Book picks similar to
Old Man Scratch by Rio Youers


horror
canadian-fantastika
received-for-review
short-stories

The Straw Man and a Murder


Jeff Menapace - 2011
    One of these friends is a scarecrow. The others are crows. When his father's violence goes too far, something must be done, and before the night is up the wicked will learn that vengeance comes in many shapes and sizes.Short Fiction. approx 17 pages

Stone Cold Heart


Lisa Hughey - 2013
    But on a humanitarian mission to aid an earthquake ravaged country, finally she finds a place where she fits, in Colin Davies' arms, and working for Global Humanitarian Relief, her big brother's company. But can the former SAS thaw Jess's stone cold heart?

Sunkissed Days


Samantha Chase - 2019
    Coming back to Magnolia Sound to celebrate her great-grandfather’s birthday provides the perfect opportunity to show Jake that she’s no longer a child. The last thing Jake expected to do at his mentor’s birthday party was to find himself kissing Mallory under the moonlight. Though he’s known her for years, the thought of kissing her never crossed his mind. But the shy tomboy he once knew is gone, and in her place is a woman he can’t resist. They have one summer before they go their separate ways. Insecurity wars with the possibility of a future together, but it could all come to an end before it even has a chance to start.

Gloom


Ricky Olson - 2018
    In one, a model addicted to the internet gets invited to an elite party by a stranger. In another, a high school student obsessed with death tries to quench an ever-growing thirst. In others, embarrassing sex is explored, survival of the fittest is exercised, and death is redeemed. Throughout these twelve short stories one thing is common: Olson isn’t afraid to leave any rock unturned while exploring the dark side of the human condition.

Black Eyed Children


Sara Clancy - 2017
    For months, she could stay in a cabin in the middle of the Yukon wilderness with only a pack of sledge dogs to care for. But from the moment she arrives in the isolated dog yard, something is terribly wrong. She can feel it watching her from the woods. She can hear them whispering to her in the silence. But she is sure it is just a trick of her mind. Until the night they arrive. Three children appear on her doorstep in the middle of the night; each one with pitch black eyes. They plead with her to let them inside, but her rejection draws her into a war of wills against the demonic forces. Isolated in a terrain she doesn’t understand, and trapped by an oncoming blizzard, Ruby will have to decide how far she’s willing to go to survive. She’ll soon learn that it’s hard to keep the devil out when you’ve already opened the door.

Shades


Geoff Cooper - 2007
    A secret that threatens the lives of Danny, his friends, and the mysterious old Russian known as Gustav...

Unfaithful: Hope and Healing After Infidelity


Gary Shriver - 2009
    So the odds are pretty good that you or someone you know has experienced the searing pain of marital infidelity. But adultery is not an automatic death sentence for your marriage. You can trust again. You can restore intimacy. You can have a relationship that you will both cherish for a lifetime.Ten years ago, Gary and Mona Shriver experienced the devastation caused by adultery, and in the course of trying to save themselves, they wrote this book. Raw, transparently honest, the Shrivers’ story alone is an inspiration, offering hope and practical strategies for healing. Now this updated and revised edition adds other real-life stories of betrayal and forgiveness, and new information defining adultery, including the destruction of emotional affairs. Some doubt if a marriage can truly heal after the ravages of infidelity. Unfaithful proves you can. It’s not easy ... but it can be done. Is it worth it? Yes. And you hold the first step—and hope—in your hand.

If Your Girl Only Knew


Kenya Moss - 2014
    It was only natural that she pursue a career that allows her to analyze other people's business and get paid for it. The tables turn when she must decide between her job or loyalty when information told to her by one of her patients causes a life or death situation for one of her best friends. Natalie - Natalie and Lewis have been happily married for several years. Aside from his baby mama drama, their life together has been good. That is until Monica decides she wants Lewis for herself. Monica shows herself a viable threat by sabotaging, manipulating, and seducing Lewis. She is determined to get this man. May the best bitch win! Lyn - Three months away from her wedding date all hell breaks loose. The man she thought was her knight in shining armor is showing signs of major deceit. Derrick is staying out all night and behaving suspiciously. Lyn sets out to find out what he's up to. What she finds out turns her world upside down! These three friends cope through lies, betrayal, and continuous DRAMA. Get ready for a sleepless night. The drama is so intense in this page turner that you won't be able to put it down!

TUNDRA: Two-Ply-Strength Humor


Chad Carpenter - 2019
    This hilarious 233 page full-color book contains over 400 of cartoonist, Chad Carpenter's latest comic creations. Consisting of anything animal, vegetable or mineral, but with a decidedly outdoorsy slant, this award-winning comic strip takes an offbeat view of the woodsy side of life. Find out for yourself why TUNDRA is one of the fastest-growing comic strips on the planet!

