales exceeded 15,000 copies last month. Vasquez will appear at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on October 20.  

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ABOUT ELENA VASQUEZ: Elena Vasquez is a Los Angeles-based author and former reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She holds a journalism degree from UCLA. "Echoes of the Forgotten" is her first novel.  

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