Book picks similar to
Leaving Birds by Virginia King


character-driven-reads
ghost-stories
magic
fantasy

Warlord's Storm (Warlords of Empyrea #3)


Georgia Lyn Hunter - 2021
    On the hunt to locate one of the prophesized women who will help save his realm and take her back with him—or steal her if he had to—he comes face-to-face with a fiery female with the wounded eyes, one who threatens his iron-clad control and turns his world upside down. Cruelly betrayed, all Kataya Jamison wants is to lick her wounds someplace quiet, not clash with a maddening immortal who believes she possesses the mystical blood magic his world desperately requires. With her life falling apart, it’s the last complication she needs. But when rebels snatch her, and the intractable man comes to her rescue, the armor protecting her heart starts to slip.Together on his bleak realm, and despite her wariness, neither can resist the desire blazing between them. A passion that is intense as it is forbidden. And North will stop at nothing to claim her as his. When his enemies target Kataya, a powerful darkness rises, and their burgeoning bond is viciously tested. But the sacrifice required to defeat it may very well break them both… A 120k+ slow-burn romance.

Rusty Wilson's Canadian Bigfoot Campfire Stories


Rusty Wilson - 2014
     These 12 all new and original stories from Rusty Wilson, the World’s Greatest Bigfoot Storyteller, will keep you intrigued, hanging onto the edge of your seat, or wishing you could travel up north and see what all the excitement’s about for yourself. Come read about a young man who finally gets his wish to visit one of the world’s wildest places, where he quickly realizes that maybe his parents were right after all—then read about the strange case where a Sasquatch discovers a rare fossilized dinosaur skeleton—and then, if you dare, read about a woman who stops for a break on a remote Canadian backroad and ends up taking something home with her that she really doesn’t want—and there’s the Sasquatch that ends up saving peoples’ lives by stealing all their food in the dead of winter—and a Sasquatch that brings a couple together through its death—one who decides it wants to be in a painting—another who likes the taste of loons—and a man who discovers a secret Bigfoot food source—all these and more great campfire tales are guaranteed to make you happy you’re safe and sound in your house instead of listening to a Sasquatch screaming in the darkness from inside your thin nylon tent, deep in the Canadian wilds. Or, if you’re truly the adventurous type, maybe you’ll want to buy a thin nylon tent and head to British Columbia or Alberta. Fly-fishing guide Rusty Wilson spent years collecting these stories from his clients around the campfire, stories guaranteed to scare the pants off you—or make you want to meet the Big Guy! “I suspect that Canada has more wild things than we could imagine in our wildest dreams. If you take a look at a map, you’ll see just how immense and rugged many parts of this country are, especially those regions in the north and around the Canadian Rockies and Coastal Mountains. I’m sure there are things out there we could only imagine, one of them being Bigfoot—or Sasquatch, as our northern friends call him.” —Rusty Wilson

Enigma


Mazzy J. March - 2021
    No idea why I’m at a castle where things float and candles alight themselves. No clue as to my age or even my last name. At this point, I’m not for sure that I didn’t burst into being from a spark.For the record, my name is Mia.The man who drove me here handed me a suitcase and patted my shoulder before telling me good luck. The headmaster seems to think I belong here and that my powers will bloom. Sure, buddy. And donkeys will dance in tutus while a jester pushes him in a wheelbarrow.This school is like no otherThe girls at the Conjurer Academy whisper, and lines have already been drawn in the sand as far as social groups go. The students here all look like goddesses. The food shimmers as though it is enchanted. Every girl has at least three boyfriends, so maybe there’s no shortage of god-like men who can make magic? No idea, but I’ll take four if they are handing them out.What should I do?The way I see it, I have two choices... One: Try to fit in and survive here. Two: Find a way out and back to reality. Neither one sounds promising to me.Enigma is book 1 of the exciting new paranormal reverse harem series The Conjurers Academy from bestselling Authors Mazzy J. March and Jenna M. Jett, featuring a heroine who is completely out of her element in an academy where magic is the norm and up is down…or maybe sideways. It is a why choose alternate universe romance with a slow burn buildup to sizzling heat. Relationships develop over the course of this supernatural series and, of course, Mazzy guarantees an HEA.

Holiday Magic


Nikki Jefford - 2014
    It's never been harder than when she and boyfriend Raj McKenna travel to Paris to spend winter break with Lee's duplicate, Gray, and her boyfriend, Adrian Montez.Celebrating the holidays with the shifty warlock isn't Lee's idea of a holly jolly good time, but she fears poor Gray is still under the influence of a love spell. Why else would she settle down with the brute? It's up to Lee to make sure her duplicate isn't being duped.Holiday Magic is a special edition Spellbound story about love, forgiveness and second chances.(Recommended after reading the Spellbound Trilogy, but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story. YA Mature/NA. 11,000 words.)