Love Out West


Leah Atwood - 2015
     The Ultimatum Bride: “I’m giving you two months to settle down. Find yourself a respectable wife, stop the brawling and be the man I know you can be. Otherwise, I will tell Darrel to expect a wedding for his daughter soon.” “And if I refuse to marry Elsie?” George West’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “Then you will be written out of my will.” Jesse West is faced with an ultimatum. Unwilling to marry Elsie and steadfast against losing his right to inherit the Circle W, he must think quickly. His best option seems to be sending away for a mail-order bride. Faith Donovan vowed never to marry. Years of witnessing her parents' abusive marriage soured her against such a union, but when she can't find employment, she answers an advertisement for a mail-order bride and hopes for the best. When she discovers her new husband has a reputation for the very things she feared, her hopes are crushed. Yet, something about Jesse draws Faith to him. Can they look beyond their pasts and forge a future filled with love? Serving With Love: After her unscrupulous stepfather accuses her of being a thief, a horrified Katie hopes to hide out until she can prove otherwise. But slipping into obscurity in a small Texas town isn't so easy. Not with Texas Ranger Ward Alston on her tail. Ward's used to getting his man—or woman. But he's not used to the accused being so resolute in her innocence or so beautifully appealing. As he uncovers the truth, Ward realizes this Harvey Girl isn't all she seems. Together, can they evade danger and obey the law of their own hearts? Hearts to God: Orphaned as an infant, Madeline Snow grew up in the Shaker community—the perfect place to learn reverence, hard work, and a love for God that surpasses the need for an earthly family. But the difference between what the Bible says and what the Shakers taught was too much for Madeline, so when she came of age, she left the safety of her home for a new life with her much older sister. Madeline had been trained to grow herbs and make medicine by the best herbalists in her community, but in the wild Oregon Outback finding a husband is the only proper occupation for a single lady. Madeline left the Shaker community, but her devotion to God and the principle of celibacy, are unchanged. Finding a husband to direct her life is her last priority. But her sister and guardian is just as stubborn as Madeline. Madeline will marry, whether she wants to or not. Unfortunately for Madeline, finding a husband isn’t simply a matter of falling in love. Some men are off limits, no matter how they make your heart thunder. Free to Heal: Kane Calloway swore he’d never let anyone close to him again, that way he’d never feel the pain of loss. Living a life of reckless abandonment has brought him face-to-face with his demons—no more running. Either he gets married, or spends time in jail—neither sentence is appealing, but if he stays out of jail, he can at least help keep two small children from going hungry. Newly widowed, Faith Masterson is struggling to keep up with chores while tending to her two daughters. Without help, which she can’t afford to pay for, she and her daughters will surely starve by winter. After hearing about a new government program for women in her situation, she decides it is worth trying for the sake of her children.

Taste of Home Fast Fixes with Mixes: 314 Delicious No-Fuss Recipes


Taste of Home - 2012
    With the aid of store-bought mixes and seasoning packets sensational meals home-cooked meals can be made with a minimum of kitchen prep time and effort.Recipes Include: Italian Sausage Bread Light 'n' Crispy Waffles Black Forest Cake Chicken 'n' Biscuits Creole Shrimp & Rice Puffed Pizza Casserole Dreamy Creamy Peanut Butter Pie Buttery Almond Green Beans Easy Spanish Rice Ranch Pretzels

25 Gates of Hell


Brian KeeneAlex R. Knight III - 2020
    A group of storytellers banded together to chronicle the tsunami of evil that ensued. Their scribblings depicted events so horrific, the manuscript was hidden away.Now, dear reader, you seem to have stumbled upon it.And you have opened it.You must reap what you have sown.Come, step into the pages. See firsthand what hell is capable of.Of course, just know, you won’t last long enough to scream.

Hull's Landing


James Melzer - 2010
    While it may seem like just an ordinary place, The Landing holds a secret so dark, that there are those who will do anything to protect it.For decades, young girls have been disappearing like clockwork. While some have their suspicions, the entire town lives in fear - and for good reason. When Rita Clemens, a former member of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, decides to make her new home in Hull's, she begins to uncover what the locals have tried to keep hidden for so long.As the race against time begins, Rita will have to do everything she can to protect herself, and to save a child's life, before one of the world's oldest evils can be unleashed.

Desolate


Robert Brumm - 2011
    Instead of putting a scare into his ex-boss as he intended, things quickly get out of hand and he kills five people. Howard gets sentenced to life at an experimental prison camp off the coast of Antarctica and he soon learns the true definition of rock bottom. Prison life at the remote island involves back breaking work in the illegal mine run by the corrupt warden and his abusive guards. A mysterious object is discovered deep in the mine and the inmates and staff start dying from an unknown disease. Howard is lucky to find himself one of the few survivors immune to the infection but he and his fellow inmates learn something far more sinister and terrifying has also emerged from the mine. The truly lucky ones are already dead.This book is intended to be read by adults and may be unsuitable for children under 17. Contains indecent language and descriptions of graphic violence.

Grimm Reapings


R. Patrick Gates - 2006
    It's been thirteen years since siblings Jennifer and Jackie Nailer nearly lost their very souls to the enchantments of Eleanor Grimm. The Victorian mansion where Eleanor once conjured her wicked schemes now belongs to Jen and her husband. The couple is converting the former mortuary into a bed and breakfast and artist colony to create a nurturing environment for the baby they're expecting--and hopefully to purge the house of its evil. But although Eleanor's body has been laid to rest, her spirit still lingers in the mind of the youngest Nailer sibling, Steve. A mere infant when Eleanor was thwarted in her attempt to possess his body, Steve has now come of age--ripe for plucking and easily manipulated. With Eleanor guiding his every move, Steve is compelled to help her gather victims and perform the rituals that will place her soul into Jennifer's unborn child. Only Jackie, tormented for years by nightmares of the horrors Eleanor inflicted upon him, is aware of his brother's possession. And only he knows what must be sacrificed if anyone in his family is to survive... Grimm Reapings