Book picks similar to
American Ghost Stories by S.K. Dines
short-stories
fiction
ghost
suspense-horror
Hard - Complete Series
Lucia Jordan - 2015
The owner of a custom motorcycle shop, Jake has a bad reputation for being a womanizer, and possibly a criminal, but Beth has always had a bit of a crush on him. Wishing for a guy like Jake is dangerous, however, so she’s always kept her distance. When Beth and Jake are caught under the mistletoe and forced to kiss, her desire for the big, dark, tattooed biker blazes hotter than ever. When later that night Jake shows up on her doorstep asking for more, she can’t resist letting him in. His hungry kisses soon lead to a white-hot bout of passion that arouses Beth so much it frightens her. But when Jake explains that he’s a dominant, and wants her to be his submissive, Beth suddenly has doubts. She’s a nice girl, not a biker chick or a submissive. And if his strait-laced father finds out she’s sleeping with his son she will definitely lose her job. And when Jake unexpectedly makes a proposition, she must decide if it’s worth the risk?
Ghost Hunting Diary Volume 1
T.M. Simmons - 2011
M. Simmons kept during her twenty years of adventures in the paranormal world. As a writer, she felt compelled to keep records of her encounters, and until now, she has only shared these with a few friends and relatives. Encouraged by their interest, and the awe and sometimes apprehension on their faces, she is editing some of the dozens upon dozens of diaries in her files. Volume I contains Down the Ghost Trail, which chronicles the start of T. M. Simmons’ ghost hunting career at the haunted Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Crossing Over explains how she learned to help lost souls cross into The Light. In Midnight Ferry, a late-night phone call sends her into a confrontation with a nasty ghost-witch who meant horrific harm. The other three stories are ones she chose as some of her favorites. She has also included a few definitions of her beliefs and the rules by which anyone whom she allows into her ghost hunting life must abide.
Break Of Dawn
Marie Reyes - 2021
Her parents will not be at her wedding.They still live in the commune where she was raised - the commune she refuses to return to. Her fiancé convinces her to go and visit the commune to invite them. She'll regret it if she doesn't, right?When she gets there, her father is still struggling with substance abuse and her mother is nowhere to be found. Dawn has no choice but to stay and try to find her mother but being back there is causing her mental health to backslide as memories she buried deep bubble to the surface.Fighting demons both past and present, Dawn needs to get out before it's too late.Content warning: This book explores sensitive themes such as mental health, drug use, and abuse. Includes some coarse language.
Scar Tissue
David Skivington - 2013
Transported to a dingy basement in Kolkata to identify the body of her murdered husband she has no explanation for his presence in India. As she searches for answers about who the man she married really was she finds his death surrounded by allegations of drug smuggling, child trafficking and murder. Unsure of what is true and who she can trust, Rachel has no idea of the danger her husband's hidden life has put her in.
The Ghost Files
Apryl Baker - 2013
She’s been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too. Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost of her foster sister… Sally. Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally’s disappearance. Only to find out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim… Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?
The Visitor
Mark Lawrence - 2018
The only thing you need to know is that Wild Cards is set in our world, and an alien virus has been infecting people in rare outbreaks. It kills 90% of victims, makes ugly monsters of 9% (Jokers) and gives 1% random superpowers (Aces).A very personal short story that I'm proud of and want to find a wider audience for.There is a sequel story free on the Tor website, The Visitor: Kill or Cure.
The contract
William Coleman - 2020
His first case is a simple one: follow the woman, Maddie, and get pictures of her having an affair.But nothing is that simple. Hawke is forced to intervene when the Maddie is almost kidnapped right in front of him. When it happens again, Hawke switches from stalker with a camera to bodyguard with a gun.The lawyer who hired him is not satisfied with the outcome or that Hawke is looking into who is responsible for the abduction attempts. He threatens Hawke to get him to back down, something not in the investigator’s nature.To protect Maddie, Hawke must take her along while following the few leads he has to identify who is responsible and why. The closer they get to the truth the more danger they find themselves in.Will they find who is out to get Maddie before it’s too late?