Alpha Temptation: Sanmere Shifters Romance Collection


Lola Gabriel - 2020
    

Spell or High Water


ReGina Welling - 2018
    When they clash with bewitching creatures from the big blue, magical hi-jinx are sure to follow! A group of your favorite paranormal cozy writers have teamed up to bring you mystery-filled tales of summer fun. Authors include: Kathi Daley, Heather Hamilton, Molly Milligan, Morgana Best, April Aasheim, Tegan Maher, Elle Adams, Heather Horrocks, Danielle Garrett, Samantha Silver, A. Gardner, ReGina Welling and Erin Lynn

The Soul Taker (The Gabriel Files Book 1)


J.R. Rain - 2019
    Rain and Aiden James! Gabriel Radu isn’t your average 'thirtyish' detective... that’s because he's a three-hundred-year-old warlock. Residing in the quaint but quirky town of Denmark, Tennessee, the semi-immortal 'Gabe' is called upon from time to time to assist local law enforcement in solving unusual crimes that often end in murder. And, by unusual, the crimes always involve something he's quite familiar with: Magic. When Sheriff Billy McCain comes calling for help in solving the brutal slayings of a pair of homeless men, whose corpses have been marked by a dark snake and scythe symbol beneath the napes of their necks, Gabriel eagerly accepts the challenge to help solve the case and bring the killer, or killers, to justice. But the assignment comes with a terrifying caveat... the mark left upon both victims points to an ancient entity that rarely visits our world. Known in Gabe’s Romanian homeland as the Sufletul, or Soul Taker, in the previous centuries this immortal fiend has arisen, it has left widespread death and destruction in its wake. The initial killings soon begin to multiply, and the mysterious reasons behind why this ancient menace has chosen the tiny town of Denmark begin to come into focus for Gabriel. Relying on his investigative instincts and courage, as well as precious insights from trusted friends and his family of witches and warlocks, the quest to stop the growing body count before it erupts into uncontrolled carnage brings Gabriel closer and closer to a confrontation with... The Soul Taker.

Nineteen Ghost Stories of M.R. James to Keep You Up at Night: 3 Volumes


M.R. James - 2009
    R. James is best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. One of James' most important achievements was to redefine the ghost story for the new century by dispensing with many of the formal gothic trappings of his predecessors, and replacing them with more realistic contemporary settings.According to James, a story must "put the reader into the position of saying to himself: 'If I'm not careful, something of this kind may happen to me!'"

Circus of the Dead Chronicles Book 1


Kimberly Loth - 2021
    She’s not sure about the whole island thing, but figures the world is only big enough for one ghost island.Boy was she wrong.She finds that the supernatural has followed her and Samuel—the old circus ringmaster, who she thought was dead—is right in the middle of it all.The Circus of the Dead Chronicles will be short novella length adventures that will be released every two weeks until the end of the first set. I’ll be releasing 10 novellas in this series in 2021.

Soul Siphon


T.L. Branson
    Negotiating with aggressive advisors and hostile kingdoms is one thing, but when his beloved lies at death's door, he'll do anything - even forsake those he's sworn to protect - to find a cure.Receiving word of a magical stone with the power to heal her, he embarks on an epic adventure to retrieve it. When mythical beasts, scheming elves, and even enemy kingdoms stand in his way, he'll stop at nothing to get what he needs to save his wife's life.Will Alexander destroy lives, betray loyalties and ruin peace forever? Or will he realize what he's doing before it's too late?Join Alexander Drygo on a journey of love, loss, and madness told through the eyes of those closest to him. Soul Siphon is a collection of novellas, including an exclusive, never-before-released story, Sentinels of the Stone.Fans of R.A. Salvatore, Brandon Sanderson, and Patrick Rothfuss will love this epic sword and sorcery adventure.

