Book picks similar to
Afraid of the Dark by H.P. Mallory
fiction
paranormal
ghosts
ghost
A Witch by Chance: A Written Fireside Short Story
Lori ConnellyZara Stoneley - 2014
Ivy Mitchell’s life is changed forever after she follows her cat, Karma, into an old house, where she stumbles upon a strange book that not only unleashes her destiny, but attracts a smoking hot, mysterious stranger named Chance with wicked powers of his own. Ivy was born a witch, but an important decision awaits. Make the wrong choice and more than her powers are at risk. A story in nine parts, each written by a different writer in her own individual style: Lori Connelly, Aileen Harkwood, Zara Stoneley, Kari Lemor, Sarah Lefebve, Carmel Harrington, Teresa F. Morgan, Lynn Marie Hulsman, and Jane Lark.Length: 4300 words
Undeadly
Michele Vail - 2012
I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Life at Nekyia has its plusses. Molly has her own personal ghoul, for one. Rick follows her there out of the blue, for another...except, there's something a little off about him. When students at the academy start to die and Rath disappears, Molly starts to wonder if anything is as it seems. Only one thing is certain—-Molly's got an undeadly knack for finding trouble....
The Last of the Moon Girls
Barbara Davis - 2020
Eight years ago, she left the land that nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to distance herself from the whispers about her family’s strange legacy. But when her beloved grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must return and face the tragedy still hanging over the farm’s withered lavender fields: the unsolved murders of two young girls, and the cruel accusations that followed Althea to her grave.Lizzy wants nothing more than to sell the farm and return to her life in New York, until she discovers a journal Althea left for her—a Book of Remembrances meant to help Lizzy embrace her own special gifts. When she reconnects with Andrew Greyson, one of the few in town who believed in Althea’s innocence, she resolves to clear her grandmother’s name.But to do so, she’ll have to decide if she can accept her legacy and whether to follow in the footsteps of all the Moon women who came before her.
The Mystic Cove Boxed Set #1-4
Tricia O'Malley - 2015
Determined to unearth the secrets lying hidden in the enchanted waters of the cove, Keelin has little time for a surly Irishman who infuriates her during the day and haunts her fantasies at night.Inexplicably drawn to the woman who has stepped from his dreams and into his world, Flynn fights a stubborn battle against his increasing attraction for Keelin. Forces unknown have better plans for the two.Only the secrets of the cove can show Keelin who she really is, the beauty of her mysterious power, and a love that will break the bounds of what she knows.Wild Irish Eyes - Book 2Oh, to stop the voices in her head.Other people's voices, that is. As a pub owner with an extra special gift, all Cait Gallagher craves is a moment of silence. That, and to own the building her pub is housed in along with the heart of the building's landlord, Shane MacAuliffe. Though she is irresistibly drawn to Shane, her vulnerabilities cause her to put up a tough exterior. When the two butt heads, more than sparks fly, and Cait finds herself trembling on the precipice of love.Shane has watched Cait for years. Stubborn, beautiful, and with a trim body that he is dying to get his hands on, Cait is it for him. And yet, she continues to infuriate him by walking away from his kiss. Every time. At his wits' end, Shane doesn't know what to do to make Cait his own.Unapologetic and fiercely proud, Cait must conquer her insecurities and reveal her true self or face losing everything.Wild Irish Soul - Book 3Love was never her strong suit.Aislinn is used to living life on her terms. As an artist with an extra-sensory gift, she allows her moods, and those of the natural world, to inspire her paintings for her gallery. Aislinn has danced around serious commitments her whole life.When Dr. Baird Delaney moves his psychiatry practice to town and stops by her shop to pick up some prints for his office, Aislinn's world tilts. Irresistibly drawn to his presence, yet convinced that the uptight doctor is a poor match for her free-flowing artistic soul, Aislinn is torn. Both Aislinn and Baird will have to suspend their beliefs as they tumble headfirst into a messy, unrepentant love that challenges both to accept each other unequivocally.Wild Irish Rebel - Book 4A loner at heart...Morgan McKenzie has been on her own since she ran away from a nightmarish foster home at the age of sixteen. Afraid to put down roots again only to be hurt once more, Morgan prefers to be constantly on the move. Until she is inexplicably pulled to the small Irish town of Grace's Cove. Before she knows it, Morgan is settling in and forming relationships for the first time in her life. Determined to keep her walls up to protect both her heart and the touch of magick she carries, Morgan fights against her growing attraction for the town's golden boy, Patrick Kearney.Patrick can't keep his eyes off of Morgan. Since the moment he saw Morgan across the dance floor at Keelin's wedding, Patrick has been lost. Pulled in by her beauty and vulnerability, Patrick's frustration grows as his advances are continually rebuffed. As Morgan rebels against her feelings for Patrick, she is swept into a battle against her own worst demons.
Fairytale Beginnings
Holly Martin - 2015
Obsessed with all things Disney, she refuses to give up on finding her Prince Charming – he’s out there somewhere, isn’t he?When Milly is given a job to investigate the origins of an historical building in the village of Clovers Rest, she’s not sure what to expect. What she discovers takes her breath away - a beautiful real life Cinderella castle, complete with turrets, a magnificent drawbridge AND a very handsome owner…Cameron Heartstone.As Milly and Cameron begin to unearth the secrets of Clover Castle, they can’t ignore the intense chemistry building between them. But they’ve both been hurt badly before. Can they take a big leap of faith and find their own happily-ever-after?