Forbidden Fruit
Calvin Demmer - 2017
Casey, author of Stygian Doorways
Too Darn Hot
Pamela Burford - 2000
Restaurant reviewer Lina Holland learned that lesson by watching her beloved mentor self-destruct, and she’s not about to make a similar mistake, even if the chef and owner of the restaurant she’s secretly reviewing is the most sexalicious hunk who ever seared a T-bone. It’s not enough to be scrupulously impartial, she must avoid even the merest whiff of favoritism. Date a restaurateur? She can’t allow herself to even think about it. Okay, she thinks about it, but that’s all. Really! Chef Eric Reid is a widower struggling to raise twin boys and keep his fledgling restaurant afloat long enough for word of mouth to lift it out of the red. Little does he suspect that the intriguing new customer groaning in ecstasy over his bourbon pecan tart is none other than the legendary Lina Holland, the reviewer whose thumbs-up could spell the difference between colossal success and the extermination of his lifelong dream. No one in the industry knows what Lina looks like, but he’s convinced she’s a brash, zaftig shrew who applies her makeup with a putty knife. When he finds out how wrong he is, the fun really starts! Throw in a buttinsky roommate, a lecherous ex-husband, bribery by chocolate, and the fishing excursion from hell, and the result is, well, too darn hot! Originally published by Zebra books, a division of Kensington Publishing Corp.
The Lies They Told
Jay Nadal - 2019
When a notorious criminal is found dead in his own home, his clothes soaked with blood, Detective Inspector Karen Heath is one of the first at the crime scene. For Karen, this is personal. She has a point to prove. Having returned from suspension, the eyes of the force are watching her every move, and some aren’t pleased to see her back. Never far from her thoughts is the burning desire to find those who were responsible for the fateful day that led to her suspension. But, when another vengeful killing comes to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone far more sinister at work. Detective Inspector Karen Heath of the London’s Met police face a race against time to track down a killer who’s bold, relenting and dangerous. A story about greed, power, brutality - and fractured lives...
Dark Creations: Gabriel Rising
Jennifer Martucci - 2011
At seventeen years old, she envisioned love but never dreamed it possible.That was before she met Gabriel James.Gabriel was different from other boys. With otherworldly attractiveness, gallantry, charm, and intelligence, Gabriel was everything boys her age were not. As her relationship with Gabriel grew, she realized his kindness and generosity matched his extraordinary physical appearance. Melissa found her feelings for him growing stronger with their every encounter.But Gabriel had a secret, a dark secret.Gabriel was no ordinary teenage boy. His exceptional attributes were not random inheritances from his ancestry. His origins were far different.Gabriel James was not born of man and woman. His DNA was hand-picked and refined by Dr. Franklin Terzini and grown in a clandestine facility in the Russian Far East. Dr. Terzini created Gabriel to be the future of the human species, a perfected version. The crucial difference between Gabriel and the rest of humanity, however, was his inability to experience emotions. His lack of emotion was not by accident, but by design. Dr. Terzini believed that humankind would best be served without sentimentality, that feelings were the root of every ill within society. Gabriel supposed Terzini’s theory to be true; until he met Melissa.Despite Terzini’s intention, Melissa Martin awakens feelings within Gabriel, offers him life beyond his maker’s confines. Gabriel realizes emotionality is not what is wrong with the world, but what gives life meaning. He realizes he must risk everything to be with her, to conceal his relationship with her from Terzini.Elsewhere, in a far corner of the Earth, Dr. Franklin Terzini’s earliest creation spirals out of control, no longer contented by his meditative state, propelled by an insatiable bloodlust. A creature more powerful and hideous than any that roam the planet, his first creation journeys to the United States leaving a trail of victims in his wake, as hatred for Gabriel fuels his voyage.Dr. Terzini’s discovery of Gabriel’s feelings and his connection with Melissa, along with the arrival of his first creation, threatens to destroy more than Gabriel’s relationship. Gabriel desperately struggles to protect her from the unrelenting forces conspiring against them. He must guard her against his maker and shield her from the wrath of mankind’s darkest creation.
Voices in My Head
Mike Evans - 2016
What if the devil on your shoulder could actually come out and play? Voices in my Head is just that. Meet Mikey, the sweetest five-year-old you've ever met, and his psychotic dark side Michael. When his mother changes his life forever Michael comes out to play.
Still Born: A Short Horror Story
The Behrg - 2014
They can hear their deceased daughter through a baby monitor. But is it really their daughter they are listening to? And if so, who are the other voices coming through on the monitor? As this couple is about to discover, not all second chances are meant to be taken. A psychological horror short story in the vein of Blake Crouch or Stephen King, StillBorn will leave you wondering what is real and what is not. Grief, despair, and tragedy are brought together into a short tale poetically horrific.