Soul of Thorns (Wicked Fae Book 3)


Stacey Trombley - 2021
    

Outcast: Books 1 - 6


Emilia Hartley - 2019
    Happy endings, no cheating & absolutely zero cliffhangers! By the time you reach the end you'll be begging for more! This is one boxed set you do NOT want to miss! Book 1: Archer Vancourt doesn’t believe in anything anymore—not Pack, not family, and certainly not love. He’s not even sure why he listens to a plea to return and help the Pack that threw him out. At home, he finds everything in shambles, his father dying, and the woman he once rejected under the thumb of a monster. Joanna doesn’t deserve this. She was never the reason he left, and now, seeing her full beauty and strength, Archer starts to believe she’s the one for him after all. He has to fix things for her—if she’ll let him. Book 2: Gage Vancourt is tired of not belonging. When the Pack kicked him out, he had his brothers, but Cohen left, and now Archer has a new mate. There’s nothing for him at home. Gage is considering returning to Illinois when he finds a newly-changed shifter. Kaylee is stuck in her coyote-shape. Gage takes her home, feeds her, and coaches her through her next few shifts. But just as Gage is starting to feel he belongs, the shifter who changed Kaylee comes around to claim her. Gage will do anything to make her safe, but will it be enough? Book 3: Cohen's animal is cursed. A darkness lingers in his eyes - the telltale signs that a monster lurks within. He moved away from his pack to protect them. To protect his brothers, and more importantly, to protect Ashe. But now he’s back, facing down forces even uglier than himself. He must protect Ashe and the others from those forces. But can he also protect them from himself? Book 4: A Virginia mountain town. That’s where the roads have taken him. Although Stonefall is safe now, Jax’s failures still haunt him. He can’t see a place for himself among the Vancourts. No pack needs a shifter who can’t protect his Alpha. So, he hits the road, looking to outrun his ghosts, and bumps smack dab into Sydney, a local cop investigating crimes that are inhuman in more ways than one. He’s afraid he’ll fail her, too, and add another ghost to the ones haunting him. But he can’t leave her to fend for herself. Book 5: Rhylan isn't used to this life. The heightened senses and problems that come with them are almost too much. He has a million questions that need to be answered, but his brand-new Pack-mates are too caught up in each other to answer them. Then he meets her. Another shifter. A sexy maid at the hotel where he’s staying. His wolf thinks Thalia is the answer to all their questions, and he’s beginning to think the beast is right. If only she weren’t too distracted by her own mission to help him. Book 6: Javier is a giant wolf-shifter, big as a smart-car, strong as the mountains he loves, and sensitive enough to protect everyone he cares about, especially his little sister, Thalia. Or at least that’s who he was until an enchantress ripped out his soul and tinkered with it, trying to turn him into a tool for her own evil purposes. Though no longer physically the woman’s captive, Javier is a shell of his former self, so numb to the world that he’s only vaguely aware of what he’s missing. He’s at least aware enough to distrust the woman fate has tied him to—Nora, the enchantress’s daughter.

Chosen


Lauren Chow - 2017
     Clara Evans’ needs a fresh start. Exhausted from the taunts of her classmates and the neglect of her careless foster parents, she is counting down the days until graduation when she can move away and leave her miserable life behind. When swoon-worthy Jay Woods transfers to Ford High School, Clara’s eyes are opened to a universe she never knew existed. As the life she once knew shatters and ancient secrets are revealed, Clara must learn to control her newfound powers while defeating a raging darkness that will change the world forever. Could “The Freak” from Ford High be the key to saving the human race?

Dreams in Black Static: Eight Stories


Ambrose Ibsen - 2020
    After watching it, one of them vanishes...A heart transplant recipient gets much more than he bargained for when he digs into his donor's sinister past...Mourning the death of their son, a young couple is plunged into madness after encountering something otherworldly in the wilderness...DREAMS IN BLACK STATIC is a collection of eight terrifying stories by Ambrose Ibsen, author of The Haunting of Beacon Hill and Asylum. The tales included are:"Me and Mr. Ray" **"Decatur Road" **"Dreams in Black Static" **"Distortional Addict" **"Trim" **"Subterrane Dream" **"Orchard""The Uncanny" **** = Appearing in print for the first time

A Reluctant Huntress (Tales of the Wild Hunt Book 1)


Graceley Knox - 2019
     That was until Jinx up and left without an explanation. For the last five years, she’s lived in the human world, chasing down rogue supernaturals and filling in on occasion at the bar beneath her apartment to make ends meet. All of that changes the day her little sister shows up on her doorstep. The King of the Wild Hunt has been taken, and not even the greatest of hunters can find him. Left with no other choice but to help, Jinx returns home to a kingdom that thinks she abandoned them. And if that’s not bad enough, she has to work with the insufferably attractive Draven Hellguard to find her father. After being gone for so long, she can’t help but feel like unseen things are happening at Castle Tor. Unsure who she can trust and who’s out to destroy her family, Jinx is only sure about one thing. Whoever did this is going to pay, and she won’t stop until they do.