The Last Victim
Karen Robards - 2012
Charlotte Stone sees what others do not. A sought-after expert in criminal pathology, Charlie regularly sits face-to-face with madmen. Obsessed with learning what makes human monsters commit terrible crimes, Charlie desires little else from life—no doubt because when she was sixteen, she herself survived a serial killer’s bloodbath: A man butchered the family of Charlie’s best friend, Holly, then left the girl’s body on a seaside boardwalk one week later. Because of the information Charlie gave police, the Boardwalk Killer went underground. She kept to herself her eerie postmortem visions of Holly and her mother. And even years later, knowing her contact with ghosts might undermine her credibility as a psychological expert, Charlie tells no one about the visits she gets from the spirit world. Now all-too-handsome FBI agent Tony Bartoli is telling Charlie that a teenage girl is missing, her family slaughtered. Bartoli suspects that after fifteen years, the Boardwalk Killer—or a sick copycat with his M.O.—is back. Time is running short for an innocent, kidnapped girl, and Bartoli pleads for Charlie’s help. This is the one case Charlie shouldn’t go near. But she also knows that she may be the one person in the world who can stop this vicious killer. For Charlie—whose good looks disguise a world of hurt, vulnerability, and potent psychic gifts—a frantic hunt for a madman soon becomes a complex test of cunning, passions, and secrets. Aiding Dr. Stone on her quest to catch a madman is a ghostly presence with bad intentions: the fiery spirit of seductive bad boy Michael Garland who refuses to be ignored, though in his cat and mouse game they may both lose their hearts. Dr. Charlotte Stone sees what others do not. And she sees the Boardwalk Killer coming for her.
The Deepest Cut
J.A. Templeton - 2011
Guilt-ridden over the belief that she’s somehow responsible for her mom’s death, Riley is desperate to see her mother’s elusive spirit to gain her forgiveness. When her father moves the family to Scotland so they can all start over, Riley believes her life couldn’t get worse––that is until the ghost of nineteen-year-old Ian MacKinnon catches her purposely cutting herself. An uneasy truce quickly turns into friendship, and soon Riley’s falling hard for Ian. Riley believes her gift could help Ian end the curse that has kept him tied to the land for centuries, but that would mean letting him go forever and she’s not sure she is strong enough to do that. As if her life wasn’t complicated enough, the spirit of the woman who killed Ian returns and she’ll stop at nothing to keep Riley from helping Ian find eternal peace.
Stillwell
Michael Phillip Cash - 2013
While trying to get his family’s life back in order, Paul is being tormented by a demon who is holding his wife's spirit hostage on the other side. His fate is intertwined with an old haunted mansion on the north shore of Long Island called Stillwell Manor. Paul must find clues dating back hundreds of years to set his wife's soul free.
Raising Hell
L.A. Boruff - 2021
I have a hot husband, a great home, and the perfect life.Until I remember my true identity.My husband isn't an insurance salesman.He's the deadly Lucifer himself. His two best friends, Michael and Gabriel, are my angelic lovers. And I'm Lilith, the Queen of Hell.We need to abandon our perfect human lives to get back to Hell and strengthen the gates. If we don't, demons are going to pour out of the Underworld to create Hell on Earth.A powerful enemy we never even knew we had doesn't want us to return to Hell. He's doing all he can to stop us.But I’m the Infernal Queen, and Heaven help anyone who stands in my way. They’re about to learn just how far I Fell.Infernal Queen: Raising Hell is a full-length (70k+ words) poly why choose romance. It involves a considerable amount of steam and an intriguing plot.
Between Seasons
Aida Brassington - 2011
And after his parents leave the house, he's trapped without company -- until a mysterious woman who can channel his memories buys the house forty years later. The spring brings with it new life, but falling in love with the new owner may only bring heartbreak to them both
Witch Hunt
Sara Bourgeois - 2021
A dead body in a cemetery might not sound so bad, but this one was murdered.
An arrow to the heart took out Burton Crabb, the owner of Terror Tales, a local ghost tour company.
Detective Matt Carver pegs Reva’s Aunt Alva as the prime suspect in the killing, so Reva’s got to pull out all of the stops to clear her Auntie’s name.
It doesn’t help that Aunt Alva fought with the deceased over his disrespect of the cemetery’s inhabitants.
Can Reva find the killer and keep her beloved Aunt out of prison? Or is she walking right into a killer’s deadly snare?
Come along as Reva and friends solve this crime one spell at a time.
Graveminder
Melissa Marr - 2011
While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words, "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."Now Maylene is gone and Bek must return to the hometown—and the man—she abandoned a decade ago, only to discover that Maylene's death was not natural . . . and there was good reason for her odd traditions. In Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected—and beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. From this dark place the deceased will return if their graves are not properly minded. And only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.
Touching the Surface
Kimberly Sabatini - 2012
She doesn't remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right. Elliot just wants to move on, but first she will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she'd rather keep buried. Memories of people she's hurt, people she's betrayed and people she's killed. As she pieces together the secrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she's hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves, even if it means losing them both forever.
Unraveling Isobel
Eileen Cook - 2012
Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother. But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.
The Next Always
Nora Roberts - 2011
Now it’s getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. Beckett is the architect of the family, and his social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there’s another project he’s got his eye on: the girl he’s been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen.After losing her husband and returning to her hometown, Clare Brewster soon settles into her life as the mother of three young sons while running the town’s bookstore. Busy, with little time for romance, Clare is drawn across the street by Beckett’s transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look . . . at the building and the man behind it.With the grand opening inching closer, Beckett’s happy to give Clare a private tour - one room at a time. It’s no first date, but these stolen moments are the beginning of something new - and open the door to the extraordinary adventure of what comes next . . .