Southern Maryland author Jessica Housand, PhD, MPH, MFA, will release her debut novel, Blood Gilt, through Little Studio Films Publishing on July 21, 2026.
The dark literary crime saga, set between Florida and El Salvador, follows Alejandro Whitmore Santiago, son of a Salvadoran mother and an American military veteran whose consulting firm masks a transnational smuggling empire.
Alejandro was five when separated from his mother and siblings during El Salvador’s civil war. Now 21 and living in Florida under his father Jared Whitmore’s control, he is groomed to inherit the criminal enterprise. When threats emerge to the Salvadoran operations, Jared dispatches Alejandro south with promises of power, money and reconnection to the family he has mourned for 16 years.
The assignment forces Alejandro into complex family dynamics. His mother Ana, a war survivor turned political force, sees him as a potential heir. His father sharpens him as a rival to older brother JJ. Alejandro’s lover Moni may even offer the FBI an entry point into the organization.
Housand, who has ties to Southern Maryland, drew from themes of trauma, political violence and family legacy. “I began Blood Gilt with a character whose violence, attachments, and capacity for love had been shaped by trauma,” she said. “As the story expanded, I became interested in how political violence enters private life.”
Written in close third-person perspective through Alejandro’s eyes, the novel immerses readers in his memories, rationalizations and divided loyalties. Housand aimed to help readers understand the protagonist without excusing his actions.
The book blends organized crime, political rivalry, an FBI investigation, succession struggles, obsessive relationships and family tragedy. It has earned strong early praise, including four five-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite and a five-star review from Literary Titan. Critics have lauded its “memorable, brilliant, and dark crime fiction,” superior character dynamics and cinematic writing.
Housand is an accomplished author, screenwriter and researcher. Her work has appeared in more than 20 literary journals and anthologies, including War, Literature & the Arts, Split Lip Magazine and New Madrid. She holds a PhD in psychology with an emphasis in media psychology, a Master of Public Health and an MFA in creative writing.
You can find additional information at: www.jessicahousand.com/blood-gilt.
